Mid-winter back in Taipei City and the ill winds that bother, the damp that sinks into limbs and the bone-chillin' temperatures that torment were all in abeyance this fine weekend as we set off on yet another Youbike adventure in ebullient weather.

Searing blue skies, a rolling breeze and caressing warmth greeted us on Saturday morning and virtually begged us to get on our bikes and ride! A quick check of the real-time interactive station map and we realised that we weren't the only ones looking to take advantage of this sensational weekend day. Never mind, there are at least 4 Youbike stations close by these days and we managed to score a couple of the last few bikes down at Mingde. A slightly precarious ride through the streets to canal-side followed, a stopoff at 7-11 to get some water, and before we knew it we were dropping down off the Shilin bridge to the canal bike paths heading to the Grand Palace Museum.

We'd never tripped in this direction and on this bank of the river before, and we were in for a real treat. The weather was just tailor-made for biking: the breeze wispy enough to cool down and wipe away the sheen of sweat that appeared, the sun full and overhead but insipid. The trail was beautifully paved and meandered gracefully and languidly along the very wide manicured bank. The freshly mown grass and strategically placed beds of perfumed flowers added to the scent of spring: the whole scene was a sensory overload!

The path truly has yet another surprise around every corner. We passed ballroom dancing rooms under highway overpasses, replete with mirrors for posture checks and stage seating for the audience or the resting. There was a full 18 hole Putt-Putt golf course, impeccably maintained, just waiting for the budding champions to supply their own clubs and balls. Signposts at regular intervals indicated the street hookups or places of interest while regular seating, tables and pagodas provided spots to rest and refuel. There were even strategically placed taps with their little soap-on-a-rope: well used and of course, undamaged!

The most amazing thing of all, however, was the uniquely Chinesey wildlife. Egrets and cranes bobbed along riverside, shaking their top feathers and scanning for bugs in the grass. Several more had their slender legs submerged riverside as they scanned the river for errant fish flitting through the reeds near the bank: they were statue still as they concentrated, staring fixedly. The "moop", an unknown species of bird which we occasionally spot near our house, was in abundance by the river and its chameleonesque eye movement and camouflage was as creepy as usual!

We spent hours out on the paths, tracking all the way to the Aboriginal Museum on the lower slopes of eastern Yangminshan before retracing our ride back all the way on the opposite bank. We docked the bikes at a different station (another handy benefit) and paid the princely sum of about $1.10 each for the privilege! We hopped straight onto the MRT and quick snacked at a British "chippy" and vegetarian curryhouse respectively before wandering the specialty market and settling down at The Three Lions, a British style pub nestled in the corner of the complex behind the old Yuanshan soccer stadium. As usual, the crowd was vibrant and friendly, singer-guitarists strummed away in the central courtyard beside the gardens and fountain and we settled in for our early evening meal and relax. As the sun slowly settled, we ate Mexican burritos and enjoyed the ambiance of a pretty good attempt at English pub style....we just can't get enough of it!

Sunday, we did some specialty shopping at Carrefour on the scooter (by specialty, I mean get some mince: Taipei hasn't yet gone completely cosmopolitan!) then went over and did the regular shopping on Mingde Road. Earlier in the day, we'd enjoyed the latest Clint Eastwood directed blockbuster, American Sniper. We found it to be a bit jingoistic, but it was beautifully photographed and visually and aurally stimulating: for a guy who is 84 years old, Clint still does an amazing job!

We're still basking in the afterglow of that gorgeous weekend weather as well as one of our great holidays of recent times. I'm off to a meeting now and even that doesn't seem to be that awful a prospect....maybe I have sunstroke!

I'm reading "The Girl on the Train" and Cass is reading "The Goldfinch" by Donna Tarte. Photos: Letters are often addressed just to "david", there are not too many around! Our postbox at home, shot of the 27 roses Cass got for our wedding anniversary, I took the whole of Grade 4 to the movies mid-week for a crazy selfie, and lots from the canal bikeway and evening meal spot. Last photo is of our favorite icecream sandwich bar, now with an accompanying chocolate bar....oh no!
Just for fun, here are 51 ways Taipei is the number one city in the world
Also, the "Jetsons", a group of weird houses near one of our surfing spots years ago, features as one of the creepiest abandoned cities!

London: Part Two

Our first palace experience was Windsor Castle on a day trip out of London to there, Stonehenge and Bath. It was suitably splendid and we wandered the hallways full of wonder as room after room of glittering treasure presented itself to us. No member of the royal family was present at any of the venues we visited during the fortnight as they were ensconced at Sandringham, as is tradition, over the Christmas period.  We were on a mild time leash owing to the bus departure, which saved us poring over various gilt and porcelain which one of our party had no interest in whatsoever(!) We motored on through the English countryside, past the regal meadows of Ascot racecourse, through rolling hills in the shadow of Wales through to the amazing architectural wonders of Bath. The cathedral shone, but the history of the baths themselves transported us back to Roman times. A tasteful restoration hit just the right note and we felt like plunging into the restorative waters after hearing and reading about their powers. After literally walking over Arthur Phillip's grave in Westminster Cathedral, we were fascinated to see his house in Bath just off the stunning Bath Circus, where the famous and infamous have been housed over centuries: apparently Kevin Bacon is a current resident!

We did the obligatory visit to Buckingham Palace, after picking a day and time when we might witness the changing of the guard. A searing blue sky was a rare backdrop for crisp photos and videos and the huge crowd seemed to be heavy with folk of European and Asian extraction, which momentarily surprised us a little. The pomp was prodigious and the milieu majestic as sergeants bellowed, horses pranced and sabres rattled, much to the delight of the assembled throng.  

A few days later we had an entirely different experience at Kensington Palace, home of the young royals and famous domicile of the dour, then mourning, Queen Victoria. After wandering through exquisite gardens and beside pretty lakes, being entertained by cute and bold squirrels along the way, the palace itself was a haven of understated elegance and beauty. It held yet more wondrous displays of decadent wealth, but also iconic outfits worn by Princesses Margaret, Diana and the young Victoria. Again, one member of our party was held captive by these displays more than another!

The home of cricket, Lords, was on our itinerary of course. We emerged from the Tube at Baker Street and couldn't help singing the Gerry Rafferty song as we strolled past Sherlock Holmes's imaginary digs and onward to the hallowed turf. Our English guide seemed perturbed by the Antipodean majority in the small group and couldn't help ignoring the latest Ashes win to instead laud the British success at the London Olympics…incessantly! He had some great tales from the Long Room and the change rooms over the years and it was a thrill to be in the same spot as all the greats. Maybe we sat in Bradman's seat, or Tendulkar's, or Lillee's or….?! The tour was awesome and next time we sit down to watch the Ashes from Lords, we'll be able to transport ourselves back to all those special places.

Strawberries and cream and a glass of bubbly definitely weren’t on the menu in the middle of winter, but after another long ride on the Tube, we walked through the Southside  commons to the royal palace of tennis itself, Wimbledon. Wandering the great courts, the outside areas, Henman's Hill and the media centre was a thrill, but centre court with the scoreboard frozen on the last winner's score was epic. We soaked it all up and strolled through the museum to pose with the men's and women's trophies as well.

Leaping to our feet, dancing up and down in a tribal, almost hypnotic fervor, yelling our heads off as the roof nearly lifted from the stadium, and then pouring scorn on the now silent opposition huddle at the far end of the ground….had we lost our minds? Perhaps, momentarily we had! We were participating in the tribal fever that is English Premier League football at Loftus Road on the outskirts of London as Queen's Park Rangers just jettisoned a surprise long range shot at goal into the back of the Swansea net. "Come on you Rs!" Having booked online and only scraping a couple of tickets together by the fact it was New Year's Day: all other games were sold out weeks in advance. Of course there were a few seats in the cloistered "away" team's area, but no way were we going to sit in those! It was an amazing experience all-round. Having tickets checked to make sure we were home supporters at a local pub. Police riot cavalry with horses armoured and ready. Hot dog stands and pints of lager in plastic cups. Seats with only enough legroom if you spread your legs around the seat in front.  A chanting, singing, boisterous crowd so passionate about their teams. An unforgettable experience!

A clunky segue, but nonetheless, an equally unforgettable, yet completely different experience was the wonder of Stonehenge. I've been fascinated with this ancient edifice ever since I first read about it in our "Childcraft" encyclopedias, (Cass has a not wildly inaccurate theory that most of my general knowledge comes from this well pored over set of reference books…..thanks Mum and Dad!)and have always wanted to see it. A new visitor centre was built last year and the old one demolished, meaning just tiny, non-disturbing shuttle buses are now the only transport to get anywhere near the stones. It has been magnificently protected in recent years and apart from the disconcerting presence of the motorway in the near distance, we were able to transport ourselves back through the eons to when it was built. To actually see it up close was mind-blowing. I was, and still am to some extent, lost for words. Suffice to say, we wandered, contemplated, gazed and photographed to our heart's content before the bus again beckoned us away and onwards.

On not a few occasions, we tripped around the gaily festooned and heavily humaned areas of Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus, Soho and Charing Cross. Like seagulls to a hot chip, Londoners seem drawn to the excitement and palpable energy of this precinct. We were drawn by Tube transfers, eating out, cinemas, rock and roll tours and the most glittering London prize of all, the West End Show! We'd collected our tickets to the Book Of Mormon in the late afternoon after a recommendation from our English friend and school's "drama queen", Georgina, who cut through the myriad of offerings to reveal this show as the current "must-see" on the West End. We strolled through the Leicester Square Christmas Market, smelled the hot fudge, browsed the trinkets and heard the discordant sounds of the brightly lit, ornately decorated Merry-Go-Round, before going to see "The Imitation Game" as a preview to our show. After the cinema, we wandered down to Her Majesty's where we were ushered to our seats in the same theatre where, in 1964, John Lennon famously quipped, "Rattle your Jewelry" to the Queen, and were treated to over two hours of non-stop laughs and entertainment. The cast were so polished and talented and our seats in the 4^th row meant we were right there in the thick of things. It was quite the experience for we self-confessed production-a-phobes to be totally and utterly blown away by a live production……a real rarity and a special, special treat!

On other occasions we were led on a rock and roll walking tour through Soho and Saville Row and Carnaby Street with tiny lanes, courtyards and spots of interest along the way all included in a mesmerizing journey through time. We saw the rehearsal spaces of the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix's first and last gig in London, various clubs, pubs and nightclubs as well as the spot for the famous 1967 Beatle's on the rooftop concert at Apple Studios. Trident Studios held the piano that recorded many of rock's great anthems by Bowie, Queen, The Beatles and many others. It was another giddy jaunt down alleys of the mind we didn't expect to travel!

What a magical couple of weeks it was. The Thames meandered through the whole journey, as we crisscrossed the river from bank to bank, nestled canalside at King's Cross in week one or riverside in week two at Brick Lane. The Clash's London Calling, "down by the river" reverberated from Loftus Road Stadium as a pulsing anthem to Queen's Park Rangers all the way through our trip. We traipsed the cobblestones riverside at the Borough Market and soaked up Shakespearian sonnets at the Globe on reclaimed riverland. We bathed in art at the Tate, Coulthard and the National Gallery and even travelled to Greenwich, got giddy on the Eye, wandered in Whitehall and Westminster and pounded pints and pies in the pubs: all within a stone's throw of the great waterway.

I sincerely hope The Clash call us back sometime…we'll answer in the affirmative!

I've thought of England (and London to a lesser extent) as a hulking galleon, listing under storey upon storey of ramshackle history, saturated with all types of add-ons and lean-tos on her decks, growing inexorably but unsteadily throughout history, a top-heavy, creaking mass but always moored in a murky Thames by a solid anchor. From this behemoth, from time to time, landing parties have been sent ashore in longboats with the excited sailors then forming their own colonies on the distant shores, where they too have flourished or floundered, forever tied to the great ship, but never again a part of its framework.

As the descendants of one of those landing parties, and having missed the great British invasion so common to our contemporaries when we were in our 20s, we decided to eschew our usual Christmas European jaunt and head back instead this year to the mothership from where it all began. We also wanted, just for once, to totally relax and not rely on one or other of us doing constant translation work during what was meant to be a rejuvenating two week break.

Labouring under a few misapprehensions, some from our own images, some from folk who had not graced her shores in many years, we prepared ourselves for some stodgy food, grey skies and a certain pessimism in the populace that belies the reality of their situation (i.e. whinging Pommies!)

Blue skies, crisp but not freezing temperatures, next to no rain, delicious contemporary food and delightful upbeat people greeted us from airport onwards! When we arrived, the first of so many adventures began like so many after them would: reading the signs (In English), asking the odd one or two questions for clarification (in English) and then doing it with the minimum of fuss….heaven!

The trains from the airport were smooth, the transfer at Paddington easy, and the drop-off at King's Cross led to a 15 minute walk on Saturday evening to our first week's accommodation, an airbnb apartment in the recently gentrified area around the new London University campus in Islington. It was so slick and luxurious and we were glad to have our little haven to return to in the evening after a full and usually quite exhausting day of seeing the sights.

Despite the fact that we'd selected London as a relaxing destination, we still set ourselves a punishing schedule of events! During the fifteen days, we trawled through the exquisite selections of many of the national galleries and museums, toured the iconic sporting venues and visited the spectacular, the unusual and the quirky. We delighted at a West End show, rode the upper decks of the red buses and became human moles tunneling through, in and around the city on the famous Tube every day and night. We gaped in awe at the famous historic palaces, buildings and icons and walked in the steps of London's famous, infamous and notorious. We ate and drank as much English fare as we could get our hands on, including the famous, pints of lager, pies and fish n chips and Brick Lane curries! I'm a little overwhelmed just at the prospect of trying to capture it all, so I'll just limit myself to some details of a few of the real highlights. Without reference to Cassy's little green book, the keeper of all our tales, I might get some of the order confused, but the reactions will be genuine!

We spent the first day and days traversing along and across and beside London's pulsing artery, the Thames. The London Eye provided spectacular views as did St. Paul's cathedral, and we got our bearings for the city from above on the first of many brilliant full sun days. It was during these days that we started to feel the full weight of history bearing down on us from this ancient, multi-layered city. Seemingly around every corner was another plaque, statue or reminder of some of the amazing events that occurred on that spot or people who lived there.

The Tate Modern, a cavernous space within an old factory riverside was as spectacular as we expected. We managed to get rooms full of Picassos all to ourselves and reveled in the modern art on each of five levels. We were amazed to see a multi-storey addition being built behind the current exhibition space: I think we'll need to go back! The Coulthard Gallery at Somerset House near Charing Cross was a hidden treasure trove of impressionist and post- impressionist painters that we stumbled upon. We've made a concerted effort to see as many of these works as we possibly can across Europe and Asia, so it was a treat to see this jewelry box collection. This leads of course to the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square. We visited twice during our stay as the boutique collection of works was quite stunning and hard to leave. Turners of fire and sea, dimly lit rooms of Degas, iconic Van Gogh: it was almost an afterthought to sprinkle at least a dozen Renoirs amongst the field of wildflowers bursting from the walls of every room. Despite the fact that we've been spoiled on multiple occasions by rooms and galleries full of our favourite Monet, it was an added delight to see so many of his most treasured works on display. The almost alien talents of the light-capturing Caravaggio with works we'd only previously seen in books and walls of Michelangelo (some unfinished), Titian, Holbein, Vermeer and many, many others allowed us once again to immerse ourselves in the fountain of genius for a few short hours. We also visited the National Portrait Gallery directly behind for yet another feast and spent nearly a whole day at the incredible Victoria and Albert Museum. The V&A's collection cannot begin to be described yet, apart from the obvious attractions we also enjoyed the glass, furniture and Asian exhibitions.

The Thames was yet again front and centre to our viewings of three famous ships, Francis Drake's Golden Hinde replica moored near London Bridge, HMS Belfast near Tower Bridge and the Cutty Sark all the way down the river at Greenwich. We toured the nine decks of HMS Belfast and found it interesting and saw the Cutty Sark after a great cruise along the Thames. We spotted the Golden Hinde on our way to one of Cassy's highlights, a tour of the rebuilt Globe Theatre. As she's taught Shakespeare to many of her classes during her career, including his famously intricate sonnets, she was fascinated to tour the rebuilt facility and hear the commentary from a very knowledgeable young actor, doing the tours doing the off-season winter!

I'm not sure where to start with London pubs. Every TV show and movie paints a picture of warm, cosy havens, usually paneled in dark wood with paintings and photographs on the walls lit by brass lamps or dimmed, atmospheric lighting. The bar itself has the old pumps serving up various pints of lager and the fare is wholesome and hearty, like pies, fish and chips and bangers and mash. Well, we found it be exactly like that, with only a few variations for individual styles of the pubs or publicans! We ate in The Green Man and The Red Lion, The Seven Shovels and The Sergeant's Arms as well as many others I can't remember the names of! It was really a highlight for me: such a comfort to duck into and escape a cold, hard wind or a quickly falling curtain of dusk, whip of the coat and scarf and luxuriate in the warmth of the setting physically and emotionally. The only slightly disconcerting thing was to be served by only a couple of truly English accented staff during our whole stay. Germans, Poles, South Africans, French and Aussies (!) all served behind the bars…it was very international and cool, but a little weird considering how totally "English" the setting was!

Halfway through our stay we moved across town to Aldgate East and the trendy Qbiq hotel which was situated just near the famous Bangladeshi curry street of Brick Lane which also hosts a weekend market of mammoth proportions. We sampled the curries (delicious) on a few different days, and on our last day wandered the eclectic mix of stalls of jewelry, old vinyl records and vintage clothing in the main. Cass got some silver earrings and I bought a vinyl single of John Lennon's "Imagine"…why, I'll reveal in a future post!

I'm going to write a "part two" to this next week, I'm afraid. Despite the fact that I've inadequately described many of these experiences, my shocking verbosity has led to this huge post! I've yet to talk about palaces or sporting venues or west end or rock n roll etc. so I'll save them for next week…..you're warned!!

The link to the album is here