The Great River Race on the Thames

We left the Tate Britain and headed back along the Thames towards the Houses of Parliament.  As we walked we heard sounds of chanting and drumming, and the sounds seemed to be coming from the river.  

It turned out that the Great River Race was being run.

Might be a little hard to make out over the traffic noises, the wind, and a bit of rain, but this video shows some of the racers and includes at least hints of the drumming:

We saw a variety of boats in the race, and some of the teams seemed to be in it especially for the fun.  We also ran into a few groups of spectators who either ran along Millbank or who had arranged to get dropped off by cars at certain points along the route so that they could cheer on their friends.

Good fun, even if it did start to rain.

A more serious looking crew,
with another boat's "Party Time" flag in the foreground.

I think this boat is called Holo Nui.

I do believe that boat #110 is Llangwym Skiff.
The hats these rowers wore made me think
of the people you sometimes see in a Monet or Renoir painting.

This yellow boat features some Batman flags.

The Naiads on the Sheila Lewis.

Dragon boat.

I quite liked this view with the greenish buildings in the background.

The view as we got closer to the London Eye.

Passing underneath Lambeth Bridge

A piratical flag on the boat called 2-6 Heave.

The Great River Race

Thames River

London, England

September 2011

Official site for The Great River Race - http://www.greatriverrace.co.uk/

The Thames and the Millennium Bridge

Mr. Hunter stopped while to pose for some photos while he was crossing the Millennium Bridge.

With the Thames and the City of London in the background.

The Thames Festival was going on in front of the Tate,
so when we first headed across the river, the
Millennium Bridge was so crowded.

Amy Winehouse's protege, Dionne Bromfield, was performing at the festival.

The Millennium Bridge and the dome of St. Paul's.

Shakespeare's Globe and Sir Christopher Wren's house.

Looking down the Thames toward the Tower Bridge.

Millennium Bridge

London, England

September 2011

Shelburne Falls

Mr. Hunter has been concerned to read news of the floods caused by Hurricane Irene, including floods that affected a favorite spot of his: Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, home of the Bridge of Flowers and the glacial potholes.

Mr. Hunter admires the glacial potholes
in quieter times on the Deerfield River.

Video of the flooding where the glacial potholes are usually visible:

What the glacial potholes usually look like.

This next video shows the Ann Brauer quilt studio being swept down the Deerfield River.  Sheesh.

What the Bridge of Flowers looked like in 2005.

Another view of the Bridge of Flowers, from September 2008.

And this is what you could see of the Bridge of Flowers after Hurricane Irene came through:

Mr. Hunter loves the Bridge of Flowers.

New England--and other places affected by Hurricane Irene--

we are thinking of you!

Bridge of Flowers and the Glacial Potholes

Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts

September 2008

Travels with Montel: London Sightseeing

More highlights from Flat Mr. Hunter's wanderings in London with Dave.

Posing with the lions at Trafalgar Square.

Dave and his compatriots
stumbled upon some random
Yahoo!-sponsored karaoke event.

With the Thames and the Tower Bridge

London, England

United Kingdom

October 2009

Mr. Hunter Recommends: Mirador Rio Blanco

On our first day in mainland Ecuador, our tour guide drove us to a restaurant in Los Bancos.  It was pretty late in the day, and we were hungry after our ziplining adventure in Mindo.  We walked into the dim restaurant and realized that it had a deck out in back that overlooked this stunning river valley.  

The river, I believe, is called Rio Blanco.

When we first stepped out onto the deck,
the valley was shrouded in mist.

The view of the valley was wondrous enough, but what really made Mirador Rio Blanco a favorite stop on our trip was the birds.  Out on the deck, there was a hummingbird feeder that attracted many varieties of hummers, including (of course) many we had never seen before.  I spent a lot of time lingering nearby and snapping pictures.  By the time our late lunch was finished, I found that the hummers had grown a little more accustomed to my presence, so that I could get closer.

Video of the bird feeder action:

                      

The hummingbird feeder was only one part of the birding magnificence at Mirador Rio Blanco.  Just outside the windows alongside our table inside the restaurant, there was a row of trees with pieces of bananas nailed to the the branches.  Throughout our (delicious) meal, we could turn and watch tanagers, woodpeckers, and more as they stopped to dine.  

I got so excited when I realized that this Thick-billed Euphonia
was not just black and yellow but also BLUE.

And then a Pale Mandibled Aracari arrived!
We hadn't even dreamed we might see a toucan.

Video of the banana bar action just outside the window as we ate.

The pale blue birds are Blue-gray tanagers.

Here's a video of the view from Mirdaor Rio Blanco's deck.  

It's a spot I will always revisit in my mind.

                      

If you find yourself in Ecuador, Mr. Hunter and I hope you have a chance to spend a bit of time at Mirador Rio Blanco!

Hostal Restaurante Mirador Rio Blanco

Los Bancos, Pichincha

Ecuador

June 2011

Drive Yourselves to the City of Salzburg

Naturally, Mr. Hunter is a big fan of The Amazing Race, and he was tickled this week to see teams directed to the city of Salzburg.

Mr. Hunter and his traveling companions basked in this view from the Hohensalzburg Fortress.  That's Salzburg's Old Town in the foreground, and the Salzburg Cathedral (with the green dome) on the right.

The clouds scattered in the blue, blue sky...

The lush green hills surrounding the city...

Mr. Hunter asks me, "When can we go back?"

 Hohensalzburg Fortress

Salzburg, Austria

June 2007

The Ponte Vecchio

Mr. Hunter has such fond memories of Florence.  

Here he is posing in front of the Ponte Vecchio.

The Oltarno district of Florence is on the opposite side of the river here.

 If you're lucky enough to find yourself near the Ponte Vecchio someday, make sure to visit Caffe delle Carrozze's gelateria, which is located quite close to the Ponte Vecchio on the Signoria side of the river. 

Our favorite gelato combination: amarena and coconut.  

Many is the time that I've longed to be standing in this same spot again and indulging in this gelato.

Piazza del Pesce

Florence, Italy

June 2008

Flat Mr. Hunter and (technically) two countries

Flat Mr. Hunter takes in the view from atop St. Peter's Basilica.

Overlooking St. Peter's Square and Rome

St. Peter's Basilica

The Vatican

June 2006