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
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