Sunday 18 December 2005

Interlude

I moved stuff around my flat yesterday and overdid it a little bit - I'm exhausted right now - so I thought I'd offer you some entertainment.

Here are two short video clips I took the other day - with my tiny digital camera (hadn't realized I could do that before: I've only had it for a couple of years so what do you expect?). If you don't have broadband, don't bother: they'll take about 20 minutes to download - each - and you'll lose the will to live. But if you do - and it works, you will feel as if you're in the middle of Piccadilly Circus, which is exactly where I was when I took them (strange or what?).

London at Christmas

Have fun!

10 comments:

  1. ooh, the lights look great!

    hope i can take a trip up west over the christmas break...

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  2. This week i have been to Italy and now London! And look at the double-decker buses...

    I'm sorry to find out that the buses will no longer be in service due to equal rights amendment laws (the physically disabled not able to board). That is a "slap of the day" that I will gladly help you to carry out. After all, I may be one of the few readers that can do this and still remain PC about the whole thing!

    But right now we will think of good things...merry thoughts!

    Cheers

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  3. How cool. Damn, I seriously need to get a way better camera. That looks great - especially considering you took the video with a camera not a video recorder. My inner 10 year old is delighted by the bright Xmas lights and the bus.

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  4. How wonderful! We were in London for two weeks once, about 10 years ago. We were in Piccadilly Circus. I love London. I love Piccadilly. Love this post.

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  5. SL, those buses are new: they replace the traditional Routemaster, i.e. the hop on/hop off bus, which was indeed inaccessible to the disabled. The double-deckers are not disappearing. It's true that some of them have been replaced by double-length articulated buses. Everyone's against them: they're too big for the narrow London streets and they create big traffic jams. Oh, and they have a tendency to burst into flames for no reason at all. I intend to slap our Mayor for scrapping the Routemaster (and for a few other misguided actions). There was a campaign to save it, but it got nowhere. :-(

    K, my camera fits in an Altoids tin and I'm sure it has other features that I haven't discovered yet. The microphone is quite sensitive, but it couldn't cope with the roar of traffic. I'm sorry it comes across as an annoying kss kss sound.

    TLP, time for another visit, I think. :-)

    Thanks for the enthusiastic response, ladies! Glad you enjoyed it.

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  6. But Bela, didn't you notice - in your top video you have a new double decker bus but also quite clearly one of the traditional Routemasters with the roundy corners. (They did say they would keep a couple running on two routes every now and again, for tourists). Your video will be an archive!

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  7. Oh, will it? I'm chuffed. :-)

    I meant to check exactly what kind of buses were on the clips, but my computer wouldn't let me see them last night. My own videos! Grrr! I couldn't remember seeing any Routemasters. Thanks for pointing them out.

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  8. Woooow it's sooo great Bela !
    My friend and I were having a lovely time in London two weeks ago, just the week end you posted your note and videos. I've just watched them and it reminds me of our short trip there.
    Two days are not long enough to really enjoy London but we did though ^^
    Picadilly Circus was so crowded !! La folie !
    We walked a lot (too much actually) and were so enthusiastic about that city. I'd been there a few years ago but was younger and dumber and did not appreciate its "swing", its livefulness (? o_O), its crazyness !!!
    We also went to the Tate Gallery, to the magnificent Natural History Museum and saw so many other things !
    You are so lucky to live there. And I found British people very kind !
    Next time we come, I hope we'll have more time and I'll give you a friendly "rendez vous" so that we finally meet each other !
    Long live swinging London ! Happy new year's eve !

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  9. Hi, C! Glad my little videos brought back good memories.

    Wow, you did an awful lot in two days! If one hasn't seen London at Christmas, one hasn't seen London, I think. It's total madness, but it's fun.

    The Brits can be very nice still, not like they were 30 years ago, but nice enough. LOL! They would all envy you living in Paris. The grass is always greener, eh.

    Yes, let me know next time. A very Happy New Year to you and yours! :-)

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