Category:Travel

The 2019 MLB London Series

MLB brought major league baseball to Europe for the very 1st time ever. There was a rumor floating around for quite some time: the New York Yankees would play the Boston Red Sox in London in an official MLB game. As long time Yankees fans, that had my best friend and I pretty exited. So when the official announcement came, we bought a pair of tickets to one of the games and set sail to London. Better yet, we boarded an Eurostar train for London.

We had tickets for Saturday’s night game. So after checking in to the Marriott hotel and doin’ some shopping, we headed down to the London Stadium, formerly the Olympic Stadium for the 2012 Olympic and now home to West Ham United. Found our seats, grabbed a bite to eat, made friends with the Dutch and English setting next to us and go all psyched up for the game.

After an exiting 1st inning, the score was tied at 6 – 6. That hadn’t happened in MLB history for more than 30 years. 4 hours and 42 minutes later our team came out on top: Yankees 17, Red Sox 13! Yankees win! Yankees win! Yankees win!

Selfie at the MLB 2019 London Series
The MLB 2019 London Series
The MLB 2019 London Series

C2C Festival London

I’ve spent the weekend in London for the C2C Festival. C2C is a country festival at the O2 Arena. It had a fantastic line up this year: Faith Hill & Tim McGraw, Kelsea Ballerini, Ashley McBryde, Sugarland, Ashley Campbell, Kacey Musgraves, Danielle Bradbery, Emmylou Harris, Little Big Town and my 1st ever chance to see Lindsay Ell live. Tons of good music. I came back with a big smile on my face and a bunch of signed CD’s.

Lindsay Ell Live at C2C Festival 2018

My iPhone was pretty much the only camera I had on me all weekend. And it still surprises me that–in the right conditions–it is an amazing camera. I shot this view from the platform of the West India Quai DLR station on our way to the festival.

London City View and Marriott Hotel from West India Quia

I’m Going to Graceland

Or rather: I’ve been to Graceland. This is the last of the posts about my holidays in Tennessee this spring.

After having a blast in Nashville, my buddy Luc and I traveled to Memphis. The soundtrack to that leg of the trip started with Paul Simon’s Graceland, but that was just a prelude to lots and lots of music of Elvis. Elvis lived in his mansion in Memphis–named after the original owner’s daughter–from 1957 until his death in 1977. It is now a museum and a US National Historic Landmark.

Did you know it is the 2nd most-visited house in the USA? 2nd only to the White House in Washington D.C.

Elvis Presley's Graceland

Currently owned by Elvis’ daughter Lisa Marie Presley, the grounds and the mansion are quite crowded with over 650000 visitors per year. It’s so crowded, you hardly have time to get a good look at the rooms inside the house. Fortunately, you are allowed more time to visit his gravestone.

The media room at Elvis Presley's Graceland
The living room at Elvis Presley's Graceland
Elvis Presley's Last Resting Place

The museum across the street from the mansion offers many artifacts of Elvis Presley’s career and personal life. You can wonder around there for hours. Lots and lots of stuff to see: private airplanes, stage costumes, awards, golden records and so many cool cars.

Selfie at the Graceland Museum
Elvis Presley's Private Airplanes
Elvis Presley's Pink Jeep
Elvis Presley's Stage Costumes
Elvis Presley's Military Uniform

London Is Always a Good Idea

I spent a few in days in London the other day. I wanted to go see Little Big Town at the Royal Albert Hall. But I also had plans to take a couple of nice photos around town so I packed my camera gear too. On my list were The London Eye and the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich.

The London Eye
Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London

Even if you only have an iPhone on you–you don’t always need a big expensive camera–it is possible to make cool photos in London. I made these at Neal’s Yard, Canary Wharf Tube Station and the Natural History Museum. And I made them all with my iPhone.

Neal's Yard near Covent Garden, London
Canary Wharf Tube Station, London
Natural History Museum, London

Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum

The Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum front, bordering the Music City Walk of Fame Park, resembles the keys on a piano keyboard combined with the tailfin of a 1959 Cadillac Sedan. And the tower is a replica of the WSM radio tower.

The Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville

Inside the building’s rotunda, all Country Music Hall of Fame inductees are commemorated with their own commemorative plaque below the Carter Family’s–yes, that would be the relatives of June Carter Cash–classic country song tittle Will The Circle Ge Unbroken.

The Honor Gallery at the County Music Hall of Fame & Museum

The museum showcases anything country related: from Elvis Presley’s “Solid Gold” Cadillac to instruments and wardrobe by famous country artists like Hank Williams, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, the Dixie Chicks, Minnie Pearl and Emmylou Harris, as well as the recording studio once used by Owen Bradley.

Elvis Presley's Solid Gold Cadillac at CMHOF
Gibson Guitar Belonging to Hank Williams at CMHOF
Dixie Chicks Wardrobe at CMHOF
Guitar and Wardrobe of Taylor Swift at CMHOF
Memerobilia of The Grand Ole Opry's Minnie Pearl at CMHOF
Wardrobe of American Idol 2005 WinnerCarrie Underwood at CMHOF
Guitar Owned by Emmylou Harris at CMHOF
Owen Bradley's Recording Studio at CMHOF

And when I saw Taylor Swift’s tou bus parked in the museum, I waited for hours for Ms. Swift to come out. When I realized she wasn’t there, I finally gave up. But not before snapping a selfie in front of her tour bus.

Selfie in Front of Taylor Swift's Tour Bus at CMHOF

The Johnny Cash Museum

I had planned to write a daily blog post about my trip to Tenneessee, but oh boy, how I have failed. Even 3 months after being back home, I still have a couple of photos to process. But hey, I look at this way: taking this long to go through my photos keeps the memories alive. And there are plenty of nice memories.

The Johnny Cash Museum on 3rd Ave in Nashville, TN surely was one of them. I liked Johnny Cash’s music but got really sucked into it after seeing the 2005 biopic Walk the Line with Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash and Reese Witherspoon playing the role of June Carter. So the Johnny Cash Museum was a must-see place for me while I was in Nashville.

The Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville
The Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville
The Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville
The Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville

RIAT 2017

We had quite a bit of fun at last year’s Duxford air show. So much so that my buddy James dropped a list of 2017 air shows to the gang and asked if anyone was up for a few shows. I don’t think he knew what he was getting us into. He had the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford (UK) on his list. That would have not been a big deal if it wasn’t for the USAF Thunderbirds coming to that show.

I had not seen the USAF Thunderbirds in 25 years! We had not seen the USAF Thunderbirds in 25 years!

Plans were drawn. Luc, James and I got together, booked a hotel in London and the Eurostar to get to London. Oh wait… We also needed tickets to the air show. And it was sold out! It took us a couple of dozen of emails and some help from friends to get a hold of tickets: “Thunderbirds are GO!”

And not even a little grey skies would keep us away. It was touch-and-go with the weather though. With a cloud base as low as 600ft at some point, some displays got cancelled, but not the USAF Thunderbirds.

USAF Thunderbirds Flying the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon
USAF Thunderbirds Flying the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon

Adding to my excitement were displays by the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey and the Airbus A400M Atlas. I had never seen them displayed before. Both planes have amazing capabilities. It don’t always have to be fast moving jets to be impressive.

Airbus A400M Atlas at RIAT 2017
Airbus A400M Atlas at RIAT 2017
Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey at RIAT 2017
Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey at RIAT 2017

The Music City’s Neon Lights

I have totally fallen in love with Nashville! They call it the Music City and I love music. Nashville is obviously the heart of country music. But there so much more. Music streams from every bar and restaurant in the city. Bands playing the honky-tonks on Nashville’s Broadway compete for your attention day and night. Sometimes they even play too loud to have a normal conversation over dinner. But they add to the atmosphere of the city. It is cool to stroll up and down Broadway on a Saturday night, look at the party people, have a drink and listen to the bands wailing under the bright neon lights of the all the bars they play.

Nashville's Broadway Neon Lights
Nashville's Broadway Neon Lights
Nashville's Broadway Neon Lights

Travel Soundtrack

As I pack my bags to leave for a trip to Tennessee for nothing but good food, a lot of booze, country music and time to shoot some photos, I have made a little Spotify playlist that will make them long drives over country roads a party.

There’s so much great music originating from Tennessee: blues, rock’n’roll, a bit of folk and a whole lot of country. I know for sure I will have a blast while I’m out there. YES! I will go visit the Grand Ole Opry!

But before heading to Tennessee, I go to Atlanta, GA to see Faith Hill & Tim McGraw in concert.

Duxford Air Show – Meet The Fighters

The Imperial War Museum Duxford is home to a series of World War II airplanes. It is also renowned for their air shows staring their collection beautifully restored airplanes. You’ll see Spitfires or a Catalina and sometimes Sally B at other air shows. But you don’t often get to see them in 1 show. Going to the September show at Duxford therefore was a treat to me.

I am absolutely mesmerized by the beauty of the PBY Catalina. I’ve been waiting for a few years now to get a couple of nice photos of it. So I was happy to see it fly against a clear blue sky.

Consolidated PBY Catalina
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Consolidated PBY Catalina

Sally B is the only airworthy B-17 Flying Fortress in Europe. See is the star in the movie Memphis Belle and is based at the museum in Duxford. Her crew is doing an awesome job at keeping her in shape.

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

And what would an air show in the UK be without those 2 very famous British-design warbirds? I had not seen an Avro Lancaster “Dambuster” fly for over 10 years I think. And I’m not sure if I have ever seen so many Spitfires take the air at the same time.

Avro Lancaster
Supermarine Spitfire
Flight of Supermarine Spitfires