It would be interesting to know if my friends are still going to St Albans for a day, as they had planned it long in advance. Should they not go, maybe June will be a better time? Wikipedia informs:
'Every year on the weekend closest to his feast day [22nd June] St Albans Cathedral holds the "Alban Pilgrimage" with huge puppets re-enacting the events of Alban's martyrdom.'
I went to Verulamium, as Romans called St Albans, years ago, with a good friend. It also was a day trip from London. We travelled by train, from St Pancras, if I remember well. Keen tourist as I've always been, I was really excited to see this historic town, look at the remains of the Roman Verulamium, seek the traces of the pre-Roman Celtic past, admire the splendid cathedral and soak in the atmosphere of reputedly the oldest pub in Britain. Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, not far from the cathedral, is listed in the Guinness Book of Records, but there are a few other pubs that would like to take its place. Well, it's a matter of criteria, one should think. Of semi-historical interest, it is said that Oliver Cromwell kept his horse in the inn bar when he stayed there. The building was a medieval dovecote,but there is evidence of a pub serving the people in this location in 795! One of the bars used to house a cockfighting pit until the ban stopped the practices.
Well... St Albans... It owes its name and subsequent growth to St Alban. He was the first British martyr, beheaded by the Romans for refusing to give up the Christian faith.
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Admiring long strings of rain hitting my window, I am thinking about my other friend who has landed in Dubai this morning. They may be longing for some rain there...
BTW, in my travels in the UAE, I only drove past Dubai, but have seen a quite a bit of the country. Hence, I thought, I'll add a few pictures of a city we drove through, somewhere between Fujairah and Dubai.
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And now a few central London scenes on this rainy and cold Sunday:
Waterloo Bridge was occupied by people protesting against the situation in Egypt. I spoke to a few of them. They told me that almost everybody lost someone in the conflict. Every Sunday they gather in a different place in central London to raise people's awareness about the unnecessary deaths in their country. Like many people, I was given a purple rose with a little tag attached. It showed a picture of a person who lost their life and a note about the circumstances of their violent death. The girl put the flower in my backpack while the three of us were talking. I marched with it until I got to the South Bank Centre. There I left the rose at the feet of Chopin's statue which stands modestly beside The Royal Festival Hall.
Frederic Chopin found shelter by The South Bank Centre.
I was deeply moved to see: The Strength & Vulnerability Bunker, an exhibition of works created by offenders, secure patients and detainees:
The exhibition can be seen till 1 December 2013 at The Spirit Level, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre. You can also listen to recordings and read poetry and prose on display there...
Art makes us better people, don't you think?
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There is always so much going on at The Southbank Centre...
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