We have hobbled around London with an over enthusiastic, entertaining, intelligent 10 year old ... this made duties as 'guardians' rather challenging as he kept exercising his superior fitness and youth - Having arrived at the British Musuem we convinced / bribed him to visit his chosen exhibits by himself - leaving us to recover enough to drag ourselves around the exquisite minature paintings of the Rajastham court - \Gardens and Cosmos\ - inspiring ..... My main interest here was to look at and photograph the amazing Norman Foster architectural project of the Great Court .. another dream to tick off the list - VERY beautiful.
Further bribes a bit later included offer of a purchase of a choice of book and temptations on computer games at home while we slept to recover again .... post script - this did not happen! his was due to the tedious, stifling, hot Bus trip along Oxford Street with high screechng noises and smelly people!
Got home - rescued the washing from the back garden (where we really should have been all day) changed our attire and traipsed back to |Clapham Jnc in pursuit of Tomas who disregarded our pleas to 'stay with us' - and respect the elderly. Wathched at 2 yr old almost get run over by a No 77 to Waterloo while parents (not unlike us) sipped lite ales and paid little attention to their off spring until the 77 screeched to a halt.
Another slow and hot trip to Trafalagar Sq to rendezvous with Matt and Glenn at La Tasca a Tapas Bar in the West End. Sustenance was much needed and set the scene for the sojourn in Barcelona. made our way down to the Ambassador to see Stomp - the management had other ideas - they did not have any tickets for us. Finally at the last minute we were given 5 seats located at various individual places - the most uncomfortable seats I have ever sat in - however great view of the show STOMP. Show was NOISY - tap, and very dynamic and skilful - but too much noise for old people like me!
The final drag - staggered home via Tube- stairs - oh there are just so many bloody stairs - smelly people and Travel Cards that can never be found when required. Back at the ranch - Glenn and Tomas home first - I staggered in my Crocs (will have to throw these in the nearesrt bin) followed by Adele and Matt who got way laid in search of cold coke - I'm convinced that the Brits have no idea of refrigeration.
It's now past midnight - fired by a spontaneous combustion ( vodka/tonic and Canada Dry) VERY LARGE ... all Adele's fault - what are Phd SUPERVISORS FOR ANYWAY?
Packed for Barcelona - rest assured we will be diligent and upstanding in our roles as representing our institutions - Is that Swine bourne ?????
Have to go to bed ...BYE Lx
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
A Day of Culture and History
I cannot believe I have only been here 2 days - he weather is hot - 30 today - and my sun tan is coming along nicely! Thanks to those who have commented on the posts as I have enjoyed the connection - It's strange to say I miss the Haddon's morning geek club - but I do and have to use my own imagination when I sit for the first coffee here.
Today I finally realised one of my dreams - a trip t the Tate MOdern - the most amazing redevelopment of the Bankside Power station into a venue of exciting modern art and interaction. The building itself is stupendous - the scale and capacity, not to mention the history. Spent most of the day here - a great exhibition of 'Futurism' movement was one of the features. Sadly, I had built up an expectation of seeing Mark Rothko's work - only to discover it has been moved to the Tate Britain (something to do after Barcelona) The views from the building are also breathtaking - the millennium bridge kinks the Tate Modern to the road leading to St Pauls. One is able to get a vista stretching from Shakespeare's Globe theatre tight across to London Bridge, St Pauls and the up the river to NW. Many photos have been taken!
Exhausted we made our way across the bridge, up past St Pauls (I hadn't realised how massive this building actually is - I think my recently developed architectural eye is helping seeing the world differently) Making our way through the back streets of the East End we finally arrived at Cheapside - at the church of St Mary Le Bow. This amazing church built in 1080 by Lanfranc - William the Conqueror's Archbishop of Canterbury has been reconstructed many times - the medieval Crypt still exists. The Great Fire of 1666 took its toll and the Wren renovation of the towers still exist. The towers of course house the famous 'Bow Bells' - from which one identifies if you are to be considered an 'Eastender' - to do so you have to be born within the sound of the peeling bow bells.
The reaon for the visit to the church was to hear Matt (who sings in a small ensemble choir) perform a program of music from the time of Henry the VIII. It was a magnificent performance - and the acoustics like nothing I have heard before. Hearing such music of a period in such an appropriate setting gives the experience another dimension. We heard rare pieces from Taverener, and my favourites for the evening were a rendition of Jean Mouton's C'est La Guerre and Robert Fairfax's 'Magnificat'.
To end the day we wandered down to Sermon Rd in the Shadows of St Pauls for (too) many Lagers at the Centre Page - one of London's oldest Dickensian Pubs ... I can't remember too much about getting home - safe to say that exhaustion and lager made the Turner sky over the city look even more exciting than ever !
Love L
Today I finally realised one of my dreams - a trip t the Tate MOdern - the most amazing redevelopment of the Bankside Power station into a venue of exciting modern art and interaction. The building itself is stupendous - the scale and capacity, not to mention the history. Spent most of the day here - a great exhibition of 'Futurism' movement was one of the features. Sadly, I had built up an expectation of seeing Mark Rothko's work - only to discover it has been moved to the Tate Britain (something to do after Barcelona) The views from the building are also breathtaking - the millennium bridge kinks the Tate Modern to the road leading to St Pauls. One is able to get a vista stretching from Shakespeare's Globe theatre tight across to London Bridge, St Pauls and the up the river to NW. Many photos have been taken!
Exhausted we made our way across the bridge, up past St Pauls (I hadn't realised how massive this building actually is - I think my recently developed architectural eye is helping seeing the world differently) Making our way through the back streets of the East End we finally arrived at Cheapside - at the church of St Mary Le Bow. This amazing church built in 1080 by Lanfranc - William the Conqueror's Archbishop of Canterbury has been reconstructed many times - the medieval Crypt still exists. The Great Fire of 1666 took its toll and the Wren renovation of the towers still exist. The towers of course house the famous 'Bow Bells' - from which one identifies if you are to be considered an 'Eastender' - to do so you have to be born within the sound of the peeling bow bells.
The reaon for the visit to the church was to hear Matt (who sings in a small ensemble choir) perform a program of music from the time of Henry the VIII. It was a magnificent performance - and the acoustics like nothing I have heard before. Hearing such music of a period in such an appropriate setting gives the experience another dimension. We heard rare pieces from Taverener, and my favourites for the evening were a rendition of Jean Mouton's C'est La Guerre and Robert Fairfax's 'Magnificat'.
To end the day we wandered down to Sermon Rd in the Shadows of St Pauls for (too) many Lagers at the Centre Page - one of London's oldest Dickensian Pubs ... I can't remember too much about getting home - safe to say that exhaustion and lager made the Turner sky over the city look even more exciting than ever !
Love L
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Arrived London
There are novel ways of leaving a country ... being chased out by a typhoon warning is not one I have encountered before. A level 3 typhoon warning ended the VERY long 10 hour sojourn in HKK airport - unfortunately the creatures masquerading as 'swine' dressed in their masks followed me on to the flight (I have never seen so many people in masks before)and continued to irrtate me with their snorting and twitching. It was a very long 12.05 hours.
Glad to see the green and pleasant land unfurl from the fluffy blanket of cummulus cloud - the morning sunrise lit up the Thames turning it into a ribbon of steel cutting its way through the familiar architectural landscape below. Rows of chimneys ... oh how I love them ...I peered over my fellow travellers only to catch a glimpse of 'the Gherkin' - a building I have long waited to see and soon to photograph.
Arrived LHR at 5.10 am and the rendezvous with Adele and Tomas at terminal 4 was well timed.
Much of the rather hot London summer day has been spent sitting in the garden of the 'Matt and Glenn cemetrey accomodation' - for those you who haven't a clue about what I am talking about - Matthew and Glenn's house is bordered by the St Mary's Cemetrey at Clapham Junction. The location paints a stunning vista as the back garden is bordered by Oak, Horse chestnuts and plane trees filled with birds and squirrels. Tomas even spotted a fox in the vicinity. It's nice to sit amongst the familiarity of an old cottage garden. Raspberries, Herbs, hydrangea, daisies, poppies, roses, mallow .... bumble bees bustle, butterflies flit and dragonflies hover - the smell of honeysuckle fills the air ...
We were torn away from this nirvana by a visit to Westminister Abbey - intiated by Tomas whose interest in history needed to be sated. After battling the crowds of tourists (I now know why I have avoided the summer) I found respite in St Margarets Chapel at Westminister a more peaceful and reflective environment while the others did the hard yards.
Finally we made our way to Pimlico - for a lager and lunch at the Queens Arms where we met up with my nephew Dylan and Tessa.. Great to see them again.
I'm now totally wrecked - it's 9.00 and still light - out to the garden for a bowl of berries and then to bed - few pictures tomorrow - I hope
so long ...
Lxx
Glad to see the green and pleasant land unfurl from the fluffy blanket of cummulus cloud - the morning sunrise lit up the Thames turning it into a ribbon of steel cutting its way through the familiar architectural landscape below. Rows of chimneys ... oh how I love them ...I peered over my fellow travellers only to catch a glimpse of 'the Gherkin' - a building I have long waited to see and soon to photograph.
Arrived LHR at 5.10 am and the rendezvous with Adele and Tomas at terminal 4 was well timed.
Much of the rather hot London summer day has been spent sitting in the garden of the 'Matt and Glenn cemetrey accomodation' - for those you who haven't a clue about what I am talking about - Matthew and Glenn's house is bordered by the St Mary's Cemetrey at Clapham Junction. The location paints a stunning vista as the back garden is bordered by Oak, Horse chestnuts and plane trees filled with birds and squirrels. Tomas even spotted a fox in the vicinity. It's nice to sit amongst the familiarity of an old cottage garden. Raspberries, Herbs, hydrangea, daisies, poppies, roses, mallow .... bumble bees bustle, butterflies flit and dragonflies hover - the smell of honeysuckle fills the air ...
We were torn away from this nirvana by a visit to Westminister Abbey - intiated by Tomas whose interest in history needed to be sated. After battling the crowds of tourists (I now know why I have avoided the summer) I found respite in St Margarets Chapel at Westminister a more peaceful and reflective environment while the others did the hard yards.
Finally we made our way to Pimlico - for a lager and lunch at the Queens Arms where we met up with my nephew Dylan and Tessa.. Great to see them again.
I'm now totally wrecked - it's 9.00 and still light - out to the garden for a bowl of berries and then to bed - few pictures tomorrow - I hope
so long ...
Lxx
Friday, June 26, 2009
In Transit - or off the planet!
Hello Hello all ...
I am not sure where or what or how I have got through the last 24 hours - a haze of lists of things to do, things to take - not to take .... the stress of it all now seemingly lost and useless. The lesson of course is (in retrospect) most of what we worry and stress about is wasted energy.
Thanks to Wendy and Bev I found myself at the Mantra Tullamarine - a very luxurious room with an ostentatious king size bed - fake marble bathroom and selective toiletries - some of which I have pocketed and since found that I have left my beloved toothbrush as a token of exchange. Have taken a photo of said bed - without the rent a crowd. It's convenient being a gemini sometimes!!!
Flight CX134 was pleasant enough - I suppose I have to be grateful that the A330 stayed in the air. Sat next to a very nice Mauritian woman nauturopath/masseur from Melbourne who plied me with all sorts of healthy pills and potions. Hence, here I am sitting at the Premium Plaza Lounge at HKK International feeling rather chipper. For a $100 at this pay in lounge I get a massage, internet, shower and all the food I can eat - not bad.
Taking off for London in about 6 hours - hope to be able to include some photos in the next blog.
Lots of love to all of you ...L xx
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Farewell
Hi Gang,
I'm here at Haddon's having a last hurrah with the computer geeks ... friends you may say! on the eve of my departure...
Stay tuned for updates of my ramblings at the front line - that is -pleasure and adventure.
Hola
L
I'm here at Haddon's having a last hurrah with the computer geeks ... friends you may say! on the eve of my departure...
Stay tuned for updates of my ramblings at the front line - that is -pleasure and adventure.
Hola
L
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