I always keep my watch set at the time of the last country I’ve been to so today that’ll be the Czech Republic.
The idea is to keep something of that destination and wanderlust with me though it can cause problems in the morning.
My strange habit all chimes with the Czechs, of course, with their love of an astronomical clock.
Prague‘s biggest attraction, in the Old Town Square obvs but also the clock in Hoptown, Zatec, and its homage to beer.
Scot late the Great
Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh: And, of course, today I’ve been all over the place, and logging on for work that was a full month ago.
Now the fastidious and ever-so-decent people of Edinburgh look after people like me.
By setting their clock three minutes fast to allow people rushing for their train at nearby Waverley Station enough time.
Set in the New Town, staring across Princes Street Gardens and up to Edinburgh Castle it also allows you more time to take it all in.
Philly’s hour of need
Philadelphia City Hall, Philadelphia: And it will come as little surprise to you that I turned up for my Zoom meeting from Washington DC five hours early.
I make only a few apologies for resharing Philadelphia’s Curse of Billy Penn because clocks and times give me that opportunity today.
The 21-year curse on Philly‘s sports teams arose because of the construction of One Liberty Hall.
It exceeded the height of Billy’s statue atop City Hall… a real no, no.
It was all resolved when a statuette was affixed to the final beam topping off the Comcast Cener, now the city’s tallest building.
And the Phillies took baseball’s World Series
Tenerife timing
Iglesia de la Concepcion, San Cristobal de La Laguna: You’ll be breathless after saying all this.
And breathless from the steps, particularly if you’ve been hiking through rain forests and hills on your CanariaWays trip.
But the views are spectacular. Just don’t ring it too early. Too late.
Ancient times
Petra, Jordan: And it may look like a temple to you and me but it’s actually a Treasury.
The same thing to the Nabateans.
It’s also though a timepiece with coded messages.
You won’t need Indiana Jones to decode them though.
Zuhair, G Adventures, expert man on the ground will give you the full lowdown… and Jordan Jimmy will do the rest.
Ben O’Clock
The Elizabeth Tower, Westminster, London: And, of course the tower with the most famous clockface in the world.
Only everyone thinks it’s called Big Ben.
But that is the name of the largest of its five bells.
So who was Ben? Well, either ‘Big’ Ben Hall, the first Commissioner of Works or the boxer Benjamin Caunt.
Ring-a-ding ding!
