Imagine receiving a notice to say that you must leave your family home within the next month in order to ‘help the national war effort’. Few would have begrudged the cause in the autumn of 1943, but for the villages of Tyneham in Dorset this would still have been a letter that they hoped they would never receive.

Preparations for the D-day landings were in full swing and the Army had developed new, more powerful tanks. These tanks required more space on the Dorset firing ranges for their exercises and the village of Tyneham was suddenly an unwelcome obstacle on their local map. With success in the Normandy landings of paramount importance, the government issued letters to the 225 residents in November 1943 requiring them to move out by the following month.

The move was meant to be temporary as the poignant note pinned to the church door suggests:

The hand-written note reads, “Please treat the church and houses with care; we have given up our homes where many of us lived for generations to help win the war to keep men free. We shall return one day and thank you for treating the village kindly”.

Almost 70 years later and the villagers of Tyneham (and their descendants) have long given up hope of ever returning to their homes. The military continued to use the land for their exercises as the war ended and the Cold War began. In 1975 the Army did allow access to the village and the surrounding countryside on weekends and during holiday periods, and that situation persists today.

The village school has been recreated to show a classroom from the time it was last used. The coat pegs by the door still bear the names of the children of the time while a piano sits along one wall, silently gathering dust. The adjacent village church is also a museum with excellent interpretative displays telling the history of Tyneham long before the 20th century as well as an explanation of life during the war years.

While the church and the school have survived intact the same cannot be said of the houses of Tyneham, many of which have fallen victim of bombardment by practising troops. Little more than shells remain of most properties, no doubt a sad reminder to those few surviving people who remember their childhood years in this tiny village set in the most idyllic of valleys.

Tyneham is a village where time really did stop in 1943. Those temporary evacuations became permanent and houses fell into ruin while people had to get on with their lives elsewhere. Perhaps the residents of Tyneham did feel that they made a valuable contribution to the war effort. This sense of public duty must have been tinged however with more than a little personal sadness at the great sacrifice they had been forced to make.

Tyneham: the British village that time forgot is a post from: 501 Places

We had rushed out of our hotel in Nice to make it to the station in time. In our haste we had left our passports in the room. I sat on the train for the 20 minute journey feeling annoyed with myself. Would I regret this? We were entering another country after all. Surely Monaco would not have strict border controls in place that would send us back to our hotel?

We needn’t have worried. Getting off the train in Monaco is much like any other station on the French railway system. Within a few moments of emerging from the station’s underground tunnels we were at the waterfront, surrounded by some of the world’s largest, swankiest yachts.

Monaco is one of the small group of six European principalities and on the face of it has no reason to be a stand-alone nation. It is the world’s second smallest country (after Vatican City), stretching less than two miles from end to end and extending inland only half a mile from its picturesque shoreline. Yet its independence from its only neighbour France has been recognised for 150 years, while the ruling Grimaldi family have held sway in Monaco for over 700 years.

But enough of the facts; what is there to do or see as a visitor to Monaco? There are probably three distinct areas of the principality to explore, and all three can comfortably be experienced in the same day.

The Old City

High on a hill overlooking the harbour is Monaco-Ville, the old part of town. Upon reaching the top of the hill (a brisk 10-15 minute walk from the road below) the first building to greet the visitor is the Palais Princier. It is worth a look inside to see the many gifts that the leader of a nation receives from others, even when that nation is the size of a small town elsewhere. An audio-guide is included in the ticket and serves the purpose more of pushing people through the palace at lightning speed than actually providing useful information.

We chanced upon the changing of the guard which takes places each day at 11:55. If you’re in Monaco and struggling to make it up to the palace to see this in time, relax. You won’t miss much despite the huge crowds of tourists that gather for the spectacle.

The biggest draw for many to Monaco is the legend of Grace Kelly, the actress turned princess who died in a car crash at the age of 52. Her pictures are found throughout the palace and her tomb in the nearby cathedral attracts a steady crowd. When we visited the cathedral we met a group of bemused American folks on a cruise excursion who had passed the small row of tombs but hadn’t worked out which one belonged to the late princess, despite only one being adorned with flowers.

The old town is perfect for a stroll, especially as the narrow streets offer shady relief from the midday heat. The large Oceanographic museum, once managed by Jacques Cousteau, is the other major attraction in the old town. Even if you don’t choose to venture inside it’s worth a wander down the adjacent steps to the cliff top to see the building’s impressive sea-facing facade.

Monte Carlo

Famous for its casino, this part of Monaco is busy with tourists catching a glimpse of a lifestyle of which most can only dream. Open-top sports cars cruise past the grand casino building and down to the waterfront and the line of yachts.

There is a €10 charge to enter the casino. Most visitors, ourselves included, opt instead to wander into the lobby and enjoy the ornate decor in this historic building which has served as a glamorous location to many a movie.

Alongside the casino is the hairpin section of the Grand Prix circuit that covers most of the territory of Monaco. Once a year the F1 show comes to town and the place is overrun with sports fans. Don’t even try visiting Monaco at that time unless you’re here specifically for the race.

Waterfront

Nowhere in Monaco is more than a few minutes walk from the sea, and as coastlines go this one is very pleasant. Popular sandy beaches are nestled between the upmarket hotels while hundreds of posh boats bob in the perfectly clear waters of this rich man’s paradise.

There are plenty of good food options along the waterfront, once you acclimatise to the astronomical cost of everything in this part of the world. A tagliatelle carbonara and soft drink cost us €20 in one of the more humble establishments. Perhaps visitors need to suspend reality and enter a make-believe world where they own a yacht and a sportscar and can afford anything on offer (another lobster s’il vous plait!)

So is Monaco worthy of a special visit? If you’re a motor-racing fan or gambler with a special interest in the casino, I guess those are reasons alone to make a visit worthwhile. Likewise for those who are on a mission to visit every country in Europe; a stop in Monaco is compulsory. It’s an easy day trip from Nice or Cannes and the return train fare is a little over €5. As a people watching location it is also a good place to sit on a wall and watch the strange world of the rich and not-so-rich play out in front of you. But for most tourists it will remain a day trip from elsewhere rather than a destination in its own right.

Monaco: another day, another country is a post from: 501 Places

On the other side of us a young couple were finishing off their main course. He, French; she, Chinese. Students we assumed, they were deep in conversation as they sat over their empty plates. Were they a couple? It was hard to tell. A lot of students hang out together and share a meal while pondering their assignments or discussing the latest school gossip. He was animated and spoke most of the time. She sat back in her chair, listening attentively and chipping in with a few words and a smile from time to time. It was only as they sat over their coffees and they reached across and held hands that we knew.

They soon left wishing us good night and their table was quickly wiped clean before another couple took their place. Slightly older, and this time clearly together. She was Indian, maybe in her late twenties; he looked Arabic, around the same age and slightly taller than her. This time it was she who spoke a lot more; she was clearly excited about something and he nodded with a smile as she talked. Frequent phone calls interrupted her in her flow and she took each one, speaking with the same bright and smiling tone that she shared with her partner. When he went to the loo she immediately called someone, eager to share her news, whatever it was. And then we found out too, as she pulled out a set of scans from her bag and they passed the images between them, their pride at their upcoming parenthood instantly evident.

Finally, as we were finishing our main course at the table where the Asian man had sat two young men sat down. In their twenties, they sat next to one another, rather than opposite as was the convention here. They fell deep into conversation immediately, only to be interrupted when I handed them a carafe of water that the waiter had brought over. They smiled, we exchanged a joke and then they fell back into their discussion.

Eventually we got up from the table, wished ‘Bonne nuit’ to our neighbouring diners and left them to enjoy their meals away from the curious eyes of these British tourists in their midst.

A night at Chez Papa, Paris is a post from: 501 Places

We decided to make a stop here and had absolutely no preconceptions of what to expect. It turned out to be a very pleasant surprise.

Zaragoza is the centre of the Aragon region of Spain and has been an important city for many centuries. Its rich history is found in the easily accessible Roman and Moorish remains that lie within the city. The historic centre of Zaragoza is a maze of narrow winding lanes, all of which eventually will lead out on the vast open space of the Plaza del Pilar. On one flank of the plaza is perhaps the most beautiful church in the whole of Spain.

The Basilica de Nuestra Senora del Pilar is dedicated to a 1st century apparition of the Virgin Mary on this site. We were struck by the intricate carvings, the lavish paintings and the vast, perfectly proportioned interior. Even to us veterans of too many Latin American and European cathedrals and churches, this one stood out as something special.

An annual festival celebrates this historic event: Las Fiestas del Pilar take place in October and culminate in a giant firework display over the adjacent river Ebro.

At the far end of the Plaza del Pilar is the city’s cathedral, somewhat overshadowed by its neighbour yet still impressive in its own right. Unlike the Basilica which is free to enter, you’ll have to pay 4.50 Euros to enter the Catedral de San Salvador, although this does include entry to the tapestry museum if that swings the decision for you. A large building from the outside, the cathedral has so many side chapels that the central nave appears quite modest in size.

Away from the Plaza del Pilar there is plenty to admire in the heart of the old part of the city. Several impressive churches are open and free to admire both inside and out, while the excavated ruins of a Roman theatre can be viewed for free from a panoramic cafe. An audio guide provides more detail for those who wish to wander freely around the covered site, and a ticket includes entry to the nearby Roman thermal baths.

Not part of the historic city but perhaps Zaragoza’s great treasure is the Aljaferia. Originally a Moorish palace and over a thousand years old, it has undergone many reconstructions and reinventions, none more so than its Christianisation in the 12th century. Now a blend of styles, much of the interior remains unmistakably Arabic and rivals the Alhambra in its splendour.

The Aljaferia is around 1km from the Plaza del Pilar. We arrived at 7.15pm and were warned at the entrance that we would have to rush to see the site before the 8pm close. Admittedly we would have liked to have had another half hour at least to enjoy the rooms of the palace and the beautiful courtyard, but we saw enough to appreciate the beauty of the architecture in this UNESCO World Heritage site.

Zaragoza does not feature on many visitors’ must-see lists of Spain. Having spent only a few hours here it’s puzzling to see why it’s so frequently overlooked. Good food (I had a three course lunch for 10 euros that included a full bottle of wine!), plenty to see and do and some of Spain’s finest architecture should make Zaragoza a worthy city on the main tourist trail.

Why Zaragoza should be part of any trip to Spain is a post from: 501 Places

8 Euros buys admission to the amphitheatre and theatre complex. An audioguide is available for an additional 3 Euros. I highly recommend the audio guide as there are no interpretation boards around the site and without the guide it is very difficult to appreciate the rich history of Merida, its importance in the Iberia of Roman days and of the events that took place in these ruins.
Merida’s construction began around 20BC under the instruction of the consul Agrippa Vipsanio. In its day it was the most important city in the region, and the shows that took place in the theatre and amphitheatre would have attracted crowds of thousands from many miles around and from every class of Roman society. A strict system of social apartheid meant that everyone knew where they could and could not sit. Music, tragedy, parody and ritual slaughter were commonplace in these giant open air structures.

Using the audio guide in its entirety a wander through the site will take around 90 minutes and will introduce the visitor to some of the characters who may have called Merida home and offer a little insight into their lives. I always find these bits of the guides the most interesting, and it is the personal anecdotes that I take away from such a visit.

As we made our way around the site we noticed the sky slowly growing blacker and the wind starting to pick up. Before long the distant rumbles of thunder grew nearer, echoing menacingly around the Roman theatre. We didn’t make it back to the entrance in time, and as we discovered finding shelter from a storm when surrounded by Roman ruins is not easy!

There are other Roman treasures to be found within the city of Merida, and while we only managed a brief look at the Temple of Diana before hunger drove us indoors, we would gladly have stayed another day to get to know the city a little better.

Merida: a Roman marvel in western Spain is a post from: 501 Places

It took us around 10 minutes of walking around to work out that this was not the place we had expected. The splendid looking buildings around the plaza were in fact mainly constructions from the 1960s and more reminiscent of Milton Keynes than Madrid. A small building with a clock occupied the corner of the spacious square, but it was all quite unremarkable.

The streets of any Spanish city at 3pm are likely to be quiet and it was certainly true here. Within an hour we’d found the old Toledo Gate, the statue of the region’s most famous son Don Quixote and the firmly locked cathedral. Our train out wasn’t until lunchtime the next day. What to do?

As any good tourist will advise you, we did what the locals do and took a nap. Venturing out again at 6pm the town had thankfully come to life. Shops were busy, the streets were buzzing with people and the cafes were doing brisk business. We took a look inside the impressive cathedral, having arrived just as the gates were being swung open. Things were at last looking up. The plain looking clock in the plaza turned out to be a very elaborate animated clock (as good as the one in Prague in my opinion), with three life size figures coming out to do their thing for a full five minutes in front of a tiny group of local children with their disinterested parents. There was something to Ciudad Real after all!

Finding somewhere in Spain to have dinner before 9pm can be difficult, but we stepped into an inviting bar that appeared to have been converted from an old music venue. It was lively, pleasant and the food was very good. A stroll through the centre again after dinner and the plaza now looked a little better in its illuminated glory.

Ciudad Real is not cut out to be a tourist town. That doesn’t make it unpleasant in any way; on the contrary it appeared to be a highly agreeable place to live, with its ample shops and its strategic position on the high speed line between Madrid and Seville. Does it deserve a place on the main Spanish tourist trail? It would be a stretch for even the city’s most ardent supporters to make this claim.

I found out later that Ciudad Real doesn’t manage the briefest of mentions in the Lonely Planet Spain book. But if, like us, you find yourself stranded there for a day, don’t despair; take it easy, buy yourself a drink and settle down to enjoy the Don Quixote clock. You could even go one better and look for windmills…

Crap Travel Diaries: stranded in Ciudad Real is a post from: 501 Places

We spent yesterday walking the streets of Paris and visiting the famous spots we’ve had the pleasure to see many times before. Paris is choc-full of instantly recognisable monuments and symbols, and on a sunny day is a photographer’s dream.

Add to the mix tens of thousands of tourists on any one day and you get the inevitable: people stopping at every street corner, by every fountain and in front of every building to strike another pose and add yet another image to their over-burdened data cards.

Having observed with interest the lengths (and in some cases the depths) to which people will go to create that memorable photo, I was drawn to photograph those people who were taking the photos. Here’s a little selection of my own pictures, giving a snapshot of the photographers out on the Paris streets yesterday.

Did they really put these pillars there for this? Yes, I think they did

See a statue with a strange expression? Only one thing to do!

The sly photographer trying not to get caught out... look behind you!

One flying Parisian wasn't too impressed with this photographer

Back a bit...

By the Arc de Triomphe, the traditional Japanese pose

At the Trocadero, where the best poses were on display

That old pose again

The equivalent of the Leaning Tower 'push'

Another classic pose

So that's what those pillars are for...

'Quick, Notre Dame on your right, three o'clock!'

Start 'em young - some Russian kids have better gear than most adults

Paris through other people’s lenses: Photos of people taking photos is a post from: 501 Places

The Henry Moore exhibition at Hatfield House opens on April 23rd and will run throughout the summer months. It is the largest exhibition of Moore’s distinctive work ever shown in a private house. I was involved in organising a preview event for the exhibition recently and as a result was invited to attend. A great day out at Hatfield was made memorable not only by the glorious weather we enjoyed but also by the chance to catch up with many friends from the online world.

I have an uneasy relationship with art. Having never studied the subject nor achieved even the most basic level of competence in any of its disciplines I feel totally unsuitable to provide a review of any sort. It would be rather like asking my wife to provide an analysis of a football match. I can enjoy a painting, a piece of sculpture or a carving for its aesthetic qualities, particularly when it is set in a context with which I have some association: a river scene from old London for example, or a representation of a famous person.

Abstract work on the other hand can leave me baffled and unmoved, with little or no insight into what others are admiring in the same work. It is rather like a colour-blind person who hears others share details of a particular scene and has to accept the vivid descriptions he hears, while experiencing something altogether more plain himself.

Those with an eye for good art will love the Henry Moore exhibition at Hatfield. The pieces are spread through the beautiful grounds, each location selected carefully to match the work. Visitors can view the sculptures from any angle, providing many different perspectives and backdrops to each piece. They will appear distinct against a clear blue sky and different again when the background is a more menacing grey.

For those of us missing the art appreciation gene the exhibition is still worthy of a visit, although some of the more abstract exhibits had me soon focussing on others’ reactions to the work rather than my own. While Moore has a distinctive style the pieces scattered across the grounds of Hatfield House are quite varied. Visitors are encouraged to get close to the sculptures and even touch them, experiencing the many different materials used by Moore to create his work. Even as a philistine I can appreciate this. I hope the pictures below give a little taster of what you can enjoy at Hatfield, regardless of genetic make-up.

Hatfield House

And once you’re done with Moore, take the chance to visit the spectacular interior of Hatfield House, an excellent example of a home of the English nobility that has survived four eventful centuries. Enjoy wandering through the house and gardens and recognising your setting as the location for many famous films and TV shows (Lara Croft?). In fact, the house is celebrating its 400 year anniversary this year, and many special events are being laid on. Less than 30 minutes on the train from London, Hatfield House is a very easy day trip (or even half-day trip) from the city.

Henry Moore at Hatfield: a Philistine’s review is a post from: 501 Places

But it wasn’t always like that. When we lived a long way from London and I had to come in regularly for business I didn’t have a good word to say about the place. I wasn’t alone. While London usually features in any top cities of the world lists, there are a significant few who despise the city and would avoid it at all costs.

The following 10 criticisms are all actual statements I’ve found in anti-London rants in blogs, or have heard first hand from people who’ve felt unfortunate to have lived in or passed through the city.

1. London is expensive. London can be very expensive, particularly when people come here for work and need to find a decent place to rent on a tight budget. Living further out of the city and relying on public transport (see below) is usually the answer. But is this any different from living in New York, Moscow, Madrid, Sydney, etc. etc. ?

2. The food in London is the worst in the world. This one always makes me laugh. Yes, you can get some inedible dross around London’s tourist hotspots and pay a high price for the privilege. Isn’t it the same in Paris or Rome, the culinary capitals?Dig around in London and you’ll find plenty to dispel the myth of bad British food. And in the right neighbourhoods you can find superb Indian, Vietnamese or Middle Eastern cuisine at absolute bargain prices.

3. London is unfriendly. A common big city trait and in my experience no worse in London than anywhere else. Sure, plenty of people on the Tube have their heads in their papers or locked away in the sounds of their iPod, but make the effort and people will generally be willing to assist visitors who ask for help.

4. People ignore you even if you’re in trouble. Will Londoners look the other way if you’re being mugged? In many cases they probably will. It’s a sad part of big city life that enough people have been attacked, injured or worse when intervening in a robbery that others are reluctant to take the risk of getting involved. It’s not a good thing, but again I suspect is no different to any big city in Europe or North America.

5. The London Underground is terrible. When it works it’s brilliant; you can cross the city quickly and easily, and it is one of the best connected systems in the world. Weekend closures, too many strikes and erratic engineering scheduling does mean that too people get caught out and left scrambling for alternatives. London can certainly improve on this one.

6. London is polluted. After a day in London you will probably find yourself picking black bits of stuff from your nose and from your fingernails. It’s the natural result of a city that packs in millions of residents and many more who come in to work. It’s better than it was and for those who complain I would ask them to name a similar sized less polluted city.

7. London is one big traffic jam. However bad the traffic in central London is now, it has to be better than it would have been without the Congestion Charge. And having struggled for two hours just to reach our hotel in Bangkok and was then told that this was quite normal, I think London does pretty well for traffic given its size. Most streets are designed heavily in favour of busses and cyclists, and these are both quicker and cheaper ways to get around the centre than in your own car.

8. No-one speaks English in London. This is of course nonsense, although you are likely to hear dozens of languages in a short walk through the city. For me this is one of London’s greatest assets. It is far more racially integrated as a city than New York for example, with a more diverse population than almost anywhere else.

9. Connections to and from London airports are a joke. Probably most residents would agree here, at least to some extent. Taxi fares from Heathrow to central London are outrageously high, as is the £18 fifteen minute ride on the Heathrow Express. Luton and Gatwick meanwhile are linked to London by a less than reliable rail service than too often leaves people frustrated and angry. London could take a lesson from many of its European neighbours here.

10. London is dangerous. The crime rate in London is relatively low and even more so if you remove the inter-gang related violence that occurs away from any tourist area. Yes, you have to be alert and sensible but doesn’t that advice apply anywhere?

Yes, London has its darker sides, its frustrations and its rip-offs; it’s not a utopia by any stretch. But when measured against other major cities in the world it is still worthy of its place near the top of the list.

10 reasons why people hate London is a post from: 501 Places

The 12 photos in this post give a little taste of what anyone can find if they allow themselves to get lost in London’s endless sprawl.
(All are taken on Saturday 19th March 2011)

Harrods Depository, built in 1894 and once the store room of the world famous store - now a complex of luxury flats

Craven Cottage, home of Fulham FC and the only house inside a professional football ground (I think)

Book displays on the famous King's Road, Chelsea

World's End shop, Chelsea

The world famous home of the Metropolitan Police Service

St James's Park with its famous pelicans, a gift from the Russian ambassador in 1684 (not the same ones of course)

Memorial to the victims of the Bali bombing, outside Horseguard's Parade

Protest outside Downing Street - Pakistani Christians against the blasphemy law

The famous Olympic clock in Trafalgar Square - already a prime photo stop

Gordon Square in Bloomsbury - one of many green spaces in this part of the city

An attractive home in Flaxman Terrace, very close to Euston station

Even St Pancras station has caught the Olympic bug

London walks: Hammersmith to St Pancras is a post from: 501 Places