Putting Men on a Pedestal

London England is a city full of monuments and memorials with statues of great men and women scattered all over he city.  Anyone who has been there knows about Admiral Horatio Nelson atop his tall pedestal in Trafalgar Square and you've probably seen some of the many tributes to Prince Albert.  Today I'm going to concentrate on some of the lesser known people who have warranted a statue dedicated to them.

Up first is Francis Duke of Bedford.  His statue has a prominent position in Russell Square, the park I posted about last week. His given name was Francis Russell and the park was named for him.  He was a politician and aristocrat who was responsible for much of the development of the Bloomsbury area of London.

Not far away is another fellow adorning a park.  Charles James Fox who has a commanding view over Bloomsbury Square was another politician who was also a good friend of the Duke of Bedford.  During his political life, he championed a range of liberal causes including American Independence.  Good for you Mr. Fox!

John Stuart Mill is almost hidden among the trees and shrubs in a small space at Victoria Embankment Gardens.  Mr. Mill was a British philosopher and political economist.  He was considered one of the most influential, 19th century thinkers of classical liberalism.  He was author of an early feminist work called "The Subjection of Women" and was the second member of Parliament to call for women's suffrage.

I'd say he's well deserving of his place on the pedestal.

This statue is of Prince Henry the Navigator, 1394-1460.  There is a bit of mystery about this statue which dates to 1915.  It was the first statue of a Portuguese person ever erected in London and apparently there is a duplicate of it in Fall River Massachusetts.  He was a central figure in European maritime discoveries and expansion.    He can be found hiding in the gardens of Belgrave Square.

Another resident of Belgrave Square is Elias George Basevi an English architect who worked in both neoclassical and gothic revival styles.  His designs included buildings in the Belgrave Square area which to this day is a very aristocratic place to live.  It is also home to a number of embassies.

William Edward Forster can be found standing proudly at Victoria Embankment Gardens.  He was another liberal politician who played a significant role in the establishment of a national education system.  He has a professorial look about him don't you think?

James Henry Greathead has the most precarious place to stand, in the middle of a very busy street in front of the Royal Exchange.  Mr. Greathead was an engineer who invented something called a traveling shield which made it possible to cut the tunnels needed to create London's deep level tube system.  Given the engineering feat of the London Underground, I'd say he's well deserving of a statue.


Of course this only touches the tip of the iceberg when it comes to statues scattered throughout the city of London.  I hope you enjoyed learning about these men as much as I enjoyed researching their accomplishments.

Russell Square

London is full of wonderful green spaces and huge parks.  The last time I was there, I stayed at a hotel across the street from Russell Square, a beautiful park that was well used by city dwellers and the occasional tourist like me.

It even had a little cafe where you could enjoy the view while having lunch or a treat.  I didn't stop there but I thought it was a very inviting venue.

In the center of the park was little fountain and as you can see, people took advantage of the relaxing atmosphere to sit for a while.

Around the center of the park and scattered all through it were benches that were dedicated to a variety of individuals.  This one is dedicated to Robin Jackson, 1935 - 2011.  Below his name it says "Never tired of London".  That could certainly describe me too!

Pathways through the park led it all directions so it was easy to crisscross to get to your destination.  

Green Park, Hyde Park and Hampstead Heath were always my favorite parks in London but now I've added Russell Square to the list.  It's a perfect spot of peace and quiet right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the busy city.

The Fisherman's Island

The past two weeks I've featured photos from Isola Madre, one of the three islands on Lake Maggiore in Italy.  Several months ago, I featured photos from the island, Isola Bella.  Today's post is about the last of the three islands in the group called Isola dei Pescatori or The Fisherman's Island.  This island is the only one that is inhabited all year with a current population of 25.  The stop at this island was to get lunch before heading out to Isola Bella, our third stop.  Consequently, we didn't spend a lot of time on this island which is a shame.  This island was more like a little village instead of simply the grounds for a grand villa.

We did have an opportunity to visit the small church on the island called San Vittore.  It was impressive for such a small place.  Walking into the church, the first thing you see are those silver Bishop's busts on the alter.  The photo above doesn't do them justice, they actually sparkled like freshly polished silver.

This little side chapel was equally eye catching with the glowing Madonna above the alter.

I didn't snap a photo of the place we had lunch but I did catch a photo of these aging wine bottles that were positioned on a high shelf in the restaurant.  With their yellowing and peeling labels, they made quite an interesting display.

If I were ever to return to visit the Borromean Islands again, I'd make a point of spending more time on this tiny island.  I think it would be fun to explore further.

Isola Madre Villa....Frayed at the Edges

Last week, I had photos from the garden of exotic birds on the island of Isola Madre on Lake Maggiore in Italy.  There was also a villa on the island.  The villa is a tiny bit frayed around the edges and it doesn't hold a candle to the grandeur of the villa on Isola Bella.  It took four posts to give you a peek at that villa.  However, there was still quite a lot to see and enjoy.  You can see from the above photo that the villa looks a little worn and in need of a fresh coat of paint.

This clock was on one of the outside walls and its numbers are somewhat faded but it still holds some old world charm even if it doesn't tell the correct time.

The main hall of the villa had many paintings hanging and I couldn't help worry about their safe keeping since all the windows were wide open to the outside air.

My favorite room was called the Venetian Lounge.  I loved the garden-like paintings on the walls giving it the feeling of an outdoor conservatory.

The lattice work of the painting went all the way up to the ceiling and surrounded a rather exquisite chandelier.

The bedrooms were fitting of a noble retreat.

The rooms where puppet shows were staged were some of the most interesting.  This one had the grandest stage.  16th century entertainment included intricate puppet shows and many grand households had collections of very elaborate puppets.

The room above was a bit smaller than the previous one but still large enough to entertain several people.

The one to the left looked like it might have been designed for the children of the house.

While touring the villa, I looked out of one of the many open windows and saw a preview of the private garden I mentioned in my last post.  That is the lily pond down there where all those green frogs were sunning themselves.  

The history of this place is a little obscure.  There was virtually no mention of it in my DK guide book and even Wikipedia has only two paragraphs.  I guess when it comes down to it, I don't need to know all the history.  I can just enjoy seeing it and hope you enjoyed this peek at it as well.

The Birds of Isola Madre

Back in August and September of last year, I  had several posts about visiting the islands on Lake Maggiore in Italy. All of my previous posts centered on Isola Bella, the most prominent island. (That is the one with the large and elaborate villa and garden.)
Today's post is about the first island we visited, Isola Madre known specifically for its gardens.  When we arrived, we followed the path up to the gardens surrounded by gorgeous lake views and lush greenery.

But when we got to the top, we started to see some rather colorful birds roaming freely among the manicured gardens while totally ignoring the multitudes of tourists and the clicking cameras.  They seemed perfectly happy to be the center of attention.  I'm not positive of the exact breed of these birds but they appear to be in the pheasant family.

However, this fellow I recognized immediately.  There must have been 10 or 12 of these gorgeous peacocks along with a large flock of peahens as well.  They wandered from place to place occasionally posing for photos.

The colorful peacocks were also accompanied by the rather exotic white peacocks who also seemed to be well accustomed to all the attention.  This one decided to pose on top of one of the aviary buildings.

I followed the distinctive call of a rather loud peacock and found this fellow perched up in a tree.  He was difficult to see among the thick branches but his loud voice helped me zero in on him.

Our visit to this island of beautiful birds ended at a small, private garden centered around a pretty lily pond filled with both lilies and iris.  But something else was lurking in this pond.

After hearing another distinctive call, I spotted a group of green frogs sunning themselves on the lily pads while croaking loudly to each other.  They too, were quite happy to pose for a few photos.  What a totally delightful place to visit.

Times Square

Whether you are looking at it from above or at street level, there is no problem recognizing Times Square in New York.  It really is one of the most famous places in the United States.

It's an exciting place to be in New York.  You are right in the heart of the theatre district where the streets are always busy with people.

There is everything you can imagine at street level, shops, restaurants and even the M & M candy store.  People stop in there to make their own rainbow selection of these sweet treats.

Or you can just sit by a window and enjoy the electronic billboards as they let you know everything that is going on in New York.

The last time I was there, I stayed at the Marriott Marquee right on Times Square.  I loved heading to the lounge and grabbing a window seat to take it all in.

Thinking of Milan

I've been thinking about the beautiful city of Milan these last few days as they struggle with a recent outbreak of the coronavirus.  According to news reports, most of the public squares like these are almost devoid of tourists and young people just hanging out with friends.

Most of the cafes are closed so there won't be people enjoying pizzas at sidewalk cafes like I did when I was there.

According to the reports I've heard the streets look empty like the scene above.

When I was there last spring, there were people everywhere.  I even happened upon a group of young girls practicing a dance routine while a guy (out of the photo) was filming them.

Milan is a city I didn't expect to like because it was said to be more industrial than places like Rome and Florence.  However, I found it to be a wonderfully vibrant city with the old and new mixed together quite nicely.

Wherever I walked, I was always greeted with something interesting to see and admire.

Here's hoping the scientists discover ways to prevent this virus from spreading soon so all the places in the world that have been affected can get back to their normal routines and rhythms.