The Amsterdam Of Me (Amsterdam, Sept 2013)



Amsterdam.  One of my favorite cities, yet I take it for granted. This is actually my third time visiting, but my trips are always an afterthought. And it shouldn't be, because when I am there, I always marvel at the beauty of the city. The great thing about Amsterdam is that it is so unique visually that once you see a snapshot of the city, it is so easily identifiable. Here are my favorite shots of myself in Amsterdam this time 'round. And I know I will keep come back and fall in love with the city again. 













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The Diana/Dodi Memorial At Harrod's (September 2013)

Even though I have seen it before, I have never had my picture taken at the Diana/Dodi "Memorial" at Harrods until I was there recently. I've always found it a little on the cheese side, and now just find it odd that it is still there even after The Al Fayeds have sold the store. You can see my almost-startled look in this photograph, as my friend JF quickly snapped the photograph. Resisting was an afterthought, it seemed. It's a curiosity piece for sure, and we will never really know if it celebrates "real love." Reportedly the Royal Family stopped patronizing Harrod's when this was put up.

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Going Down The Stoney End (Stonehenge, United Kingdom, September 2013)





(Note: Pictures of myself are from the JF Unson Collection, scenery shots are from my camera)

Stonehenge is probably the most important prehistoric monument in the
whole of Britain and has attracted visitors from earliest times. It stands as a timeless monument to the people who built it.



Stonehenge is an enigmatic prehistoric monument located on a chalky plain north of the modern day city of Salisbury, England. It was started 5,000 years ago and modified by ancient Britons over a period of 1,000 years.  Its purpose continues to be a mystery.

The stonehenge that we see today is the final stage that was completed about 3500 years ago.



 The biggest of its stones, known as sarsens, are up to 30 feet (9 meters) tall and weigh 25 tons (22.6 metric tons) on average. It is widely believed that they were brought from Marlborough Downs, a distance of 20 miles (32 kilometers) to the north. Smaller stones, referred to as “bluestones” (they have a bluish tinge when wet or freshly broken), weigh up to 4 tons and most of them appear to have come from the Preseli Hills in western Wales, a distance of 156 miles (250 km). It’s unknown how people in antiquity moved them that far; water transport was probably used for part of the journey. Recently, scientists have raised the possibility that during the last ice age glaciers carried these bluestones closer to the Stonehenge area and the monument’s makers didn’t have to move them all the way from Wales.


For some reason, this makes me want to listen to Barbra Streisand's version of "Stoney End"


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A Visit To Windsor Castle (Sept 2013)


I visited The Windsor Castle in 1990, but I don't remember much from my visit then. So it was a treat to go again, now that I am older and more aware of World History. (Note: Photographs of myself are from the JF Unson Photography Collection, all other scenery and interior shots taken by myself)




Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world and the Official Residence of Her Majesty The Queen. Its rich history spans almost 1000 years.
The Castle covers an area of about 5 hectares (13 acres) and contains:

• Magnificent State Apartments furnished with treasures from the Royal Collection

• St George's Chapel (one of the most beautiful ecclesiastical buildings in England and the burial place of 10 monarchs)





Windsor Castle is an official residence of The Queen and the largest occupied castle in the world. A Royal home and fortress for over 900 years, the Castle remains a working palace today. 

The Queen uses the Castle both as a private home, where she usually spends the weekend, and as a Royal residence at which she undertakes certain formal duties.
Every year The Queen takes up official residence in Windsor Castle for a month over Easter (March-April), known as Easter Court. During that time The Queen hosts occasional 'dine and sleeps' events for guests, including politicians and public figures.



The Queen is also in residence for a week in June, when she attends the service of the Order of the Garter and the Royal Ascot race meeting. 

The Order of the Garter ceremony brings together members of the senior order of chivalry for a service in St George's Chapel. Beforehand, The Queen gives a lunch for the Knights of the Garter in the Castle's Waterloo Chamber. 




Any new Knights of the Garter are invested by The Queen in the Garter Throne Room. On the walls are portraits of monarchs in their Garter Robes, from George I to the present Queen, whose State portrait by Sir James Gunn was painted in 1954. 

Windsor Castle is often used by The Queen to host State Visits from overseas monarchs and presidents. Foreign Heads of State enter the Castle in horse-drawn carriages through the George IV Gateway into the quadrangle in the Upper Ward, where a military guard of honour is drawn up. 



The traditional State Banquet is held in St George's Hall (55.5m long and 9m wide), with a table seating up to 160 guests.

Recent State visits held at Windsor Castle include those of President and Mrs. Mbeki of South Africa (2001), and King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan (2001), as well as a special visit by President and Madame Chirac of France to mark the centenary of the Entente Cordiale (2004).




St George's Chapel remains an active centre for worship, with daily services open to all.
The Chapel is a Royal Peculiar, that is, a chapel which is not subject to a bishop or archbishop but which owes its allegiance directly to the Sovereign. 

The Chapel, together with the remainder of the College of St George (a school for 400 children and St George's House, a consultation centre), is governed by the Dean and Canons of Windsor, who, with their officers and staff, are independent of the Royal Household.
Many Royal weddings have been celebrated in St George's Chapel, most recently that of Prince Edward and Miss Sophie Rhys-Jones in June 1999. In 2005 a service of dedication and prayer was held in the Chapel following the marriage of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall.

Funerals such as those of Princess Margaret and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, have also taken place there. Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother lies buried in the Chapel with her husband, King George VI, and Princess Margaret, her younger daughter.
Various departments of the Royal Household are based at Windsor Castle. The ancient Round Tower houses the Royal Archives and the Royal Photograph Collection.
The Print Room and Royal Library house precious drawings, prints, manuscripts and books in the Royal Collection. These are shown in a programme of changing exhibitions in the Castle's Drawings Gallery.

Those who live and work within the Castle include the titular head of the Castle community, the Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle; the Dean of Windsor, Canons and other staff who run the College of St George; the Military Knights of Windsor; the Superintendent of Windsor Castle and his staff, who are responsible for day-to-day administration; the Housekeeper and her staff; and soldiers who mount a permanent military guard in the Castle.



 


 





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