Down and Out in Paris and London
 

Back, and unexploded...

Still jet-laggin', but posting a taste of the best from the trip:

First day: to Stonehenge, wet and cold!

It seems to have this vortex thing going on:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe%202005/Vortex.jpg">

A more dramatic shot:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe%202005/Stonehenge.jpg">

A busker on the streets of Bath:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe%202005/Piper.jpg">

We happened upon the vicinity of a security alert twice, the first in Edinburgh:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe%202005/Edinburgh Alert.jpg">

Holyrood House was shut down for expected trouble from the G8:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe%202005/Holy Rood, Batman!.jpg">

Bar banned, and now the ignominy of having it postred on the Internet for the world to see:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe%202005/Bar Banned.jpg">

Nice Jag:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe%202005/Jaguar.jpg">

2:30 in the morning, Scotland:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe%202005/Midnight Sun.jpg">

Coventry Cathedral, or what's left of it:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe%202005/Coventry Cathedral.jpg">

A Harry Potter lookalike informed us it was bombed by the Germans on November 14, 1940, a Thursday:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe%202005/Chum.jpg">

Clever indeed:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe%202005/Clever.jpg">

Lake District countryside:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe%202005/Countryside.jpg">

At the British Museum, the Rosetta Stone, too cool:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe%202005/Rosetta Stone.jpg">

I'd like the PPV rights for this match:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe%202005/WWF.jpg">

One million books that will never be read:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe%202005/One Million Books.jpg">

Buckingham Palace:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe%202005/Buckingham Palace.jpg">

Downing Street:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe%202005/Downing Street.jpg">

It would kind of suck living at 12 Downing Street, wouldn't it? You're always going to have to deal with cops when you come home, shitfaced or not:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe%202005/10 Downing Street.jpg">

CCTV on the pole, and in the lantern itself:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe%202005/Big (Brother) Ben.jpg">

Westminster. Black market cigarettes can usually be found for 3 quid per pack on the bridge, as opposed to 5+ in the shops:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe%202005/Westminster.jpg">

London Eye:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe%202005/London Eye.jpg">

221-B Baker Street. No London address is like this, the B referring to the second story flat, but it helps the tourists:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe%202005/221B Baker Street.jpg">.

No shit, Sherlock!:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe%202005/No shit, Sherlock!.jpg">

On Abbey Road:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe%202005/NBN Abbey Road.jpg">

Abbey Road Studios:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe%202005/Abbey Road Studios.jpg">

This is pretty good, not much has changed between Then and Now. Notice the white wall to the left and the three trees on the right:

1969:
<img src="http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000002UB3.03.LZZZZZZZ.jpg">

2005:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe%202005/Abbey Road.jpg">

At the Greenwich Meridian. Since I'm bi-polar I figured why not be bi-hemispheric, as well:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe%202005/Bi-Hemispheric.jpg">

Since I have such an absolute quantity available, I figured why not calibrate the GPS. I will leave to you trig-heads to figure the margin of error as evidenced here. The cooridinates displayed are 51 degrees 28.680 seconds North Latitude, 000 degrees 00.089 seconds West Longitude. Pretty damn close, I say:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe%202005/Calibration.jpg">

Simply breathtaking!!! Gorgeous!! Wonderful!! Thank you, NBN!! Your pics are the best I've seen!!

On to France:

Arc D'Triomphe (what triomphe is unknown):
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Arc.jpg">

<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Arc d'.jpg">

Bastille Day madness:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Fireworks.jpg">

<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Fuego.jpg">

<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/The Ring.jpg">

Cute baby:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Baby.jpg">

Alley:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Alley.jpg">

Eiffel:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Beams.jpg">

<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Structure.jpg">

<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Lasers.jpg">

Montmartre:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Montmartre.jpg">

<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Sacre Couer.jpg">

<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Slip.jpg">

Pere LaChaise, amazing place:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Pere LaChaise.jpg">

Morrison:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Jim Morrison.jpg">

Wilde:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Wilde.jpg">

It's all downhill from here:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Downhill.jpg">

Out and About:

<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Candyman.jpg">

<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Bum.jpg">

<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Boardwalk.jpg">

<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Insane-sur-Seine.jpg">

<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Metro.jpg">

More:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Segways.jpg">

You can make a quick friend in Paris by saying "Fuck George Bush!". These students turned me on to the latest Amsterdam fashions:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Sorbonnistas.jpg">

My way down every morning:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Spiral.jpg">

My favorite bridge in the world, the Pont Alexandre III:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Pont Alexandre III.jpg">

<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/La Rive.jpg">

From our hotel window:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Paris street.jpg">

Perspective:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Perspective.jpg">

What, no birds? I'm surprised!!

Very nice.

The Opera House, Hitler's fave:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Opera House.jpg">

Spot the non-French woman:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Choices.jpg">

<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Cafe Society.jpg">

In the countryside:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Vezelay.jpg">

<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Town.jpg">

<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Walled City.jpg">

<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Defenses.jpg">

Sunflowers everywhere:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Yellow.jpg">

<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Funslowers.jpg">

It would be cruel to give this picture to an autistic child and say "Let's play connect the dots":
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Connect the dots.jpg">

Wheat:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Wheat.jpg">

Clock with 30,000 moving parts and umpteen dials, but no snooze button:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Horological Clock.jpg">

Winging home:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Winging Home.jpg">

First class:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/First Class.jpg">

From Old to New Orleans:
<img src="http://www.myrefrigerator.com/Europe 2005/Old and New Orleans.jpg">