Tag Archives: historic

Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: England, Photographs: Travel

Houses of Parliament

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Houses of Parliament
“Houses of Parliament” — The intricate facade of London’s Houses of Parliament on a cloudy day.

I made this quick photograph in London back in June, on the last full day of about four weeks of travel in (mostly) Scotland and England. We started this day by going to Westminster Cathedral. Patty has learned that you can visit many such churches simply by attending one of the regular church events. (For example, we attended evensong in York.) Advantages are that you don’t have to sign up for tickets or, in many case, pay a fee. (Though if they “pass the plate” it is appropriate to donate something, right?) However, you are expected to act as a person attending a church event, not a tourist snapping selfies! In any case, after visiting Westminster we walked back toward the Houses of Parliament.

Parliament is typically busy, with guards watching over all the entrances. But on this Sunday morning it was quiet and I don’t recall seeing anyone inside the fence. One other factor? The British snap election was about to happen, and I’m betting that every member of Parliament was out campaigning! In any case, we walked here. because I had a memory of a little pub on a nearby side street that we visited the very first time we were in London, and I wanted to see if we could locate it. And, yes, we did — just a few blocks further up the street.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Scotland, Photographs: Travel

Interior, St Giles’ Cathedral

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Interior, St Giles' Cathedral
“Interior, St Giles’ Cathedral” — Visitors walk through the interior of Edinburgh’s St. Giles’ Cathedral.

Our May 2024 visit to Scotland was centered around our weeklong Great Glen Way walk. But the majority of the trip was in more urban environments, ranging from smallScottish towns to London. Before leaving Scotland, we spent four days in Edinburgh. There is, of course, quite a lot to see there — from the “old” and “new” towns to our hike to Arthur’s Seat to the Holyrood Palace and more. St. Giles’ Cathedral is one of the most important and interesting sites in the Old Town.

We stayed in a mundane area that was perhaps a ten minute walk from Old Town, and our first walk there brought us almost immediately to St. Giles’ Cathedral, and it was one of our first stops. I’m no expert on Scottish history — far from it — but we quickly understood that this place is a center for quite a bit of it. Its history goes back many centuries, and during that time it has been used by Catholics, Protestants, royalty, and for other secular events. This continues today — there were concerts there and even a craft sale inside!

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Scotland, Photographs: Travel

Telford Bridge

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Telford Bridge
“Telford Bridge” — The historic Telford Bridge at Invermoriston, Scotland.

The last bit of this day’s walk on the Great Glen Way was full of surprises. One of them was that as we approached the town of Invermoristen it seemed that we were only a very short distance from our destination, but then the path took a long sideways detour to finally cross the river. such a detour is not what you want at the end of a long day of hiking! On the other hand, this detour took is right past this historic Telford Bridge, where we paused for a moment before continuing toward our destination in town.

The first version of the bridge was completed approximately two centuries ago. (It was replaced by a more “modern” structure in the early 20th century.) It was devised by the great Scottish engineer, Thomas Telford, who is also responsible for all sorts of projects in Scotland, including the Caledonia Canal connecting Fort William and Inverness. We take structures like bridges for granted today, but when this was constructed it improved transportation and trade in the area. (Imagine trying to get across the river without the bridge!)

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: England, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Oxford Pedestrians

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Oxford Pedestrians
“Oxford Pedestrians” — Pedestrians pass by an old buliding in Oxford, England.

We ended up taking a day trip by train to Oxford during our June visit to London. (This was the tail end of a longer trip that was mostly in Scotland.) We were in London long enough to feel like taking day trip was worthwhile, and our oldest son had just returned from a week of work in Oxford, so it was on our minds. We got up early, made our way to the train station, and were soon on the one-hour trip to the university town.

It is, of course, a popular day trip and there were lots of other visitors. It is interesting to consider the attractions of the place. The historic university is, of course, the main thing. But as much as the academic tradition is important, I think that the visuals of the town are a pretty big draw, too. It is full of these old buildings with their many intricate details. And let’s not forget the attraction of any place that evokes the popular Harry Potter imagery!

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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