Twin Peaks Walk

From Monument to Wellington Arch
a continuation of the walk Sunday Morning Contrasts

View Larger Map

Two peaks, two climbs and one almost straight hike across two cities was the route today. London of course is made up of the City of Westminster and the City of London, with both sitting hunched up together surrounded by boroughs and Royal Boroughs. It's an urban sprawl  which would take you a lifetime to get around and see in it's entirety.

Monument to the Great Fire of London
(with The Shard in the background)

I landed on Fish street just before doors opened for the day, had a quick brew and got watered for the next few hours. I've always felt the setting here quite imposing to say the least and a little claustrophobic. The main reason for this being is that the monument is situated only 202ft (62m) from where the Great fire of London started and is itself the same height. Hence it's full official title and what it commemorates: The Monument to the Great Fire of London. 

Doors opened and I was already third in the queue and followed in step with another couple behind. Round and round and up we went the 311 steps of Portland stone. It's quite a climb and if you did it in one go without stopping could certainly qualify for any Olympic games. Many stop of course on the way up at the bay windows which allow some extra space and allow one to lean in so that any traffic can pass. Finally after what felt like 10 minutes you feel the  sunlight then fresh air and the last step onto the top viewing platform.

View from the Monument

The claustrophobic aspect at the bottom does have it's benefits however when you reach the top. The view towards the city is impressive and you feel right amongst it been almost the same height as the taller buildings and buildings to be. 

Of course London been London there's  CCTV all around the top but I hadn't expected to see speakers. Health and Safety gone mad again I thought and assumed it was for fire evacuations. 

Something new for the CV

A few snaps later and one final panoramic look around I returned to the bottom and was presented with the certificate everyone gets for this great feat of exertion. Another addition to the CV I returned to the guy in the box who informed me that the speakers where actually to ward of graffiti artists and the "I was here" brigade. Everything made sense at that stage and off I went up Cannon street in the direction of Saint Paul's Cathedral.

The London Stone
111 Canon Street

Cannon street's most famous resident these days is the London Stone which is an encased stone rumoured to be the one that King Arthur drew his sword from. Other legends also persist but the poor thing has been shunted around more than several times over the years to allow for the ever growing traffic and ever growing building work that this city is all too keen on. It's current home is mid-way along the street at #111 and is encased is a tasteful mesh of iron.

Cannon Street Station

Building work indeed and this very straight street has many gems of glass and steel. As I passed the London Stone the site of Cannon Street railway station is unmissable with it's glass side giving a great reflection on this October morning.

And off a side street in one of those hidden courtyards you find dotted 

Barclays Bank

around central London a building occupied by Barclays which encases the space and is well done with it's futuristic curves of steel. I continued along Cannon Street and watched as Saint 

Cannon Street leading to St. Paul's Cathedral

Paul's Cathedral started to come into view. The contrast between big city building and the iconic cathedral designed by Sir Christopher Wren is quite a contrast and starts providing a different mood to the walk. As you approach St. Paul's the space becomes more open with lots of tourist traffic around and many feeding over the river Thames along the Millennium bridge from Tate Modern.

St Paul's Cathedral, London

St. Paul's can be seen from most parts of central London. One reason for this is that of the restriction imposed that must allow a view between it and Westminster not to be blocked. This stops it from been lost amongst the on-going construction work in the city. The Cathedral also occupies the highest point in the city of London on top of Ludgate hill. 

Saint Bride's Church

I head on past this national treasure of Portland stone, down Ludgate Hill and join Fleet Street. Once home to the newspaper industry you still get the feel of the era when walking past the art deco building once occupied by the Daily Telegraph. The plaque and bust of TP O'Connor also sits above a doorway almost opposite the Telegraph's old home as a permanent reminder to this street's  history.

Off Fleet street and along Saint Bride's Avenue sits St Bride's church, also by Christopher Wren, which is known as the printers church. Adopted by the journalists and the industry of the area and were memorials exist for lost personal who lost their lives when working abroad and at home especially in conflicts. The famous diarist Samuel Pepys was buried here in 1703. The tall steeple was added in 1670 and inspired local bakers to start the trend of tiered wedding cakes which has lasted ever since. 

Eat, Fleet Street, London

Continuing along Fleet street I wanted to visit number 168 which was the fabled home of Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. As I counted the building numbers which descended as I went along I came to 170 then no numbers for a few doors but by my calculations the current address is occupied by an outlet of a chain of cafés call Eat. An ironic coincidence or what that the scene that many met there end in such barbarous conditions to be cooked up in Mrs Lovett's pie shop should now again be used for a culinary outlet of another kind. The thought of the menu didn't cross my mind at this stage but there was a sign for pies!

Boundary between the
City of London
 and the City of Westminster

Heading west I start nearing the Strand and the boundary that separates the City of London and the City of Westminster. The boundary around the City of London is well marked by a variety of ways which are always black. In this case it's the statue of a black dragon that sits on a plinth. A short distance ahead is a street lamp with a pillar that has the marking City of Westminster. 

The feel here starts to change as I pass the Royal Courts of Justice and brush along side the famous west end's Theatre Land area.

The Royal Courts of Justice sit majestically just off The Strand at Aldwich and have seen many famous cases down the years. Oscar Wilde, Lord Haw Haww, The Cray Twins

Royal Courts of Justice, London

No court cases today only tourists and a fashion shoot which looked out of place I have to say. There was plenty of activity however around the entrance with staff going in and out. It's a huge building that doesn't seem to fit into it's surrounding area I felt because it's size and grandeur.

Stanley Gibbons

When walking along the strand you find that the north side seems to be a border where the West End finishes.There are a couple of theatres along this side along with hotels. The south side is home to the ever prestigious Savoy hotel and Somerset House with it's amazing fountain and space used for open-air concerts in summer and ice-rink in the winter. The courtyard is magical at any time of year but more so in winter time I have to say. Back on the north side two old institutions which sit quietly amongst the tourist traffic that makes it's way up and down the stretch. Stanley Gibbons, the home of stamp collecting since 1856, which when I was growing up was synonymous with stamp collecting. They have inspired school boys young and old toward collecting first day issues and name-checking the rarest and most expensive stamps in the world. 

Coutts Bank

Stanley Gibbons promise that if you pop into see them at 299 The Strand  "for 5 minutes, you’ll lose an hour just looking at the rich selection of quality stamps we have available". Definitely one for a rainy afternoon.

Further along is another old institution which also bares the royal crest and serves the banking interests of royalty. Coutts was founded by John Campbell in 1692, two years before the Bank of England. Their main line of business is Private and Commercial Banking. Again the throngs of tourists pass on by walking to and from Trafalgar Square asI head in that direction.

Matsuri Festival, Trafalgar Square

I went on and passed Charing Cross station and arrived at Trafalgar square. A festival was taking place and was one of the many cultural celebrations that happen around the fountain and in front of Nelson's Column throughout the year.

Today was the Japan Matsuri 2012. As I walk through a programme was handed to me which explained the festival and outlined what entertainment and celebrations were taking place. Matsuri means festival in Japanese and all the stalls surrounding Trafalgar square were showcasing food, providing demonstrations in drawing, selling holidays, culture and stalls set up by the sponsors which there were many. 

Matsuri Festival, Trafalgar Square

The stage in front of Nelson's column was staging a fashion show with local and Japanese models parading in pairs finely turned out. Traditional Japanese outfits with a modern twist I thought. Even the parasols they carried looked cool. I headed on through the crowds past the many food stalls providing a taste brought from the orient to local and ex-pat visitors. 

Buckingham Palace, London

As I cleared the festivities in Trafalgar Square I made a quick check on my location and planned route by looking at one of the many maps dotted around Westminster and the City of London. It's almost impossible to get lost in this city as these maps are found in most areas tourists frequent along with smaller versions at every bus stop right across London. From where I stood I had to go through Buckingham gate and onto the Mall towards Buckingham Palace. A straight walk. 

Constitution Hill, London

The Mall is well used by traffic with most of that made up by what looked like taxis. The manicured lawns are perfect around the surrounding area and the beds looked like they had been turned over recently and readied for autumn. The space the palace affords itself is comfortable enough to be admired and enjoyed by visiting tourists and locals strolling around. Taking snaps, lazing on the grass, jogging, hiking and even a outdoor watercolour class provide a more relaxing atmosphere.

I followed on right and made my way along Constitution Hill which was my the home straight to Wellington Arch. The park land around here is made for all seasons especially autumn with the leaves now changing colour. A large puddle sat amongst the trees served as a reminder to recent wet nights. It was a wonderful reflection which I snapped and gave a painterly effect later using Photoshop.

Wellington Arch, London

Walking along the Mall and Constitution Hill gave me the feeling of making the choice in which peak to climb first as this walk turned green and allowed me to take advantage of the heat of the sun. Up until then I was walking on the sunny side of the street. I got to my final destination via the pedestrian crossing for people (and horses!) across the road that encircles the arch. 
I entered the doorway inside the arch and paid the entrance fee to get to the viewing platform. 

View from Wellington Arch, London

Another reason hit me as to why doing this peak second was provided to me when I was instructed by the person in the foyer to take the lift up to the viewing platform. 
Music to my ears at this stage and I gladly choose the floor to the top. It's like a Tardus in here I thought when passing the exhibition currently taking place in order to get the view from outside. 
Although the view back along Constitution Hill is quite nice with the many trees in view the potential view could be much better. If the trees were just a little lower then a spectacular view of the houses of parliament and of the London Eye would be very pleasing indeed.

After a welcome rest I boarded the Piccadilly line from Hyde Park Corner and headed home.

The Tunnelers Choice....

Island Memoirs, Chapter #35: Aranmore..........

View Larger Map

Forgive me Father for I have sinned.

In with the new SD Card

Out with the old SD Card

  I went on a jaunt to Aranmore in Donegal on Saturday without a SD card loaded into my camera. This is sacrilege I know but I did zip around town before embarking on the trip and nipped into an assortment of shops both ancient and new along the way. You tend to find out certain things the hard way and this trip proved no different. My trusty Cannon 400D is now officially old as it only accepts the now being-phased-out chunkier cards which I can get almost nowhere. I will hold both hands up though and say that Currys in Enniskillen had one which they had to fish out of a box from under the counter but it came with a £75 price tag and was beyond my budget.
And today when writing this post and searching for images to go with this piece I had to scroll through 20 pages of images before finding one that resembles a card that fits my camera. Newest first in Google world..........

Anyways, the trip to #35..........
Donegal bound once again for my final island of the year and I headed the same direction as my previous trip a month ago. The colours of Donegal were still up and even more so after the great win against Cork in the semi finals stage. And since the final was the following day extra effort was in place with almost everyone wearing the colours in some way. A car past me several times completely painted in team colours touring around blowing the horn. The driver with donned with straw trilby hat and several girl passengers looked like living the Donegal dream come true. 

The local radio was also awash with cup fever and it was wall-to-wall songs from Donegal although interspersed with commentary about a well witnessed meteor shower from the previous night that provided perfect views across most of Ireland. A sign from the gods no doubt. It was also the autumn equinox bringing shorter days to all.

With half the county en route for Dublin this meant I had the place pretty much to myself. The schools were also back by this stage which meant bye-bye to almost all tourist traffic.....except me.

I skirted past the turn-off for Portnoo and gave Inishkeel a wave to say hello as it sat in the near distance opposite Narin strand. On past a replica of the Statue of Liberty (dressed in team colours) erected in remembrance of those who headed state-side for a better life. I headed in the direction of Dungloe and reached Burtonport in time for the mid-day ferry to Leabgarrow. Initially I thought I had loads of time as a big sign on the way into the harbour said that the next sailing was 12.45 but on checking a ticket found that the next one sailed at mid-day so a quick dash was made. It turned out that there are two separate companies competing for the route so there's a sailing pretty much every half hour. Busy route indeed I thought.

Aranmore Ferry
Courtesy of Paul H Burns

Aranmore sits less than half an hour sail from the Burtonport and sheltered by several smaller islands. The ferry set out and weaved it's way in a well rehearsed and nifty manner between many buoys and markers to bring it's passengers safely to Leabgarrow harbour. 

It's a car ferry too and had a couple cars and a van that boarded in reverse fashion. I walked aboard and took a seat on the upper deck at the back for an all round view of the passage across. With a population of over 500 the feeling of remoteness doesn't quite sink in when you get there. This is especially true on walking away from the harbour with signs for hotels, a night club (a night club!), pubs, a heritage centre and arrows for the "Aranmore Way" been the first thing you see.

It was Saturday afternoon, there was the odd person out and about for sure, and the island had a nice community feel about it. There's a church, school, at least three pubs, a post office and several general stores adjoined to pubs, a hark to the good old days of course. It was breezy though and in the low teens so hat and scarf were worn as I strode clockwise around the island. The coolness of the breeze prompted me to check the ferry timetable going back and decided upon returning on the 3.30pm boat. 

There's a sea of houses on the island that you initially walk alongside, mostly white bungalows and most are empty. A local out walking his dog told me that most head off for the winter to work and move back permanently when they have their money made. Most of the housing looked pretty new as well which was a give away sign to the boom years of the Celtic Tiger when building was the national sport. But now most were empty with the owners working elsewhere.

Aranmore has a strong history of producing people who worked on large scale tunnelling projects around the world. Tunnels built in London, Scotland, New York, South Africa, Hong Kong, Guatemala, New Guinea, Cairo and Kuwait had involvement from Aranmore men going back as far as the early 1920's. And with the fading fishing industry in recent years this heritage spread across 4 continents is the obvious choice to follow in finding work away from the island. 

Call it coincidental but out of all the islands I've been to so far this one had the most diggers in view and which felt quite apt, but as I say that may have just been coincidence. 

I passed an empty playground and a newly built court for 5-a-side or basketball as I followed the road around the east of the island. A quad bike raced past me back and forth a few times with a couple of young lads letting her rip which looked like great fun as they waved and dooted the horn. Three middle-aged men were repairing the door of a large shed as I took a right along an ascending road. The road turned went from tarmac to stone path and a steeper climb to Cnoc an Iolair ("Hill of the Eagle") which is the highest point on the island. 

At this stage the day was warming and made for a welcome break at the peek marked by a shine to Our Lady with a view over the entire island. From the peek looking west it's completely remote with three small lakes sitting down below surrounded by bog land. A lone couple of swans glided between two lakes and settled on the water in a scene I didn't feel worthy to spoil. They settled in graceful fashion that only swans can. The surrounding bog land showed signs of fresh cutting as people prepare for the winter stocking up the turf that provides Donegal villages it's homely smell from the hearth.

View of Donegal Mainland and Mount Errigal 

from Cnoc an Iolair 

Courtesy of Paul H Burns

When looking back though it's quite the opposite with the sea of white houses all located on the sheltered side of the island. It makes sense though when you see it. And with the Donegal hills' own version of Mount Fuji, called Mount Errigal, in the distance you see the rugged, spread out beauty this county offers. The only thing that didn't fit was the TV mast on a nearby peek which was the only thing that spoiled the surrounding view. 

Cnoc an Iolair,

the highest point on Aranmore

Courtesy of Paul H Burns

It was 2pm at this stage and realising the island's size (7 square miles) decided that the Hill of the Eagle was going to be my turning point in now a circular walk. I gently stepped across the bog and rejoined the stoney path that lead back towards Leabgarrow harbour again. The stoney path turned to tarmac again and the remoteness turned to civilisation. A few chickens ran around the road and made for cover amongst a long row of New Zealand flax plants which seem hugely popular with alot of houses on the island.Never had I seen these types of plants used in this way before. Most were huge and mature and blocked the view from one side of many houses but more importantly it's for the wind I guess.

It was nearing 3pm when I started to approach the harbour again and dropped into the nearby pub for a rest and soak up any atmosphere on offer. Half a dozen young people were at the bar exchanging lively gossip and the smell of the turf fire slowly filled the air. A pair of gloves signed by Shay Given hung framed on the wall and a poster of the Donegal 2012 team squad covered another which would have been a sin not to have on display. I ordered a pot of tea and a Kit-Kat (which was a brief conversation stopper amongst the regulars) and took a seat in the lounge that overlooked the beach and incoming ferry. The "Blue" ferry had just left the harbour and was heading out on the right hand side of a line of buoys from the harbour with my "Red" ferry approaching on the left. Like clockwork it pulled up, lowered it's doors and the cars ran off along the little coastal road. 

The last minutes of this short trip were enjoyed by the fire glancing at the paper and admiring the view through the window . Over came the barman to throw turf on the fire saying he didn't know how he was going to get through the winter with "this stuff" as it was burning too fast. He said he was fully stocked but didn't think it was enough to do and delivered in true Donegal fashion "Sure we'll see how it goes".  

I departed from Aranmore a little heavy hearted as the day had warmed up alot more and with the limited time didn't walk to the cliffs or lighthouse (the oldest in Donegal). The island offers a good weekend getaway for sure with lots of community life on one side of the island and remoteness on the other. It's a perfect spot to bring bicycles for the weekend too although my preference would be to walk out to the lakes and beyond towards the lighthouse and furtherest point on offer.

As a note, Donegal won their final game and brought the Sam Maguire cup back home the following day. Their gallant effort ended with a scoreline of Donegal 2-11(17 points) Mayo 0-13 (13 points). You can read a review here from the Irish Times online edition.

And many Thanks to Paul H Burns for the permission to use photos from his Flickr photostream, I'll never leave home without my SD card again!

Crop Circles in Avebury

View Larger Map

This trip is one of a few that can be found leaving London during the summer months and provides a tour of the crop circles around Avebury. As new circles appear all the time this (along with the weather) makes each tour  different from the next. 

Crop circles intrigue most people. Their designs are often complex and tend to be both mathematically precise and have a spiritual connection with the earth and the solar system we reside in. Sacred Geometry is the term I learned during this trip that best fits the phenomena.


The bus departed from Westminster after 9am and headed west out of London. There were around 20 in the group and from a good cross-section of age and background. Quite a few had been to the area to see the circles before and also the stones in Avebury.

Onto the M3 from the Chiswick en route for Wiltshire we went. Although quiet, there was an upbeat feel on the bus with printed handouts been passed which set the context for the trip and put everyone in the mood.

The printouts detailed recent formations we were likely to visit along with background history of the circles and interpretations of some formations. The lady organising the tour mentioned that the first recorded circle was around 1690, created by "The Mowing Devil" which left me quite taken aback I have to say.

We passed Salisbury hill which marked our arrival at the epicentre of crop circle activity in England if not the world. Although Neolithic, Salisbury hill's history and origins are a mystery as it sits nicely amongst the gentle farmland around it.  Shortly after, we pulled up at the Silent Cafe, stretched our legs, had coffee and browsed around the little shop that sold books, t-shirts and other related crop circle souvenirs. Grouped around outside were guides waiting to be picked up. Some with long walking staffs, some with big wellies, some with oil skin coats and all looking the part. It was time to say hi and get to know each other in the group and break the ice. 


With a local guide on board we departed in good spirits and ended up at the side of a road at Wanborough Plain where we got out and scaled a fence in single file to a field of barley. One by one we followed the tracks made by the harvesters towards the formation. The thing that strikes you when walking around these mystical works of art for the first time is that up until that point you've only seen the aerial view. This different aspect means you adjust your attention to the experience of being there which isn't easy at first but you can't help but get into the detail of the craftsmanship. The group wandered around in a sort of random order. Some followed the path of the outer circle, some followed the paths of the two overlapping pyramids and some just wandered around the centre. Some stood still and meditated and one or two held crystals picking up the energy that circled from the end of a chain. The group started to intrigue me as much as the formation itself and throughout the initial time there silence filled the air until everyone gathered at it's centre. Light conversation ensued with questions about when and how it was made. After about 30 minutes we headed back to the mini-bus and returned to Avebury.

This video below gives you an idea of formation at Wanborough Plain




We got to the Avebury stones, broke for an hour and wandered the site that is reason enough to visit this area alone. For me, the size of these stones is what makes it so special. Where I come from we just have short dumpy ones but do they job all the same I have to say. Their presence is quite something and you can't help but follow their path across the two fields near the information centre.

I followed the stones with a girl from the group who joined the tour only for this part of the day saying that she has always been drawn to this place throughout her life and had visited many times. An hour passes quick when lost amongst neolithic wonders and we had to hurry back to the bus. The photo below which taken from flickr and is of one stones that caught my eye on returning to the bus. There seemed to be a horselike carving on one side of the nearest stone in the photo which I didn't see until almost back at the bus but didn't stop to take a snap. Next time I will.

Avebury Stones
Courtesy of Lee Robinson1

Fields of Barley,
Salisbury Hill in the distance

Everyone back on the bus again and off we went to the second formation of the day. There was a lively atmosphere on board and lots of anticipation for the next formation. We passed Salisbury hill a second time and pulled up alongside another field of barley. The ground was alot drier and we were now in the middle of a very pleasant afternoon. With coats wrapped around waists we walked through the field to the brow of a hill. 

There was a great feel amongst the group wandering in silence through a very intricate formation that spread very wide. It had no obvious shape and was made up like a lattice pattern with small clearings here and there. In silence the group drifted through this maze meeting each other along the way for a quite analysis.






Everyone gravitated towards what looked like the central point where the guide stood and the silence was well broken at this stage with many smiling faces and lots of comment. The guide then suggested an Om. Everyone fell into line holding hands in a circle and with eyes closed the guide lead off and all followed. "Ommmmm......." it was easy to follow for sure and this was all new to me and will say that I was carried away a little after a while. The connection with the group over the next several minutes was a spiritual experience I'd never felt before.  Omming is a healing meditative technique which originated in Hinduism and is a mystical Sanskrit sound which means "that which is sounded out loudly". Anyone was invited to say some words and thanks was given for the energy felt at this moment and at the place we all stood. On breaking hands there was alot of warmth and a few spoke of the great feeling they had within them during this moment of meditation. We headed back to the bus.

I found this on youtube which will gives an idea on Omming .....



 

After a short drive away we disembarked and walked through an avenue of stones to our final formation which was only days old. 

Crop formations appear all the time and this one was as fresh as they came. The avenue allowed us to walk as a group which was nice as there was alot of bonding going on, the interest level was high and there was a good vibe in the air.

Avenue of Stones leading to Etchilhampton Hill

As we followed the avenue of stones a microlight flew over several times. The interest in the crops formations, circles and Spiritual Geometry brings in visitors from all other the world and there are many options available on how they can be viewed. The microlight seemed the perfect choice to see circles all in one go but it doesn't compare to being on the ground where you feel the energy and see the detail.

Crop Circle, Etchilhampton Hill   

We got to the top of the field where the formation was and this time it was a perfect circle. It was quite small and the first impression (now that I was an experienced crop circle expert!) was that of a fake. Too simplistic I thought compared to the previous two. 

That said, none of the give-away signs of fakes existed. There were no broken stalks or damage to the crop itself. We were standing on Etchilhampton Hill and the circle was only 2 days old. We gathered neatly around the edge of the formation and stood in silence as the last few filed in through the small avenue made by the track left by the harvester. 

After a few moments the guide suggested another Om and everyone took part once again. The feel good factor of this felt right in the moment especially since this was our last formation of  trip. The guide suggested we all gather out hands into a middle point of the circle and feel the energy together. It was a great moment on a day that got better as it went on.

Courtesy of Jac Mac

The skies started to turn grey again as we returned to the bus and one final stop at a local pub for a reflection on the day. 

And after a hour spent over a pint of local brew and lots of lively chat we headed back and returned to London mid-evening.

Thanks to Margaret  for organising this trip through her meetup group The London Forum for Crop Circles & Other Mysteries 

Further reading on Crop Circles can be found on the website Crop Circle Connector and also look out for the annual Glastonbury Symposium which takes place each year.

And there are many many videos on YouTube just waiting to be found.