I read the newest Jeffrey Deaver novel on the plane here (mom and dad, I'll send it to you...it's really good...) and it was all about privacy. And I've been thinking about this privacy thing. So in the interest of privacy, you'll all be reduced to a first initial in my blog. Sorry.
R. and I arrived in London on Thursday morning around 11. We managed to arrive relatively unscathed, and made our way to our hotel, which was in South Kensington, an area that is quite posh (think Lambroghini dealership and Madonna...). Unfortunately we did not have one single celebrity sighting, but fortunately the hotel was clean, safe, near a tube station, and didn't require us to sign over our first born.
Thursday we went to the British Museum and saw the Rosetta Stone and the Elgin Marbles (so cool!). We walked across the Millenium bridge (the one where Rene Zellewigger as Bridget Jones determinedly declares her lost weight and her resolve to snag Daniel once and for all) with the intention of going to the Tate Museum. We were too tuckered out to see any more museum, so naturally the answer to all bodily needs is: beer. We headed to a pub and had a few pints before heading back to the hotel and absolutely crashing.
Friday we were still feeling museumed out, so we headed to the East End which was historically the Jewish quarters. Now, it's mostly populated by South Asian families, namely of Bengali descent. We saw the Spitfield market, which is flanked by Spitfire Gate. This market used to be used by the Fruit and Vegetable Growers and Wool Traders of London. During the Second World War, the Fruit Growers sponsored the acquisition of a Spitfire, which was then called "Frutation". Hilarious.
We had a delicious Bengali lunch and finally experienced the 'made-infamous-by-pete' onion bhajee'. They were delicious.
After a much-needed jet-lag nap, we headed for supper at a lovely Italian restaurant with S. and M. on the banks of the Themes.
Saturday we saw...wait for it...The Natural History Museum, The Victoria and Albert Museum, and The Imperial War Museum. Then we headed out for supper and drinks with D.
The Natural History museum was amazing--part victorian museum complete with curio cabinets and woodwork to die for, part ultra-modern museum complete with an animatronic T-Rex that was the highlight for me. Actually the highlight was this little boy, around age 2, who was crying both because he was scared of the T-Rex and because he didn't want his dad to take him away from the T-Rex. This pretty much sums up how I feel about graduate school.
The V and A was amazing. I got to see a whole bunch of William Morris original wallpaper and fabric, and a few original Aubrey Beardsley drawings and first editions of the Yellow Book! I was in Nerd Heaven.
however, R. definitely surpassed me in nerddom when we arrived at the imperial war museum. He was like a kid in a candy store. That musuem is amazing--full of tanks, and other historical weapons I don't know anything about. There were war exhibits for both World Wars (the WWI exhibit had a replica trench, which luckily for me they left the rats out of...) and a special exhibit on the Holocaust that was moving, fascinating, and a little overwhelming in its scope.
We spent about 3 hours in that musuem and then it was time for...Beer. On our way to Soho for supper with D., we saw a book-fair (we were good and didn't buy *anything*), a very drunk man trying to get us to buy him cotton candy (proof that public drinking isn't always a good idea), and got to fully experience the rush-hour tube.
Soho Supper was Korean food and delicious. I even tried beef tongue. Luckily, I'm not a vegetarian.
Today, we've been at S. and M.'s place, and then took a barge ride down the Themes to Greenwich. It was beautiful weather here, and Greenwich is lovely. We even saw an aircraft carrier, which made R. very happy. Greenwich was a complete madhouse, because this aircraft carrier was around, alongside the usual 3 or 4 sunday markets, and the maritime museum. Nevertheless, it was a blast.
I realize there is too much detail in this blog post, but since my later entries are going to sound something like "I went to the library today and came home.", I figured I'd try to make the most of the fun news I have while it lasts.
We're off to Edinburgh tomorrow where the real work will begin. But not before we tour a scotch distillery...
more later. xo
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J: Glad you got to see the best London has to offer. Having said that I'm a little perturbed that R got to go to the War Museum and saw an aircraft carrier all at the same time. Doesn't seem right and extremely unfair. XOXO M&D
ReplyDeleteI loved the V & A. Saw a great exhibit on fashion through the years there... feet got tired eventually, and I, like you, also found beer... although i walked for what seemed like forever in the rain to find it... man... it was so good!
ReplyDeletethe Tate was also lovely - i only went for one thing, and one thing only... damien hirsh and his "mother and child divided" that was on display...