Read this blog: The one where our breakfast is kept a secret Tuesday 11th March 2025 On the first morning at the Radisson Blu Hotel we had struggled to find breakfast. We later realised that this was probably because tourists like us who were not observing Ramadan were being kept hidden away so as not to offend those who were fasting. We went for our secret breakfast then straight out to the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque. The visiting hours for tourists/non-Muslims during Ramadan were between 08:30 and 11:30. The mosque is named after the 28th Sultan of Brunei, [the father of the current Sultan] who helped to design it as well as providing the US$5 million funding from his personal fortune needed to build it. It was completed in 1958 and with a golden dome which dominates the city skyline it has since become the most photographed and iconic site in the country. The construction of the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque used many of the world’s most expensive and sought-after materials including Italian marble; granite from Shanghai; English stained glass and chandeliers and handmade carpets from Belgium and Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest mosques in the […]
21
Read this blog: The one where we learn the correct way to queue Tuesday 2nd April 2024 We realised that a combination of the distances involved and the unseasonably hot weather meant we would need to use public transport in Bangkok rather than walking everywhere as we usually tend to do. Although it is normally hot in South East Asia in April, several locals have told us that it is significantly warmer here than expected for the time of year. This was not good news for Matilda, a pale skinned Western woman of a certain age more used to cold and rain than sunshine. Robert’s research had identified a water bus and we decided we would use this to get to the first of the cultural sights on Matilda’s list. The water bus proved to be a quick and easy way to get around. There is certainly no unspoken rule in Bangkok that boats will pass each other slowly or go at a speed which limits the wash and conserves the banks as there is, for example, on the Venetian laguna or the canal network in the UK. This is high speed transport. We got off and walked to Wat […]
Thursday 25th May 2022 Today was going to be a day exploring some of the work of Frank Lloyd Wright. After the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, a temporary building was constructed around a large masonry water tank that had survived the fire on the site now occupied by The Rookery. Following a campaign by a British MP large numbers of books were donated to the city to replace its lost library, including 6,000 from Queen Victoria herself. As Chicago had not previously had one, space had to be found for this new facility and the water tank was converted into the city’s first public library: the top of the tank was made into a skylight, and bookshelves made to line the curved walls. City Hall also operated from another part of this building which was nicknamed “The Rookery”, partly because of the number of crows and pigeons that roosted there, and partly because of the corrupt politicians it housed. It was close to the fire department which kept horses there ready to pull the fire engines and so the birds may have been attracted to the grain which was used as feed. The Rookery Building which replaced this temporary […]
Sunday 17th to Tuesday 19th April 2022 Early on Day 61, we passed The Princess, another of The Duke’s sister narrowboats. Over the last eight or nine weeks, Robert has perfected his hand gestures indicating Matilda should go on and set the next lock. After we had filled the first of the three Calcutt Locks we saw another boat following behind and as etiquette demands waited for them in the middle lock so we could travel up the flight together and conserve water. It seemed to take them a very long time to join us as they were opening and closing both gates and we were beginning to regret our decision. The boat was from Kates boatyard and was called Robert appropriately enough. The crew had only just taken possession so as we travelled with them through the top two Calcutt Locks, Robert was able to give them narrowboating tips to speed them on their way in future. At Napton Junction we turned right onto the Oxford Canal. As we neared the Napton flight, we kept hearing reports of the locks being closed. Matilda, who has been dreaming of a hot bath, was praying that this would not delay them […]
Saturday 30th March 2019 In 1864, Shimla became the summer headquarters of the British government in India, hence the building of the narrow gauge railway, and today it is the capital of Himachal Pradesh. Although the forecast predicted rain and 18 degrees, the day was sunny, warm and bright. The upper entrance/exit to The Combermere Hotel is on The Mall, the four mile long main street through the town and we walked up and along part of this past many of the important old buildings of the British Raj. Some have been impressively restored to their Victorian splendour, such as the Gaiety Theatre, and the town hall and, whilst others are almost derelict, there are clearly plans to repair them. We climbed up to the eastern end of The Ridge to Christ Church, built in the gothic style in 1846 and the first church to be built in north India. This is not open to the public before 10:30 so we planned to return. The Ridge is an open area which is 7,316 feet above sea level and boasts views across to the Himalayas . . . . . . as well as the slightly incongruous mock Tudor library. The […]
Monday, 27th August 2018 Travelling Herd needs all the technology available to keep the blog up-to-date… As we were conducting our own tour of Budapest we were first off the boat after lunch and headed straight to the Great Market Hall so that Robert could invest in some paprika to perfect his goulash and we could return any purchases to the boat before going to look round the city. We walked along the river front by the trams. And paused to admire an artist at work. We crossed to the Buda side of the city and took the funicular up to Castle Hill to enjoy the views back across the river from Fisherman’s Bastion to the Parliament Building. The guards at the top of Castle Hill are so still and tanned they almost look plastic. But the views are impressive. Matthias Church has a colourful geometrically tiled roof but it can be difficult to get the best angle for a photograph. The interior is beautifully stencilled from floor to ceiling in warm almost autumnal shades of orange, brown, green and gold and unusually you can also climb to a gallery level for views of the interior from a different perspective. […]