Thames Path walk - Kingston to Battersea - 22 July

The Thames Path (East) is a six day walk following the Thames from Pangbourne in Gloucestershire to the Thames Barrier in London. I did the 5th section which is a 24km stretch from Kingston to Battersea. Midway on this section the path passes by Kew Gardens which I couldn't resist. So with a three and a half hour stopover there it turned out to be a very long day. The path was well signposted and easy to follow except near London where it kept running into construction sites by the river which usually meant I had to backtrack and find some way around them. Start of the walk at Kingston.

Bridge at Kingston

Hmm - somewhere between Kingston and Teddington

River locks at Teddington

Ham house - reputedly the most haunted house in England.

A house in Richmond - many grand houses along this section of the river.

Richmond

Gardens in near/in Richmond

Richmond

Lagoon by the river near Richmond

Floral garden at Kew gardens The Palm House at Kew gardens

Spiral staircase in the Palm House. This was the 'down' staircase which I didn't realise until I reached the top and saw the sign. Nobody complained as I pushed past them.

Syon vista - a 3/4 mile stretch from Palm House to the Thames river.

The Waterlily House - hard to tell from the photo but the waterlily leaves were almost 1 metre in diameter.

Waterlily pond

Carniverous plant in the Waterlily House

Cacti in the Princess of Wales (not Diana - another PoW) Conservatory. These were the size of basketballs.

Kew - just ouside the gardens

Some wildlife on the path

Georgian houses along the river in Battersea

Battersea Peace Pagoda near the end of the walk.

Canterbury Cathedral 19 July

On Sunday morning I attended the eucharist service at Canterbury cathedral. Afterwards I wandered around the precinct and took these photos. The Cathedral is probably most famous as the place where Thomas Becket was murdered in 1170. It is also holds the tombs of Henry IV and Edward the Black Prince.

View of Canterbury cathedral from the main entry gate.


Cloisters near the Cathedral school

The view of the nave looking west from behind the main alter.

The pulpit

Tomb of Henry IV and and his Queen, Joan of Navarre.

The candle marks the spot of a former shrine to Thomas Becket. This was destroyed in the Reformation in 1538 under the order of Henry VIII.



Trinity chapel - at the east end of the cathedral.

The tomb of Edward the Black Prince (son and heir of Edward III). Above the tomb are replicas of the Black Prince's helmet, gauntlets and surcoat.

A stained glass window near the tomb of the Black Prince. Some windows date back to the late 12th and early 13th centuries. Many have been lost through vandalism, the environmental, etc. An ongoing restoration program has restored and repaired many windows.

Canterbury, England 19-26 July

This week was spent at the University of Kent in Canterbury visiting the Computing Education Research group (CompEd). I stayed in a B&B opposite the university campus with Margaret Hamilton from RMIT. There is a lot to see in Canterbury and surrounds. With the long days we were able fit in a some sightseeing after work. One day we walked to Whitstable and back via the Crab and Winkle way (24km round trip).

The river running through the centre of Canterbury city.

Margaret in a restaurant beside the river.

On the University of Kent campus - the city of Canterbury dominated by Cantebury Cathedral is in the background.

... something else I saw on the campus.

A view of Canterbury Cathedral from the University of Kent.

Ursula Fuller playing her Viol after dinner

Entry gate to Canterbury Cathedral


Greyfriar's Priory - the oldest Fransiscan building in Europe - constructed soon after 1224.

River running though gardens near the Westgate Tower

Dinner - with yet another view of Canterbury Cathedral

Description of the Crab and Winkle walk - a cycle and walking track from Canterbury to Whitstable on the coast. This is named after a railway line that ran between the two towns until 1952. The walk partly follows the track.

Setting off on the Crab and Winkle walk.

Along the walk

Milepost along the track - Crab and Winkle way is part of the National Cycle Network

Whistable beach

The town of Whitstable

Paris (briefly again) 17-19 July

Nick and I spent a day and a half in Paris on the way to England. A visit to a the Institut du Monde Arabe to see an exhibition about Palestine and to the Musee du quai Branly to see an exhibition on art from non-European cultures. Also a wander around the streets.Breakfast in a cafe in the Latin Quarter near the hotel.

View of the Arc de Triomphe from the middle of the Avenue des Champs Elysees

Street near Rue de la Madeleine north of Place de la Concorde.

The Tuileries gardens

Nick in the Tuileries gardens

La Tour Eiffel

The Eurostar leaving Ashford station in Kent on its way to London with Nick onboard - hard to get a photo before it quickly disappeared out of sight.