Little Foxes

London ~ February 20, 2010

Inside the Natural History Museum, South Kensington

Whether these are bat-eared foxes or fennec foxes (Vulpes zerda), I can't say. Bat-eared foxes live in the savannahs of Africa, while fennecs live on the northern rim of the Sahara desert. The cactus behind them looks to me like it comes from the American Southwest, but there are some forms of cacti in the fennec's range. I don't know of any American foxes with such big ears. The fennec is the smallest of the foxes.

This carving is among many that adorn the inside of the amazing building of the Natural History Museum in London, and will feature more in future posts. This carving is found on the newel post of the stairway leading to the second floor.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Two Worlds

Oxford, England ~ February 18, 2010

The High Street

Every step we took along the pavement was a photo, and I fell in love with Oxford. The clock tower is part of The University Church of St. Mary the Virgin.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

White Horse

Oxford, England ~ February 18, 2010

52 Broad Street

I'm continuing "England Week" here and on Tapirgal's Daily Image. I thought of cropping this photo to give it a cleaner look, but I absolutely love all of the window details and the lamp in the lower right. So, please bear with the clutter and enjoy the details. The White Horse is across the street from the famous Sheldonian Theatre. We were on our way to the Ashmolean Museum (on a mission, and it was closing soon) and we didn't go inside the White Horse. Too bad, it sounds like a great pub. Every inch of Oxford was a photo, and every inch was beckoning.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Dudley Castle Keep

Dudley, West Midlands, England ~ February 16, 2010
Dudley Castle Keep

Image Search / Wikipedia

It was a gloriously sunny day when we took the train from Banbury to Dudley to visit Dudley Zoo, its tapirs, and tapir keeper Laura Robbins, along with the historic and extremely picturesque Dudley Castle, begun about 1071. More on all of this in blog posts to come. There are photos of Banbury and two of Dudley Castle on Lee's blog post, Seeing the Past.

I have left both plaque photos large. Click on the image and you can read about this remarkable castle.

This post is a continuation of my personal theme week, "England," which started on March 1, although I posted the first photo from the trip on February 27. See also March 2 and March 3 if you missed them :)

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Where William was Born

Stratford-upon-Avon ~ February 17, 2010

This is the rear of the house where William Shakespeare was born (birthdate unknown, baptized 1564). A tour allows visitors to walk through the somewhat-renovated home and meet a few actors in costume who tell about the history and answer questions. I thought it was quite fun, although I would like to have been able to take photos inside.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

London Panda

London ~ February 14, 2010

Isn't that a giant panda going down the escalator in one of London's tube stations?

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

How Many Have Dreamt of Living Here?

Warwick, England ~ February 17, 2010

Warwick Castle Great Room

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Paternoster

Paternoster Square, London ~ February 13, 2010

A plaque on the front of the sculpture reads:

PATERNOSTER

Elisabeth Frink (1930 - 1993)

Originally commissioned

by Paternoster Development Ltd

First unveiled by Yehudi Menuhin in 1975

Reinstated by Mitsubishi Estate in 2003

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Birds on a Crest

Oxford, England ~ February 18, 2009

This is one of a number of painted crests carved on the old wooden exterior doors of the Bodleian Library.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Grand Old Dame on Oxford Street

London ~ February 13, 2010

Selfridges, Oxford Street

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.