Another Weepy Day in London: Perfect for Seeing ‘The Rosettis’ at the Tate Britain; Wren at the Guildhall Art Gallery and the ‘Treasures of the British Library’ at 50!

Monday, Jul 31, 2023

Another Weepy Day in London: Perfect for Seeing ‘The Rosettis’ at the Tate Britain; Wren at the Guildhall Art Gallery and the ‘Treasures of the British Library’ at 50!

I am still on Bombay time and still waking up at about 4.30 am. The house is quiet, Battersea is still asleep, the overhead planes have not yet begun their flight path across the area to Heathrow. It is the perfect time to sit and blog, to edit my photos and send them off to a few select groups of friends. I also had a chat on the phone with Llew who is recovering slowly but surely from his bout with the flu. I then went in for a nice hot shower.

Breakfast was muesli with yogurt, milk and honey. Roz was leaving her home at 8.45am for work and I left with her. I was headed to Sloane Square to run an errand at Jo Malone which I did. I left with a nice gift—enough said!

I then took the Tube to Victoria and changed to get to Pimlico where I began my short walk to the Tate Britain. It was drizzling and I thought it would be best to spend most of the day indoors, greedily feasting on some of the summer art exhibitions of the city.

‘The Rosettis’ at the Tate Britain:

And so at 11.00 am, there I was. I had the place, if not quite to myself, at least not too crowded. I did not know exactly what to expect of this exhibition. So I was happy to find that it traced the literary and artistic contribution to the illustrious and highly talented 19th century British family that had the last name Rosetti (probably a result of some Italian ancestry). There were four siblings: Christina, William, Gabriel and Maria. All of them showed early tendencies towards artistic creativity; but of the lot Christina blossomed into a fine poet (I had studied much of her poetry in high school in Bombay) and Gabriel (who took the nickname Dante after his hero, Dante Alighieri) founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood with his brother William and became one of the best-known painters of the late 19th century. Together with his best friends at Oxford, William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones, he pioneered the Aesthetic Movement which evolved into the Arts and Crafts Movement. I have followed the lives and work of the Pre-Raphaelites for decades as I am passionately fond of their work. Hence, my deep interest in this exhibition.

The early part of the exhibition focused on the poetry of Christina, the early life of Gabriel, his entry into art school, his use of his mother and his sister as models for his work. There are a huge number of drawings and studies of his work in the first few galleries and if one is in a hurry, it might be best to go over them really swiftly to be able to focus on the last few galleries where a feast awaits. There are at least 15 huge oil paintings by Gabriel that use his own wife Elizabeth Siddal as a model. Sadly, she died within two years of their marriage by overdosing on laudanum mixed with opiates which she took for various aches and pains. This was a common 19th century remedy but chances of overdosing were always high. Gabriel took her death hard and his work became morose and focused on subjects that dealt with grieving.

Not long after, he became romantically involved with Jane Burden Morris, wife of his best friend, William Morris. The liaison shook the very foundations of the Pre-Raphaelite Movement and, for a while, there was an estrangement in the group. However, when Jane returned to William Morris, they patched up their friendship and moved on. The last few canvasses in which a very recognizable Jane Morris is the main subject featured in the guise of various Greek goddesses and figures from mythology, are particularly striking. Overall, it was a lovely way to see the major works of Gabriel (many from the Delaware Art museums) all in one place.

I decided to give my feet a rest and munch on my make-shift lunch. I had picked up an almond croissant and a hazelnut yoghurt from Waitrose on the King’s Road earlier in the morning, where I had killed some time before the stores opened at 10.00 am. I sat in the basement café at the Tate and ate my lunch and thoroughly enjoyed them both. I am basically ticking off items that I simply must eat when I am in London and the next item on the agenda will be the chocolate eclairs from M&S (which I cannot believe I have not yet eaten).

On the Bus and Tube to the Guildhall:

I had a 2.00 pm ticket to enter the Guildhall Art Gallery which is a free museum and where I was keen to see an exhibition called ‘The Big City’. I took a bus from outside the Tate Britain (as I was too tired to take the Tube from Pimlico which would involve a 10-minute walk). The bus took me on a See-London tour from Parliament Square and Big Ben, down Whitehall, past the Cenotaph, 10 Downing Street and the Horse Guards, on to Trafalgar Square before it made a sharp left to get to the Duke of York Monument at Haymarket and then rounded the bend to get to Piccadilly Square before arriving at Regent’s Street and sailing past Hamley’s before stopping at Oxford Circus.

I got off the bus and jumped into the Central line Tube going east to get off at Bank (was happy to pass through my old station, Chancery Lane, on the Red Central Line) and was at the lovely corner of the City where the most important financial buildings of London are based: The London Stock Exchange, the Bank of England, Mansion House (Home of the Lord Mayor of London), and just a block away, the Church of St. Lawrence Jewry (so-called because the area was once wholly populated by Jews), the Guildhall itself and, catty corner to it, the Guildhall Art Gallery which has a small but exquisite collection of Victorian paintings that feature London as a source of inspiration. It was still raining and I got into stride with a sweet little lady who was heading in the same direction and looking for the Guildhall too.

Inside the Guildhall Art Gallery:

Once I cleared Security, I entered the Guildhall Art Gallery only to find that I was a day too late for ‘The Big City’ exhibition--however, the canvasses were not quite down yet and I managed to catch a glance of a few of them, especially the very historic one featuring the coronation of George V.

However, there was another new exhibition—one on Sir Christopher Wren. They have replicated his ‘office’ in London, not too far from St. Paul’s Cathedral which he was tasked to rebuild after the Great Fire of 1666. This was a very cute space, the walls covered with his architectural drawings for so many of London’s churches (some not standing anymore) as well as other recognizable buildings such as the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford. There is a large machete of a cross-section of St. Paul’s which is also awesome. What I loved was a depiction of Wren’s London (which would make a really gorgeous scarf, I thought).

Once I finished looking at the temporary exhibitions, I moved on to the Main Gallery floor and the one above it. This contains the Gallery’s permanent collection and includes several lovely works by Tissot, Lawrence Alma-Tadema and William Holman Hunt. But what really appealed to me this time round were two canvasses by John Everett Millais—the first depicts a sweet little girl sitting in church with a deeply attentive expression on her face. It is entitled, ‘Her First Sermon’. The second one, right by its side, depicts the same little girl in church, wearing the exact same outfit, but this time the picture is entitled, ‘Her Second Sermon’. Needless to say, she is fast asleep! There is both realism and humor in this depiction—and that’s why I loved it so much. I also took a photograph of ‘The Musicians’ by Lord Leighton and a large-scale 2009 depiction of The Lord Mayor’s Procession which takes place annually in London in early November.

On the Bus to High Holborn:

Again, the rain had not subsided and the ache in my feet and legs continued. It made sense to jump into a bus rather than walk to the Tube station. I was early for my appointment with my friend, Michelle, which was to be at the British Library. Hence, I decided to take the No. 8 bus from Poultry heading towards High Holborn. It was a grand opportunity for me to go past Smithfield Meat Market (which closed down just last week for complete renovation) and to pass through the Charterhouse area before arriving at Holborn Circle in time to get my camera ready to take pictures of the bus as it approached my building at 7 High Holborn.

was not long before I jumped off the bus, headed straight into M and S (which I always used to think of as “my pantry” since it was just across the street from my building—perfectly located for when I suddenly needed to get downstairs to buy something at the last minute). I picked up a package of 2 chocolate eclairs from there with the idea of eating them as a snack for tea.

I then crossed the street and went straight to my building—only to find that my concierge, Arben, was at his desk. I felt really fortunate to find him there as, oftentimes, he is away from his desk or has finished his duty for the day by the time I get there. He always gives me a most warm and affectionate welcome and it is indeed a joy to chat with him and exchange latest news about the building’s residents. He told me that my former landlord in the building, one Mr. McGovern, who actually lives in Ireland, had paid a recent visit to his flat and had mentioned me to Arben as the American professor who had proven to be such a fantastic tenant and whom he wished would come back! I was deeply touched by this and thanked Arben for sharing the information with me. We took some photographs together before I said goodbye to Arben.

On to King’s Cross:

My plan was to take either the 17 or 45 bus from Gray’s Inn Road (which is just at the side of my building) to get to King’s Cross. But when I walked down the road, I realized that they had really moved the bus stop (which used to be right near Argos) to the far end of the street. Annoying! But hey, what I have realized about London is that things keep changing all the time—bus routes, bus stops, etc. etc.

I ate an éclair on the bus and enjoyed it immensely before it was time for me to get off as we had arrived at King’s Cross Station. I was really tired by this point and decided not to go immediately to the adjoining British Library as I would invariably want to enter the galleries to take a look at more temporary exhibitions. Instead, I found a seat on the waiting passengers’ benches and, discovering that there was free wifi at the station, I was able to send out photographs to friends as well as edit my pictures. I spent a really productive hour in this way before I received a text from my friend Michelle. She informed me that she had arrived early at the British Library and would wait for me at the appointed spot, right opposite the entrance to the Treasures of the British Library at 50. I texted back and told her that I would be with her in 5 minutes.

Meeting Friends for A Fish and Chips Dinner:

And so it was that ten minutes later, Michelle and I were having a most affectionate reunion on the main floor of the British Library where I found that the décor had changed (as it keeps doing from time to time). We spent more than an hour nattering away before my friend Roz would have finished with work and would be able to join us for dinner. She received instructions from Michelle on the whereabouts of the North Sea Fish Restaurant on Leigh Street where Michelle’s partner, Mark, would also be joining us.

By the time Michelle and I strolled in leisurely fashion and arrived at the place, both Roz and Mark had already reached and had made each other’s acquaintance. Of course, we all got along really well and then quickly broke the ice as we ordered drinks. I had a pale ale, they all decided to share a bottle of white wine (since we were eating fish). We also all got the fish and chips with one having cod (me), another getting plaice (Roz) and another getting haddock (Mark). Michelle chose to have the shrimp scampi. These were served with large baskets of chips (with tartar sauce and ketchup) and for all of us, shared orders of mushy peas (which traditionally go with the dish). Needless to say, it was all delicious and we thoroughly enjoyed the meal even as we chatted about everything from sports, to movies, to forthcoming trips.

Sadly, at the end of a very enjoyable evening, we had to say our goodbyes. We all walked together to King’s Cross station where we took a few more pictures and parted company to take different Tube lines.

Roz and I took the train to Vauxhall and the 345 bus from there. We were both full and too tired to stay up much longer than to bid each other goodnight and make our way upstairs to bed. We knew we had a long and busy day ahead of us with our trip to the Kentish coast—to the Isle of Sheppey. And since it was our plan to leave by 8.00 am, we decided to make an immediate night of it.

Until tomorrow, cheerio!

A Brand-New First Full Day in London Could Not Have Been Lovelier

 A Brand-New First Full Day in London Could Not Have Been Lovelier

London

Friday, May 6, 2022

First Full English Brekkie of this Trip:   

 I awoke to a brand-new day in my favorite city. What can be more gratifying than to know you have a whole day ahead of you to spend as you wish in the city of your fondest memories? So, I did not waste too much time on my phone. I got cracking right away--a shower in a very spacious, spotless bathroom, set me off for the day. I dressed in layers and carried my hoodie and made my way to the hotel's restaurant for brekkie. Needless to say, I would be treating myself to a Full English.

    The restaurant was almost empty when I arrived there at 7.15 am. The buffet was vast and substantial and I began with muesli with cold milk, a helping of berries and a cup of decaff coffee. Next, I ate a croissant and a pain au chocolate. And I finished with the hot buffet--scrambled eggs, 1 rasher of bacon, 1 sausage, baked beans, grilled mushrooms, grilled tomato, 1 hash brown. Yes, I was fueling up for the day and would probably not eat again until 4.00 pm. This has been my tried-and-tested strategy when in the UK and it always works for me like a dream.

Doing Basic First 'Chores':

    I returned to my room to pick up the items I needed for the day when I would, first of all, attend to all 'chores' I undertake as soon as I arrive in London. No sooner did I step out than I realized I had been blessed with a gorgeous day! London was brisk and sunny and offered a perfect day for exploration on my feet. I went straight across to Holborn Station to use the machine to top-up my Oyster card (which I did carry with me) with a week's unlimited use of Tube trains and buses. This weekly pass has also gone up in price from 27 pounds when I last bought it to 32 pounds. Still, it makes great value for me and I am a devoted fan. That done, I crossed the street to Sainsbury (which was almost empty) to buy a Lebara SIM card so that I could have online and phone service for the next one month. Sadly, they had run out of Lebara and directed me to the next block, past Southampton Street and Sicilian Avenue. There, I did indeed find a card that offered 10 GB, 100 international calling minutes, unlimited local UK texts and calls for just 10 pounds--the miracles of modern telecommunication. That new SIM card fitted into my I phone, I immediately called my Dad (I had texted his Man Friday earlier to inform him about my safe landing) and spoke to him and my brother for a few minutes, before I decided to get ahead with my day.

First Port of Call--The British Library:

    I hopped into a bus immediately that was headed to King's Cross and within ten minutes, I was at the imposing gates of the British Library--another second home in London. I did not have an appointment to renew my library membership which had expired in the lean years of Covid non-travel, but was accommodated anyway as there is almost no one renewing at this time. A few minutes later, I was in the room I know so well, getting logged on using my own username and password and presto, within a few minutes, I was seated with an assistant who checked out my two forms of picture ID (my passport and US driver's license), my picture was taken and I was presented with a brand-new membership card. If only everything in life were as trouble-free! 

    I did not lose any time getting to the third floor where the Africa and Asia section is located and where the records of the India Office from the 1600s till 1947 are now located. This has also been my second home and the space responsible for at least one book and many scholarly articles I have published. Using the computers there in that section, while gazed upon a clutch of splendidly-clad, oil-painted Indian maharajas, I identified the items I need to be brought out for me to facilitate the current research I am doing on Western Performing Arts in Bombay, particularly Drama in British colonial times. I am eager to find out which traveling theatre groups from London performed at the port of Bombay and what exactly their program offerings were. This material will be made available to me shortly and I an also access it online with my membership. Membership renewed and material requested, I used the restroom only to be charmed by the fact that, despite Covid, institutions such as the British Library are still using rolls of cloth towels. I suppose they are curtailing paper usage and aiding the environment.

Perusing the Treasures of the British Library:

    Next, I made my way to the first floor where I always go and take a peek at the permanent exhibition that is entitled "Treasures of the British Library". In fact, I rarely leave London without feasting my eyes on the incredible collection of this dimly-lit gallery as there are items that take my breath away and others that I see, for the first time, whenever I visit. This time, it was the personal diaries and notebooks of the late Black Atlantic novelist Andrea Levy who passed away in 2019 and whom I'd had the privilege of meeting in 2009.  This bequest is one of the latest in the Library and I almost teared up when I realized I was looking at museum pieces of someone I actually knew and whose work I deeply admire. Her Small Island is one of my favorite novels of all time. 

    Among the other Treasures of the British Library that caught my fancy this time round were:

1. Mozart's composition 'God Is My Refuge' composed in 1765 when he was 9 years old and living with his family in England for 3 years.

2. A letter from Jane Austen to her brother Frank placed on her own mobile writing desk.

3. An extract from Charles Dickens' first draft of The Pickwick Papers.

4. Lyrics from 'A Hard Day's Night' and 'Michelle', hand written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney in a section entitled The Beatles.

5.  Le Corbusier's original plan for the design and construction of Chandigarh, capital of the Punjab, India.

6.  The Diamond Sutra in Chinese--the world's first-known novel created using text and images in the form of wood blocks.

7.  A page from a notebook maintained by Michelangelo with a rough sketch on it.

8. The First Folio of 1623 of the Complete Works of Shakespeare published by Hemmings and Condell.

9. A handwritten letter from M.K. Gandhi to Lord Irwin, then Viceroy of India, complaining about the British attitude towards non-violent protest among Indian peasants to the defiance of the ban on making salt privately. Brought tears to my eyes. 

10. Loads of terrific medieval manuscripts that were created and decorated my monks in their abbeys. They became the private prayer books of royalty. 

    On my way out of the Library, I stopped by to see the Samuel Tapling Collection of stamps that forms the bulks of the Philatelic permanent exhibition. I also browsed around the gift shop but did not find anything to grab my fancy.

In the Renaissance Hotel at King's Cross:

    Since I was close to King's Cross and would actually be passing by the Renaissance Hotel, I stopped inside to catch a glimpse of one of London's best-kept secrets: the gorgeous imposing staircase that winds around to the painted rooftop. This secret stairwell is papered in crimson that sports gold fleur de lys designs, has dark, black exposed beams, an utterly glorious Arts and Crafts-style patterned carpet (in the manner of William Morris' designs), lacy wrought-iron supports, a wrought-iron and wooden bannister and Gothic window-frames. This was the original St. Pancras Station which, if you can believe it, was almost razed to the ground and was only saved by the efforts of one of my favorite poets, Sir John Betjeman. It has been brilliantly re-designed to become a five-star hotel, but all the trappings of the erstwhile railway station such as the Ticketing Windows, the Waiting Room, etc, have been retained. As an architectural relic of 19th century London, this is simply one of my favorite buildings of which few people know and fewer still actually come to see. The stairwell and the winding staircase (reminiscent of the main winding staircase in the old Taj Mahal Hotel in Bombay) is a masterpiece of neo-Gothic design.      

Surveying the Offerings at Waitrose: 

    As I knew that there was a large Waitrose just behind King's Cross Station, I walked towards it. I needed to cross Regent's Canal by the handy footbridge. Loads of folk were enjoying the glory of the first of the beautiful spring days in London. As it was almost lunch-time, most people were eating take-away lunches on the Canal's banks where canal boats were still moored, on the opposite side. I found Waitrose, past a sale of food and health-conscious beauty items and cosmetics in the lovely covered market that has been newly-created in the refurbishment of the King's Cross area. I decided to buy a few of my favorite things--yes, all terribly unhealthy for me--a big pack of tiramisu, packets of Ainsley Herriot's Wild Mushroom Soup and Thai Chicken and Lemongrass Soup and a tub of honey yogurt. I was not yet hungry, but part of this would become a lunch-time snack for me as I sat in the covered market and people-watched.  London is simply heaving and it is impossible to believe that we ever had a global pandemic.

I then entered the Underground and walked for quite a while below ground until I arrived at the Piccadilly Line where I decided to get off at Holborn. I needed to get back to my hotel by 2.45 pm as I had two online classes to teach that would take me until 5.00pm.

A Joy Ride on my Favorite London Bus Route--the Number 11:

    When I emerged into the sunlight of Holborn, I realized that I still had about 90 minutes before my first session began. So I crossed the street to Boots to buy myself a pair of clip-on sunglasses (as mine had lost their prongs in Bombay). No deal. I was directed to the big Boots at Tottenham Court Road (from where I had, actually, bought a pair, several years ago). 

Thames and its Bank-side Buildings:

    So I crossed the street, jumped into a bus going to Aldwych from where, as it crossed Westminster Bridge, I had the most magnificent glimpses of the Thames on a brilliant day when the light was just right for pictures. I saw St. Paul's Cathedral, the brutalist architecture of the National Theatre (on the south bank), Hungerford Bridge, The London Eye, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, the Cheese-Grater, and was put in mind of Wordsworth's wonderful poem, 'On Crossing Westminster Bridge'. Surely, he would be stunned by the selection of skyscrapers that London can boast.

Free Sight-seeing of Bus No 11:

I would next catch the No 11 bus. This offers a free See-London tour and there can be no better perch than the upper deck, front and center. And so that's what I did and that's the route to which I treat all my visitor-friends to London. We sailed down Fleet Street, arrived at Trafalgar Square from where I caught my first glimpse of one of my favorite places on earth--the National Gallery--glided down Whitehall where I caught sight of the Horse Guards in front of the Parade Grounds, Inigo Jones' masterpiece of architecture at Banqueting Hall, the Cenotaph surrounded by poppy wreaths, the gated entrance of No. 10 Downing Street on a day when the UK went to the polls and Labor had a huge victory trouncing the Tories (I have always said that Kier Starmer--whom I really like--will, one day, be Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland). Then, we were on to Parliament Square where I caught my first glimpse of a newly-spiffied up Big Ben Tower, sailed around St. Margaret's Church where Henry VIII married Katherine of Aragon, his first wife, in a long line of six, and on to the front entrance of Westminster Abbey where so many contemporary monarchs have married. At Dean's Yard, on Victoria Road, I got off and crossed the road to get to the other side, so that I could begin my return bus journey home. The bus (24) took ages to come, much to my irritation, but when it did, I got off at Tottenham Court Road and switched to the Tube--only to discover that I walked for miles underground before connecting to the Central Line that took me to Holborn (just one stop away). I might have reached faster if I had walked on the road!

Teaching Two Classes from my Hotel Room:

    I made it in time to teach my first class only to discover that the wifi is terribly unstable in this hotel and I  had the worst reception. Not to be daunted, I coped (as did my students--the first in Lagos, Nigeria, the second in Bombay, India)--once again, I am struck by the miracles of modern technology. Despite the glitches, we ended up having really good, productive sessions and I closed the sessions assuring them assuring my students that I will see them again soon (on zoom).

 Time for a Nap:

    My next appointment was not until 6.30 pm and since I had finished at 5.00 pm I had the time to curl up for one of my legendary naps. I fell asleep promptly and awoke about a half hour later feeling fairly ravenous. I was able to use the kettle in my hotel room to heat water to make myself a cup of soup and consume a chicken sandwich and slice of cake (from my airline trays as they served too much on board) and then quickly got dressed for my next ride. I was going to meet my former student, Tanya, at Chandos Pub at Trafalgar Square at 6.30pm. Refreshed and provided with my second wind, I left my hotel. I took the No 38 bus from Theobald's Road which is just two minutes from the entrance of my hotel and was at Trafalgar Square in a very short time. I found the Chandos Pub (again, one of my regular landmarks when meeting friends) but by the time Tanya turned up, straight from work, about ten minutes later, I was ready for a hot drink--a satisfying decaff latte, not a glass of cider!

Catching up with Tanya in Ole and Steen, a new Danish coffee shop on Charing Cross Road, made time fly by. One of my favorite coffee shops, the Italian Cafe Verganamo has closed down and been taken over by another chain. Tanya had so much to share with me since the last time I met her--when I had taught her class just before the pandemic closed all in-person classes at NYU. I had, in fact, provided her with a reference to grad school and she had been admitted into the University of Cardiff in Wales to get her Master's Degree in Environmental Studies. It was not long before she found a job in London (as she is a Canadian citizen, she can work legally in the UK) and had arrived in London just four months ago when it was bitterly cold. Having grown up in Oman, it has taken her a while to get accustomed to winter in the Western Hemisphere (although she did spend four years getting her undergrad degree in icy New York at NYU). I brought her up to speed on my position and, over a coffee, to which she treated me, we chinwagged for about half an hour before deciding to move on to our next port of call.

Saying Hello to my Favorite Canvases at the National Gallery:

    So, since I know that the National Gallery has late-evening closing (until 9.00 pm) on Fridays, that is traditionally where I have spent my Friday evenings every time I am in London. Other folks were already thronging the pubs as the weekend beckoned, but I was entering the Sainsbury Wing with Tanya and hurrying to the second floor to give her my own personal Highlights Tour of the National Gallery. She had never been to the National Gallery and simply could not believe her good fortune that her introduction to its collection was with me. So here are the items we perused on a whirlwind tour that lasted 90 minutes:

1. The Wilton Diptych

2. Michelangelo's unfinished Entombment of Christ

3. Michelangelo's unfinished Manchester Madonna

4. Ghirlandaio's Virgin and Child

5. Robert Campin's Man and Woman

6. The Arnolfini Marriage by Jan van Eyck

7. Magdalen Reading by Rogier van der Weyden (one of my favorite medieval painters)

8.Venus and Mars by Sandro Botticelli

9. Every painting by Carlo Crivelli including his Demidoff Altarpiece (as he is my favorite Renaissance painter)--many of the canvasses have moved to a special exhibition of his work in Birmingham.      

10.The Battle of San Romano by Paolo Uccelo

11.Saint George and the Dragon by Paolo Uccelo

12. The Baptism of Christ by Piero della Francesca

13. The Family of Darius Meeting Alexander by Veronese

14. Leonardo da Vinci's Virgin of the Rocks

15. Leonardo da Vinci's Burlington House Cartoon

16. An Allegory of Venus and Cupid by Bronzino

17. The Origin of the Milky Way by Tintoretto

18. Bacchus and Ariadne by Titian

19. The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein The Younger

20. Erasmus by Hans Holbein The Younger

21. Christina of Denmark by Hans Holbein

22. The Cartoon of Henry VII and Henry VIII by Holbein

23. Allegory of Venus and Time by Giovanni Batista Tiepolo

24. Velasquez's Toilet of Venus

25. Willem Kalf's Still life with Drinking Horn (which should really be titled 'with Lobster' as it is the dominant, most stunning, item on the canvas)

26. Pieter de Hooch's Courtyard of a House in Delft (my very favorite painting in the National Gallery)

27. Young Woman Seated at a Virginal by Vermeer

28. Young Woman Standing at a Virginal by Vermeer

29. The Equestrian painting of Charles I by Van Dyck

30.  Mr and Mrs. Andrews by Thomas Gainsborough

31. Whistlejacket--the most arresting painting of a horse in the whole world, by George Stubbs

32. The Haywain by John Constable

33. The Fighting Temeraire by Turner

34. The Umbrellas by Renoir

35. Bathers at La Grenouilliere by Monet

36. Water Lillies by Monet

37. Bathers at Asnieres by Seurat (which inspired the musical A Sunday in the Park with George)

38. Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh

39.Wheat Field with Cypresses by Van Gogh

40.The Execution of Lady Jane Grey by Paul Delaroche

So there you have it! My Favorite Forty!!!! Tanya was just overwhelmed and lost for words! She has promised me that she will come back to the National, every Saturday she can, and begin to peruse the paintings with the care and time they deserve. 

 End to a Fabulous First Day:

    So, there was nothing more to do, as we were hustled out of the museum by tired guards at 9.00 pm, to wander out on Trafalgar Square and admire the gorgeous beauty of a spring twilight as the light faded on my first day in London. We took a last few pictures together against the lovely backdrop of the Church of St. Martin-in-the Fields and Nelson's Column, as we hugged and kissed and said goodbye. Tanya will be coming to my presentation at NYU on Monday evening when she will bring along another one of my former NYU students who is also working currently in London.

    I jumped into the 29 bus and got off at Tottenham Court Road from where, opposite, Centerpoint, I took a 38 that brought me directly to Theobald's Road, just a few minutes from the entrance to my hotel. 

    It was a day to remember and, believe me, with everything going according to plan, I could not have asked for a better one.

    I hope you will enjoy armchair-traveling with me through the coming month. 

    Until tomorrow, cheerio...      

       

      

    

British Library (Again), Martin Shaw in Hobson's Choice, Completed East End Walk

Wednesday, August 10, 2016
London

British Library (Again), Martin Shaw in Hobson's Choice, Completed East End Walk

    London was cloudy and chilly when the day began but it warmed up considerably by the time the afternoon rolled around. Hurrah for these great days and the joy of the summer sun on our faces!
    I awoke at 6. 30 am today and did a bit of research online for the places I'd like to lose myself in as the days go by. Mainly I looked at taking a trip to Dorset today as I am keen to see Dorchester (base for touring the home in which the novelist Thomas Hardy was born called Hardy's Cottage and then Max Gate--in the same area apparently where he lived as an adult). While there, it is my intention to visit the seaside town of Lyme Regis for its Jane Austen and John Fowles' connections and then on to the Jurrasic Coast (for I'd like to see Durdle Door and West Bay, the town that was the setting for the TV series Broadchurch). Big plans! I can only hope they will come to fruition.
     So before I knew it, I'd booked National Express coach tickets to get to Weymouth (the Dorset coastal town that will be my base) and back and next thing I knew I was booking a room for 2 nights in a B and B. These steps--getting transport then getting accommodation--is so reminding me of the last time I lived in London when such planning had become second nature to me.  Hopefully, all will go well...Fingers crossed!

Brekkie and Off:
     I had to hurry through a shower (after spending time on my Dorset bookings) as I wanted to get out of the house by 9.15 am. My goal was to get to the Vaudeville Theater on the Strand to snag a Day Ticket to see Martin Shaw in Hobson's Choice. Because, of course, today is Wednesday---and on Wednesdays, there are theater matinee shows to be had for the asking!
     Consequently, I showered, ate a hurried brekkie of toast with Nutella and coffee and was off--at 9.25 to be exact. Shame on me--ten minutes behind schedule!!! It would never do. Still, I thought of how much I had managed to accomplish even before I left the house and it was not too shabby after all.

Snagging Tix to see Martin Shaw:
    On the Tube I went to Embankment with a change to the Piccadilly Line at Leicester Square to get to the Strand. I am trying hard not to take the Northern Line as I find its complicated structure causes a lot of walking in the tunnels underground as one tries to change platforms. Hence, from Leicester Square I actually preferred to walk to Charing Cross and take a bus from there for one stop. Having the monthly Travelcard is a real boon as I think nothing of hopping in and out of buses, sometimes for just one stop!
     I was delighted to arrive at the theater at 10.15 and find a Day Ticket for just 20 pounds waiting just for me. It was in the very first row and, for a moment, I wondered if it made any sense to buy it. But then I did--and believe you me, it was simply awesome. Again, I caught every line, every expression. Only in my dreams could I possibly get tickets this good in New York!

On the Tube to the British Library:
     Since the matinee show began at 2. 30 pm, I would have about three hours of research at the British Library before giving myself enough time for the return trip to the Strand. And boy!!! Did I make use of every precious second.  Not only did I have a frightfully exciting time and a very fruitful one at that as I found every reference I was seeking (and then some!) but I was able to use my phone camera to take pictures of so many pages in the century-old magazines I was perusing. I cannot even begin to express how gratifying my research is proving to be.
     Right on schedule I finished browsing through my material and feeling hugely pleased with myself and very confident now about being able to start writing my paper for presentation at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland next month, I collected my things for departure. In fact, with the pictures I managed to collect, I feel very strongly that I should use Powerpoint to make my presentation even more exciting. So there you have it...days of work in the libraries have paid off and in a couple of days, I shall begin working on my paper.

In the Vaudeville Theater on the Strand:
     The Vaudeville was packed to capacity and, dare I say it, the average age of the audience was 80 if they were a day! I felt fully at home among these reverent spectators who had clearly come, like moi, to see Martin Shaw with whose work I am familiar in Judge John Deed and currently as Detective Inspector George Gently. Both Llew and I are very fond of him--so I am sure Llew feels a bit jealous to read that I saw him in the flesh this afternoon.
    The play was simply delightful. It is an old Victorian comedy that is celebrating its centenary year and every aspect of it was perfect--from the music to the acting, from the direction to the casting. In addition to the widely popular Shaw, there was also Christopher Timothy who had played vet James Herriott in All Creatures Great and Small--many moons ago. He has aged, of course, but he is still lovable and it was absolutely a thrill to see him too. All of the other actors, much younger though they were, did a splendid job to keep us chuckling repeatedly as the plot unfolded in the most charming of ways. Suffice it to say that I loved every second of it.           

Covent Garden on a Grand Afternoon:
    It was only 5.00 pm when I emerged from the theater--too late to get to the Choral Prayer Service at St. Martin's-in-The-Field Church that I would have liked to attend at 4. 30 pm and too early to get back home--not on an evening when the sun was still shining brightly and the city was vibrant with excited tourists.
     It made sense to nip behind the Strand into Covent Garden--to watch the buskers at work in the main square, to sample teas at Whittard, to nibble chocolate and cookies in the other tea shops that have sprung up, to listen to an astounding classic vocalist sing Nessun Dorma and Andrew Lloyd-Weber compositions, to spritz on perfumes at L'Occitane and Penhaligon  and Miller Harris without feeling the pressures of time or the guilt of work left undone. This was why I had worked like a dog ever since January--so that I could enjoy London on my own terms and at my own leisure. I was going to take it easy because I felt entitled to. So there!

Completing a Walking Tour of the East End:
     When I'd had my fill of Covent Garden and its pleasures, I jumped into the Tube and decided to get off two stops before my usual one--at Aldgate East. I still had about five stops to finish on the Walking Tour of the East End that I began yesterday. And so right outside the station, I found the wacky building that is the Whitechapel Art Gallery (which I have visited before) and which was closed by the time I arrived there. I found that is joins the old Passmore Edwards Library that once provided reading material for the residents of the area. Most of the community spots Passmore ran have closed down or been converted into centers for other uses.
     I then made my way into Brick Lane, a street that all London guides proclaim as a Must See for modern-day tourists, much to the joy of the Bangladeshi tradesmen and restaurateurs who run brisk business there. For me, the area is a veritable treasure house of historic fact and odd detail and I reveled in the collection of churches that became synagogues that became mosques--for the area attracted immigrants through the ages from the Huguenots who arrived from France, to the Eastern European Jews to the Muslims from the Indian sub-continent who escaped the Pakistani Civil War of 1971 to find refuge in this neighborhood. I passed by the ancient dwellings (terraced houses) of the first residents of the area in Fournier Street and Princelet Street before arriving at a mosque that has a separate entrance for women and on to the old homes where Jewish litterateurs once held court. Bagels might still be bought at a bakery at the end of Brick Lane that sells them cheaply...but I was heading towards the end of the walk and did not get that far.
     Back home on the bus, I passed the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, one of the oldest establishments in the country that has been in continuous business since the 15th century and which is responsible for casting Big Ben and the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. Since I had actually paid a visit there, a few summers ago, I did not stop there.

Dinner and Blogging:
     It was still only 8.00 by the time I reached home. I had eaten my cheese sandwich in the theater--but was hungry enough to have some soup, risotto and praline meringue roulade before I continued to do some research on how to get to Chartwell, the home of Winston Churchill, on Sunday.
     And then I caught up with email, watched a bit of TV and decided to call it a day. Another magnificent day--and I can find absolutely nothing to whinge about! Yes!
     Until tomorrow, cheerio...         

More Research at British Library, Lunch Time Piano Recital, National Gallery Highlights and Walk in East End

Tuesday, August 9, 2016
London

     Today offered another mixed bag. I started it off with the best of intentions--I was going to spend most of it at the British Library reviewing the vast amounts of material I have requested. But I am not waking up at 6.00 am--which always gives me a head start on the day. Instead, I am awaking at 7.15 or thereabouts and then trying to catch up on email and other travel inquiries while still in bed.

Breakfast, Shower and Out the Door:
    In that order--breakfast (muesli with yogurt and coffee) while I reviewed some of the accommodation options Chriselle had sent me for Eastern Europe--then a shower, I was on my way, earlier than yesterday (10.00 am to be exact) and at 10. 45, I was entering the British Library to get deep into my reading.
     It was good to arrive at the library before most of the other readers. I am getting fond of the Asian and African Reading Room on the third floor with the august oil portraits of erstwhile Indian maharajas staring down, dour-faced, at me. This morning, I was delighted to find a reference and an account of the Ayah's Home in Hackney that sheltered many a female domestic servant of Indian/Asian origin. There was even a picture! Lots of information about the lodging-houses that were a-plenty all over London in the late 19th and early 20th centuries filled in many gaps for me of the kind of habitation available to the very first Anglo-Indians who arrived in the UK. Finally, I poured over the Letters from India of a certain Mrs. Eliza Fay whose missives were edited by none other than E.M. Forster and published by Virginia and Leonard Woolf's Hogarth Press. My interest in the book centered on a Eurasian female maid Mrs. Fay took along with her to England on one of her return voyages only to treat her rather shabbily by abandoning her at St. Helena.  It is Forster who provides interesting details of this encounter in his End Notes. I was about to make my own notes on this discovery when I found that it was nearly 12. 30 pm. I hoped to catch the Lunch time concert at St. Martin's-in-the-Field church and thought I'd given myself enough time to get there from King's Cross.

Lunch Time Piano Recital at St. Martin's-in-The-Field Church:
     Needless to say, I did not allocate time for the Tube connection I had to make at Euston where one walks for miles in the tunnels below before one finds the right platform. I was so disheartened.  Still, not willing to give up, I made the effort to race on.  This, despite the fact that I have been plagued ever since my arrival here, with a persistent back pain--sometimes so severe that I have started using a pain-killing ointment for it. Tomorrow, I intend to call a doctor to make an appointment as it is severe and often debilitating.
     I arrived at the venue--the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields--five minutes after the concert by Chiyan Wong had begun--this meant we had to decorate the porch of the church with our presence for another five minutes as he finished the first movement of the Beethoven Sonata he was playing. Bummer!  Still, I was not entirely disappointed for, in due course, we, late-comers, were invited in and I caught the entire second Beethoven sonata as well as the one by Chopin that followed.
     Chiyan Wong, originally from Hongkong but now a Londoner, was a sheer delight. His talent and his virtuosity were mind-blowing. In the rich confines of the church (where I had once attended an Indo-Western fusion music concert with my cousin's son, Sudarshan, many years ago), the sound effects were just stunning. I seriously wish I had the time to attend every single one of these concerts--but because they occur in the middle of the day (when I am usually engaged doing other things), it is so difficult to fit them in. The church was packed with tourists--most of them American--and though the concerts are free, I found most people dipped into their pockets to make voluntary contributions when the red buckets were held out at the exit at the very end. What a brilliant mid-day treat!

Highlights Tour at the National Gallery:
     Since it was such a beautiful afternoon, there was simply no way I could take myself back to the Library in a hurry. I have to try to balance work with the sheer pleasure of enjoying the day. Summer days in England are fleeting--soon autumn with its shorter days and its bracing breezes will be upon us. There is no time like the present to enjoy the feel of the warm sun on our faces. So, I decided to eat my lunch on the plaza in Trafalgar Square (in the midst of the thousands of tourists that had congregated there). As the clock hands crept to 2. 30, I entered the Sainsbury Wing to join one of the Highlights Tours given in the Museum.
     I have to say that it was one of the most disappointing ones I have ever taken--not just in the National Gallery but anywhere in the world. I don't believe our guide was a museum curator or indeed even a trained docent. He told us he was an artist (not sure what kind--painter? sculptor? ceramist?--who knows?) I don't know whether it is the policy now of the National Gallery to "dumb down" the commentary offered and to restrict items shown to just a few. But the fact was that we were only shown three paintings--yes, just three in a whole hour!--and there was nothing even vaguely intelligent about what was said. We saw Jacomo di Chioco's Adoration of Mary by the Saints, Titian's Bachus and Ariadne and Joseph Wright of Derby's Experiment with a Bird. Basically, there was no introduction to the artist or to the genre or to the topic. What we got was a description of the scene in front of us--and that was it. "What is the woman looking at?" he asked "And what color is her robe?" he inquired. He might have been talking to five-year olds. No historical background about artist or era, no attempt to unravel symbols, no interpretation whatsoever. I have never been more disappointed by a highlights tour. I will have to take one more just to see if the entire concept of giving tours has changed (as I recall taking some really superb guided tours over the years at the National) or if it was simply our bad luck in getting a guide that, in my humble opinion--needs a lot more training giving tours.

Back to the Library:
     It was time to get back to the library and since I had such a hard time with the Tube, I decided to take the bus instead (believing it would be faster and more direct). There too I was mistaken for the 73 bus was on a diversion route and did not go back to King's Cross--it was headed to Victoria. I let three buses go before I discovered what was going on! By the time I reached the Library, it was about 4. 30 pm and I then remembered that, given the time difference, it was a good time to call my Dad in Bombay and speak to my brother Russel too.  
     Dad had a great deal to share with me, not least of which was his take on India's fate at the Olympics. I gave him all the time in the world he desired because I know just how much these chats mean to him and by the time I got back to my carrel in the library, it was almost 5.00 pm--and guess what? The Reading Room was closing!!! I was under the impression that they were open till 8.00 pm as the Locker Room is open till then!   

A Walk in the East End:
     Well, there was nothing I could do except get back home, drop off my laptop and then use the evening to discover bits of the East End I have yet to know. I had a quick cup of tea and a cheese scone at home and then I grabbed my Frommer's Memorable Walks in London and set off.
     The East End has always been the poorest part of London and an area that was always swarming with immigrants through the ages. From the Jews to the Huguenots to the Bangladeshis to the Eastern Europeans,  this area has spread its hospitable arms to them all like Lady Liberty in New York. The end result is a hodgepodge of neighborhoods that bear the distinct stamp of varied ethnicities and the aromas of the regional cuisine they brought with them. My walk was supposed to take 2 hours, but I figured I would do it in two parts since it was already 6.00 pm as I was leaving the house and I did want to get back by 8.00 at the latest.
     I took Bus 205 heading to the City and got off at Aldgate Tube Station. From there, it was a quick right to the Church of St. Botolphs which is undergoing a major landscaping renovation. The church dates from before the Great Fire of London (1666) and this is evident in its sharp single steeple design and the ancient black and white stones of its wall. Just past it is the Cass Foundation, set up for the education of poor boys and girls. It has a blue-coated figure in a niche at the entrance to denote that it was a Free School. This area was once fully populated by Jews and so the Bevis Marks Synagogue was the next item on the trail. This is the oldest synagogue in England (dating back to Elizabethan times) and it still conducts full services for the local Jewish population--of whom not many remain as there was a massive exodus towards Northwest London (the area of Kilburn and Golder's Green) in the 1950s. At some point, I do hope to enter the synagogue that was closed by the time I reached it. In the same area, I passed by Frying Pan Alley and Petticoat Lane (so-called because this was once the heart of the Garment Industry and cheaper clothing was sold at street markets each Saturday in this lane. Today, it is on Sunday morning that the clothing car boot sales are held). I had always thought that, like Portobello Road, there were antiques sold on Petticoat Lane. It is only very recently that I have come to realize that it more of a Cloth Fair than anything else (similar to the one held in Medieval Times outside St. Bartholomew Church in Farringdon that gave Ben Jonson's play its name).  
     The walk then took me into maze-like lanes to the south of Liverpool Street Station that were once busy with the efforts of trained and skilled craftsmen such as cutlers and clothiers--I know this because the names of the streets bear evidence of the kind of craftsmanship that was carried out here. This area is also the hub of the space that was devoted to gun makers and creators of artillery and many of the street names bear evidence of this (Artillery Lane, Gun Street, etc). Artillery Passage is extremely picturesque and quaint and today filled with bars and fancy restaurants (Ottolenghi, the famed Jewish chef) has a restaurant here that bears his name.
     When I crossed the street, I passed by the Providence Row Night Refuge and Convent that was run by the Sisters of Mercy. For when you have poverty, can Christian works of mercy be far behind? The good nuns ran a tight ship with separate entrances for homeless men and women that still say so--Men and Women is written in massive letters above those doors. A block away, on Tenter Ground, you understand the origin of the term "to be on tenterhooks". Tenters were wooden frames used to stretch fabric to make it taut and straight. And on this wide street, tenters were spread out as the trade of weaving was practiced. A block later, you realize that works of mercy were not restricted to Christians alone. You will pass by the Jewish Soup Kitchen on Brune Street that proclaims its usage in equally huge (and rather ornate) letters. Here, in the 19th century, poor Jews found refuge and a hot meal. These are certainly parts of the East side I had never seen before and they enthralled me deeply.
     A few steps later, I was on Commercial Street with the great steeple of Christ Church Spitalfields gazing down on me. It is the masterwork of Nicholas Hawksmoor who was a pupil of Christopher Wren. I believe it is Ian Nairn who comments that with this church, Hawksmoor seems to have tried too hard! I have to say I rather like this strange-looking portico that is perched high on tall pillars  with the steeple looming on top. Right behind are very modest terraced houses-- an almost incongruous sight when compared with the exterior grandeur of the church.
     And right opposite the church is the famous Spitalfields Market that dates from medieval times when everything from livestock to livery were sold here. Its later heyday was the Victorian Age when fruits and vegetables were traded under a towering iron canopy. Today, it is more of a flea and crafts market than anything else--but as a place that is being gentrified rapidly (as so many derelict spaces in London now are) it is filled with upscale eateries at which the corporate types from nearby Liverpool Street's glass and concrete towers have their daily fill of fancy food and pricey drinks.  In the lanes surrounding this market, shop fronts from the Georgian and Victorian Ages still continue to sport painted signage of the goods once sold within. I am very pleased to say that modern-day owners have not wiped out all vestiges of the commercial life of these charming spaces.

End of Day Rituals:
    It was time to call the walk to a halt and Spitalfields Market was a good place to do so. Walking towards Bishopsgate, I caught  the 205 bus to Bow Church that brought me almost to my doorstep. It was about 8. 30 pm when I got home just in time for dinner--chicken risotto, sausage and soup--its a good thing I do not get fed up eating the same meal daily! I Facetimed with Llew and got ready for bed but just before I called it a night, I did a spot of blogging.
    It was a very fruitful day and one that makes me feel gratified to be back in this brilliant city again.
     Until tomorrow, cheerio...             


      

Research at the British Library and a Walk in Victoria Park

Monday, August 8, 2016
London

How is it August 8 already???!!! And where did this particular day go? Oh yes, it went while I was swatting in the library--the British Library, that is. Having had a full and fun weekend, I had earmarked Monday for research and since the British Library would probably have all the material I requested in today, it would be sensible to get down to some work. But first things first.

Bookings and Brekkie:
   I awoke at 6. 30 am, lazed in bed for another 15 minutes and got cracking on my laptop. It was as good a time as any other to book coach tickets for Chriselle's and my ride to and from Stanstead airport next month. It was fun (but a little nerve-wracking) to get online again making reservations for coach fares---but it was also thrilling to get such cheap ones. The earlier you book these coach rides from Victoria to the city's airports, the more inexpensive they are. So there. Done and dusted. Now all I have to focus on in getting us accommodation. During the next few mornings, I must attack that project too.
     Then it was time to get breakfast and a shower. I have gotten used to my Sainsbury fruit and nut muesli with honey yogurt and a cup of my Lavazza decaff coffee. Predictable but perfect. Why change a great thing? It was a day for a shampoo too--so with damp strands and my cheese scone with blue cheese filling made into a sandwich and a slice of date and walnut cake, I was out the door with my laptop and heading to the British Library.

At the Library:
     It was beyond impressive how superbly the British Library delivers whatever it promises to! I got there about 11. 30 (after taking a call from my friend Bash just minutes before I put my phone on silent) and for the next five and a half hours, I was hard at work pouring over and perusing the documents and official files from the Records of the India Office that I had requested. Being a Modernist Post-Colonial scholar myself, I am not accustomed to looking at documents that date beyond the 1940s. So you can imagine the reverential awe with which I handled and read documents dating from the 1700s, handwritten on parchment-like surfaces in fountain pen ink with the most graceful penmanship. I also looked at files and letters dating from the 1860s and the 1890s that derived from the Government of Her Majesty (the Majesty in question being not our Queenie but her great-grandmom, Queen Victoria).  Naturally, I treated them with the greatest care and although they are in many cases falling apart, it was a massive pleasure to go over them, take pictures of them, make notes from them etc.  I stopped for a half hour to get down to the cafeteria to eat my cheese scone sandwich and then I returned to work.
      At 5.00 pm, I  retrieved a whatsapp message from my friend Murali making arrangements to meet me at Liverpool Street Station at 6.00 pm. This suited me fine as I had already had my fill of inspecting and interpreting documents and felt the need to leave. I resolved to return tomorrow to go over more of the materials I have requested.  Just before I left, I popped into the cafeteria to have a slice of my cake with a hot tea. I then retrieved my laptop bag from the Luggage Locker and left the library.
     It really was the perfect way to spend a cloudy and rather chilly day. I managed to get so much work done and I tracked down wonderful material that I will be able to use in my conference presentation in Edinburgh in Scotland next month.

Meeting Murali at Liverpool Street Station:
     Liverpool Street Station was packed to capacity with commuters getting home from work after a long day as it is a major train hub. Elbowing through human traffic, I arrived at the Wasabi counter that he chose as a meeting place and after a fond reunion, we decided to get out of the crowds by coursing on foot through the side lanes.
     However, my laptop was not the best appendage with which to be walking around and when Murali suggested that I go home to drop it off, I thought it sounded like a great idea. So off we went on the Tube to Stepney Green from where we walked to my house. After I'd given Murali the Grand Tour of a Far From Grand House, I dropped my laptop off, wore my Dansko clogs (perfect for walking) and off we went.

Exploring Victoria Park:   
     Victoria Park is a vast expanse of green in the East End of London that was laid out in the 1840s and designed by Sir James Pennethorne who was a pupil of John Nash, the architect. In many ways, it replicates Regent's Park in north-west London and is thought by many to be the finest park in the East End. It is massive (stretches all the way to Islington)  and superbly laid out and seems to go on forever, offering a green oasis amidst the urban sprawl. Knowing what I do about the poverty and hardship associated with the East End in Victorian and Edwardian times, I can just imagine what a welcome addition this park was to the plan of the area. Like everything that was created in the reign of Victoria, it was named after her!
     Less than ten minutes after leaving my place, we were crossing the Hertford Union Canal (the one on the opposite side of the Park further in the east is the Regent's Canal) over a small bridge and descending stairs that led to the tow path of the canal and its locks. The water was just as green with algea as it had been at Copperfield Road where the Ragged School Museum is located and where I had walked along the Regent's Canal Tow Path yesterday. And then just a few feet ahead of us were the grand ornate gates leading into the park.
     It is a lovely space and I am so fortunate to have Victoria Park to close to me. When I lived in Paris, my apartment building was directly opposite Parc Montsouris. I had considered myself lucky then...and I am just as lucky now--although truth be told, I have usually already done so much walking all day that most  evenings, I just want to sink down on my bed.
     Still, we circumnavigated the large lake filled with mallard life and arrived at the Chinese Pagoda which I discovered to be a very recent replacement of the original one that stood there in the Victorian Age. It has all the color and style of a typical Chinese pagoda and it was irresistible not to walk right through it. The evening was simply perfect--the weather is holding out and there isn't the sign of a drop of rain at all. After we had walked around for at least an hour and caught up on all the doings in Murali's life and mine, we left the park and walked towards my home and the Tube station (for Murali).  We stopped en route to inspect a small food shop and I ended up leaving with rum and raisin ice-cream by Carte d'Or (earlier I had picked up biscuits) while Murali bought English cherries which are startlingly black but most delectable!
     I warm to this friendship which is a direct result of this blog. Years ago, Murali had been looking for some information about a Gresham College Public Lecture I had attended and he came across my blog post. He contacted me, we made plans to have coffee and our friendship, since then, has grown from strength to strength. It is just fabulous to make a new friend who completely shares your own interests. When he is not traveling or working from Frankfurt, we hope to do a few city walks together as we share a passion for London. Lucky him--he actually lives and works here!

Dinner and a Blogging Session:
     It was time to fix myself some dinner with the odds and ends in my frig. I had a cup of chicken soup, a small portion of my mashed cauliflower (which is still going strong!), a small portion of leftover chicken risotto and half a sausage. For dessert, I had blackberries which I had plucked from the City Farm with a helping of rum and raisin ice-cream.
     Before I called it a night, I did a spot of blogging and then it switched off the light.
     Until tomorrow, cheerio...