Sim Carter: Past Tense Imperfect

Image via thestudiotour.com One of the perks of working as a tour guide at Universal Studios was being able to tool around the backlot, getting up close and personal with the facades, mostly mere  painted pieces of plywood, nothing more than shells supported from behind by some 2 by 4’s. Sometimes the buildings were decorated with slabs of foam molded in the shape of bricks. On camera it works. Up close, the faux brick is slightly spongy to the touch. Just a bit of fakery.  While New York Street probably got the most use as a filming location, it was Little Europe that fired my imagination. Walking along the cobblestone road, passing the charming shopfronts, it’s easy to imagine French cafes and patisseries come to life.  The last time I saw Paris—and the Universal backlot—was in the mid to late eighties. These days I can conjure the same feeling of being transported to another time and place on my daily walks around my own neighborhood.  Built in 193...

Bonjour! Can you guess where, precisely, this picture was taken? I love the diamond motif on the staircase, and the diamond pattern the lattice-work trellis creates on the wall. I shot the photo in France when we were there last spring, but where exactly? It took me a moment to remember where until I spotted the man tucked beneath the stairs.  So who was he and what was he doing? He isn’t Harry Potter, I can tell you that. An American tourist? A French student? I’m not sure. What was he doing? Drinking a cup of coffee. Perhaps a Cafe Américain or maybe a cafe au lait. Chances are it was espresso.  Where? Any guesses? I’m betting some of you more experienced French travelers will be able to pin it down.  The answer: Starbucks on the Boulevard Saint Michel just down the road from Boulevard Saint Germain. Located quite near our hotel, Cafe de Flore and Deux Magots were both just up the street but on that occasion I just wanted to grab a coffee and take it back to...

It's not much to look at, the Embankment Underground Station but as we headed out from the station, on our way to Trafalgar Square we saw an extraordinary piece of architecture. On the left of the passage between the Embankment Underground Station and Charing Cross Railway Station, an ultra-modern building completely out of synch with the rest of its surroundings. I love the two large round windows, set like a pair of eyes. This looks like a toy for a giant. I want to spin the center bit! What is it???? The problem is, I don't know exactly what it is! My camera identifies the building as 34-36 Villiers Street but those readings aren't always exact, are they? When I look the address up, searching for info about the building—who designed it, when it was built, what is it—I come away basically empty handed. It's next door to The Arches Shopping Plaza, it could be part of the complex or it could be part of the Charing Cross Railway Station. Or s...

Vintage Roundel, Turnpike Lane If it's Friday we must be back in London.   Every Friday I take a virtual walking tour ‘above ground’ on the London Underground. Using  my Tube guide & my fitbit® device, my goal is to walk 10,000 steps a day roughly following along the Underground route, reporting back here on Fridays with my findings.  Here are the previous days . We're wrapping up our walk tracing the path of the Piccadilly Line. This is Day 42. We are getting to the end of the Piccadilly line and let’s be honest, we’re in the burbs. The last stop on the line is Cockfosters—I know, here in the states we would never be able to call anything Cockfosters without incurring a rash of nasty jokes—is almost 7 miles up ahead. For now, since there's not much to see in the way of attractions and points of interest, let’s just take a look at some of the stations along the way. The stations, all designed by Charles Holden, are of historical architectural interest...

The Twelve Pins Pub, Finsbury, London If it's Friday we must be back in London.   Every Friday I take a virtual walking tour ‘above ground’ on the London Underground. Using  my Tube guide & my fitbit® device, my goal is to walk 10,000 steps a day roughly following along the Underground route, reporting back here on Fridays with my findings.  Here are the previous days . This is Day 41. Just a few more stops on the Piccadilly Line to come! I’ve been a bit off track from my trek Above Ground on the London Underground lately. Today I’m back on schedule, picking up where we left off at the Arsenal Station , heading north on the Piccadilly line. Yup, football fans, the station is named after the team and the stadium located nearby. So, let’s pretend we won the game and head out to our favorite local to celebrate. One of the pubs Arsenal fans frequent is the Twelve Pins, an Irish pub named after the mountain range in Ireland. The pub has been in existence sin...

Hammersmith Station, Christian Hook   I’m taking a virtual walking tour ‘above ground’ on the London Underground. Using  my Tube guide and my fitbit® device, my goal is to walk at least 10,000 steps a day roughly following along the Underground route, reporting back here on Fridays with my findings. Currently following the Piccadilly Line. This is Day 20. Last week I ended my weekly virtual walk at the Hammersmith Underground Station. After my pub crawl I might have ended up sitting on a bench, like the family in Christian Hook’s portrait above. Unlike the family, busy modern Londoners,  scanning phones and checking briefcases, waiting for their train, I was just taking a break before I hit a couple of must-see Hammersmith sites.   The Ark, Hammersmith: Ralph Erskine/Architect                                                 ...

Osterley Park and House I’m taking a virtual walking tour ‘above ground’ on the London Underground. Using  my Tube guide and my fitbit® device, my goal is to walk at least 10,000 steps a day roughly following along the Underground route, reporting back here on Fridays with my findings. We're on the Piccadilly Line. This is Day Three: My last 10,000 steps took me from Heathrow to Hounslow   where I stayed at the Osterley Park Hotel, not to be confused  with Osterley Park and House, the  sumptuous  National Trust property dating back to the mid-1500 ’ s that I ’ ll be  virtually  visiting today . Although, if this google comment from Lindsay H. is to be believed, the Osterley Park Hotel might as well be that old.  “ T he motel part is terrible, dingy, not even worth the cheap price. The wifi can hardly stay connected long enough for me to write this message.  The mattress was the all time worst, I could feel every single spring a...