Travel notes, photos, videos, and comments from all over the world. I may earn income from purchases of advertised products or clicking links. Please follow via email. Thanks Geoff Sutton of Sutton Travels blog and YouTube
The National Gallery is located at Trafalgar Square in London, England. As of this post in 2019, admission is free. Check their website for details https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/
You might like this fun and informative guide to British words and
phrases.
Big Ben is the name of the Great Bell inside the Elizabeth Tower, which is the clock tower at the north end of Westminster Palace (popularly called The Houses of Parliament) in London.
The Great Bell, or Big Ben, weighs 12.7 tonnes, is 2.2 metres high and 2.7 metres in diameter. The weight of the hammer is 200 kg.
The Elizabeth Tower was completed in 1859 and the Great Bells were first heard on 11 July. The tower is over 96 metres tall and 12 metres square.
A few more photos.
The view above is from the south bank of the River Thames. The bridge is Westminster Bridge.
In the video below, you can hear the chimes of Big Ben.
Nelson's Column is a victory monument completed between 1840 and 1843 in Trafalgar Square, London (AZ map). The 98 feet granite column rests on a granite base with an overall height of the monument of 170 feet. The statue of Nelson atop the column measures 18.1 feet and was sculpted from Craigleith sandstone. The four bronze panels on the base were cast from captured French guns. The statue honours Admiral Horatio Nelson who died in the Battle of Trafalgar aboard HMS Victory in 1805. Admiral Lord Nelson led the British Royal Navy in the defeat of the French and Spanish navies.
You might like this fun and informative guide to British words and phrases.
Titanic Belfast is an experience. A walking tour and historic ride take visitors through the building and launching of the historic ship. The building is an amazing site at the end of the original slipways where the famous ship was launched.
The lighting and glass make it difficult to obtain inside photos without a glare.
Inside Titanic Belfast are a restaurant, toilets, and a gift shop.
Rating: We are glad we went so I'd give it four out of five stars. The facility is clean and the staff were friendly. We did not eat there so, no comments on the food or service.
What would make it five stars? Better lighting. Inclusive audio guides. A clearer path from one stop to the next along the walk through history.
Other note: We went as part of a tour that was not organised by a third party. That tour was late afternoon so we did not have enough time to explore the exhibits in detail. I would estimate that a half day would be good for a leisurely visit.
Down Cathedral, Northern Ireland/ Geoff Sutton 2019
Down Cathedral, on English Street, atop Down Hill, is clearly visible above the town of Downpatrick, County Down, Ulster Province, Northern Ireland.
Christians have worshipped here for about 1,600 years. It is also the traditional site for the burial of the British missionary, St Patrick, as well as Saints Brigid and Columba (also called Columbkille, Colmcille).
The current Cathedral has been rebuilt on the site of an old Benedictine Monastery dating from 1183. Inside are box pews, stained glass windows, and a box organ.
Down Cathedral, Northern Ireland / Geoff Sutton 2019
St Patrick is honoured for his missionary work in Ireland. According to minimal writings and traditions, he was born in Roman Britain, captured as a youth by pirates and enslaved.
He escaped back to Britain and saw a vision calling him to Ireland.
He appears to have lived most of his life in the 400s.
The traditional burial site of St Patrick is on the left as you face the Cathedral.
You can see Celtic Crosses in the front and in the back of the Cathedral.
Nearby the Cathedral is the Southwell School and Almshouses built for poor boys and girls in 1733.
A visitor's centre is below Down Hill.
You can learn more about St Patrick's life here. Although buried somewhere in Ireland, no one is sure of his birthplace in Great Britain.
Cathedral Admission: There is no charge to enter the Cathedral or visit the burial site.
Cathedral website: http://downcathedral.org/
I visited the Grand Bunker museum on a cold and rainy 8 March 2012. The concrete bunker museum offers
visitors a view of the German Shooting Command and Management Station at
Ouistreham, Normandy, France near Sword Beach. The 17-metre (52 feet) high construction has five
levels and was part of Nazi Germany’s Atlantic Wall defense against the
expected allied invasion of France.
The bunker was built in 1943-1944. The bunker was disabled
by a direct hit from British battle cruiser, H.M.S. Frobisher on D-Day, 6 June
1944. It is located near the site of the Sword Beach landings. Troops led by Lt. Bob Orrell eventually
captured the bunker on 9 June and took 52-53 (sites vary in number) prisoners.
The rooms in the museum have been restored to their
functions at the time of D-Day. The museum opened in 1987. At the upper level, we
get a full view of the beaches where Operation Overlord took place.
At the lower levels, we glimpse life for the German soldiers
as they await the inevitable allied invasion.
Vehicles and war machines are on the grounds.
Rating: 4 of 5. It is a very good portrayal of a unique
aspect of WWII. On the web you will see most ratings are 4 or 5 out of 5. The
only significant negative is the glare, which interferes with viewing the contents of items
behind glass (a common problem of many museums).
Location: Avenue
du 6 Juin, 14150 Ouistreham, France.
Admission: There
is a modest charge to enter the museum. Check the website for current prices.
Hours: The museum
is open most days of the year, but there are some closures so check the website
for details. Opening times vary from 9:00 or 10:00 am and close at 6:00 or 7:00
pm, depending on the time of year.
I was in Normandy, France
for the 75th anniversary events. The sacrifices were incredible! So many died in the pursuit of
freedom. D-Day was the beginning of the end of World War II.
Many Flags- People working together
D-Day
is the day, the Allied forces of the United States, Great Britain, and Canada amassed
the largest armada in history to invade German occupied France and liberate Western
Europe forcing Germany and Italy out of World War II.
The “D” refers to the
designated day for the operation and the “H” in H-hour is the hour a scheduled
operation began.
Troops
from other allied nations were also represented: France, Poland, Belgium,
Netherlands, Australia, Greece, Czechoslovakia, Norway, and New Zealand.
Other nations were involved in the war effort at many other locations around the world. It was truly, and sadly, a world war.
Five Beaches of the D-Day Invasion
On
4 June, chief meteorologist James Stagg of Scotland told U.S. General Dwight D.
Eisenhower the weather looked good for 6 June. On 5 June Eisenhower gave the order for
Operation Overlord—telling the troops, "The eyes of the world are upon you".
The
invasion forces left southern England on 5 June 1944.
5 June On Our Way
17:00
The largest armada in world history left the south coast of England
with troops, supplies, and ammunition. Eventually, naval forces would include 6,939 warships and vessels: 4, 126 landing crafts and boats, 1,213 combat ships, 736 other craft, and 864 merchant ships.
22:00
Airborne troops make final checks and begin boarding Horsa Gliders.
D-Day 6 June 1944
00:16
British paratroopers land on target at two bridges later named Pegasus and
Horsa, on the path to Caen (Read more about Pegasus Bridge).
00:26
British forces defeat Germans to take Pegasus bridge. A nearby house (now a museum) is among
the first liberated from German occupation.
Pegasus Bridge, Normandy / Geoff Sutton 2012
01:11
German General Marcks gets word of paratroopers, but decides to wait.
01:55
American paratroopers land around Sainte-Mère-Eglise on the path to Cherbourg.
After several hours of fighting, the first village is liberated (Read more about the Americans at Sainte-Mère-Eglise).
U.S. Paratrooper Survives at Sainte-Mère-Eglise
04:30 British capture the Merville Battery (Read more about the British atMerville).
05:23 Allied warships begin firing on the German defenses along the coast. Naval operations were under the command of British Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay.
06:00
American bombers join British bombers, but many bombs fall behind the German defenses. Over 2,000 British, Canadian, and American bombers attacked areas along the coast.
Landing Craft- National WWII Museum, New Orleans
6:30
H-Hour: Americans land on Omaha and Utah Beaches in specially designed landing craft (Higgin's Boats). The US zones were under the command of General Omar Bradley.
Utah Beach/ Geoff W Sutton 2012
07:00
U.S. Rangers scale the cliffs to attack the guns of Pointe-du-hoc (Read more about the Americans at Pointe-du-Hoc).
Pointe-du-Hoc, Normandy / Geoff W Sutton 2012
7:25
British forces land on Sword and Gold Beaches.
British land at Sword Beach/ WWII Museum
Gold Beach in 2019
7:55
Canadian and British forces land on Juno Beach. 9:00 African-American Soldiers of the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion reach the beaches. Their task to construct a curtain of hydrogen-filled balloons with steel cables over the beaches. Read more at NBC.
9:32
BBC broadcasts that the allies have landed in France to audiences in the UK and worldwide.
10:15
German General Rommel learns of the invasion and returns to France. He had been celebrating a birthday in Germany.
11:15
Canadians and British capture Saint Aubin-sur-Mer (Calvados).
12:00
Hitler at his Bavarian Alps Headquarters believes the allies will be driven
back.
14:00
Soldiers continue to land with equipment.
14:30
Allies reach Caen but do not capture it. Germans execute previously captured
French resistance fighters.
15:00
The first sections of ingeniously designed prefabricated harbours arrive (Mulberry Harbours) from England.
18:00
German Panzer division attacks British forces.
20:00
British and Canadians join forces and approach Bayeux.
20:10
Canadians capture Taillerville.
21:00
More than 140,000 Allies have landed along 55 miles.
At
the end of D-Day, 4,413 allies died. Many are buried in the cemeteries at
Normandy. When we consider the entire battle of Normandy, more than 425,000 men were killed, injured, or missing. Among the allied airmen, 16,714 died and 37,00 died amongst the ground forces.
.JPG)
