greenwich meridian

Don't know why but the Greenwich Meridian seems to be a good choice for the daily picture at New Years Eve.

nutella

Shopping list: Bread, Water, Nutella.

UK-Nutella is produced in France (don't Delieve me? Check the label!) Main difference between French Nutella and German Nutella? The viscosity (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viscosity or http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viscosität or http://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%DA%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%B1%D9%88%DB%8C or http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lepkość). German Nutella is stickier because German bread is better harder. Putting German Nutella on French (or English) bread, the bread falls apart. That's why they mix water into French Nutella which is then sold in the UK.

By the way: German bread is better.

camden (again)

Another strange shop (it's Camden again).

plus one, plus two

Plus one gallery, plus two gallery. Seen in Seymour Place, Marylebone.

Marylebone got its name from "Mary le Bone" and is today pronounced Merry lee bon (by outsiders) and Marlebo(r)ne (by insiders). Most people don't know Marylebone. It's north of Mafair and east of Paddington. Baker Street is in Marylebone. Enough information for today.

wall

Mind blocked by a wall today. No daily photo idea.

camden town

Strange people going into strange shops, that's Camden.

candelabrum

After severe criticism of the Oxford Street Christmas lights in the picture of 21st December I set out to find a more amazing piece of decoration and succeeded. The most amazing candelabrum in London (seen so far). I leave it up to you to find out where this is.

merry christmas

The lines are a double decker going through the picture while the camera shutter was open. It conveniently hides the "from Debenhams".

anteros

This figure which can be found on Picadilly Circus (which is "a famous traffic intersection" (Wikipedia)) is commonly referred to as Eros. That's wrong. As every Londoner knows it is Eros' twin brother instead. For those not quite so educated in Greek mythology: Eros is the God of Love in ancient Greek mythology. He was bored so his parents - Ares and Aphrodite - decided to give him a brother, Anteros*. Because Anteros also needed a job once grown up and his brother already was God of love, Anteros became the God of "unrequited love and punisher of those who scorn love" (Wikipedia).

For me as mechanical engineer it is obviously very interesting that Anteros was [one of] the world's first statute cast in aluminium. Great.


* The clever reader noticed that this implies that Antero was born after Eros and cannot be his twin. I am not quite sure what's right and wrong here.

biscuit men

Sweet IPods in front of sweet biscuit men in the window of the Apple Store in Regent Street. Taken last year.

oxford street (2)

That's last year's Christmas decoration on Oxford Street (in front of Debenhams). This year I was so busy at uni that I didn't make it that far down the shopping mile of madness...

welcome to oxford street

Seems after their great laser installation two years ago this year the Oxford Street people opted for recycling last year's Christmas decoration.

stansted airport

A signpost near the international arrivals at Stansted Airport. Not taken yesterday, even though I could have, but two years ago when I first came to London by plane. Before that I had come to London once, by Eurostar, which is a very relaxed but expensive way of getting here.

thames flood barrier

That's how the flood barrier (which saves us from drowning when the poles melt) works. Taken in the Flood Barrier's museum (which, unfortunately) is not really worth a visit. And in case you want to see it in action: every month you can see the flood barrier being tested.

digging up the thames

I never really found out what these ships that you can occasionally see cruising the Thames in London are doing but I assume they digg the riverbed to make it deeper so that ships don't get stuck. But as I said, not sure. If you know leave a comment. And even if you don't, leave a comment. The comment function is intentionally left on and I know from the webstats that people read this.

good night

The security warden of "Sager House". I just couldn't resist taking a picture of him through the window. Besides the fact that he is asleep (and didn't wake up after flashing the camera at him) he also has a remote there indicating he fell asleep over TV. I assume being security guy there is a quite challenging job...

richmond park

Little kid chasing dear in Richmond Park. If there weren't planes going to Heathrow every three minutes over Richmond Park you could think you are in the middle of Serengeti.

the corner house

The Corner House is a house at a corner in Knightsbridge.

tornado

Sounds a bit like a joke, but last week London was hit by a tornado. A mini-tornado. But nevertheless a tornado. A few houses were badly damaged, several families needed to be re-housed. I didn't know until yesterday that I only live about a mile from the place where that is but can confirm that the sky went from blue to black within a few minutes (while i was brushing my teeth and shaving), then we had hale and thunder and lightning and all that sort of stuff and then, while I was having a bowl of cereal the sun broke through again and it was over. Well, climate change.

your local off license

Shop window on Uxbridge Road.

flowers

I pass this flower stall every day on my way home from college and find it beautiful every day: The island of colours in middle of that dark corner of High Street Kensington. Now I finally got round to take a picture of it.

mr & mrs bear

Bears in love - seen on the north side of Kensington Gardens.

sherlock holmes

Met him on Baker Street in front of his office.

millenium dome

Part of the roof structure of the millenium dome, since recently better known as O2 arena, in East London.

the button queen

Interesting corner shop just on Marylebone Lane not far away from Oxford Street.

window

Changing the decoration on oxford street. Obviously this picture is old, at the moment everything is christmasy.

my father's place

Nice shop in Brighton (Jamaica, end of Bakerloo line). Unfortunately the owner did

a) no open the shop that day and
b) forget an apostrophy

camden moorings

Walking along the canal from Camden Town. Coming to Britain first time I was surprised by the popularity of house boats over here. Living up in Chester I finally got used to it and by now I consider spending a summer on one.

westway

The Westway, also called A40. One of the main routes to get into central London coming from the north west. Regularly featuring in the morning traffic news.

natural history museum

If I could remember what the title of this exhibition at the Natural History Museum in South Kensington was, I would certainly tell you. Maybe that helps: You go into the main entrance and turn right through the shop and you're there.

These days the Natural History Museum is most popular for their ice rink anyway...

oxford circus