United Kingdom Archives ⋆ The Passenger

September 11, 2024September 21, 2024

City airport

When it comes to airports at and near London, there a multiple options. Luton (LTN), Gatwick (LGW) and Stansted (STN) are further outside and often used by low-price airlines and vacation flights. Most business trips are probably carried out via Heathrow (LHR) which is the biggest hub, but there is also a good option closer to the city center: the City Airport (LCY). It is located east of Canary Wharf and North Greenwich close to river Thames and directly next a marina; that’s why there is water close to the runway.

September 8, 2024September 18, 2024

The Great Stink

It is an unusual place to visit at London, but also an impressive one: the Victorian-era Crossness sewage pumping station. The fast growing city had a massive problem to get rid of the human waste produced by the rising number of inhabitants. Initially, cesspits were used that had to be emptied by the night soil men: they’ve put the solid remains (and ‘night soil‘ was the euphemism for them) on their carts and sold them to farmers on the land surrounding the city as fertilizer. On the way back they used the same carts to transport grain into the city. Well, hygiene wasn’t so well developed in these days.

September 7, 2024September 28, 2024

Tate Britain

Staying at a capital city like London gives you the chance to have a look at the works of many international artists. But what about the local ones? If you want to see works of British artists the Tate Gallery of British Art (or short: Tate Britain) is your place to be. It contains the largest collection of British art since 1500. Sugar farmer Sir Henry Tate offered his 60 artworks to the British government as the foundation of a new museum at the end of the 19th century. Tate Britain opened in 1897 in a Neoclassicism-style building on the grounds of a former jail in Millbank.

September 7, 2024September 28, 2024

Bushy

It was a Saturday morning when I was walking through massive fields of high fern in the west of London when a white stag appeared in front of me on the path. What sounds like the beginning of some fairy-tale is daily routine at Bushy Park: the vast park is roamed by many deer that are pretty much used to visitors. Every now and then you will see one pass or you can see a group of horns peaking out of high grass. They are in this place because of king Henry VIII who was a passionate hunter.

September 7, 2024September 28, 2024

Wetlands

Wetlands at todays London, is that even possibly? Well it is, but of course the Walthamstow Wetlands aren’t natural. A city like London needs to do water management and that is how these artificial lakes between Walthamstow and Hale were created between 1863 and 1904. The first reservoirs protecting the city from droughts were even dug by hand. Today the wetlands are a protected nature conservation zone which is especially used by birds passing through the metropolitain area.

September 4, 2024September 29, 2024

Abbey Road

In 1969 The Beatles published their 11th album, one of the most successful albums of all times with still today well known songs like Come Together, Octopus’s Garden and Here Comes the Sun. It was the last studio album of the band and recorded at the Abbey Road Studios in the city quarter St. John’s Wood of London. The band initially wanted to name the album Everest and fly to the Himalaya to shoot the cover picture, but then found it more convenient to just walk out the door and take the picture directly in front of the recording studio.

May 16, 2024June 25, 2024

Cruising

Millenium bridge seen from ferry boat, London

Visiting London also means visiting the river Thames. I’ve spent many hours at its riverbank, crossed it endless times via bridges and using the Greenwich foot tunnel. So far I hadn’t taken the opportunity to go by boat on the lifeline of the city which is an easy pleasure: you don’t need to find a commercial tour operator, there are ferry boats that you can use just like any other means of transport. You can just tap in and out with your credit card and it doesn’t cost a fortune.

May 13, 2024June 25, 2024

Beijing Dumpling

Chinatown is a part of London crammed with Chinese-run restaurant and shops. It is located north of Leicester Square around the Gerrard street. If you’re looking for good and authentic Chinese cuisine this is your place to be! Don’t skip this experience because you might probably have to wait in front of one of the tiny-looking restaurants – they’re larger than you might think especially as the cellars are used for dining as well and the waiters are experts in packing the restaurant with guests pretty fast.

May 12, 2024June 29, 2024

Richmond Park

Sometimes it is such a bless to leave the city of London, especially on a sunny weekend. One of the best options for that is the vast Richmond Park located between Richmond and Kingston. It was once a royal hunting ground created for king Edward I and is today the largest of all royal parks in the city. And it is still connected to its history as there are 650 deer that roam the park freely – a very unexpected pleasure in an urban agglomeration like the capital city of the United Kingdom.

May 12, 2024June 27, 2024

Kew Gardens

After some days at the city center of London you might probably want to get a little bit outside of the city and relax in a green environment. The perfect place for that are the Royal Botanic Gardens or Kew Gardens at Richmond; a city quarter in the West. It is a UNESCO world heritage site dating back to the year 1638 CE and exhibiting plants from all parts of the world next to Victorian-era greenhouses and vast gardens that give you a quiet and peaceful place to sit down, relax and maybe read a book.