London Zoo

Another long day out with my sister, nephew and niece - today to London Zoo.  Definitely a worthy trip to make with kids, they seemed to have a good time despite the temperature.  Maybe not ideal to go in the blazing heat like today, especially combined with enduring public transport to get there and another day involving lots of walking around after one yesterday - we were all flagging by the end of the day, even me although I do a fraction of the work of a parent.  But plenty of animals to see, even if they're hidden away in the shadows.  What is nice is that not all the animals are hidden behind glass or cages, there are a few areas where you can actually share a space with spiders, butterflies, a sloth, or monkeys without any barriers.  That's a nice touch.  I think the last zoo I went to was probably San Diego Zoo - which is generally acknowledged as one of the world's best - but even if London Zoo is one of the oldest, perhaps the oldest, zoo in the world, it is still a worthy excursion.  I didn't take many photos today, but here are a couple:

 

Brooklands

A visit today to Brooklands Museum - "The Birthplace of British Motorsport & Aviation - Home of Concorde".  Being no petrolhead, I had absolutely no idea of the existence of this place let alone any expectations of what it would be like.  But I was pleasantly surprised - enough things to do to keep little kids occupied despite the heat, but enough to see that you could easily visit without kids.  Cars, bikes, motorbikes, airplanes, and even the London Bus Museum - plenty of historic models to be found here, in the environs of the old motor racing circuit and the location of probably loads of technological/engineering advances in the early/mid 20th century.  Makes my ignorance of this place a little embarrassing.  

Android

I've just got myself an Android smartphone for the rest of my stay in the UK.  Entirely temporary, but my American phone doesn't work here and I wanted something that at least I can use Google Maps on to help with finding my way around.  It's going to take some getting used to.  I keep on trying to press a Home button that doesn't exist, simply because I've had an iPhone for ages and that is what I'm used to.  And I'm just not familiar enough with the Android operating system and how to easily navigate myself around the phone and get the most out of it - it just doesn't seem as user friendly as Apple.  Perhaps the phone itself - the cheap and cheerful Nokia 1 - is to blame, but I fear it's just a sign that I'm increasingly turning into a technophobe as I get older.

Devil's Punch Bowl

I'm not going to talk about how staying with my parents sometimes (mostly) feels like a prison sentence - from the routine, to the locked windows on the ground floor, to the psychology, to the locking and securing of doors as soon as the sun goes down.  It's feels like more of a security measure to keep the occupants in, rather than keep the unsavory elements out.  Not that you're going to find any unsavory elements in Godalming, Surrey...

Instead, some photos from an early morning walk around Hindhead and views of the "Devil's Punch Bowl" from the 2nd highest point in Surrey.

Guess Who

"I have great respect for the U.K. United Kingdom. Great respect. People call it Britain. They call it Great Britain. They used to call it England, different parts."

Richmond

I took a walk around Richmond today - the same walk I must have done 20+ years ago, using the same walking guide.  I like Richmond, the kind of neighborhood I would be happy to live in if I had to move back to London (which I hope I never have to do) and if I could afford it (which I cannot, and definitely never will).  Probably not a good idea to do this 6 mile walk on a sweltering day like this, where there wasn't a great deal of cover to be found and way too many people out and about enjoying the sunshine.  But my positive opinion on Richmond has not changed - still a nice place, with some great parks and walking paths around.

Huxley's

Another day, another kid-friendly destination - the joys of spending some quality time with my nephew and niece during this trip...  This time it was a local birds of prey center - with a smallish selection of beautiful birds, supposedly "happy" to be chained/caged up (they probably were in terms of getting well fed), some of whom are then let out during a flying display.  The flying display was so slow moving in getting one bird after another out, that I think most small kids were quickly bored or restless.  But I think the overall impression I had was one of people who really cared about the birds and their welfare, and of approval for the good intentions that a place like this offers.