Last images of London

View of the London Bridge and Eye of London at dusk. In the background is Big Ben.


And the Temple of the Templars.

Air monitoring station?

Well, that is what the sign says on this funny looking gazebo. Would be fund to have them around Houston...well, perhaps a bad idea cause it would make some Houston public officials not very good.

Liverpool Station

Not too far from here is Spitalfields, a sort of an outdoor market. Very interesting place.

London Highgate Cemetery

Interesting that in the 1800s in London people were buried close to the living which casued some health concerns. Therefore the city of London established that several city cemeteries be constructed on the edges of the city, thus the Highgate Cemetery was one of 17. It was built in the 1830s or so and has lots of residents.

It appears it has been abandoned and it is currently under preservation. It is beautiful and speaks of its time period.

Hyde Park

Picture of Serpentine Lake in Hyde Park. On Boxing Day, the day after Christmass there is a one-mile swim race at this late. I think it has gone on for about 100 years now.

There is something to be said about London's quality of life. Taking a walk along Hyde Park is a very pleasant experience, can enjoy nature and people doing all kinds of activities. Of course, the rose garden is super nice for a slow and thoughtful walk.

Freemason's Hall of London

The Grand Lodge of London located off Queen's Road. Built in the 1920s it is an incredible structure.

London Tower

A pic of the Tower Bridge.


An a not so common view of the Tower of London, well the entrance anyway. And in the background is the Swiss Re building.

Rainy London Part II

What is new. Noon time and it is rainy and a bit cold. Got to love London.

NEVER Alitalia

Meaning that if there is a choice, Alitalia should not be it. I was starting to have ba little faith in Alitalia till the plane in Milan was late, for safety reasons they said... sure sure sure...

Got to London and then it took Alitalia almost two hours to get the luggage out. Probably safety reasons again or like the airport luggage lady said 'Alitalia does not have it all together.'


Picture above, check the name of the plane "Cristofor Colombo"? I wonder if he had similar problems getting to the new world.

But it is nice to hear people speak Italian.


There is a song by ELO 'Last Train to London.' Waiting for Alitalia to get its act together made me hope that I would be able to take the last tube to london. I did. Not bad, for only £4 the tube got me home. Why couldn't Houston provide the same convinience?

So, a lovely and thoughtful commute via the tube and back at Marco's place.

Night view of Shanghai

A view of Shanghai at sunset from Pudong.


Had to make a quick visit to People Square on my last night in Shanghai and take a couple night pictures. This is one of them.

Farewell Shanghai. Till next time.

Between Shanghai & Suzhou

I think this fellow was getting a traffic ticket. Over load maybe?

Last three days was out of pocket...

On Monday while walking Yuyuan Gardens and ran into the old fellow I met on previous visit, a retired man that enjoys his time talking to tourists. It was nice chatting with him again. If in need of a guide in the Yuyuan gardens or other China tips he can be reached at..

Cullen Zhang
13611682274 (mobile)
cullenzhang@yahoo.com.cn

After a day of picture taking in Shanghai on Monday headed to Suzhou China's garden city. It has some beautiful gardens but don't expect Suzhou to be a nice garden city per say, try 6 million people where the gardens are a memory of ancient China.


Picture taken at the gardens of the North Temple Pagoda.

After a busy day in Suzhou and dinner in Pudong it was time to prepare the return trip to London.

Beijing 2008 Olympics

Ever wonder the effect that an even such as the Olympics have in a city or country. The area where I was staying in Nanjing was new (roads, parks, hotels, "Olympic" stadium, subway, etc..)

It makes me wonder how much is for the Olympics and how much is to impress but the Beijing Olympics site can be located at Beijing 2008 Olympics and the cities participating.

Nanjing, between temples and rivers

Last day in Nanjing was a green day. Went to the park (huge park) and got tired of walking. Then went to the temple to visit Confusious and walked around the commercial area full of shops and a river. A bit unexpected but very nice visit and some very nice pictures as well.

Talking about the unexpected. Was rush hour when had to head to the railroad station so the hotel attendants suggested to take the subway instead of a cab. What, subway in Nanjing? Appears it was recently constructed. After a 15 minute walk found the subway station. Amazing how much development/construction goes on in China.

So, a nice subway ride to the train station all for about 50 cents US and a three hour train trip to Shanghai.