Tag: City Hall

Skeppsholmsbron and Metro Art of Stockholm
We started the next morning with a stroll on Skeppsholmsbron (Skeppsholm Bridge). The beautiful bridge connects central Stockholm to Skeppsholmen island. Besides being famously known for the Gilded Crowns atop the bridgeâ€™s railing, the views from here are exceptional too. One side of the bridge presents a wonderful view of Gamla Stan while the other is the marina view of Strandvagen at a distance. The sighting of boats is a given on both sides. Hence, itâ€™s no wonder that Skeppsholmsbron is a popular lookout spot in Stockholm.Â The golden crown is a big magnet on its own.
Stockholm City Hall
The City Hall (Stadhuset) with its brick faÃ§ade and a tall tower is a prominent landmark in Stockholm. It houses the Stockholm’s government and plays host to the famous Nobel banquet every year. The various halls in the building can only be visited through a guided tour. Hence, I opted for a visit to the tower top instead. Hence, I opted for a visit to the tower top instead.
Thankfully itâ€™s not crowded as there are only 30 tickets at each time slot. Hence, itâ€™s advisable to arrive earlier to purchase the ticket for the desired time slot. Do take note from the official website about the opening months and time prior to the visit.
Itâ€™s best to take the lift to skip a large part of the 365 stairs in order to reach the viewing platform. There are some sculptures on display at the Tower Museum somewhere in the middle of the tower. The best part is upon reaching the top, where the surrounding views are stunning!
The aerial view of Gamla Stan (Old Town) alone makes it worthwhile to be up here.
Metro Art of Stockholm
After enjoying the view of Stockholm at the 106 meters tall City Hall Tower, itâ€™s time to switch focus to the underground Metro stations (Tunnelbana). In fact, this is the part which I enjoyed the most in Stockholm. I know it sounds weird about spending time in underground stations. But be surprised that the underground stations here in Stockholm are like an Art Gallery where colourful murals or splendid artwork designs can be found. I only managed to visit Hotorget on the Green Line and the rest like Kungstradgarden, T-Centrale, Radhuset and Solna Centrum on the Blue Line.
Hotorget Metro Station has greenish tile on its walls and neon strips of white light on the ceiling. Itâ€™s slightly on the plain side when compared to other stations, less is more?
Radhuset Metro Station has a rocky surface that was painted in an orangey hue, or is it red? The contrasting effect of the orange/red surface and modern structures is excellent.
Kungstradgarden Metro Station has the red, white and green patterns throughout plus quite a handful of sculptures embedded in the walls.
T-Centralen Metro Station is the main hub of all three Metro Lines and the first to feature artwork. The calming blue and white colour combination at the Blue Line looks amazing.
Solna Centrum Metro Station is slightly further away from the rest but itâ€™s my personal favourite. The high contrasting colours of red and green really stand out. There are also plenty of great-looking drawings on the walls to complete the mood. Very nice!
I will definitely allocate more time for the worldâ€™s longest Art Gallery when I visit Stockholm again. The simple everyday Metro stations are functional yet filled with so many visual delights is a highlight of my trip here.
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September 25, 2018
Tower Bridge and Tower of London
After our fishy lunch at Borough Market, it is time to move on to the Tower Bridge, which is my favorite photography spot in London. This iconic landmark of London spanned the River Thames between Tower Hamlets and Southwark. The construction of Tower Bridge was built to ease the traffic congestion on London Bridge. I should also highlight that Tower Bridge is not London Bridge, totally different bridge altogether. But it is common for people to make the mistake since Tower Bridge is so famous in London.
We opt for the self-guided Tower Bridge exhibition tour which gives us access to high-level walkways. The high-level walkways provided a great viewpoint around central London and lots of information about Tower Bridge on display. Rather sad that I am unable to see the drawbridge in operation that day.
London City Hall
The unique sphere shaped London City Hall is just nearby. Hereâ€™s the office of Londonâ€™s Government and where Assembly meetings take place. While parts of the City Hall are open to the public, visitors will be subjected to security screening at the entrance.
There are a cafÃ© and one huge map of London on the lower ground floor.
The second floor will be the Chamber area for Assembly meetings.
Other than that, there isnâ€™t much to see or do in the City Hall. Maybe just to marvel at the unique architectural structures?
Tower of London
Her Majestyâ€™s Royal Palace and Fortress or simply Tower of London on the north bank of the River Thames was originally built by William the Conqueror. The historic castle was further defensively enhanced by successive monarchs and has since become one of the most recognizable buildings. Besides the Royalty, Tower of London was also once a lockup for the prisoners.
One main highlight of the Tower of London is to see and admire at the Crown Jewels, a royal collection of the Queen and significant symbols of the British Monarchy. The priceless regalia possession includes some of the nicest crowns, sceptres, swords, and jewellery, which are passed on to each reigning King or Queen. Even the super huge bank-vault-kind metal door is impressive on its own.
These enduring symbols of the British Monarchy are guarded by the Army, the live-in Beefeaters and the Ravens (which was nowhere in sight during the rain).
If you are puzzled by the name of Beefeater like I was, their proper name would be Yeoman Warder. The nickname was probably because they were permitted to eat as much beef as they want from the king’s table. These Yeoman Warders also conduct free guided tours around Tower of London.
There is a Ceremony of the Keys taking place every night precisely at 09:53 pm. While the ticket is free of charge, it must be booked way in advance at the official website as a result of its popularity.
Dinner at Harrods Food Hall
I would have waited for the sunset to take more photographs of the Tower Bridge but the rain changed my plan. Hence, it is dinner time at Harrods Food Hall instead. The famous Harrods department store is known for carrying high-quality luxury stuff and occupies a huge site at Borough High Street.
Harrods Food Hall is on the ground floor together with the other sections selling perfume, cosmetics, Harrods biscuits and most of all touristy stuff. The lovely painted ceilings, chandeliers, and dÃ©cor make it a great place for dining.
First of all, we started with fresh tasty oysters at the Seafood Bar of Caviar House & Prunier.
Next, we move on to The Steakhouse for some amazing prime beef steak and beef fillet. I must say that eating at Harrods Food Hall can be costly but in this case, totally worth it.
Tower Bridge at night
Itâ€™s time to head back to the Tower Bridge after the nice dinner. And I am thankful that the rain has since stopped. The rainy day is probably the reason for the surrounding around City Hall to be empty and quiet while I am there.
And my, the Tower Bridge at night wows me big time, even more than daytime. My Tower Bridge pictures and words will not do justice to the most noteworthy landmark in London. You have gotta be there to see it!
An attempt with my fisheye lens.
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November 10, 2016