A quik note to update the Qantas strike/lockout episode. The extra flight in my online-booking was just a "place saver" to keep the booking open while we were trapped in Singapore. I do not get a flight to Antartica! (As was the rumour at the time).
Qantas however have given me a direct return flight anywhere in Australia, good for twelve months. Reading the fine print, that also includes the possibility of a direct return flight to NZ. A few caveats such as "subject to availability" but a nice gesture. Not to be used on Jetstar unfortunately so the number of direct Qantas flights out of Cairns is limited; but there will be a way. I am hoping that the domestic leg of inbound International flights will be allowed. I need to get down to Melbourne to vist family but I may have to combine the "freebie" flight with a cheap flight to Brisbane or Sydney. This will reduce the cost significantly. [In the end it was all too difficult and I let the offer lapse].
Thursday, 8 December 2011
Sunday, 20 November 2011
21/11/2011 Monday in Cairns, JCU
JCU Library 21/11/2011.
Review. European research trip 2011.
(Debrief with Academic Supervisor Asc Prof Stephen Naylor, 18/11/2011, Robyn Glade-White, 22/11/2011)
1. The research trip was "on-budget" and completed all major research elements as planned.
2. The most successful research elements were:
(a) the visit to London Natural History Museum for the primary source of Ferdinand Lucas Bauer paintings of marine animals from the Tropics (Queensland) and Tropical plants (Queensland, GOC) from the Mathew Flinders voyage of discovery to Australia 1801-1805.
(b) the visit to Paris National Natural history Museum for the primary source of Charles Alexandre Lesueur paintings of tropical marine animls (? Australia) from the Nicolas Baudin voyage of discovery to Australia 1801-1804.
3. The visits to the Le Havre and Vienna Natural History Museums archives of the Lesueur and Bauer drawings respectively and while germaine to the study, only limited access to these archives could be negociated. In both cases only one part-day was allowed for viewing. Obtaining images was also problematic and relatively expensive in the case of Vienna (30 Euro per photo-copy/scan compared to 0.6 Euro per scan in Paris).
In Le Havre security concerns made access to the Lesueur "velum" paintings impossible while periodic electrical black-outs in the drawings archive reduced the opportunity and photographic quality of the images I could obtain.
Note: In all museums the standard operating procedures/regulations for research allowed only a hand-held camera with no flash. This meant no long exposure times and using natural light only, consequently all images I took were relatively "dark" and required "Photo-shop" post-production to "salvage" them for the thesis. The scanned images provided by the Museums in Paris and Vienna were limited to a max of 300 dpi so were only low-medium resolution.
4. All images have now been downloaded into a minimum compression ".tiff" format and the brightness/contrast adjusted. Further post-production will be required prior to publication in the Thesis appendix but the images are now usable for comparision between artists and for re-joining paintings with their respective draft/drawing.
5. Video records of the trip have been downloaded/stored and will be processed at a later date when I have access to the Townsville Campus video laboratory software/expertese.
6. Subjectively I am very pleased with the quality of the images I have collected and that I have achieved my primary aim of "veiwing" the original sources of the scientific-illustration artwork produced on the 1801-1805 French and English voyages of discovery to "Terra Australis/New Holland". I feel honoured to have been able to see and hold the original paintings and drawings produced over 200 years ago during one of the first series of scientific investigations of Australia. I am indebted to and wish to acknowlege the assistance of all the librarians and curators in the variuos Museums that helped me on this research "quest".
Review. European research trip 2011.
(Debrief with Academic Supervisor Asc Prof Stephen Naylor, 18/11/2011, Robyn Glade-White, 22/11/2011)
1. The research trip was "on-budget" and completed all major research elements as planned.
2. The most successful research elements were:
(a) the visit to London Natural History Museum for the primary source of Ferdinand Lucas Bauer paintings of marine animals from the Tropics (Queensland) and Tropical plants (Queensland, GOC) from the Mathew Flinders voyage of discovery to Australia 1801-1805.
(b) the visit to Paris National Natural history Museum for the primary source of Charles Alexandre Lesueur paintings of tropical marine animls (? Australia) from the Nicolas Baudin voyage of discovery to Australia 1801-1804.
3. The visits to the Le Havre and Vienna Natural History Museums archives of the Lesueur and Bauer drawings respectively and while germaine to the study, only limited access to these archives could be negociated. In both cases only one part-day was allowed for viewing. Obtaining images was also problematic and relatively expensive in the case of Vienna (30 Euro per photo-copy/scan compared to 0.6 Euro per scan in Paris).
In Le Havre security concerns made access to the Lesueur "velum" paintings impossible while periodic electrical black-outs in the drawings archive reduced the opportunity and photographic quality of the images I could obtain.
Note: In all museums the standard operating procedures/regulations for research allowed only a hand-held camera with no flash. This meant no long exposure times and using natural light only, consequently all images I took were relatively "dark" and required "Photo-shop" post-production to "salvage" them for the thesis. The scanned images provided by the Museums in Paris and Vienna were limited to a max of 300 dpi so were only low-medium resolution.
4. All images have now been downloaded into a minimum compression ".tiff" format and the brightness/contrast adjusted. Further post-production will be required prior to publication in the Thesis appendix but the images are now usable for comparision between artists and for re-joining paintings with their respective draft/drawing.
5. Video records of the trip have been downloaded/stored and will be processed at a later date when I have access to the Townsville Campus video laboratory software/expertese.
6. Subjectively I am very pleased with the quality of the images I have collected and that I have achieved my primary aim of "veiwing" the original sources of the scientific-illustration artwork produced on the 1801-1805 French and English voyages of discovery to "Terra Australis/New Holland". I feel honoured to have been able to see and hold the original paintings and drawings produced over 200 years ago during one of the first series of scientific investigations of Australia. I am indebted to and wish to acknowlege the assistance of all the librarians and curators in the variuos Museums that helped me on this research "quest".
Wednesday, 2 November 2011
3/11/2011 Cairns (after long sleep).
Cairns
3/11/2011 Thursday
(Also for the 31st October, 1st and 2nd November)
Where to start? The Singapore "diversion" came to an abrupt end with the announcement that an extra flight had been put on by Qantas and we were to be packed and ready to leave by bus for the airport at 5.30 pm. This was after we had been told all flights were full and we would stay another night (our third night and fourth day in Singapore). Before that we were to leave at 9.00 o'c pm by the QF 52 flight we were originally supposed to take. Three changes of instructions in 6-8 hours, not confidence building but we were to go home!
I had stayed close to the Hotel desk so got the message and packed fast. My shirt, that I had washed out to dry overnight, I simply ironed until it was dry enough to wear. Everything else went into the suitcase slightly damp.
The bus was crowded and luggage had to go between seats but we got to Changi by the time specified; then after being processed by immigration/customs/security we had to wait until the plane boarded at 8.30 to 9.00, finally leaving about 9.30 pm. A classic case of "hurry up and wait"! At Changi airport the Qantas check-in was chaotic but the Qantas Club special-entry allowed me to book my seat back to Brisbane and to also book a seat from Brisbane to Cairns. I would only have to take my bags through customs then to the transit drop-off; or so the "theory" went.
After finally boarding the plane we had a scare and a delay when the pilot explained that they had a "a red warning light" that the engineers had to investigate and the plane returned to the parking bay until fixed. That made us late into Brisbane and stuffed up connecting flights. Not happy campers.
The flight was noisy and "stressed" but we finally got to Brisbane. My bags were the last off the conveyer belt (again) but I breezed through customs and found that my "electronic" passport allowed me to take one of the fast lanes. These had not been in operation in Brisbane on my previous trips. So far so good; until I tried to "drop-off" my bags at the Domestic transit desk in the International airport. Apparently in Changi I had been issued a boarding pass for a Brisbane-Cairns flight that did not exist (or had been cancelled in the intervening 24 hours).
I had to re-book on a "real" flight, taking what I could get. As it was there was one seat available on the 10.00 am flight, so after a fast trip to the Domestic terminal (instead of the original 6 hour wait), I boarded my flight to Cairns. I travelled in the second last row, next to a Korean newly-wed couple, but I got to Cairns airport around 12.30 pm. After retrieving my bags, then waiting in a long line of Qantas passengers all trying to get home, I jumped into a taxi and went! Free at last from airport(s); it had taken 5 highly stressful days to get from London to Cairns.
Thankfully Rose was at my unit to hand-over the keys and she had left milk, bread, and breakfast cereal in the fridge, which sustained me for the next 24 hours. It was mid afternoon but I had not slept for the last 24-30 hours so I simply crashed. A series of disorienting short sleeps followed by comfort food then another short sleep. I had the usual "flu-like" jetlag and was popping Paracetamol but I was "home".
I will review my field-trip over the next week then post my last "Blog" when I have a more balanced perspective on the results. At the moment I am paying over-due bills and "catching-up on buisness" after 3 months away.
3/11/2011 Thursday
(Also for the 31st October, 1st and 2nd November)
Where to start? The Singapore "diversion" came to an abrupt end with the announcement that an extra flight had been put on by Qantas and we were to be packed and ready to leave by bus for the airport at 5.30 pm. This was after we had been told all flights were full and we would stay another night (our third night and fourth day in Singapore). Before that we were to leave at 9.00 o'c pm by the QF 52 flight we were originally supposed to take. Three changes of instructions in 6-8 hours, not confidence building but we were to go home!
I had stayed close to the Hotel desk so got the message and packed fast. My shirt, that I had washed out to dry overnight, I simply ironed until it was dry enough to wear. Everything else went into the suitcase slightly damp.
The bus was crowded and luggage had to go between seats but we got to Changi by the time specified; then after being processed by immigration/customs/security we had to wait until the plane boarded at 8.30 to 9.00, finally leaving about 9.30 pm. A classic case of "hurry up and wait"! At Changi airport the Qantas check-in was chaotic but the Qantas Club special-entry allowed me to book my seat back to Brisbane and to also book a seat from Brisbane to Cairns. I would only have to take my bags through customs then to the transit drop-off; or so the "theory" went.
After finally boarding the plane we had a scare and a delay when the pilot explained that they had a "a red warning light" that the engineers had to investigate and the plane returned to the parking bay until fixed. That made us late into Brisbane and stuffed up connecting flights. Not happy campers.
The flight was noisy and "stressed" but we finally got to Brisbane. My bags were the last off the conveyer belt (again) but I breezed through customs and found that my "electronic" passport allowed me to take one of the fast lanes. These had not been in operation in Brisbane on my previous trips. So far so good; until I tried to "drop-off" my bags at the Domestic transit desk in the International airport. Apparently in Changi I had been issued a boarding pass for a Brisbane-Cairns flight that did not exist (or had been cancelled in the intervening 24 hours).
I had to re-book on a "real" flight, taking what I could get. As it was there was one seat available on the 10.00 am flight, so after a fast trip to the Domestic terminal (instead of the original 6 hour wait), I boarded my flight to Cairns. I travelled in the second last row, next to a Korean newly-wed couple, but I got to Cairns airport around 12.30 pm. After retrieving my bags, then waiting in a long line of Qantas passengers all trying to get home, I jumped into a taxi and went! Free at last from airport(s); it had taken 5 highly stressful days to get from London to Cairns.
Thankfully Rose was at my unit to hand-over the keys and she had left milk, bread, and breakfast cereal in the fridge, which sustained me for the next 24 hours. It was mid afternoon but I had not slept for the last 24-30 hours so I simply crashed. A series of disorienting short sleeps followed by comfort food then another short sleep. I had the usual "flu-like" jetlag and was popping Paracetamol but I was "home".
I will review my field-trip over the next week then post my last "Blog" when I have a more balanced perspective on the results. At the moment I am paying over-due bills and "catching-up on buisness" after 3 months away.
Sunday, 30 October 2011
31/10/2011 Singapore Oasia Hotel
Singapore
31/10/2011
Re the Qantas Strike/Lockout/Delays: The message came through that we were leaving Singapore at 10 o'c pm today, then it was amended and we are staying an extra night. The return flight to Brisbane will now be tomorrow (no time given). The Hotel is very good but the meals, which started out as superb, have got less varied in choices at each sitting. I suspect there is cost control in operation. I have emailed Qantas Frequent Flyer customer service asking for advice/information but do not expect a reply.
When checking my Qantas booking/account page for announcements (there have been none) I came across an extra booking on my current London-Cairns journey. I have a "mystery flight" booked for the 12th of November, that I know nothing about. When I finally get to the Airport I will check this out with the Qantas Club. Theoretically my Club membership finishes today, the 31st October, so it will remains to be seen if I get into the lounge at all. If all went according to plan I would have renewed the membership in Townsville today, but the "wheels have fallen off" a number of plans due to the travel delays. I will miss the CSIRO/GBRMPA workshop for a start!
Although I am in Singapore, and so is my MA co-supervisor A/Prof Stephen Naylor, he is busy with a visit by the JCU Pro Vice Chancellor, so I do not get to show off my data collection of images from the 1801-05 "voyages of discovery" to Australia. A pity but I will catch up in Cairns later in the month. It actually gives me some time to organise and "pre-process" the images into a Power-point presentation for my initial MA seminar. I have been working this up while "trapped in Singapore" but without the image processing software available at the Townsville JCU campus I am limited in what I can do on my laptop.
I am still staying close to the Hotel so I can get any Qantas instructions/news, apart from ducking across to the Coffee shop in the Shopping Complex for free WiFi. My tummy upset which has been "low-level" throughout the three-month trip had flaired up again in Singapore. I am wondering if it is the Singapore water (Giardia??) as it was after the Singapore stopover on the way to London that I had the last major bout. This need for toilet facilities is probably the real reason for staying close to the Hotel. Being very careful with what I drink at the moment, (or of course it could simply be the side effect of sitting in a fairly cramped space for 12-14 hours.)
We still have 7 hours to get to Brisbane and another 3 hours to get to Cairns so I am not happy. Being able to use the Qantas Club facilities has turned out to be more urgent than I anticipated.
31/10/2011
Re the Qantas Strike/Lockout/Delays: The message came through that we were leaving Singapore at 10 o'c pm today, then it was amended and we are staying an extra night. The return flight to Brisbane will now be tomorrow (no time given). The Hotel is very good but the meals, which started out as superb, have got less varied in choices at each sitting. I suspect there is cost control in operation. I have emailed Qantas Frequent Flyer customer service asking for advice/information but do not expect a reply.
When checking my Qantas booking/account page for announcements (there have been none) I came across an extra booking on my current London-Cairns journey. I have a "mystery flight" booked for the 12th of November, that I know nothing about. When I finally get to the Airport I will check this out with the Qantas Club. Theoretically my Club membership finishes today, the 31st October, so it will remains to be seen if I get into the lounge at all. If all went according to plan I would have renewed the membership in Townsville today, but the "wheels have fallen off" a number of plans due to the travel delays. I will miss the CSIRO/GBRMPA workshop for a start!
Although I am in Singapore, and so is my MA co-supervisor A/Prof Stephen Naylor, he is busy with a visit by the JCU Pro Vice Chancellor, so I do not get to show off my data collection of images from the 1801-05 "voyages of discovery" to Australia. A pity but I will catch up in Cairns later in the month. It actually gives me some time to organise and "pre-process" the images into a Power-point presentation for my initial MA seminar. I have been working this up while "trapped in Singapore" but without the image processing software available at the Townsville JCU campus I am limited in what I can do on my laptop.
I am still staying close to the Hotel so I can get any Qantas instructions/news, apart from ducking across to the Coffee shop in the Shopping Complex for free WiFi. My tummy upset which has been "low-level" throughout the three-month trip had flaired up again in Singapore. I am wondering if it is the Singapore water (Giardia??) as it was after the Singapore stopover on the way to London that I had the last major bout. This need for toilet facilities is probably the real reason for staying close to the Hotel. Being very careful with what I drink at the moment, (or of course it could simply be the side effect of sitting in a fairly cramped space for 12-14 hours.)
We still have 7 hours to get to Brisbane and another 3 hours to get to Cairns so I am not happy. Being able to use the Qantas Club facilities has turned out to be more urgent than I anticipated.
Saturday, 29 October 2011
28/29 October 2011, Singapore OASIA Hotel
Singapore
28-29/10/2011 Friday-Saturday.
Well, the wheels fell off my planned journey home. We got to Changi Airport, Singapore, and Qantas had called a total strike/lockout, grounding all planes. Major upheavals to travel plans of all the passengers and with no definite "end-date" to the grounding. It was a mess, with all the Qantas flights into and out of Changi grounded and the passengers having to find their luggage and be booked into local Hotels.
We were due in at 3.30 pm and I was due to catch my connection to Brisbane at 8.40 pm. Just enough time for a meal, shower and clean up at the Changi Qantas Club. What actually happened was that we were kept on the plane for 3/4 of an hour while they sorted out their instructions from Qantas, then we were allowed off into the transit area to wait for instructions. Following a 3 hour wait some passengers on code-share flights were transferred to the partner airline and flew out. Other airlines took a few more, and the rest of us were to told we would be housed in local Hotels for the night.
What this meant for me was: waiting until the lists were decided, then after not getting on a flight, filling in appropriate forms (we were to go out through customs), finding my luggage in the bedlam downstairs in Arrivals, being processed by customs/immigration, then being allocated and transported to a hotel. All the cancelled flights had passengers trying to find luggage and going through this "process" at the same time so it was totally chaotic. People (a "mob" by this time) were really stressed, and very unhappy.
By 9.30 pm I had found my bag (on a completely different carousel to the rest of the flights baggage) and got through the over-worked customs controls. We then waited en mass for allocation to a hotel and for the buses. It was about midnight before that all happened and I cleared the Airport by overcrowded bus. I am writing this "blog" at 1.00 am after getting registered in the Hotel and finding my room, on the 20th floor (i.e., it took 9.5 hours to get through the mass chaos). I got three meal vouchers and I found the Internet connection so I could warn everyone I was not going to make it for Sunday lunchtime.
A shower then I sleep!
28-29/10/2011 Friday-Saturday.
Well, the wheels fell off my planned journey home. We got to Changi Airport, Singapore, and Qantas had called a total strike/lockout, grounding all planes. Major upheavals to travel plans of all the passengers and with no definite "end-date" to the grounding. It was a mess, with all the Qantas flights into and out of Changi grounded and the passengers having to find their luggage and be booked into local Hotels.
We were due in at 3.30 pm and I was due to catch my connection to Brisbane at 8.40 pm. Just enough time for a meal, shower and clean up at the Changi Qantas Club. What actually happened was that we were kept on the plane for 3/4 of an hour while they sorted out their instructions from Qantas, then we were allowed off into the transit area to wait for instructions. Following a 3 hour wait some passengers on code-share flights were transferred to the partner airline and flew out. Other airlines took a few more, and the rest of us were to told we would be housed in local Hotels for the night.
What this meant for me was: waiting until the lists were decided, then after not getting on a flight, filling in appropriate forms (we were to go out through customs), finding my luggage in the bedlam downstairs in Arrivals, being processed by customs/immigration, then being allocated and transported to a hotel. All the cancelled flights had passengers trying to find luggage and going through this "process" at the same time so it was totally chaotic. People (a "mob" by this time) were really stressed, and very unhappy.
By 9.30 pm I had found my bag (on a completely different carousel to the rest of the flights baggage) and got through the over-worked customs controls. We then waited en mass for allocation to a hotel and for the buses. It was about midnight before that all happened and I cleared the Airport by overcrowded bus. I am writing this "blog" at 1.00 am after getting registered in the Hotel and finding my room, on the 20th floor (i.e., it took 9.5 hours to get through the mass chaos). I got three meal vouchers and I found the Internet connection so I could warn everyone I was not going to make it for Sunday lunchtime.
A shower then I sleep!
Friday, 28 October 2011
28/10/2011 London Heathrow
London
28/10/2011 Friday
Barking Library, Heathrow Airport.
I am killing time until Hotel check-out at 12o'c. I had breakfast in the Appendices Restaurant and am taking care of the last emails while I have Internet (although I am hoping for Qantas Club Hotspots). The sun came out for a brief moment so I shot a couple of "Barking scenes", which I will add to the blog later.
While packing I threw out anything I could to lighten my luggage but I kept the accumulated books and papers, so the weight has not really gone down. Too late to post anything so my luggage weight will have to be right. I will wear the heavy jackets, which should compensate.
My plan is to have lunch here then travel to Heathrow at around 1pm. The Tube at lunch-time on a weekday will be interesting, and it is also school Holidays so I may be standing the whole way. I loaded my Oyster card with 5 pounds (minimum I could put in at the ticket office) and was told the trip should cost 3.40 pounds (which is more than when I came from St Pancras EuroStar Station). Strange fee/cost system! More later, if I get the chance.
[Later] BA/Qantas lounge at Heathrow.
I travelled by District Line to Hammersmith then simply walked across the platform to the Piccadilly Line, with no dragging of my Trolley-case up or down stairs or even through lifts/escalators. Worth the detective work and I wish I knew of this "shortcut" back when I first arrived. Then whole trip from Barking to Heathrow took 2.00 hours (and a bit waiting at Hammersmith). I started with a perfect corner seat and simply kept sitting, clutching my suitcase in the alcove next to the seat, despite the little old ladies, pregnant women, masses of school-age children, etc. Both my case and I were out of the way and reasonably comfortable. Not so lucky with the Hammersmith to Heathrow run but I got a seat towards the end. Lots of people had cases so I just became part of the obstacle course.
Heathrow Terminal 3 was a bit of fun. I made it through the initial security to the Qantas Luggage/book-in area only to find that they were closed until 4 hours prior to boarding the flight. Therefore the reward for my efforts to be on time (allowing for the 3 hours it took to get through security/protocols last time) was that I had a two hour wait just to check-in my case and get the Boarding pass. I tried the DIY Check-in Kiosk (with the help of a BA ticket/check-in person) but the machine told me I did not have an e-ticket and to see the Check-in personnel. I found a spare seat and read my ebook. Come 4.30 pm I was just about first in line and was processed very efficiently despite the Kiosk advice (including directions to the passenger Club lounge F, which is shared between BA and Qantas). The subsequent customs/passport/second security search was fairly straightforward and surprisingly quick, I think the passenger traffic was reduced at the time (by luck rather than good management).
Therefore I am now in the BA Lounge having had a bowl of soup and a curry/rice dish (with a beer) and am waiting for my flight call. It is just on 6.00 o'c and the plane will board at about 7.30. Therefore I only have to play with my computer and maybe read a bit; I am relatively relaxed now I am "in the system" and on my way home! Next stop will be Singapore (Changi airport Qantas Club). I will try to add bits to the blog there.
28/10/2011 Friday
Barking Library, Heathrow Airport.
I am killing time until Hotel check-out at 12o'c. I had breakfast in the Appendices Restaurant and am taking care of the last emails while I have Internet (although I am hoping for Qantas Club Hotspots). The sun came out for a brief moment so I shot a couple of "Barking scenes", which I will add to the blog later.
While packing I threw out anything I could to lighten my luggage but I kept the accumulated books and papers, so the weight has not really gone down. Too late to post anything so my luggage weight will have to be right. I will wear the heavy jackets, which should compensate.
My plan is to have lunch here then travel to Heathrow at around 1pm. The Tube at lunch-time on a weekday will be interesting, and it is also school Holidays so I may be standing the whole way. I loaded my Oyster card with 5 pounds (minimum I could put in at the ticket office) and was told the trip should cost 3.40 pounds (which is more than when I came from St Pancras EuroStar Station). Strange fee/cost system! More later, if I get the chance.
[Later] BA/Qantas lounge at Heathrow.
I travelled by District Line to Hammersmith then simply walked across the platform to the Piccadilly Line, with no dragging of my Trolley-case up or down stairs or even through lifts/escalators. Worth the detective work and I wish I knew of this "shortcut" back when I first arrived. Then whole trip from Barking to Heathrow took 2.00 hours (and a bit waiting at Hammersmith). I started with a perfect corner seat and simply kept sitting, clutching my suitcase in the alcove next to the seat, despite the little old ladies, pregnant women, masses of school-age children, etc. Both my case and I were out of the way and reasonably comfortable. Not so lucky with the Hammersmith to Heathrow run but I got a seat towards the end. Lots of people had cases so I just became part of the obstacle course.
Heathrow Terminal 3 was a bit of fun. I made it through the initial security to the Qantas Luggage/book-in area only to find that they were closed until 4 hours prior to boarding the flight. Therefore the reward for my efforts to be on time (allowing for the 3 hours it took to get through security/protocols last time) was that I had a two hour wait just to check-in my case and get the Boarding pass. I tried the DIY Check-in Kiosk (with the help of a BA ticket/check-in person) but the machine told me I did not have an e-ticket and to see the Check-in personnel. I found a spare seat and read my ebook. Come 4.30 pm I was just about first in line and was processed very efficiently despite the Kiosk advice (including directions to the passenger Club lounge F, which is shared between BA and Qantas). The subsequent customs/passport/second security search was fairly straightforward and surprisingly quick, I think the passenger traffic was reduced at the time (by luck rather than good management).
Therefore I am now in the BA Lounge having had a bowl of soup and a curry/rice dish (with a beer) and am waiting for my flight call. It is just on 6.00 o'c and the plane will board at about 7.30. Therefore I only have to play with my computer and maybe read a bit; I am relatively relaxed now I am "in the system" and on my way home! Next stop will be Singapore (Changi airport Qantas Club). I will try to add bits to the blog there.
Thursday, 27 October 2011
27/10/2011 London Barking Library
London
27/10/2011
It has been a slow day, full of emails from the Library WiFi and packing up for my trip home. I did some sight-seeing around Barking and there is a "country-village" side that I had not discovered before (because I was not here during the week-days). I had lunch in the Church Hall where they run a tea-shop and serve the English food I remember from my first visit to England. Boiled potatoes, stewed vege, and unidentifiable meat. Rice pudding or treacle sponge for desert. Same price as the High Street take-aways and probably the same nutritional value. The clientele seemed to be exclusively anglo-saxon old-aged pensioners. It is raining intermittently so I am indoors most of the day.
I copied important files onto my second memory stick which will go into my wallet, so I have covered myself as well as possible against loss of data. Now all I have to do is to negotiate my way to Heathrow and to get myself home.
27/10/2011
It has been a slow day, full of emails from the Library WiFi and packing up for my trip home. I did some sight-seeing around Barking and there is a "country-village" side that I had not discovered before (because I was not here during the week-days). I had lunch in the Church Hall where they run a tea-shop and serve the English food I remember from my first visit to England. Boiled potatoes, stewed vege, and unidentifiable meat. Rice pudding or treacle sponge for desert. Same price as the High Street take-aways and probably the same nutritional value. The clientele seemed to be exclusively anglo-saxon old-aged pensioners. It is raining intermittently so I am indoors most of the day.
I copied important files onto my second memory stick which will go into my wallet, so I have covered myself as well as possible against loss of data. Now all I have to do is to negotiate my way to Heathrow and to get myself home.
Wednesday, 26 October 2011
26/10/2011 London NHM (last visit)
London
26/10/2011 Wednesday.
Today, against the advice of the GenLib staff I visited the London Natural History Museum for the last time to check references, etc. The reason they advised against a visit was that the mid-term school holidays started on Monday and the crowds in the Museum were expected to be "horrendous". Well they were right!
The entrance line snaked in and out of crowd-control barriers that had been put up, and consequently it took an hour to get to the Museum door! During that time it rained but we were stuck in the barriers and so just got soaked! Inside the Museum was bedlam. I made it through the crowd to the Library finally but was wet, frozen, and not overly enthusiastic about sitting in my wet clothes while trying to use the reference-database computer. I put in an hour and a half then retraced my trip back out to Barking, where an hour or so later I had a hot shower and changed my socks and shoes.
I am now in the Barking Community Library doing my "blog". I weakened and dropped into McDonalds for a Burger and hot Coffee on the way.
I am actually glad I took the trouble to "say goodbye" to the NHM, despite the rain and the crowds, because it has been very good to me. The archives are wonderfully well curated and catalogued. The staff have been super competent, truly cheerful, and immensely helpful with my research needs. The Bauer work has been a true eye-opener and 200 years on it has been kept in pristine condition by the Museum.
26/10/2011 Wednesday.
Today, against the advice of the GenLib staff I visited the London Natural History Museum for the last time to check references, etc. The reason they advised against a visit was that the mid-term school holidays started on Monday and the crowds in the Museum were expected to be "horrendous". Well they were right!
The entrance line snaked in and out of crowd-control barriers that had been put up, and consequently it took an hour to get to the Museum door! During that time it rained but we were stuck in the barriers and so just got soaked! Inside the Museum was bedlam. I made it through the crowd to the Library finally but was wet, frozen, and not overly enthusiastic about sitting in my wet clothes while trying to use the reference-database computer. I put in an hour and a half then retraced my trip back out to Barking, where an hour or so later I had a hot shower and changed my socks and shoes.
I am now in the Barking Community Library doing my "blog". I weakened and dropped into McDonalds for a Burger and hot Coffee on the way.
I am actually glad I took the trouble to "say goodbye" to the NHM, despite the rain and the crowds, because it has been very good to me. The archives are wonderfully well curated and catalogued. The staff have been super competent, truly cheerful, and immensely helpful with my research needs. The Bauer work has been a true eye-opener and 200 years on it has been kept in pristine condition by the Museum.
25/10/2011 London, MoD Art archive.
London
25/10/2011 Tuesday
An excellent (if a bit wet) day. I found my way to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) building in Whithall Court and safely negotiated the security barriers/protocol to meet up with Charlotte Henwood, the MoD Art Collection curator. We then went to the "vault" to look at a Westall painting in storage, followed by a quick trip "up the road" to Admiralty House to see a further 4 Westall paintings (from Australia) that are hanging in a salon there.
I got quick photographs of all of them but Charlotte kindly gave me a CD with downloaded Hi-Res photos of each. I was invited to stay for a tour by Naval officers, which also dealt with paintings from Cook's voyage(s). All up a very good data-gathering exercise. I will need to follow up with a visit to the Mitchell library in NSW but that will only be for filling in some of the gaps, the basic story is now documented.
The travel/logistics were straight forward. I had double-checked my directions with Google maps and had done a "virtual walk" of the relevant streets. I gave myself an extra half an hour margin for train delays and getting "lost". As it was I had no delays and took no misdirections. The appointment was 1.30 pm and I got there at 1.00, so found a lunch bar and grabbed a Danish pastry. I was back by 1.25 and shaking hands with Charotte by the 1.30 as arranged. A complete change from last time when I could not even find the building, let alone get access.
Photo: Looking through the bars at Admiralty House. The video of this scene shows a security man "shooing" me away.
25/10/2011 Tuesday
An excellent (if a bit wet) day. I found my way to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) building in Whithall Court and safely negotiated the security barriers/protocol to meet up with Charlotte Henwood, the MoD Art Collection curator. We then went to the "vault" to look at a Westall painting in storage, followed by a quick trip "up the road" to Admiralty House to see a further 4 Westall paintings (from Australia) that are hanging in a salon there.
I got quick photographs of all of them but Charlotte kindly gave me a CD with downloaded Hi-Res photos of each. I was invited to stay for a tour by Naval officers, which also dealt with paintings from Cook's voyage(s). All up a very good data-gathering exercise. I will need to follow up with a visit to the Mitchell library in NSW but that will only be for filling in some of the gaps, the basic story is now documented.
The travel/logistics were straight forward. I had double-checked my directions with Google maps and had done a "virtual walk" of the relevant streets. I gave myself an extra half an hour margin for train delays and getting "lost". As it was I had no delays and took no misdirections. The appointment was 1.30 pm and I got there at 1.00, so found a lunch bar and grabbed a Danish pastry. I was back by 1.25 and shaking hands with Charotte by the 1.30 as arranged. A complete change from last time when I could not even find the building, let alone get access.
Photo: Looking through the bars at Admiralty House. The video of this scene shows a security man "shooing" me away.
Monday, 24 October 2011
24/10/2011 London
London
24/10/2011 Monday.
I travelled into London by Underground; District then Northern lines. The northern Line is very deep and somewhat claustrophobic compared to the newer lines. I had to use a multi-person lift rather than stairs or escalators to get down to the Platforms. There were stairs but the signs said 137 steps and "only to be used in an emergency". Apart from that, it took a 30 mins less to get to my destination today, a weekday, compared to the weekend.
I met up with James Taylor, the Westall guru, and I went over what I had found so far; basically a similar conversation to that with Sarah Thomas. We went to a nearby Spanish Tapas-bar/restaurant and overspent on lunch. I had allocated 40 pounds to pay for our lunch but that was only half the bill. We ended up going halves; nice lunch, good wine, but a high price. [As a consequence dinner was a TESCO "value trifle" and a cup of tea].
I got some tips from James with regard to the MoD art collection at Admiralty House and also that Brown's published journal is probably the best resource for where specimens were collected on the Mathew Flinders voyage. I will look that up on Wednesday when I visit the London NHM.
James also suggested that Hammersmith Station was the best for a changeover from the District to Piccadilly Lines if you are dragging luggage. I had come to that conclusion despite the advice from the Barking Station attendant. The Hammersmith Station has disabled access to all platforms, which means well marked lifts/escalators. For my purposes the lifts are what I need.
My check-out time at the Hotel is now a negotiated 12 o'c so if it takes an hour to get to the Heathrow airport from Barking then I will have about 7 hours to get through the security/baggage drop-off/check-in then wait for my flight (hopefully in the Qantas Lounge). Based on my last experience with Heathrow it will take about 3 hours just to get through all the security checks, leaving about 4 hours in the lounge. If everything goes to plan.
One possible complication is that my Qantas Club membership runs out in October (again hopefully on the 31st not the 1st). London is not critical but I really need to be able to have a shower in the Qantas Club at Changi Airport. I always pack an extra shirt, underwear etc in my day-pack on the return run to Australia. I only have 4 hours in Singapore but last time I went through they would not let me into the Club Lounge until 2 hours before my flight (London was the same). This time all my tickets are QF (Qantas), compared to mostly partner airlines last time, so I am hoping to negotiate my way through as a long-standing, loyal customer. In any case it is only an hour or so in a cafe or transit lounge, but the shower is important.
24/10/2011 Monday.
I travelled into London by Underground; District then Northern lines. The northern Line is very deep and somewhat claustrophobic compared to the newer lines. I had to use a multi-person lift rather than stairs or escalators to get down to the Platforms. There were stairs but the signs said 137 steps and "only to be used in an emergency". Apart from that, it took a 30 mins less to get to my destination today, a weekday, compared to the weekend.
I met up with James Taylor, the Westall guru, and I went over what I had found so far; basically a similar conversation to that with Sarah Thomas. We went to a nearby Spanish Tapas-bar/restaurant and overspent on lunch. I had allocated 40 pounds to pay for our lunch but that was only half the bill. We ended up going halves; nice lunch, good wine, but a high price. [As a consequence dinner was a TESCO "value trifle" and a cup of tea].
I got some tips from James with regard to the MoD art collection at Admiralty House and also that Brown's published journal is probably the best resource for where specimens were collected on the Mathew Flinders voyage. I will look that up on Wednesday when I visit the London NHM.
James also suggested that Hammersmith Station was the best for a changeover from the District to Piccadilly Lines if you are dragging luggage. I had come to that conclusion despite the advice from the Barking Station attendant. The Hammersmith Station has disabled access to all platforms, which means well marked lifts/escalators. For my purposes the lifts are what I need.
My check-out time at the Hotel is now a negotiated 12 o'c so if it takes an hour to get to the Heathrow airport from Barking then I will have about 7 hours to get through the security/baggage drop-off/check-in then wait for my flight (hopefully in the Qantas Lounge). Based on my last experience with Heathrow it will take about 3 hours just to get through all the security checks, leaving about 4 hours in the lounge. If everything goes to plan.
One possible complication is that my Qantas Club membership runs out in October (again hopefully on the 31st not the 1st). London is not critical but I really need to be able to have a shower in the Qantas Club at Changi Airport. I always pack an extra shirt, underwear etc in my day-pack on the return run to Australia. I only have 4 hours in Singapore but last time I went through they would not let me into the Club Lounge until 2 hours before my flight (London was the same). This time all my tickets are QF (Qantas), compared to mostly partner airlines last time, so I am hoping to negotiate my way through as a long-standing, loyal customer. In any case it is only an hour or so in a cafe or transit lounge, but the shower is important.
Sunday, 23 October 2011
23/10/2011 London Barking
London
23/10/2011 Sunday
Lazy day. Up early to do my laundry at the local Laundrette. All my shirts, socks, underwear including thermals (it is sunny if not particularly warm). I have to sit and watch the laundry because I was warned by one of the "regulars" that if you leave it you risk not finding it when you get back! A tough neighbourhood. [Actually a very tough neighbourhood; I just managed to avoid a "tribal confrontation" outside the Laundrette that required the intervention of a Police "bus" with six local police. All that was missing was the police dog squad!]
After the laundry I had a McDonalds breakfast and used their WiFi. I sorted-out my transport to get to lunch with James Taylor tomorrow and also for to get to the MoD in Whitehall on Tuesday. I still have to work out my trip to Heathrow on Friday, but I will ask at the Railway station. There has to be a "step-free" option somewhere to get me from the the District to Piccadilly lines with my luggage.
On Friday I have to check-out of the Travelodge by 10 o'c am but my plane leaves at 8.0 o'c pm that night. I do not savour an 8 hour wait in the Heathrow transit lounge (previously I was only allowed into the Qantas Club 2 hours before my flight). Normally I would leave the luggage with the hotel desk and pick it up later when I was ready to travel but I get the feeling this is not the case with Travelodge. I may have to choose between the lesser of evils!
I had a genuine "British roast beef lunch' at the local Apprentices restaurant, then used the Barking Council library for a quiet place to transfer/back-up my MA images onto a memory stick. I can put that back-up into my "money-belt" for safe keeping. Unfortunately the library free WiFi is malfunctioning so I have to use the local McDonalds. This is not "incident free" so I use it with discretion (i.e., daylight only, usually breakfast).
Dinner was a "Doner Kebab" from the closest take-away to my Hotel. I am not worried about the cold but the local populace on the weekend.
23/10/2011 Sunday
Lazy day. Up early to do my laundry at the local Laundrette. All my shirts, socks, underwear including thermals (it is sunny if not particularly warm). I have to sit and watch the laundry because I was warned by one of the "regulars" that if you leave it you risk not finding it when you get back! A tough neighbourhood. [Actually a very tough neighbourhood; I just managed to avoid a "tribal confrontation" outside the Laundrette that required the intervention of a Police "bus" with six local police. All that was missing was the police dog squad!]
After the laundry I had a McDonalds breakfast and used their WiFi. I sorted-out my transport to get to lunch with James Taylor tomorrow and also for to get to the MoD in Whitehall on Tuesday. I still have to work out my trip to Heathrow on Friday, but I will ask at the Railway station. There has to be a "step-free" option somewhere to get me from the the District to Piccadilly lines with my luggage.
On Friday I have to check-out of the Travelodge by 10 o'c am but my plane leaves at 8.0 o'c pm that night. I do not savour an 8 hour wait in the Heathrow transit lounge (previously I was only allowed into the Qantas Club 2 hours before my flight). Normally I would leave the luggage with the hotel desk and pick it up later when I was ready to travel but I get the feeling this is not the case with Travelodge. I may have to choose between the lesser of evils!
I had a genuine "British roast beef lunch' at the local Apprentices restaurant, then used the Barking Council library for a quiet place to transfer/back-up my MA images onto a memory stick. I can put that back-up into my "money-belt" for safe keeping. Unfortunately the library free WiFi is malfunctioning so I have to use the local McDonalds. This is not "incident free" so I use it with discretion (i.e., daylight only, usually breakfast).
Dinner was a "Doner Kebab" from the closest take-away to my Hotel. I am not worried about the cold but the local populace on the weekend.
22/10/2011 London, British Library (Sarah Thomas)
London
22/10/2011, Saturday (British Library).
The British Library is quite spectacular (see earlier post) and my meeting with Sarah Thomas (author of "Encounter 1801") went well. We went through my progress comparing it with Sarah's experience in 2000-2002; it was illuminating. It seems that Sarah and the Encounter project may have generated a lot of on-going interest in Europe (and possibly a bit of "proprietary ownership" of research resources) in the neglected works of Lesueur and Bauer. Also Sarah was working for the SA Museum and had a budget to work with, which I suspect made life a bit easier. Not that I can complain in any way, I got a privileged opportunity and was given access to archives that were truly phenomenal, both historically and in terms of raw artistic talent.
I had to keep reminding myself that these works of art/ scientific illustrations, that I was able to hold and photograph, were over 200 years old from the first of the explorations of Australia (and of Queensland / tropics in particular). I sounded Sarah out about being a possible examiner for my MA thesis, but we will have to see how her PhD goes. The draft is still with her supervisor.
I said my goodbyes, thanked her for her assistance and wished her the best of luck with her Dissertation. It was good to see a friendly Australian face.
My travel both from and to Barking by "Tube" was just short of slightly crazy. They are getting London ready for the Olympics, so are renovating all the transport systems; read road-works and closure of Underground stations and even of whole lines for "maintenance". That is what happened to me; I was forced to get a bus to an open Tube station then a series of trains to get me to my destination. They were cancelling trains on-the-fly, which required patience and very flexible re-routing. Apparently London Transport concentrate the renovations to the weekends to minimise disruption to normal business travel.
Moral of the story is do not travel on the Tube in London on the weekend. This must have been going on while I was here last time but then I concentrated on using Buses to see more of London. From "outer" Barking this is not possible. As it was I spent a very long time on the trains. I also decided that I will have to find a station with a lift to get my luggage from the District to Piccadilly lines. None of the stations I normally use have working lifts (or an escalator, i.e., "no step-free access"). Watching the poor devils trying to get themselves and luggage to Heathrow Airport by Tube through that mayhem was really sad. Not a good way to end a holiday!
22/10/2011, Saturday (British Library).
The British Library is quite spectacular (see earlier post) and my meeting with Sarah Thomas (author of "Encounter 1801") went well. We went through my progress comparing it with Sarah's experience in 2000-2002; it was illuminating. It seems that Sarah and the Encounter project may have generated a lot of on-going interest in Europe (and possibly a bit of "proprietary ownership" of research resources) in the neglected works of Lesueur and Bauer. Also Sarah was working for the SA Museum and had a budget to work with, which I suspect made life a bit easier. Not that I can complain in any way, I got a privileged opportunity and was given access to archives that were truly phenomenal, both historically and in terms of raw artistic talent.
I had to keep reminding myself that these works of art/ scientific illustrations, that I was able to hold and photograph, were over 200 years old from the first of the explorations of Australia (and of Queensland / tropics in particular). I sounded Sarah out about being a possible examiner for my MA thesis, but we will have to see how her PhD goes. The draft is still with her supervisor.
I said my goodbyes, thanked her for her assistance and wished her the best of luck with her Dissertation. It was good to see a friendly Australian face.
My travel both from and to Barking by "Tube" was just short of slightly crazy. They are getting London ready for the Olympics, so are renovating all the transport systems; read road-works and closure of Underground stations and even of whole lines for "maintenance". That is what happened to me; I was forced to get a bus to an open Tube station then a series of trains to get me to my destination. They were cancelling trains on-the-fly, which required patience and very flexible re-routing. Apparently London Transport concentrate the renovations to the weekends to minimise disruption to normal business travel.
Moral of the story is do not travel on the Tube in London on the weekend. This must have been going on while I was here last time but then I concentrated on using Buses to see more of London. From "outer" Barking this is not possible. As it was I spent a very long time on the trains. I also decided that I will have to find a station with a lift to get my luggage from the District to Piccadilly lines. None of the stations I normally use have working lifts (or an escalator, i.e., "no step-free access"). Watching the poor devils trying to get themselves and luggage to Heathrow Airport by Tube through that mayhem was really sad. Not a good way to end a holiday!
Friday, 21 October 2011
21/10/2011 London NHM
London
21/10/2011 Friday
I read Angus McColl's blog with a degree of horror. My greatest fear is being targeted by professional crims and that appears to be what happened to Angus. My "trauma" regarding leaving my pack at the Brussels EuroStar immigration booth pales into insignificance. I got my gear back in 5-10 mins and no crims were involved, just my own stupidity. My paranoia is back big-time!
Today I finished going through all the Bauer botanical drawing boxes at the NHM (London) library/archive, taking photographs of a total of 52 Queensland species of plants sampled during the 1801-05 Mathew Flinders voyage to Australia. I actually feel honoured to have been able to see "and hold" these paintings, which are at least 200 years old and in pristine condition. The pigments are bright and the lines unblurred; sharp, crisp and photo-realistic. I can not wait to take comparison colour photographs of some of these species when I get back to Cairns.
My decision to spend my remaining time in London on the NHM Bauer collection has been justified. His scientific illustration is really superb and the "artwork" genuinely beautiful. Most satisfying weeks work.
I signed the copyright agreement (no commercial publishing / no publishing other than in my thesis) and got a list of staff who assisted to include in my acknowledgement. I said my thankyous and goodbyes but I have booked to go back next Wed for half a day to do a lit search. Just in case there is something I missed.
Tomorrow (Saturday) I travel into the British Library for lunch with Sarah Thomas. I also have to sort out my travel for Monday to have lunch with James Taylor. Then on Tuesday I have to get to WhiteHall and Admiralty House. Wed for the NHM if needed with Thursday for packing and any last minute stuff. Friday is my major travel day.
I will get to see the last of the Westall paintings on Tues (25th) and that is the last of the "data gathering" for this field trip. At this point I am reasonably happy that I have enough for a project/thesis. I still need to review what images I have but I am confident I can make a pretty good story out of this collection.
21/10/2011 Friday
I read Angus McColl's blog with a degree of horror. My greatest fear is being targeted by professional crims and that appears to be what happened to Angus. My "trauma" regarding leaving my pack at the Brussels EuroStar immigration booth pales into insignificance. I got my gear back in 5-10 mins and no crims were involved, just my own stupidity. My paranoia is back big-time!
Today I finished going through all the Bauer botanical drawing boxes at the NHM (London) library/archive, taking photographs of a total of 52 Queensland species of plants sampled during the 1801-05 Mathew Flinders voyage to Australia. I actually feel honoured to have been able to see "and hold" these paintings, which are at least 200 years old and in pristine condition. The pigments are bright and the lines unblurred; sharp, crisp and photo-realistic. I can not wait to take comparison colour photographs of some of these species when I get back to Cairns.
My decision to spend my remaining time in London on the NHM Bauer collection has been justified. His scientific illustration is really superb and the "artwork" genuinely beautiful. Most satisfying weeks work.
I signed the copyright agreement (no commercial publishing / no publishing other than in my thesis) and got a list of staff who assisted to include in my acknowledgement. I said my thankyous and goodbyes but I have booked to go back next Wed for half a day to do a lit search. Just in case there is something I missed.
Tomorrow (Saturday) I travel into the British Library for lunch with Sarah Thomas. I also have to sort out my travel for Monday to have lunch with James Taylor. Then on Tuesday I have to get to WhiteHall and Admiralty House. Wed for the NHM if needed with Thursday for packing and any last minute stuff. Friday is my major travel day.
I will get to see the last of the Westall paintings on Tues (25th) and that is the last of the "data gathering" for this field trip. At this point I am reasonably happy that I have enough for a project/thesis. I still need to review what images I have but I am confident I can make a pretty good story out of this collection.
20/10/2011 London NHM
London
20/10/2011 Thursday.
Still "artic" but the work goes well. I got through 6 boxes of Bauer botanical paintings today and took 15 Photgraphs of Queensland plants. I will be able to get through all Bauer's botanical paintings this week. Saturday I meet Sarah Thomas at the British Library and Monday I meet with James Taylor for lunch. Next Tuesday is the MoD appointment at Admiralty House and I fly out on the 28th, which is next Friday but I will need a day to clear-up loose ends.
Photo. The reading room of the Natural History Museum (London) with the large-format green boxes containing Bauer's paintings at the end of the table.
20/10/2011 Thursday.
Still "artic" but the work goes well. I got through 6 boxes of Bauer botanical paintings today and took 15 Photgraphs of Queensland plants. I will be able to get through all Bauer's botanical paintings this week. Saturday I meet Sarah Thomas at the British Library and Monday I meet with James Taylor for lunch. Next Tuesday is the MoD appointment at Admiralty House and I fly out on the 28th, which is next Friday but I will need a day to clear-up loose ends.
Photo. The reading room of the Natural History Museum (London) with the large-format green boxes containing Bauer's paintings at the end of the table.
Wednesday, 19 October 2011
19/10/2011 London, NHM Barking
London
Wed 19/10/2011
Another good day at the London NHM. I worked through 5 more boxes, took 11 photos of Queensland specimens, and photocopied all relevant pages in the NHM Bauer catalogue. I get another 6 boxes tomorrow; they are happier with me sorting through the boxes rather than them having to find individual paintings/species, which apparently is how it works normally. I am about half way through but should speed up from now on. My question is the quality of the photographs without flash, but then that was always going to be the problem.
Apart from the work the London situation is a bit average. Barking is a reasonably depressed outer suburb with little to recommend it. It takes an hour on the Underground to get to the Museum and there is not the alternative of a direct bus to get me there. When I checked the London Transport site I got a "5 change" bus alternative to the straight-through Underground route. Not a practical option. I have tried leaving earlier and later but the Underground train to London is still crowded; just the nature of a dormitory suburb.
I have been coming back at 3.30 in the afternoon because of the cold and because I do not want to travel this area at night. It has an interesting racial mix, not all of them friendly.
I am checking my schedule of meeting (with Sarah, the MoD, and with James) to make sure I have allowed enough travel time. All the meetings are in the daylight (around lunchtime) so I am covered. From tomorrow I have 8 days before I fly out.
Wed 19/10/2011
Another good day at the London NHM. I worked through 5 more boxes, took 11 photos of Queensland specimens, and photocopied all relevant pages in the NHM Bauer catalogue. I get another 6 boxes tomorrow; they are happier with me sorting through the boxes rather than them having to find individual paintings/species, which apparently is how it works normally. I am about half way through but should speed up from now on. My question is the quality of the photographs without flash, but then that was always going to be the problem.
Apart from the work the London situation is a bit average. Barking is a reasonably depressed outer suburb with little to recommend it. It takes an hour on the Underground to get to the Museum and there is not the alternative of a direct bus to get me there. When I checked the London Transport site I got a "5 change" bus alternative to the straight-through Underground route. Not a practical option. I have tried leaving earlier and later but the Underground train to London is still crowded; just the nature of a dormitory suburb.
I have been coming back at 3.30 in the afternoon because of the cold and because I do not want to travel this area at night. It has an interesting racial mix, not all of them friendly.
I am checking my schedule of meeting (with Sarah, the MoD, and with James) to make sure I have allowed enough travel time. All the meetings are in the daylight (around lunchtime) so I am covered. From tomorrow I have 8 days before I fly out.
18/10/2011 London NHM Botany archive
London
Tuesday 18/10/2011
The weather is bitterly cold but not raining yet. My second day at the Natural History Museum Botany archive. I went through two more boxes of Ferdinand Bauer's botanical paintings and they are are spectacular. I am photographing anything that has the location "Queensland" although some are from the Gulf of Carpentaria. A surprising amount of "tropical" plants were sampled and a lot from Queensland and NT. I have about 30 photos so far but tomorrow I will concentrate on getting photocopies of the relevant pages of the NHM catalogue and notes for the collection.
I got Internet access at the NHM (after a great deal of stuffing around) and downloaded a couple of files to the JCU Postgrad site for backup. I will do that again today for my diary (minus photos to save space). I can only send single files not folders, which is time-consuming!
Tuesday 18/10/2011
The weather is bitterly cold but not raining yet. My second day at the Natural History Museum Botany archive. I went through two more boxes of Ferdinand Bauer's botanical paintings and they are are spectacular. I am photographing anything that has the location "Queensland" although some are from the Gulf of Carpentaria. A surprising amount of "tropical" plants were sampled and a lot from Queensland and NT. I have about 30 photos so far but tomorrow I will concentrate on getting photocopies of the relevant pages of the NHM catalogue and notes for the collection.
I got Internet access at the NHM (after a great deal of stuffing around) and downloaded a couple of files to the JCU Postgrad site for backup. I will do that again today for my diary (minus photos to save space). I can only send single files not folders, which is time-consuming!
Monday, 17 October 2011
17/10/2011, Barking, NHM Botany archive
London
17/10/2011
I made it to the London Natural History Museum, via the District Line Underground. I actually got off the train a bit early and had to walk further than I remembered from last time (on the way back I discovered another entrance/exit to the Underground Station through a long pedestrian underpass that came out very close to the NHM, memory does funny things). It is viciously cold now, the walk was not pleasant.
Inside the Museum was not that much better however the welcome was warm and friendly so I settled down to work quickly. Bauer's botany drawings/paintings were superb; as expected because he was put on the voyage by Sir Joseph Banks for that purpose. The archive staff had got out the published catalogue for me so I could go through selecting the Queensland species/paintings. I got through two boxes of large-format water-colour paintings and took photographs of three species of plants.
I also went through the catalogue notes and the drawing/plate listings, which took a while. At least they are in modern English, not archaic hand-written French. I ran a computer search for the online version of the Catalogue but I found everything except the Catalogue. I will try for photocopies of the pages I need.
The list of paintings I wanted to see caused a bit of a ruffle but when I explained I was here for a couple of weeks (i.e., a couple of boxes a day) then it was seen as more reasonable. I need about 25-30 photos to cover the range of Queensland species and locations noted in the Catalogue.
All up a pretty good start to the visit. I have heard nothing back from the MOD Academy so I may miss that one. If I can organise an alternate look at the Westall "Bowen Harbour" image (? published photographs) I will be happy. The botany images from Bauer have reasonable location information on them so I can track where they were made ("collected", then drawn on the boat or back in London post-voyage). Very few habit sketches of "trees", simply the leaves seeds flowers etc.
[In terms of logistics, I got the heat turned on for my Barking Hotel room, but now it is over heated!]
17/10/2011
I made it to the London Natural History Museum, via the District Line Underground. I actually got off the train a bit early and had to walk further than I remembered from last time (on the way back I discovered another entrance/exit to the Underground Station through a long pedestrian underpass that came out very close to the NHM, memory does funny things). It is viciously cold now, the walk was not pleasant.
Inside the Museum was not that much better however the welcome was warm and friendly so I settled down to work quickly. Bauer's botany drawings/paintings were superb; as expected because he was put on the voyage by Sir Joseph Banks for that purpose. The archive staff had got out the published catalogue for me so I could go through selecting the Queensland species/paintings. I got through two boxes of large-format water-colour paintings and took photographs of three species of plants.
I also went through the catalogue notes and the drawing/plate listings, which took a while. At least they are in modern English, not archaic hand-written French. I ran a computer search for the online version of the Catalogue but I found everything except the Catalogue. I will try for photocopies of the pages I need.
The list of paintings I wanted to see caused a bit of a ruffle but when I explained I was here for a couple of weeks (i.e., a couple of boxes a day) then it was seen as more reasonable. I need about 25-30 photos to cover the range of Queensland species and locations noted in the Catalogue.
All up a pretty good start to the visit. I have heard nothing back from the MOD Academy so I may miss that one. If I can organise an alternate look at the Westall "Bowen Harbour" image (? published photographs) I will be happy. The botany images from Bauer have reasonable location information on them so I can track where they were made ("collected", then drawn on the boat or back in London post-voyage). Very few habit sketches of "trees", simply the leaves seeds flowers etc.
[In terms of logistics, I got the heat turned on for my Barking Hotel room, but now it is over heated!]
Sunday, 16 October 2011
16/10/2011 London, Barking
London
Sunday 16/10/2011
I located most of what I need yesterday, apart from a good restaurant for dinner. Lots of take-away places but all near the Railway station and decidedly "greasy". McDonalds was the choice of last resort last night(that or the local crowded/noisy Pub). The Hotel room was decidedly cold when I got back and I checked with the front desk for "heater instructions". I was told there was problems with the boiler (?); this was from a Desk Clerk in a well-heated reception area in a new building.
Last time I was given that excuse was in a Hotel in the USA where they were simply saving money at the guests expense. I will see how it goes but I may have to move (or move rooms if there are actually heated rooms in the Hotel). Monday before I go to the NHM I will check with the usual management (weekends you get the "B" team)!
I have booked a Sunday roast lunch at the Apprentices Cafe, and when I went past the hairdresser they had a sign that they were open on Sunday. I used the Laundrette this morning to ensure I had some clean shirts for next weeks NHM visits (consequently I have damp socks and undies on my window sill) and called past the Hairdresser to establish opening times/costs. I will go back after my "roast lunch".
In the meantime I am using the Library WiFi to transfer data-files to JCU Cairns, as a backup safeguard. An interesting mix of customers in the Library from young kids through to "polytechnic" students; i.e., accountancy and the like.
[Later] I had a magic 10 pound British Roast Lamb Sunday Lunch. Pea and mint soup, roast lamb with veges, and a peach crumble with custard. Topped off with a cup of English Breakfast tea! I then went to the hairdressers and had my hair cut. My hair cut was "butchered" in Paris and not treated much better here. The double crown defeats them for some reason and my hair frizzes up on the right-hand at the back; a perennial problem but is "suppressed" by my normal barbers. Yin-yan, balance the good with the bad.
For dinner/supper I picked up some take-away pea&mint soup from where I had lunch. I am not really hungry but that soup was very nice.
Sunday 16/10/2011
I located most of what I need yesterday, apart from a good restaurant for dinner. Lots of take-away places but all near the Railway station and decidedly "greasy". McDonalds was the choice of last resort last night(that or the local crowded/noisy Pub). The Hotel room was decidedly cold when I got back and I checked with the front desk for "heater instructions". I was told there was problems with the boiler (?); this was from a Desk Clerk in a well-heated reception area in a new building.
Last time I was given that excuse was in a Hotel in the USA where they were simply saving money at the guests expense. I will see how it goes but I may have to move (or move rooms if there are actually heated rooms in the Hotel). Monday before I go to the NHM I will check with the usual management (weekends you get the "B" team)!
I have booked a Sunday roast lunch at the Apprentices Cafe, and when I went past the hairdresser they had a sign that they were open on Sunday. I used the Laundrette this morning to ensure I had some clean shirts for next weeks NHM visits (consequently I have damp socks and undies on my window sill) and called past the Hairdresser to establish opening times/costs. I will go back after my "roast lunch".
In the meantime I am using the Library WiFi to transfer data-files to JCU Cairns, as a backup safeguard. An interesting mix of customers in the Library from young kids through to "polytechnic" students; i.e., accountancy and the like.
[Later] I had a magic 10 pound British Roast Lamb Sunday Lunch. Pea and mint soup, roast lamb with veges, and a peach crumble with custard. Topped off with a cup of English Breakfast tea! I then went to the hairdressers and had my hair cut. My hair cut was "butchered" in Paris and not treated much better here. The double crown defeats them for some reason and my hair frizzes up on the right-hand at the back; a perennial problem but is "suppressed" by my normal barbers. Yin-yan, balance the good with the bad.
For dinner/supper I picked up some take-away pea&mint soup from where I had lunch. I am not really hungry but that soup was very nice.
Saturday, 15 October 2011
Saturday 15/10/2011, Barking London.
London
Saturday 15/10/15 Barking Public Library.
I slept like a babe last night, no overheated room and no 6 centimetre thick Doona. I was actually a bit cold for a change. That and I had built up a really heavy sleep-debt, both physically and emotionally. Yesterday was part fun, part terror as my worst nightmare is losing my computer, camera, etc. Part of the problem is making bad decisions when sleep deprived. One decision I have made since was that I will try to download my important stuff to the JCU post-grad site while here in London.
I was up early to get breakfast and sort out the local logistics. The Library was a real find as like all public libraries it has free access computers, and free WiFi in this case. The McDonalds also has free WiFi so that will be my back-up. I also have an hour booked back at the Hotel. In my wanderings I found a small "apprentices" cafe that serves breakfast and lunch (something like the TAFE training restaurant back home). Lunch was a bowl of "homemade" pumpkin soup and some bread.
I also got to a Supermarket and a chemist (for some cream to treat a persistent patch of itchy skin I picked-up on the Midi Canal) and I got replacement shampoo and conditioner in the small bottles I need when travelling. I found the local men's hairdresser and will use them next week (after the shampoo) and the local Laundromat.
Had a chat with the train information people and my Oyster Card is OK but the fare to Earls Court from Barking is going to be 2.40 pounds each way. That was the cost/charge last night, so I needed to check that I had the right card (it is four sections out to Barking, previously I had only travelled the cheaper 1&2 sections). I travel to Earls Court on Monday for my first appointment at the British Natural History Museum, Botany archive, to view Ferdinand Bauer's plant drawings/paintings. I would like to find a Bus route so I can see some of the city on the 1 hour journey to Earls Court but that may prove difficult from out here.
The NHM Botany library has emailed me and I am booked in on the 17th with my General library registration but I will take all my documents with just in case I have to re-register with them. Sarah Thomas also contacted and I will try to catch-up with her at the British Library on the 22nd Oct. We could not organise the 24th when James Taylor is in London. The 25th is my appointment with the MOD and the 28th I fly home from Heathrow.
On Monday I will try to ring the Defence Academy to book a time to see the Westall's Bowen Harbour painting but my "dance card" is rapidly filling up.
Saturday 15/10/15 Barking Public Library.
I slept like a babe last night, no overheated room and no 6 centimetre thick Doona. I was actually a bit cold for a change. That and I had built up a really heavy sleep-debt, both physically and emotionally. Yesterday was part fun, part terror as my worst nightmare is losing my computer, camera, etc. Part of the problem is making bad decisions when sleep deprived. One decision I have made since was that I will try to download my important stuff to the JCU post-grad site while here in London.
I was up early to get breakfast and sort out the local logistics. The Library was a real find as like all public libraries it has free access computers, and free WiFi in this case. The McDonalds also has free WiFi so that will be my back-up. I also have an hour booked back at the Hotel. In my wanderings I found a small "apprentices" cafe that serves breakfast and lunch (something like the TAFE training restaurant back home). Lunch was a bowl of "homemade" pumpkin soup and some bread.
I also got to a Supermarket and a chemist (for some cream to treat a persistent patch of itchy skin I picked-up on the Midi Canal) and I got replacement shampoo and conditioner in the small bottles I need when travelling. I found the local men's hairdresser and will use them next week (after the shampoo) and the local Laundromat.
Had a chat with the train information people and my Oyster Card is OK but the fare to Earls Court from Barking is going to be 2.40 pounds each way. That was the cost/charge last night, so I needed to check that I had the right card (it is four sections out to Barking, previously I had only travelled the cheaper 1&2 sections). I travel to Earls Court on Monday for my first appointment at the British Natural History Museum, Botany archive, to view Ferdinand Bauer's plant drawings/paintings. I would like to find a Bus route so I can see some of the city on the 1 hour journey to Earls Court but that may prove difficult from out here.
The NHM Botany library has emailed me and I am booked in on the 17th with my General library registration but I will take all my documents with just in case I have to re-register with them. Sarah Thomas also contacted and I will try to catch-up with her at the British Library on the 22nd Oct. We could not organise the 24th when James Taylor is in London. The 25th is my appointment with the MOD and the 28th I fly home from Heathrow.
On Monday I will try to ring the Defence Academy to book a time to see the Westall's Bowen Harbour painting but my "dance card" is rapidly filling up.
Friday, 14 October 2011
14/10/2011 Cologne railway station
I am working on my Kindle so it is slow. Night-train from Vienna was interesting but I got no sleep. I am waitimg for my ICE train to Brussels then the EuroStar to London and a shower. I got my photos in Vienna even some low light shots of the art in the galleries. A few shots of the glorious buidings and I got back to the Train Station before it rained. A good day. I booked out alright from my Hotel and they even printed out my booking for the London Hotel I am to stay at tonight. More later.
[Later] I paid my 3 euro and bought a cup of StarBucks coffee to get 2 hours free Internet. I did not know they offerred this, or maybe only at Cologne.
Photo The ceiling of the stairwell in the Vienna Art History Museum (the Kund.....).
Photo The glorious stairwell itself as the "entrance" to the picture gallery.
Photo the Vienna skyline from the steps of the Gallery, inside the Museum district.
[Later again] Made it to Brussels and got to the EuroStar (They have free WiFi at the EuroStar terminal). No Sleep yet, Cologne Station was as scary as last time, but I found the Starbucks coffee shop and camped there, nursing my one cup of coffee and using there their free WiFi. I had to move ultimately but I went to the McCafe and had a cheap cup of coffee there until time for my train to Brussels. I was in the very front carriage of the ICE train just behind the driver. There was only a semi-opaque panel between me and the drivers cabin, really cool!
I had previously checked-out the Brussels EuroStar terminal so "Knew" the ropes or so I thought. Despite the UK being a member of the EU and a signatory to all the cooperative travel agreements it turned out I needed to fill in an extra UK immigration form (that I have not had to fill in for any other European EU country). I found that out when I reached the point just before the line was to get through to board the train. Back to the beginning of the line and fill-in their damn form! (UK are not really part of the EU!) Finally through to the customs/immigration booth and I was given the 3rd degree (proof of exit ticket, passport, etc.). I am close to the end of the 90 day tourist Visa so they were being careful? Who knows.
I had to race to board and only realised halfway up the escalator that my day-pack was still sitting next to the booth. Mild-severe panic as I tried to get back (one-way security) but when I explained to an official one of the customs staff grabbed the pack and sent it up the escalator on its own. Very good people.
Despite all my pre-planning I was in my EuroStar seat with only 5 minutes to spare. No sleep, paranoid, and now not at all happy!
[Yet later again] EruoStar was a good trip, crowded and noisy in the 2nd class but still very comfy seats. We got through to St Pancrass Station in London on-time, no problems with immigration this side. I "re-charged" my Oyster Card for the Underground and I went to find a Piccadilly Line train. Located the right line in the rabbit warren of tunnels and was off to South Kensington to make my change to the District Line to get me to Barking. It was a very long trip!! I am understanding why the Barking Hotel is so much cheaper than the "Central" hotels.
Barking was/is a diverse community with a lot of Caribbean immigrants. I had not printed off a Google Map, trusting to my memory and the fact that the station was close to the Hotel. I walked for a long while in circles (there is a moral here) finally got directions from a parking attendant. There was a street market set-up in the square in front of the Hotel and I had walked past it a number of times!!
Booked in after 24+ hours of no sleep, had a shower and crashed.
[Later] I paid my 3 euro and bought a cup of StarBucks coffee to get 2 hours free Internet. I did not know they offerred this, or maybe only at Cologne.
Photo The ceiling of the stairwell in the Vienna Art History Museum (the Kund.....).
Photo The glorious stairwell itself as the "entrance" to the picture gallery.
Photo the Vienna skyline from the steps of the Gallery, inside the Museum district.
[Later again] Made it to Brussels and got to the EuroStar (They have free WiFi at the EuroStar terminal). No Sleep yet, Cologne Station was as scary as last time, but I found the Starbucks coffee shop and camped there, nursing my one cup of coffee and using there their free WiFi. I had to move ultimately but I went to the McCafe and had a cheap cup of coffee there until time for my train to Brussels. I was in the very front carriage of the ICE train just behind the driver. There was only a semi-opaque panel between me and the drivers cabin, really cool!
I had previously checked-out the Brussels EuroStar terminal so "Knew" the ropes or so I thought. Despite the UK being a member of the EU and a signatory to all the cooperative travel agreements it turned out I needed to fill in an extra UK immigration form (that I have not had to fill in for any other European EU country). I found that out when I reached the point just before the line was to get through to board the train. Back to the beginning of the line and fill-in their damn form! (UK are not really part of the EU!) Finally through to the customs/immigration booth and I was given the 3rd degree (proof of exit ticket, passport, etc.). I am close to the end of the 90 day tourist Visa so they were being careful? Who knows.
I had to race to board and only realised halfway up the escalator that my day-pack was still sitting next to the booth. Mild-severe panic as I tried to get back (one-way security) but when I explained to an official one of the customs staff grabbed the pack and sent it up the escalator on its own. Very good people.
Despite all my pre-planning I was in my EuroStar seat with only 5 minutes to spare. No sleep, paranoid, and now not at all happy!
[Yet later again] EruoStar was a good trip, crowded and noisy in the 2nd class but still very comfy seats. We got through to St Pancrass Station in London on-time, no problems with immigration this side. I "re-charged" my Oyster Card for the Underground and I went to find a Piccadilly Line train. Located the right line in the rabbit warren of tunnels and was off to South Kensington to make my change to the District Line to get me to Barking. It was a very long trip!! I am understanding why the Barking Hotel is so much cheaper than the "Central" hotels.
Barking was/is a diverse community with a lot of Caribbean immigrants. I had not printed off a Google Map, trusting to my memory and the fact that the station was close to the Hotel. I walked for a long while in circles (there is a moral here) finally got directions from a parking attendant. There was a street market set-up in the square in front of the Hotel and I had walked past it a number of times!!
Booked in after 24+ hours of no sleep, had a shower and crashed.
Thursday, 13 October 2011
13/10/2011 Vienna/Night train to Cologne/EuroStar to London
Vienna
13/10/2011
It rained all last night and early morning but around 9.00 o'c the Sun broke through. Today is a major travel day so I have to pack and vacate my room by 12 o'c; then get my luggage to the Wien Westbahnhof (Railway station). My train does not leave until 8.00 o'c tonight so my plan is to leave my bag in a locker and go to a Museum/Gallery for a few hours, weather permitting.
I checked and I have the 12 o'c Hotel departure (because based on the previous week I would have been rained in!) The Sun comes and goes so that may still be the case, BUT, I may be able to get some photos finally.
What have I achieved in Belgium/Vienna? Just about all that I planned, although probably not all that I hoped for:
1. The Ghent seminar was successful but did not yield immediate post-grad or collaborative MARES projects but these may come with follow up.
2. The Vienna NHM Ferdinand Bauer drawings were all I hoped for as art-works but I could only afford to purchase the five fish images (out of a wish-list of at least 24 images). These however are the match for the images of his fish paintings I have from the British Natural History Museum, so I completed that little "detective" story. I did not see the complete collection of his drawings due to restricted viewing time but I think I got enough for this aspect of my MA thesis, and particularly for my initial MA seminar. I will need to "Photoshop" the pencil images to improve the contrast for a power-point display when I get back to the JCU Townsville/Cairns campus.
In summary, a positive outcome in terms of my project, a bit wet and cold in terms of dilettantish tourism.
The London Hotel I am going to does not have free WiFi (it charges 5 pounds for an hour Internet) so my blogs/emails will be restricted unless I get free WiFi at the museum (or maybe the ubiquitous "McDonalds").
13/10/2011
It rained all last night and early morning but around 9.00 o'c the Sun broke through. Today is a major travel day so I have to pack and vacate my room by 12 o'c; then get my luggage to the Wien Westbahnhof (Railway station). My train does not leave until 8.00 o'c tonight so my plan is to leave my bag in a locker and go to a Museum/Gallery for a few hours, weather permitting.
I checked and I have the 12 o'c Hotel departure (because based on the previous week I would have been rained in!) The Sun comes and goes so that may still be the case, BUT, I may be able to get some photos finally.
What have I achieved in Belgium/Vienna? Just about all that I planned, although probably not all that I hoped for:
1. The Ghent seminar was successful but did not yield immediate post-grad or collaborative MARES projects but these may come with follow up.
2. The Vienna NHM Ferdinand Bauer drawings were all I hoped for as art-works but I could only afford to purchase the five fish images (out of a wish-list of at least 24 images). These however are the match for the images of his fish paintings I have from the British Natural History Museum, so I completed that little "detective" story. I did not see the complete collection of his drawings due to restricted viewing time but I think I got enough for this aspect of my MA thesis, and particularly for my initial MA seminar. I will need to "Photoshop" the pencil images to improve the contrast for a power-point display when I get back to the JCU Townsville/Cairns campus.
In summary, a positive outcome in terms of my project, a bit wet and cold in terms of dilettantish tourism.
The London Hotel I am going to does not have free WiFi (it charges 5 pounds for an hour Internet) so my blogs/emails will be restricted unless I get free WiFi at the museum (or maybe the ubiquitous "McDonalds").
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
Wednesday 12/10/2011 Vienna (raining) hotel/laundromat.
Vienna
Wed 12/10/2011
[A special Hello to Dot and Mundi, no prompting required! Also why no comments on my blogs?]
I had a number of ANZ spam type emails so I thought I had better check my ANZ Credit Card account. I have not been using this card so there should not have been anything on it but I checked just in case. Sure enough there was nearly $400.00 owing but I could not get the transaction details. I have been here before, so I transferred funds to zero out the account and will argue about the details later in Australia. Sometimes annual fees for insurance or RACQ catch up to you unexpectedly.
I then had breakfast and went off into the cold rain (yes, it is raining again) to the Laundromat to do a full wash prior to travelling tomorrow. Relatively painless process but I was soaked from the waste down. When I got back to the Hotel I asked the Desk Clerk for the iron and ironing board "to dry my wet trousers" and iron my freshly washed shirts. I am going to have to buy at least one new shirt in London although the rest of my gear seems to have held-up pretty well. The Midi canal stains on both the shirt and T-shirt I wore appear to be permanent however.
I got to work last night and lined up the images from Vienna with those from London; i.e., Bauer's sketches with the corresponding finished painting. It came together really well and I am happy that chapter is closed. I have to try to do the same thing with Lesueur's drawings (from Le Havre) and his finished works from Paris. It will be nice to have two similar stories to tell. After last nights efforts I am much happier about what I gained from the Vienna field-work.
I can see I have the basis for a preliminary project seminar now, based on my field-work results. Actually a nice art-history detective story, with a positive outcome!
Wed 12/10/2011
[A special Hello to Dot and Mundi, no prompting required! Also why no comments on my blogs?]
I had a number of ANZ spam type emails so I thought I had better check my ANZ Credit Card account. I have not been using this card so there should not have been anything on it but I checked just in case. Sure enough there was nearly $400.00 owing but I could not get the transaction details. I have been here before, so I transferred funds to zero out the account and will argue about the details later in Australia. Sometimes annual fees for insurance or RACQ catch up to you unexpectedly.
I then had breakfast and went off into the cold rain (yes, it is raining again) to the Laundromat to do a full wash prior to travelling tomorrow. Relatively painless process but I was soaked from the waste down. When I got back to the Hotel I asked the Desk Clerk for the iron and ironing board "to dry my wet trousers" and iron my freshly washed shirts. I am going to have to buy at least one new shirt in London although the rest of my gear seems to have held-up pretty well. The Midi canal stains on both the shirt and T-shirt I wore appear to be permanent however.
I got to work last night and lined up the images from Vienna with those from London; i.e., Bauer's sketches with the corresponding finished painting. It came together really well and I am happy that chapter is closed. I have to try to do the same thing with Lesueur's drawings (from Le Havre) and his finished works from Paris. It will be nice to have two similar stories to tell. After last nights efforts I am much happier about what I gained from the Vienna field-work.
I can see I have the basis for a preliminary project seminar now, based on my field-work results. Actually a nice art-history detective story, with a positive outcome!
Tuesday, 11 October 2011
11/10/2011, Vienna, Natural History Museum
Vienna
Tuesday, 11/10/2011
Morning. The sky is heavily overcast but it is not actually raining at the moment, and my cold/flu is under control so I am at least operational. I checked the CNN Europe weather report last night and a cold snap ("from summer to late autumn/winter") occurred over all Europe about the time I left Belgium. I am not the only one that got caught in the rain!
Not quite enough time to visit another museum before my appointment so I worked on my research documents instead. I am not sure how to handle the Natural History Museum appointment, because I do not know what I will be shown. I went through the tropical fish paintings from London and hopefully can match some of these with the Vienna work, a la Lesueur's painting and sketches. All I can do is put together a general database to enter whatever I do get. I can order images, hopefully similar to the Paris arrangement and that will be my research record. My aim is to see the original artwork from the 1801-04 voyage of discovery and that I can do.
Come 10.30 I took a double dose of paracetamol and was on my way, held up a bit at the Ubahn Station but arrived at the NHM close to the alotted 11'oc. I found the coach entrance and met the man who was to escort me upstairs. By this stage it was about 11.10. We went upstairs for the formal introductions with Prof Riedl-Dorn and staff. I had just begun the mandatory visitors paperwork (I had brought copies of my documents/authorisation with me for this pupose), when a fire-drill was sounded and we all filed down into the quadrangle. About 11.45 before I saw my first drawing. These were mainly plants and lizards but when I requested to see his fish drawings then the project started looking good. We went through about 4 large format boxes of drawings, in superb condition. High detail with taxonomic accuracy, but unfortunately in relatively light pencil. The lack of contrast was going to be a problem for any camera/scanner. I located about 24 drawings of fish species that I would have liked to have images of (digital scans). However this was where the price became a difficulty.
The professor gave me a "student rate" chosen from the official scale of charges but this was still 30 Euro per copy. (On the understanding that these would be used for educational not commercial purposes). An alternative reading of the price list would have been over 200 euro per image! I stripped my wish-list back to 5 essential images, which worked out as 150 Euro or about A$190.
We worked until just before 5.00 o'c but by then I was coughing and wheezing so I called it quits. I was actually pleased I had made until then. Like at Le Havre I got what I needed but not all that I wanted. What I did get was to view a large body of Ferdinand Bauer's 1801-04 Australian images, including parallel fish images with Lesueur, which was actually the aim of this part of research field-work.
I also remembered to get video of the Natural History Museum and of the archive/research laboratory. The camera battery ran out at the last couple of frames but I had bought a spare so I could close down the camera properly.
Tuesday, 11/10/2011
Morning. The sky is heavily overcast but it is not actually raining at the moment, and my cold/flu is under control so I am at least operational. I checked the CNN Europe weather report last night and a cold snap ("from summer to late autumn/winter") occurred over all Europe about the time I left Belgium. I am not the only one that got caught in the rain!
Not quite enough time to visit another museum before my appointment so I worked on my research documents instead. I am not sure how to handle the Natural History Museum appointment, because I do not know what I will be shown. I went through the tropical fish paintings from London and hopefully can match some of these with the Vienna work, a la Lesueur's painting and sketches. All I can do is put together a general database to enter whatever I do get. I can order images, hopefully similar to the Paris arrangement and that will be my research record. My aim is to see the original artwork from the 1801-04 voyage of discovery and that I can do.
Come 10.30 I took a double dose of paracetamol and was on my way, held up a bit at the Ubahn Station but arrived at the NHM close to the alotted 11'oc. I found the coach entrance and met the man who was to escort me upstairs. By this stage it was about 11.10. We went upstairs for the formal introductions with Prof Riedl-Dorn and staff. I had just begun the mandatory visitors paperwork (I had brought copies of my documents/authorisation with me for this pupose), when a fire-drill was sounded and we all filed down into the quadrangle. About 11.45 before I saw my first drawing. These were mainly plants and lizards but when I requested to see his fish drawings then the project started looking good. We went through about 4 large format boxes of drawings, in superb condition. High detail with taxonomic accuracy, but unfortunately in relatively light pencil. The lack of contrast was going to be a problem for any camera/scanner. I located about 24 drawings of fish species that I would have liked to have images of (digital scans). However this was where the price became a difficulty.
The professor gave me a "student rate" chosen from the official scale of charges but this was still 30 Euro per copy. (On the understanding that these would be used for educational not commercial purposes). An alternative reading of the price list would have been over 200 euro per image! I stripped my wish-list back to 5 essential images, which worked out as 150 Euro or about A$190.
We worked until just before 5.00 o'c but by then I was coughing and wheezing so I called it quits. I was actually pleased I had made until then. Like at Le Havre I got what I needed but not all that I wanted. What I did get was to view a large body of Ferdinand Bauer's 1801-04 Australian images, including parallel fish images with Lesueur, which was actually the aim of this part of research field-work.
I also remembered to get video of the Natural History Museum and of the archive/research laboratory. The camera battery ran out at the last couple of frames but I had bought a spare so I could close down the camera properly.
Monday, 10 October 2011
10/10/2011, still raining in Vienna/Ubahn station/Naturhistorisches Museum
Vienna
Monday 10/10/2011, Raining and grey
I had breakfast a bit late, I kept sticking my head out looking for a break in the rain. It was slowing a bit so I finished breakfast and made a repair to my folding umbrella; the collapsible handle had twisted around so the auto-catch was not holding. The Umbrella would not stay up, which was less than useful. I fixed it but it is not completely "stable". Just killing time waiting for the weather.
I made a quick dash to the Line 4 Ubahn station (Vienna Underground train station), then sorted out a ticket and the date/time stamping machine (honour system but if caught evading a fare the fine is "Huge"). More beggars! Three stops and I was at the bottom end of the Museum district.
Using my faithful tourist map I got it 180 degrees wrong until a Street Name finally corresponded with my map!! Then it made sense and I headed in the right direction (they give you English translations of the street names, for heavens sake). I found the German Language Ubahn map was more useful. I got to the Natural History Museum (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien) but it was all closed up, or so I thought. Then a school group came along and opened the little "service door" in the massive wooden front doors and went in. It was marked "Entrance" so I followed the school kids. When I got inside the heat hit me like a physical blow. The kids had stripped about three layers down to their T-shirts but I simply sweltered. I had worn my "thermal" underwear so could not effectively de-layer (it was really cold outside).
I had a chat to the entrance "guard" and he suggested that official visitors went in through the side "group" entrance after signing appropriate forms/visitors book. I gather someone has to come a get you and escort you to the inner sanctums. Very similar security measures to both London and Paris now I come to think of it. I hopped out and around to the side entrance (you could fit a bus under the archway) and talked to security there.
Having sorted out the directions and procedures for tomorrow I went back and paid my entrance fee and did a tour of the Museum. Lots (and lots) of taxidermy. Examples of at least one of every animal you can imagine, marine, avian, and terrestrial. I also went across the park to the Art Gallery/Museum the "Kunsthistorisches Museum" (I had seen the advertisements along the road as I made my way the Natural History Museum). About the size of the Louvre and a marvellous collection of paintings and is the "pair" to the Naturhistorisches Museum.
By now it was late afternoon, and it would take many days to go through either of the Museums properly (or any of the other multitude of Museums making up the "Museum Quartier"), so I decided that a late lunch and walk back to the hotel in the light dizzel was in order. No photos, maybe tomorrow if there is a least some sunlight.
My cold/flu is abating or the symptoms are not so bad due to the medication. My enthusiasm level however is a bit down! Grey skies and cold rain does that to me. I sent off my emails to the UK over the weekend and should start getting replies!
[Later] When I got back there was a message at the Hotel desk from the Natural History Museum telling me that the appointment was at 11'oc not 10'oc and giving me a telephone number to ring. Just after office hours but I used SKYPE and got onto the professor's secretary to confirm the appointment. That reduces my time with the collection to 4 hours, but he did say they had sorted out what I wanted to look at. At this point I simply took two paracetamol and went to bed.
Monday 10/10/2011, Raining and grey
I had breakfast a bit late, I kept sticking my head out looking for a break in the rain. It was slowing a bit so I finished breakfast and made a repair to my folding umbrella; the collapsible handle had twisted around so the auto-catch was not holding. The Umbrella would not stay up, which was less than useful. I fixed it but it is not completely "stable". Just killing time waiting for the weather.
I made a quick dash to the Line 4 Ubahn station (Vienna Underground train station), then sorted out a ticket and the date/time stamping machine (honour system but if caught evading a fare the fine is "Huge"). More beggars! Three stops and I was at the bottom end of the Museum district.
Using my faithful tourist map I got it 180 degrees wrong until a Street Name finally corresponded with my map!! Then it made sense and I headed in the right direction (they give you English translations of the street names, for heavens sake). I found the German Language Ubahn map was more useful. I got to the Natural History Museum (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien) but it was all closed up, or so I thought. Then a school group came along and opened the little "service door" in the massive wooden front doors and went in. It was marked "Entrance" so I followed the school kids. When I got inside the heat hit me like a physical blow. The kids had stripped about three layers down to their T-shirts but I simply sweltered. I had worn my "thermal" underwear so could not effectively de-layer (it was really cold outside).
I had a chat to the entrance "guard" and he suggested that official visitors went in through the side "group" entrance after signing appropriate forms/visitors book. I gather someone has to come a get you and escort you to the inner sanctums. Very similar security measures to both London and Paris now I come to think of it. I hopped out and around to the side entrance (you could fit a bus under the archway) and talked to security there.
Having sorted out the directions and procedures for tomorrow I went back and paid my entrance fee and did a tour of the Museum. Lots (and lots) of taxidermy. Examples of at least one of every animal you can imagine, marine, avian, and terrestrial. I also went across the park to the Art Gallery/Museum the "Kunsthistorisches Museum" (I had seen the advertisements along the road as I made my way the Natural History Museum). About the size of the Louvre and a marvellous collection of paintings and is the "pair" to the Naturhistorisches Museum.
By now it was late afternoon, and it would take many days to go through either of the Museums properly (or any of the other multitude of Museums making up the "Museum Quartier"), so I decided that a late lunch and walk back to the hotel in the light dizzel was in order. No photos, maybe tomorrow if there is a least some sunlight.
My cold/flu is abating or the symptoms are not so bad due to the medication. My enthusiasm level however is a bit down! Grey skies and cold rain does that to me. I sent off my emails to the UK over the weekend and should start getting replies!
[Later] When I got back there was a message at the Hotel desk from the Natural History Museum telling me that the appointment was at 11'oc not 10'oc and giving me a telephone number to ring. Just after office hours but I used SKYPE and got onto the professor's secretary to confirm the appointment. That reduces my time with the collection to 4 hours, but he did say they had sorted out what I wanted to look at. At this point I simply took two paracetamol and went to bed.
Sunday, 9 October 2011
9/10/2011 Rained in, Vienna Hotel
Vienna
Sunday 9/10/2011
I braved the cold and the wet and made it to a local Pizza restaurant last night. I ordered a simple pasta dish with a Carbonara sauce, good but a bit salty (as were most dishes I have been served in Vienna, even at the Westbahnhof Station). I tried a "Viennese" looking tavern first but got absolutely nowhere with my order so beat a hasty retreat. I think that they prefer to serve at 7.30, but that is too cold and dark for me. At 6.30 they are open and serving beer but not food. The Pizza place serves take-away all the time so, like the Burger King, is actually a better choice given my constraints.
I made it back to the Best Western but I am still amazed I found it on the first day. I have all my landmarks now but I still have to "circle the block" to find it. At night and in the rain it is doubly difficult, thank goodness I arrived on the first day in daylight at least.
Today, Sunday, the weather is even worse than yesterday and because I have a bad cold developing, I have decided not to get soaking wet (again) and to stay indoors. A bit of a waste as I have been going through the "Lonely Planet guide to Vienna" and there is lots to see but it really is miserable out there! Any break and I will try for the Underground to get to the Museums. It will still require a reasonable walk (in the rain) but I need to try. Definitely I will have go tomorrow, simply to establish where to go on Tuesday for my appointment. At the moment I am thinking CODRAL from a local chemist, if I can find one and if the rain lets up just a little.
A small point on logistics: I packed my joggers and and a "decent" pair of walking/hiking suede shoes for the formal appointments/seminars. These are also my only water-proof shoes, as it turns out. The joggers breathe and are really comfortable for walking but are not designed for wet/cold weather; water goes straight through the "breathing" mesh and you get wet feet. Unfortunately the brown suede on the "dress" shoes goes spotty black when wet (but water does not get through to the inside); functional but unsightly for formal appointments. No compromise that works all the time.
I emailed the London Natural History Museum yesterday requesting an appointment to view Bauer's Botanical Paintings. As it turns out I have two weeks in the UK before flying back to Cairns. So I also needed to organise a quick trip to view the painting held at the Military Academy. I emailed the Wing Commander at the college having got the email address from the web. I will only get answers tomorrow, Monday.
Today breakfast was good and may have to sustain me for the rest of the day. I am not hungry and really do not want to get wet again.
[Later] The head-ache and sore throat finally got to me and I went to the desk to ask if there was a Chemist/Pharmacy open on a Sunday near-by. The story went weird from here on!
Yes, they do have a rotation scheme for chemists; on week-ends, public holidays and at night. And yes there was a chemist within a 15-20 minute walking distance that was on week-end rotation. The rain had eased but I did not really care I just needed some paracetamol. Off I went with my map into the back-streets of down-town Vienna, in the dizzeling rain. Just doing something positive actually made me feel better, and the sky started to clear so my spirits improved.
I followed my map and the rough instructions from the Desk Clerk, walking for at least 20 min and finally located the chemist by the long line of patients waiting to be served. There was a little square "porthole" in the shop door and all business was transacted through that. I joined the line and realised that most of these people around me had a drug problem. This was their weekend supply of methadone (or whatever).
It took a while but me and the addicts finally got served; I think the lady chemist was actually relieved when I came along as I was a "normal" illness. I got my paracetamol, vitamin C, and antiseptic throat lozenges (and was charged premium, weekend, chemist prices). Cleaned me out of notes and small change so I looked for a Bank ATM on the way back. I had popped a couple of pills and was sucking on a Lozenge by the time I "found" the hotel again. While I was on a roll I got some take-away for lunch/dinner.
At this point I accepted defeat. I hung up all my rain-soaked clothes to dry over the bath, ate my take-away, popped some more pills and then went back to bed. Tomorrow is another day!
Sunday 9/10/2011
I braved the cold and the wet and made it to a local Pizza restaurant last night. I ordered a simple pasta dish with a Carbonara sauce, good but a bit salty (as were most dishes I have been served in Vienna, even at the Westbahnhof Station). I tried a "Viennese" looking tavern first but got absolutely nowhere with my order so beat a hasty retreat. I think that they prefer to serve at 7.30, but that is too cold and dark for me. At 6.30 they are open and serving beer but not food. The Pizza place serves take-away all the time so, like the Burger King, is actually a better choice given my constraints.
I made it back to the Best Western but I am still amazed I found it on the first day. I have all my landmarks now but I still have to "circle the block" to find it. At night and in the rain it is doubly difficult, thank goodness I arrived on the first day in daylight at least.
Today, Sunday, the weather is even worse than yesterday and because I have a bad cold developing, I have decided not to get soaking wet (again) and to stay indoors. A bit of a waste as I have been going through the "Lonely Planet guide to Vienna" and there is lots to see but it really is miserable out there! Any break and I will try for the Underground to get to the Museums. It will still require a reasonable walk (in the rain) but I need to try. Definitely I will have go tomorrow, simply to establish where to go on Tuesday for my appointment. At the moment I am thinking CODRAL from a local chemist, if I can find one and if the rain lets up just a little.
A small point on logistics: I packed my joggers and and a "decent" pair of walking/hiking suede shoes for the formal appointments/seminars. These are also my only water-proof shoes, as it turns out. The joggers breathe and are really comfortable for walking but are not designed for wet/cold weather; water goes straight through the "breathing" mesh and you get wet feet. Unfortunately the brown suede on the "dress" shoes goes spotty black when wet (but water does not get through to the inside); functional but unsightly for formal appointments. No compromise that works all the time.
I emailed the London Natural History Museum yesterday requesting an appointment to view Bauer's Botanical Paintings. As it turns out I have two weeks in the UK before flying back to Cairns. So I also needed to organise a quick trip to view the painting held at the Military Academy. I emailed the Wing Commander at the college having got the email address from the web. I will only get answers tomorrow, Monday.
Today breakfast was good and may have to sustain me for the rest of the day. I am not hungry and really do not want to get wet again.
[Later] The head-ache and sore throat finally got to me and I went to the desk to ask if there was a Chemist/Pharmacy open on a Sunday near-by. The story went weird from here on!
Yes, they do have a rotation scheme for chemists; on week-ends, public holidays and at night. And yes there was a chemist within a 15-20 minute walking distance that was on week-end rotation. The rain had eased but I did not really care I just needed some paracetamol. Off I went with my map into the back-streets of down-town Vienna, in the dizzeling rain. Just doing something positive actually made me feel better, and the sky started to clear so my spirits improved.
I followed my map and the rough instructions from the Desk Clerk, walking for at least 20 min and finally located the chemist by the long line of patients waiting to be served. There was a little square "porthole" in the shop door and all business was transacted through that. I joined the line and realised that most of these people around me had a drug problem. This was their weekend supply of methadone (or whatever).
It took a while but me and the addicts finally got served; I think the lady chemist was actually relieved when I came along as I was a "normal" illness. I got my paracetamol, vitamin C, and antiseptic throat lozenges (and was charged premium, weekend, chemist prices). Cleaned me out of notes and small change so I looked for a Bank ATM on the way back. I had popped a couple of pills and was sucking on a Lozenge by the time I "found" the hotel again. While I was on a roll I got some take-away for lunch/dinner.
At this point I accepted defeat. I hung up all my rain-soaked clothes to dry over the bath, ate my take-away, popped some more pills and then went back to bed. Tomorrow is another day!
Saturday, 8 October 2011
8/10/2011 Vienna, Hotel and Ubahn system
Vienna
Saturday, 8/10/2011
Up early for breakfast which was magic. The full "English breakfast" including bacon and eggs, together with the usual continental style buffet, although there were no real pastries (Croissants etc). Lots of bread(s) however, so I tried a dark brown multi-grain pumpernickel. They served individual jugs of fresh-brewed coffee with a side jug of hot milk, Angus would have been pleased.
Yesterday I slept until mid-afternoon then risked the rain to go for a scout around my hotel. I am amazed I found it at all; I must really have been in the "zone" or just lucky because it is tucked away, literally down a back street almost under the raised local railway line. I understand the price now but I am astounded at the value!
I was directed to a "Burger king" as the closest food outlet but also found a couple of small local bar/cafe/restaurants. The hotel clerk had not suggested these although they were actually closer. I tried one and found it was Romany or Romanian and served relatively cheap meals with the option of a 10 Euro "Menu". These are simple multi-course options that can be either good value or simply a combination of the worst/low-cost items on the normal menu. They are almost always the local recipe soup or stew combined with a salad or grill with chip potatoes. I have sampled these from France, Belgium, and now Vienna (but the Romany version).
Mixed quality; the "bean" soup and bread was excellent but the grilled pork was forgettable. The "salad" was pickled vegetables (? a Viennese speciality) and I am really not sure what part of the pigs anatomy the meat came from. I suspect it was pigs cheek but all I am sure of is that it was not a "cut" I have ever been served before. I make the assumption that it was actually domestic pig but it may have been "wild boar" by the taste. Interesting but not to be repeated. The local beer I ordered turned out to be the American "Budweiser" so I was not overly impressed.
The Hotel clerk had actually been right in directing me towards the "Burger King" or the alternatives "uptown", but sometimes it pays to explore. Besides it was raining, cold, and I was wet, so the warm bar looked inviting. No gypsy music and I was directed to the tables in smaller non-smoking end of the bar so it was not social either. I had coffee back at the Hotel (after I found it again).
Today is Saturday so the Natural History Museum will not be open for researchers. I have my appointment with the Bauer drawings curator on Tuesday but will visit the Museum prior to that to establish my route and to see the rest of the exhibitions (and the Art Gallery opposite). Re-reading the emails I really think I will only get a half-day with the Bauer archive. It remains to be seen!
I will check out the public transport system today as the sun has broken through for a few seconds and the rain slowed/stopped.
[Later in afternoon] I checked with the Hotel clerk re the best way to get to the Museum and for the nearest "Laundromat". The Underground Line 4 gets me close to the Museum and there are two Line 4 stations nearby. The Laundromat was a bit harder and I came back when the Clerk was not as busy for details. She had printed out the Google map and I was off on a my "fifteen minute" walk.
Vienna is an old city with a maze of narrow streets combined with wide boulevards that have obviously been "driven" through the old town plan as part of urban renewal. The result is a tad confusing if you are walking from point A to B.
A bit circuitous and longer than is really practical but after a couple of "scenic detours" I got there. I explained to the lady proprietor that I was pleased to finally find her shop/Laundromat and a couple, also from Australia, piped-up that they had found the Laundromat the same way. Unlike most other cities I have visited, Vienna does not seem to have a "Laundromat" culture hence there are not many.
On the way back I found the UBahn station for Line 4 and worked out the ticket machine (there is a button marked "English" that makes life easier) and my best route to the Museum. If the weather is good I will give it a try tomorrow. I had lunch at the "Burger King" that had been recommended earlier, which luckily was close to the UBahn station. Same business plan as McDonalds, right down to exploiting low-paid teenagers. I had the healthiest thing on their menu; a grilled chicken wrap. I resisted the "fries" and the "super-size" options.
By this time it had clouded over and was getting cold so I beat a retreat back to my Hotel. I did check out the Pub/Restaurants on the other side of the main street, which look a bit less unsavoury, (in the daylight the "Romany restaurant" is off-putting). I might try for a meal up further tonight but I will wear my "thermals".
Photo. The "roundabout" through the window of my drive-through Burger King outlet. In the background you can see the multi-storey apartments that make up this part of Vienna.
Saturday, 8/10/2011
Up early for breakfast which was magic. The full "English breakfast" including bacon and eggs, together with the usual continental style buffet, although there were no real pastries (Croissants etc). Lots of bread(s) however, so I tried a dark brown multi-grain pumpernickel. They served individual jugs of fresh-brewed coffee with a side jug of hot milk, Angus would have been pleased.
Yesterday I slept until mid-afternoon then risked the rain to go for a scout around my hotel. I am amazed I found it at all; I must really have been in the "zone" or just lucky because it is tucked away, literally down a back street almost under the raised local railway line. I understand the price now but I am astounded at the value!
I was directed to a "Burger king" as the closest food outlet but also found a couple of small local bar/cafe/restaurants. The hotel clerk had not suggested these although they were actually closer. I tried one and found it was Romany or Romanian and served relatively cheap meals with the option of a 10 Euro "Menu". These are simple multi-course options that can be either good value or simply a combination of the worst/low-cost items on the normal menu. They are almost always the local recipe soup or stew combined with a salad or grill with chip potatoes. I have sampled these from France, Belgium, and now Vienna (but the Romany version).
Mixed quality; the "bean" soup and bread was excellent but the grilled pork was forgettable. The "salad" was pickled vegetables (? a Viennese speciality) and I am really not sure what part of the pigs anatomy the meat came from. I suspect it was pigs cheek but all I am sure of is that it was not a "cut" I have ever been served before. I make the assumption that it was actually domestic pig but it may have been "wild boar" by the taste. Interesting but not to be repeated. The local beer I ordered turned out to be the American "Budweiser" so I was not overly impressed.
The Hotel clerk had actually been right in directing me towards the "Burger King" or the alternatives "uptown", but sometimes it pays to explore. Besides it was raining, cold, and I was wet, so the warm bar looked inviting. No gypsy music and I was directed to the tables in smaller non-smoking end of the bar so it was not social either. I had coffee back at the Hotel (after I found it again).
Today is Saturday so the Natural History Museum will not be open for researchers. I have my appointment with the Bauer drawings curator on Tuesday but will visit the Museum prior to that to establish my route and to see the rest of the exhibitions (and the Art Gallery opposite). Re-reading the emails I really think I will only get a half-day with the Bauer archive. It remains to be seen!
I will check out the public transport system today as the sun has broken through for a few seconds and the rain slowed/stopped.
[Later in afternoon] I checked with the Hotel clerk re the best way to get to the Museum and for the nearest "Laundromat". The Underground Line 4 gets me close to the Museum and there are two Line 4 stations nearby. The Laundromat was a bit harder and I came back when the Clerk was not as busy for details. She had printed out the Google map and I was off on a my "fifteen minute" walk.
Vienna is an old city with a maze of narrow streets combined with wide boulevards that have obviously been "driven" through the old town plan as part of urban renewal. The result is a tad confusing if you are walking from point A to B.
A bit circuitous and longer than is really practical but after a couple of "scenic detours" I got there. I explained to the lady proprietor that I was pleased to finally find her shop/Laundromat and a couple, also from Australia, piped-up that they had found the Laundromat the same way. Unlike most other cities I have visited, Vienna does not seem to have a "Laundromat" culture hence there are not many.
On the way back I found the UBahn station for Line 4 and worked out the ticket machine (there is a button marked "English" that makes life easier) and my best route to the Museum. If the weather is good I will give it a try tomorrow. I had lunch at the "Burger King" that had been recommended earlier, which luckily was close to the UBahn station. Same business plan as McDonalds, right down to exploiting low-paid teenagers. I had the healthiest thing on their menu; a grilled chicken wrap. I resisted the "fries" and the "super-size" options.
By this time it had clouded over and was getting cold so I beat a retreat back to my Hotel. I did check out the Pub/Restaurants on the other side of the main street, which look a bit less unsavoury, (in the daylight the "Romany restaurant" is off-putting). I might try for a meal up further tonight but I will wear my "thermals".
Photo. The "roundabout" through the window of my drive-through Burger King outlet. In the background you can see the multi-storey apartments that make up this part of Vienna.
Friday, 7 October 2011
6th and 7th October, travel overnight from Ghent to Vienna, via Cologne.
Vienna
Friday 7/10/2011
The transfer from Ghent to Brussels was easier than expected because I got up early and caught the 8.30 train to Brussels rather than wait for the 9.03 as planned. It was freezing cold on the train station platform so the warmth of the crowded commuter train decided me. It was an almost perfect connection as I always show-up a bit earlier than planned in case of "complications". Effectively I had another half hour at the Brussels Midi (or Zuid) terminal to ask silly questions and find the right platform. It turned out to be a special "international" set of platforms; i.e., "go along that main corridor and turn left at number 5"; which opened out onto just about a new station. The EuroStar leaves from there so it was useful info for a weeks time when I head for London (while I had the chance I checked with EuroStar staff re my online booking and reservation).
The super fast ICE train pulled into Cologne about 10 minutes late (a sufficient problem for the German train people to change the Locomotive). It did not matter to me as I had 8 hours to kill before my 2nd class sleeper train to Vienna. A word of very good advice "avoid the Cologne Railway Station"!!
The facilities were actually very good but the crime and begging was intense. They have a massive drug problem, so much so that the station McDonald's does not have toilets because of the "shooting gallery" problem. Apparently a couple of dead addicts had to be removed before the decision was made to "re-model" the restaurant. There is now only one central toilet block for the whole station, staffed and monitored 24/7. It costs 1 euro to use (double the charge for any other toilet I have used).
I saw armed police patrolling in threes; not a good sign. Every 30 min or so there would be a public security announcement regarding not leaving your luggage unattended. The beggars were persistent and everywhere. I saw "families" going through the rubbish bins and dumpsters looking for anything with a deposit or re-cycle value.
My original plan was to put my suitcase in a Station locker then go sight-seeing around town for a few hours. Two problems; one it was raining cats&dogs and two, a number of lockers had the doors ripped off. I decided to sit it out in the cafes where it was warm and dry at least. Many cups of coffee later (and a lecture from an ex-pat Scotsman for leaving my luggage at my table while getting my order). He and his wife were dead-serious about the dangers; not a place to take any risks what-so-ever. Totally paranoid by now, my train finally came up on the big-board and I headed to the platform indicated. I teenage beggar had beaten me to it and was already hassling the passengers as they waited the 20 minutes for the train to pull-in. I finally got to my 4 berth sleeper compartment and managed to get all my stuff up to the top bunk that I had booked. No headroom but the carriage conductor said there would be only three in the compartment so I put some of my stuff on the other upper bunk.
Silly mistake as just after I got to sleep I heard someone climbing up onto the other bunk. Late booking from an intermediate station and all my staff (trousers neatly laid out, watch within easy reach, e-book, etc), was piled up under his luggage in the upper luggage rack. I was only half-awake but got back the trousers and book, but he was simply annoyed and wanted to go to sleep.
Next morning I retrieved my watch and day-pack. The watch, a replacement for my Australian one that died on the MIDI canal, was no longer keeping time correctly. You learn as you go.
When we disembarked at Vienna it was really raining hard but my Hotel was only a short distance away from the Station although by a complex route. I checked with the information people re directions (not very helpful for non-train issues) and waited for a bit of a break in the weather. The rain slowed to a light drizzle, I donned my rain-proof jacket and started walking, clutching my Google-map printout. The rain hit again and the final turns on the map were really confusing; more by luck than good management I saw the Best Western Flags down a "side-street" and I was there. Soaking wet shoes and lower trousers, and with a really wet trolley-suitcase and pack but I had got to the Hotel in under 15 minutes.
I am writing this blog via the free WiFi at the Best Western hotel Reither in Vienna, in a super little room with its own safe. A shower and a sleep then I will worry about dinner, skipping lunch.
Note: I did manage a quick couple of photos outside the Train Station at Cologne.
Photo The Cologne Cathedral, showing yet more scaffolding and renovations using borrowed EU money. Even in Germany you have the same economic problem; i.e., sovereign debt, which is actually much larger than the US "sub-prime loans" problem although they will be blamed as the catalyst for whatever economic disaster is coming. This European debt based over-spending is just too wide-spread.
Friday 7/10/2011
The transfer from Ghent to Brussels was easier than expected because I got up early and caught the 8.30 train to Brussels rather than wait for the 9.03 as planned. It was freezing cold on the train station platform so the warmth of the crowded commuter train decided me. It was an almost perfect connection as I always show-up a bit earlier than planned in case of "complications". Effectively I had another half hour at the Brussels Midi (or Zuid) terminal to ask silly questions and find the right platform. It turned out to be a special "international" set of platforms; i.e., "go along that main corridor and turn left at number 5"; which opened out onto just about a new station. The EuroStar leaves from there so it was useful info for a weeks time when I head for London (while I had the chance I checked with EuroStar staff re my online booking and reservation).
The super fast ICE train pulled into Cologne about 10 minutes late (a sufficient problem for the German train people to change the Locomotive). It did not matter to me as I had 8 hours to kill before my 2nd class sleeper train to Vienna. A word of very good advice "avoid the Cologne Railway Station"!!
The facilities were actually very good but the crime and begging was intense. They have a massive drug problem, so much so that the station McDonald's does not have toilets because of the "shooting gallery" problem. Apparently a couple of dead addicts had to be removed before the decision was made to "re-model" the restaurant. There is now only one central toilet block for the whole station, staffed and monitored 24/7. It costs 1 euro to use (double the charge for any other toilet I have used).
I saw armed police patrolling in threes; not a good sign. Every 30 min or so there would be a public security announcement regarding not leaving your luggage unattended. The beggars were persistent and everywhere. I saw "families" going through the rubbish bins and dumpsters looking for anything with a deposit or re-cycle value.
My original plan was to put my suitcase in a Station locker then go sight-seeing around town for a few hours. Two problems; one it was raining cats&dogs and two, a number of lockers had the doors ripped off. I decided to sit it out in the cafes where it was warm and dry at least. Many cups of coffee later (and a lecture from an ex-pat Scotsman for leaving my luggage at my table while getting my order). He and his wife were dead-serious about the dangers; not a place to take any risks what-so-ever. Totally paranoid by now, my train finally came up on the big-board and I headed to the platform indicated. I teenage beggar had beaten me to it and was already hassling the passengers as they waited the 20 minutes for the train to pull-in. I finally got to my 4 berth sleeper compartment and managed to get all my stuff up to the top bunk that I had booked. No headroom but the carriage conductor said there would be only three in the compartment so I put some of my stuff on the other upper bunk.
Silly mistake as just after I got to sleep I heard someone climbing up onto the other bunk. Late booking from an intermediate station and all my staff (trousers neatly laid out, watch within easy reach, e-book, etc), was piled up under his luggage in the upper luggage rack. I was only half-awake but got back the trousers and book, but he was simply annoyed and wanted to go to sleep.
Next morning I retrieved my watch and day-pack. The watch, a replacement for my Australian one that died on the MIDI canal, was no longer keeping time correctly. You learn as you go.
When we disembarked at Vienna it was really raining hard but my Hotel was only a short distance away from the Station although by a complex route. I checked with the information people re directions (not very helpful for non-train issues) and waited for a bit of a break in the weather. The rain slowed to a light drizzle, I donned my rain-proof jacket and started walking, clutching my Google-map printout. The rain hit again and the final turns on the map were really confusing; more by luck than good management I saw the Best Western Flags down a "side-street" and I was there. Soaking wet shoes and lower trousers, and with a really wet trolley-suitcase and pack but I had got to the Hotel in under 15 minutes.
I am writing this blog via the free WiFi at the Best Western hotel Reither in Vienna, in a super little room with its own safe. A shower and a sleep then I will worry about dinner, skipping lunch.
Note: I did manage a quick couple of photos outside the Train Station at Cologne.
Photo The Cologne Cathedral, showing yet more scaffolding and renovations using borrowed EU money. Even in Germany you have the same economic problem; i.e., sovereign debt, which is actually much larger than the US "sub-prime loans" problem although they will be blamed as the catalyst for whatever economic disaster is coming. This European debt based over-spending is just too wide-spread.
Wednesday, 5 October 2011
Wednesday 5/10/2011 Ghent
Still raining on and off. I risked a sight-seeing walk into the "historic section" of Ghent or Gent as the local signs have it. Basically a walk along the canal past the fortifications then into the cathedral square. On the way the buildings all date from the 1700's but some have later and sometimes crazy additions in glass and steel! It is a mix of old and renovated new but with obviously different regimes of town planning.
I had a lunch of local cheese and "meats" at a renovated Guild hall for Flemish Butchers. They are very proud of their sausages and cured hams in Belgium. The roof timbers of the hall are original and the carpentry was superb. I suspect it would do as a Guild hall for Flemish Carpenters equally well. The lunch was good and relatively cheap as it included a small soup, bread and a tiny salad, as well as a selection of slices of cheese and cured meat. I skipped the beer tasting, which was also an attraction. A neat clean operation, run by young energetic staff.
The churches and cathedral in the square are undergoing restoration (with borrowed EU money, as is the case in most other places I have visited). It is creating jobs but the cost, and the cost of the borrowing, is a bit scary. Somehow I do not see Belgium as one of the basket-case European economies but it seems the "borrowing" was endemic for all EU states.
In the afternoon I completed my bookings and confirmed 14 nights in a small Hotel/Motel in Barking, an outer suburb of London. I have a McDonald's close by and the Kings Arms Pub is within walking distance, hopefully they also serve food as well as beer. No kitchen and no Hotel breakfast, so I eat out a bit although there is a TESCO's in the area so I can buy fruit etc. I have the Underground station two streets away so have access to London. Next job is to line up a visit to the London Natural History Museum for a look at Bauer's Botanical paintings, particularly from Queensland.
Photo: I am drawn to serene canal views, and Ghent like all major trading cities had its canal system.
Photo(s) Two views of the main square, trying to avoid the scaffolding.
Photo(s): The caption should read "what is wrong with this picture", a weird old building with a steel and glass addition "melded" on.
The second shot sums up the low-countries for me; the bicycle, the canal, and the old buildings leaning in over the canal.
I had a lunch of local cheese and "meats" at a renovated Guild hall for Flemish Butchers. They are very proud of their sausages and cured hams in Belgium. The roof timbers of the hall are original and the carpentry was superb. I suspect it would do as a Guild hall for Flemish Carpenters equally well. The lunch was good and relatively cheap as it included a small soup, bread and a tiny salad, as well as a selection of slices of cheese and cured meat. I skipped the beer tasting, which was also an attraction. A neat clean operation, run by young energetic staff.
The churches and cathedral in the square are undergoing restoration (with borrowed EU money, as is the case in most other places I have visited). It is creating jobs but the cost, and the cost of the borrowing, is a bit scary. Somehow I do not see Belgium as one of the basket-case European economies but it seems the "borrowing" was endemic for all EU states.
In the afternoon I completed my bookings and confirmed 14 nights in a small Hotel/Motel in Barking, an outer suburb of London. I have a McDonald's close by and the Kings Arms Pub is within walking distance, hopefully they also serve food as well as beer. No kitchen and no Hotel breakfast, so I eat out a bit although there is a TESCO's in the area so I can buy fruit etc. I have the Underground station two streets away so have access to London. Next job is to line up a visit to the London Natural History Museum for a look at Bauer's Botanical paintings, particularly from Queensland.
Photo: I am drawn to serene canal views, and Ghent like all major trading cities had its canal system.
Photo(s) Two views of the main square, trying to avoid the scaffolding.
Photo(s): The caption should read "what is wrong with this picture", a weird old building with a steel and glass addition "melded" on.
The second shot sums up the low-countries for me; the bicycle, the canal, and the old buildings leaning in over the canal.
Tuesday, 4 October 2011
Tuesday 4/10/2011, Ghent
Note: I added photos to my earlier Midi Canal Blogs, now that I am not constrained to using the Smart-Phone.
Another spare day, and it was raining so I took a "tram" around the city for a condensed two-hour sight-seeing tour. Not very hungry so I skipped lunch and dinner. I had a huge feed on Monday and my digestion has not caught up. As well as lunch at the University, I ordered a " fixed plate Menu" at the restaurant recommended by the hotel clerk. It ended up costing 30 Euro with a beer and the tip, and it was a huge quantity of "traditional" Belgium food. The quality was excellent, just as recommended, but the cooking style is for heavy sauces and fried potatoes.
I sent off an email to the Vienna Museum letting them know I am in Belgium and will be coming. I also used the Hotel computer and printer to get Google maps of Vienna for both the Hotel I booked and for the Natural history Museum. If the weather is a bit better tomorrow I will visit the Travel Centre at the Railway station for some advice on the sleeper train that takes me from Cologne to Vienna. I have booked a berth both going to Vienna and coming back on my way to London. It saves two nights accommodation and is a "nostalgia trip" for 30 years ago when I did my first European tour with a Eurail-pass. Tomorrow I will need to do some final laundry and ironing, prior to travelling again.
Checking London accommodation on the web and I have very limited choices. An out-of-town Hotel/Motel is about the best I can do. I found a cheap Travelodge Hotel/Motel near a District Line Underground station, which is just affordable at their special multi-night rate. (The exchange rate is lousy but then it always is when I visit the UK). The district line connects to the station nearest the Natural History Museum so will be convenient to an extent. I will have to take the Picadilly Line from the St Pancras "EUROSTAR" terminal when I arrive, then change to the District line to get to the Hotel. It is beyond the normal Oyster card limits so travel will cost a bit more. That is my thinking at the moment anyway.
[Later: I online booked and paid for my very basic but secure room (alternative is dodgy hostels), then used SKYPE to ring the Hotel and check that it had gone through. Again not happy about the WiFi connection but have little choice.]
Another spare day, and it was raining so I took a "tram" around the city for a condensed two-hour sight-seeing tour. Not very hungry so I skipped lunch and dinner. I had a huge feed on Monday and my digestion has not caught up. As well as lunch at the University, I ordered a " fixed plate Menu" at the restaurant recommended by the hotel clerk. It ended up costing 30 Euro with a beer and the tip, and it was a huge quantity of "traditional" Belgium food. The quality was excellent, just as recommended, but the cooking style is for heavy sauces and fried potatoes.
I sent off an email to the Vienna Museum letting them know I am in Belgium and will be coming. I also used the Hotel computer and printer to get Google maps of Vienna for both the Hotel I booked and for the Natural history Museum. If the weather is a bit better tomorrow I will visit the Travel Centre at the Railway station for some advice on the sleeper train that takes me from Cologne to Vienna. I have booked a berth both going to Vienna and coming back on my way to London. It saves two nights accommodation and is a "nostalgia trip" for 30 years ago when I did my first European tour with a Eurail-pass. Tomorrow I will need to do some final laundry and ironing, prior to travelling again.
Checking London accommodation on the web and I have very limited choices. An out-of-town Hotel/Motel is about the best I can do. I found a cheap Travelodge Hotel/Motel near a District Line Underground station, which is just affordable at their special multi-night rate. (The exchange rate is lousy but then it always is when I visit the UK). The district line connects to the station nearest the Natural History Museum so will be convenient to an extent. I will have to take the Picadilly Line from the St Pancras "EUROSTAR" terminal when I arrive, then change to the District line to get to the Hotel. It is beyond the normal Oyster card limits so travel will cost a bit more. That is my thinking at the moment anyway.
[Later: I online booked and paid for my very basic but secure room (alternative is dodgy hostels), then used SKYPE to ring the Hotel and check that it had gone through. Again not happy about the WiFi connection but have little choice.]
Monday, 3 October 2011
3/10/2011 Ghent
Ghent, Hotel and University
3/10/2011
I managed a number of things today. Firstly I completed the laundry and ironing and was ready at 9.15am for Tim Deprez who was to pick me up. Very low key as he had a push-bike not a Limo, so we walked to the University. I had washed and ironed my "seminar outfit" and it turned out to be over-kill. There were about 25 post-grads and a couple of staff. The talk went well but I am not sure how much was understood. You never are sure when delivering a presentation in English to a polite foreign audience, although most spoke very good English. After discussion with Tim I gave my "long" talk which described both the GBR bio-diversity surveys and the linked-ecosystem modelling/validation process. I got some good questions but no real enthusiasm for Ecosystem modelling.
I did get an excellent "free lunch" but the Professor could not attend. I do not think she was overly impressed by my talk but then modelling is a complex topic and my presentation was not "entry level". I did make my point to Tim that JCU does some really interesting work. After lunch I got to walk back to the Hotel, this time without an escort.
The second major task(s) for the day was getting money out of my ANZ travel card (via a secure Bank ATM) and getting a ticket for the Ghent to Brussels train link. The train ticket was easy as the ticket clerk was bilingual and understood my problem with schedules. The Bank was not quite so easy but I found a BNP Parnus bank (same as the ones in Paris) and therefore understood how to get inside through the security doors to use their internal ATM. A very much more secure way to get your cash.
I had a long discussion with the Hotel staff re a secure Internet connection and found that my room "Cable" plug simply did not work. In the end I used the WiFi for a quick check of the Credit Card account (used for the train ticket purchases) and found nothing untoward. I also checked my ANZ Travel Card account balance and I am down to 5.20 Euro and 6 GBP. I will try to shift the remaining Euros across to GBP for use in London. It costs 2.20 Euro to withdraw any money so effectively I have nothing but loose change left. Maybe enough for a ticket on the London Underground.
Tonight I check for hotel accommodation in Vienna and maybe for London. I can see that I am nearing the end of my European adventure!
[Later] The Vienna hotel was an easy choice in the end. Rather than dodgy hostels near the railway station I opted for another Best Western that was running a special on a single room. About 20% more expensive than the closest price "hostel" but it has free WiFi and a breakfast! I do have a 12 min walk from the station (according to Google) but I arrive by train just after 9.00 in the morning so do not have security worries; having learnt my lesson from Toulouse. I connected to the Internet via cable on the foyer computer terminal, using my own firewall and anti-virus software. A dedicated hacker could still have got sensitive info but I took all the precautions possible.
3/10/2011
I managed a number of things today. Firstly I completed the laundry and ironing and was ready at 9.15am for Tim Deprez who was to pick me up. Very low key as he had a push-bike not a Limo, so we walked to the University. I had washed and ironed my "seminar outfit" and it turned out to be over-kill. There were about 25 post-grads and a couple of staff. The talk went well but I am not sure how much was understood. You never are sure when delivering a presentation in English to a polite foreign audience, although most spoke very good English. After discussion with Tim I gave my "long" talk which described both the GBR bio-diversity surveys and the linked-ecosystem modelling/validation process. I got some good questions but no real enthusiasm for Ecosystem modelling.
I did get an excellent "free lunch" but the Professor could not attend. I do not think she was overly impressed by my talk but then modelling is a complex topic and my presentation was not "entry level". I did make my point to Tim that JCU does some really interesting work. After lunch I got to walk back to the Hotel, this time without an escort.
The second major task(s) for the day was getting money out of my ANZ travel card (via a secure Bank ATM) and getting a ticket for the Ghent to Brussels train link. The train ticket was easy as the ticket clerk was bilingual and understood my problem with schedules. The Bank was not quite so easy but I found a BNP Parnus bank (same as the ones in Paris) and therefore understood how to get inside through the security doors to use their internal ATM. A very much more secure way to get your cash.
I had a long discussion with the Hotel staff re a secure Internet connection and found that my room "Cable" plug simply did not work. In the end I used the WiFi for a quick check of the Credit Card account (used for the train ticket purchases) and found nothing untoward. I also checked my ANZ Travel Card account balance and I am down to 5.20 Euro and 6 GBP. I will try to shift the remaining Euros across to GBP for use in London. It costs 2.20 Euro to withdraw any money so effectively I have nothing but loose change left. Maybe enough for a ticket on the London Underground.
Tonight I check for hotel accommodation in Vienna and maybe for London. I can see that I am nearing the end of my European adventure!
[Later] The Vienna hotel was an easy choice in the end. Rather than dodgy hostels near the railway station I opted for another Best Western that was running a special on a single room. About 20% more expensive than the closest price "hostel" but it has free WiFi and a breakfast! I do have a 12 min walk from the station (according to Google) but I arrive by train just after 9.00 in the morning so do not have security worries; having learnt my lesson from Toulouse. I connected to the Internet via cable on the foyer computer terminal, using my own firewall and anti-virus software. A dedicated hacker could still have got sensitive info but I took all the precautions possible.
Sunday, 2 October 2011
2/10/2011, Ghent in the Chamade, Best Western Hotel.
I made all the transfers from Toulouse to Lille Europe, then Lille to Brussels, and finally Brussels to Ghent (but only because the train to Ghent was a bit late). I thought the Ghent link was only a local train but it was packed and the trip was a reasonable journey. I will have to rethink my connection to the Brussels at the start of my train trip to Vienna. Based on the trip down I may have to go the day before and stay in a Brussels hotel for the night!
The Ghent trip was actually the most stressful of the connections, apart from the 4.30 am start from a closed Railway Station in Toulouse inhabited by drunks and young thugs. The security staff were patrolling the inside of the station, where it was safe, and did not open the station until 30 min before the first train was due to leave. We had to move fairly quickly to get to our seats. Due to the schedule I actually had no breakfast or lunch and only managed to grab a "sandwich/roll" from the stand at the Ghent railway station on the way to the Hotel. The real problem was lack of water as all my connections were too tight to allow for "shopping". I will have to check-out the dinning cars on my next train trip(s).
My first day in Ghent was short as I arrived (finally) well after the 1457 (2.57 pm) on the ticket. It was more like 1600 (4.00 pm) by the time I booked into the hotel, which is just a short distance from the Ghent railway station. I had "virtually" walked the street to the Hotel with Google maps so I was OK with directions. That was the last Google navigation I managed in Paris, the rest of the destinations will be more difficult. My French Orange Internet data card no longer works so the phone will not be very useful. I am still using it for directions but my account enquiries show "blank", the maps go next I assume. As it was I ate my "sandwich" dinner, showered, checked out the Internet connection and then crashed. I slept pretty well but then I had built-up a hefty sleep-debt.
A real positive is that the Ghent Hotel has free Internet, which I am utilising at the moment. Unsecured WiFi, which is a worry however.
This morning (Sunday 2/10/2011) I walked up to the Cathedral/historic district, but I may be becoming "Cathedraled-out". I also found a DIY laundry (Laundromat) and ran all my shirts, socks, underwear, and spare trousers through. I also rinsed out what I was wearing today so at the moment I have a completely clean wardrobe. I have an iron in my room so my entertainment tonight will be ironing my clothes for the seminar that I am presenting tomorrow at the Ghent University. I worked on the talk for most of the afternoon, hopping out for a "sandwich" for dinner. I checked the "McDonalds Hamburger" foreign exchange index and the burgers are actually more expensive in Ghent than Cairns, if you substitute A$ for Euros (instead of at least 30% cheaper in Euros if the exchange rate was correct). This means the Euro has a bit more to fall before the exchange rate reflects the reality of prices. The same was true in in the UK.
The Ghent trip was actually the most stressful of the connections, apart from the 4.30 am start from a closed Railway Station in Toulouse inhabited by drunks and young thugs. The security staff were patrolling the inside of the station, where it was safe, and did not open the station until 30 min before the first train was due to leave. We had to move fairly quickly to get to our seats. Due to the schedule I actually had no breakfast or lunch and only managed to grab a "sandwich/roll" from the stand at the Ghent railway station on the way to the Hotel. The real problem was lack of water as all my connections were too tight to allow for "shopping". I will have to check-out the dinning cars on my next train trip(s).
My first day in Ghent was short as I arrived (finally) well after the 1457 (2.57 pm) on the ticket. It was more like 1600 (4.00 pm) by the time I booked into the hotel, which is just a short distance from the Ghent railway station. I had "virtually" walked the street to the Hotel with Google maps so I was OK with directions. That was the last Google navigation I managed in Paris, the rest of the destinations will be more difficult. My French Orange Internet data card no longer works so the phone will not be very useful. I am still using it for directions but my account enquiries show "blank", the maps go next I assume. As it was I ate my "sandwich" dinner, showered, checked out the Internet connection and then crashed. I slept pretty well but then I had built-up a hefty sleep-debt.
A real positive is that the Ghent Hotel has free Internet, which I am utilising at the moment. Unsecured WiFi, which is a worry however.
This morning (Sunday 2/10/2011) I walked up to the Cathedral/historic district, but I may be becoming "Cathedraled-out". I also found a DIY laundry (Laundromat) and ran all my shirts, socks, underwear, and spare trousers through. I also rinsed out what I was wearing today so at the moment I have a completely clean wardrobe. I have an iron in my room so my entertainment tonight will be ironing my clothes for the seminar that I am presenting tomorrow at the Ghent University. I worked on the talk for most of the afternoon, hopping out for a "sandwich" for dinner. I checked the "McDonalds Hamburger" foreign exchange index and the burgers are actually more expensive in Ghent than Cairns, if you substitute A$ for Euros (instead of at least 30% cheaper in Euros if the exchange rate was correct). This means the Euro has a bit more to fall before the exchange rate reflects the reality of prices. The same was true in in the UK.
Friday, 30 September 2011
1/10/2011 Saturday, on train out of France.
1/10/2011 Saturday in Europe.
Just leaving Toulouse Matabiau station on my way to Lille Europe, as the stop/change for Brussels. Very scary showing up at 4.30 am for a 5.20 train at a closed Toulouse "Gare" with a group of resident street people. We, the early morning travellers, milled around the lighted entrance while the street people circled the outside cadging cigarettes. A really silly place to be!
[My plan is to keep using my Orange Mobicarte Internet max until the last minute, hence trying to write a blog on a phone on a moving train. An interesting pastime. Once out of France I am without internet, unless either the hotel or University provide access.]
Last nght I had my worst meal in France, worse than the fried chicken leg on tinned peas served to us in one of the little "tourist-town" restaurants along the canal. I went to a French Chinese restaurant and was served a truly awful honey-pork and fried rice dish. You learn as you go.
Just leaving Toulouse Matabiau station on my way to Lille Europe, as the stop/change for Brussels. Very scary showing up at 4.30 am for a 5.20 train at a closed Toulouse "Gare" with a group of resident street people. We, the early morning travellers, milled around the lighted entrance while the street people circled the outside cadging cigarettes. A really silly place to be!
[My plan is to keep using my Orange Mobicarte Internet max until the last minute, hence trying to write a blog on a phone on a moving train. An interesting pastime. Once out of France I am without internet, unless either the hotel or University provide access.]
Last nght I had my worst meal in France, worse than the fried chicken leg on tinned peas served to us in one of the little "tourist-town" restaurants along the canal. I went to a French Chinese restaurant and was served a truly awful honey-pork and fried rice dish. You learn as you go.
Thursday, 29 September 2011
Toulouse, 30th September
Today is a spare day, in that I planned nothing specific. No real idea of the city but will explore a bit. The McPhersons left by train earlier. Yesterday I sent off my presentation title and abstract, for the second time. The problem with emails on the fly is that you do not get confirmation. (Yes as I suspected, when I double-checked later the abstract had not been sent by Microsoft. Sent off a title to TIM, and got a confirmation.)
Apart from playing with the Internet on my phone, I managed to find the square, the museum/gallery, and the local library. I needed the Library to print off my electronic tickets that I booked in Paris (on my last day with secure internet). The library had some public access computers and I asked the librarians if I could print my emails. I got the OK and " ran the maze " to print-out in French. All in all a successful morning.
I now have paper tickets for my Brussels to Cologne, Cologne to Vienna journey. I also printed off my return Vienna to Cologne, and Cologne to Brussels, and EuroStar Brussels to London journey. All I need to book now is accommodation in Vienna and in London.
When I get to Ghent I will need to check my Mastercard account and do the last of the bookings. I have gone through all the cash I got from Paris. My expenses shot-up from 130 euro per week to 470euro in 10 days while on the MIDI canal. Again it was actually much higher if you add in the costs of the pre-paid barge hire. Fun but not cheap!
Apart from playing with the Internet on my phone, I managed to find the square, the museum/gallery, and the local library. I needed the Library to print off my electronic tickets that I booked in Paris (on my last day with secure internet). The library had some public access computers and I asked the librarians if I could print my emails. I got the OK and " ran the maze " to print-out in French. All in all a successful morning.
I now have paper tickets for my Brussels to Cologne, Cologne to Vienna journey. I also printed off my return Vienna to Cologne, and Cologne to Brussels, and EuroStar Brussels to London journey. All I need to book now is accommodation in Vienna and in London.
When I get to Ghent I will need to check my Mastercard account and do the last of the bookings. I have gone through all the cash I got from Paris. My expenses shot-up from 130 euro per week to 470euro in 10 days while on the MIDI canal. Again it was actually much higher if you add in the costs of the pre-paid barge hire. Fun but not cheap!
28/29th September, Midi canal - Carcassone - Toulouse
South of France.
We have been busy, we moved through the remaining locks very quickly to get Carcassonne for a full day of sight-seeing on the 28th. The castle was at least a day to explore. Some more good food and a bit more wine than is good for me; and the adventure is done! Today, the 29th , we cleaned up the barge and handed it in (hopefully) to get our deposit back. Caught the train to Toulouse and was booked into our Hotel by 1.30 pm. All of us are a tad worn out.
I stay an extra day in Toulouse then do a big travel day to get to Ghent in Belgium. Geoff and Jill head off tomorrow for Italy. I noticed that my watch has stopped, a casualty of the canal; not just my falling in once but also the water/muck from the ropes at the locks. I went into town to have the battery changed (hope springs eternal) but the "winder" does not seem to work so the damage is more profound. After trying the new battery (unsuccessful) I ended up buying a cheap watch from the local Supermarket just to have a time-piece for catching trains. My schedule is tight so I do need to be on-time at a couple of critical transfers.
Photos are of the Castle as seen from the canal, the Canal Barge we had hired and lived on for 10 days, and finally of the Midi Canal at dusk.
We have been busy, we moved through the remaining locks very quickly to get Carcassonne for a full day of sight-seeing on the 28th. The castle was at least a day to explore. Some more good food and a bit more wine than is good for me; and the adventure is done! Today, the 29th , we cleaned up the barge and handed it in (hopefully) to get our deposit back. Caught the train to Toulouse and was booked into our Hotel by 1.30 pm. All of us are a tad worn out.
I stay an extra day in Toulouse then do a big travel day to get to Ghent in Belgium. Geoff and Jill head off tomorrow for Italy. I noticed that my watch has stopped, a casualty of the canal; not just my falling in once but also the water/muck from the ropes at the locks. I went into town to have the battery changed (hope springs eternal) but the "winder" does not seem to work so the damage is more profound. After trying the new battery (unsuccessful) I ended up buying a cheap watch from the local Supermarket just to have a time-piece for catching trains. My schedule is tight so I do need to be on-time at a couple of critical transfers.
Photos are of the Castle as seen from the canal, the Canal Barge we had hired and lived on for 10 days, and finally of the Midi Canal at dusk.
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
26/09/2011 Midi canal, Trebes
26/09/2011
MIDI canal
We travelled through three sets of locks to get to Trebes after a quick stop at a small village for supplies but was told (by the postmidtress) that everything was in Trebes. A long haul but she was right and we had dinner at a Trebes restaurant (rather than "do lunch" in a vineyard as was the plan). Very close to the end of journey and will be at last port tomorrow night.
Sunday, 25 September 2011
25/9/2011, a further along Midi canal. ng
Yesterday again had a number of firsts; the first time I fell into the canal for a start. We just cruised a bit then went for a bike ride into a nearby village. As it was Sunday not much was open but we did get a look at the architecture. Today we move towards Trebes but we have to have the barge back on the 28th (2 nights left on the canal). We have negotiated a few multiple lock systems so far and have at least another 4 to go. All fun.
Saturday, 24 September 2011
24/09/2011 Saturday Midi canal, Homps
MIDI canal
24/09/2011
We got through the tough bit to get to Holms ( three sets of locks), a base for the barge company . A necessary stop so we could get our fridge repaired. A long saga but no gas , no fridge, no repairs (it is Saturday) but we did get hose for water and towels. Went to Supermarket for a camp stove and ice. Only 4 days to go and we can get by.
Stopped for lunch at a nearby restaurant and had a super meal, maybe the best meal so far in France. (It all balances out in the end.) A lazy afternoon with maybe s cycle ride later!
[Later] It turned out to be a long walk along the canal followed by aparetifs on the back deck!
The photo are of a typical bridge and a serene stretch of canal lined with Plane trees
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