Priceless Paintings from W7

Welcome back everybody. I hope you all had a nice festive break, and not too much belly or head ache.

On my way back to W7, I can’t help thinking this:

Fascinating. Fascinating to see that man can build a ship so tall that it  swallows tens of busses and lorries whole, along with eight times as many private cars, and still has space to spare. Fascinating how this giant mount of steel, iron and glas actually floats, and carries us safely across the British Channel.

Comforting to feel how the swell out on the water, even on a fairly calm day, can rock this giant mount of steel considerably. I find it reassuring to know that we are not those who govern the elements, but we are in fact governed by them.

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Thoughts steel;

By pure chance, we decided to go and visit the London Assembly Hall on one of its open days. Apparently, it is open to visitors one weekend each month, and we just happened to pick one of those.

What a brilliant site. The building looks slightly crooked from the outside, but it fascinatingly twisted, bended, torn and shifted once you are inside, and make your way down the giant spiral staircase from the 9th floor all the way to the assembly hall on the ground floor.

A modern architectural delight, and a must-see for all amateur photographers. Almost every visitor was excited about the ever-changing, and ever so bended and twisted views. It is so nice to see a modern steel and glass building bringing out so much artistic inspiration in its visitors, and for those who might be more technically inclined, visiting the building provides an excellent opportunity to marvel at modern engineering.

Highly recommended local sight. The London Assembly Hall. Some of the good wife’s pictures are available on Flickr.

Out and About City Hall, london, London Assembly, London Assembly Hall, Norman Foster;, steel;

Day 2 takes us to Poring Hot Springs and the rainforest canapé walk. I had been looking forward to the canapé walk, but sadly, this was a bit of a disappointment.

First: two thirds of the walk were closed because a tree had fallen down and destroyed the rope bridges that connect various trees up to 50m above ground. Fair enough. Bad luck.

Second: while the remaining rope bridges dutifully wobbled and impressed thus, the whole thing was designed on a slope. We had to walk up the slope until we reached a point from where a small tower lead to the rope bridge shown here; the height above ground then was gained by walking away from the tower. While being a valid approach, I had hoped to be fitted with a harness and allowed (and supported) for a vertical ascent up a tree trunk.

Third: because the whole thing was a wobbly but quite safe affair made of (steel) rope bridges as opposed to some contraption made from a harness and abseil-gear, the experienced lacked in the canapé department, as the highlight was the wobbliness and height above ground, not the presence in the canapé.

The hot springs also weren’t very hot and not very inviting for a bath, so what remains of the first full day in Borneo is a good getting used-to life with the group of 16 travellers. Not bad for acclimatization both in the literal and the figurative sense.

The report on day 1 is here.

Out and About steel;