theotherlex | Entries tagged with london

Made it to England! Didn't do border control from Germany to Belgium.
Border control in Brussels to get into the UK. I put artist as my occupation on my landing card.

I left Cologne in enough to be delayed and get off two stops early in Brussels. And then wander around for a bit for a ticket collection machine that didn't need me to have my booking reference (which I neglected to write in my little book.) Then I had an Italian cappuccino and a 1000 Feuille. Very tasty.

So far today I have been to Lantana for breakfast (baked eggs v. v. tasty), gotten my hair cut very short (v. awesome), had a ten minute massage (not long enough), bought tickets to see Waiting for Godot tonight (v. exciting), and bought all the other things I needed in London (relief).

I have so far failed, despite diligent effort to Heathrow Airport website to confirm my flight details for me. Singapore Airlines website looking much better.

Now I have to work out where I'm having afternoon tea, write and post postcards, and go to the theatre!

Am back in Birmingham, this time with the Sam. It is very cold. There was a lot of snow between London and about half way to Birmingham. There's a little snow on the ground here, and the promise of more.

There's a tribute to the Ballet Russe on BBC at the moment. There are some gorgeous works. The music is really interesting, too. There's was an interview with one creative team about the lighting and the way in which the light was choreographed along with the dancer. The whole thing is just making me want to go back to dance classes.

Paris was awesome. The Musee d'Art Moderne was very awesome. OMG, so much art! Post War art! Stuff my artists I'd never seen before. I tried drawing some of the statues in the Louvre, but the lighting isn't good for drawing. The Musee de l'Orangerie has Monet's water lilies! Just there. I went to see the exhibition of portraits artists had drawn of their children or friends' children. And then upstairs there are the water lilies. The building was built for them to be installed there. They are completely fabulous. And the Musee d'Orsay has van Gogh, which I love. And also Corbert, who I had kind of forgotten about. I went there for an exhibition of James Ensor's painting. He's great. He described the Impressionists as "those landscape hacks."

London with Sam also awesome. We went to the National Portrait Gallery to the The Beatles to Bowie exhibition. V interesting. We tried to go to the Natural History Museum, but when we got there they had evacuated everyone, so we had to stand outside for a while. When we were allowed in, we had about a minute and a half before there was another evacuation. So we went to the V&A instead. Then we had lunch. Then we did Christmas shopping. Then we went to Liberty for a cream tea. So so yummy. Then there were Christmas carols. We went to the Portrait gallery last because it was open til 9.

That was Thursday.

Wednesday was theatre day. We had breakfast at Lantana with Kate. Then we went to Les Miserables! Yay! I like this new direction, which is the one I saw last year. Also the changed lyrics. Then we walked down to Leicester Square on the way to Covent Garden (via an awesome second hand bookshop). They were selling tickets to Avenue Q, so we went to that, too. It is awesome. V funny. Puppets and songs that I've heard about.

I hope that this counts as an update!

Current Music: BBC: Mock the Week

Today it is a year since I left Australia. Still alive! Woohoo! :-)

( This Weekend )

( This week coming )

( Previous stuff )

I think that is pretty much everything for the moment. England still good.

Does anyone to read any of my fanfic? because I've worked out a way to post some of it for people who aren't a part of fandom.

New York was great, fabulous. The Brooklyn Museum of Art, MoMA, PS1 Contemporary Art Space, The Museum of Natural History, The Whitney Museum, The Solomon R Guggenheim Museum, The Museum of American Folk Art, the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Grand Central Station, Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, Union Square, Phantom of the Opera, The Garden of Earthly Delights, The Klezmer Nutcracker.

I am very glad to be in the UK. Everything seems easier here than in New York. Also, it is not as cold.

I'm at a hostel in Pimlico, between Victoria station and the Themes. It's a nice spot. There's a supermarket and a bookshop at Victoria Station. The bookshop has the book of the series Stephen Fry did about the US. Apparently he's been in New York in the last week. If I'd know he was there, I would have tried to track him down, so it's probably best I didn't.

I am now looking for work. There's an opportunity here at the hostel, but I'm not sure I could live here. There are better looking things in Birmingham, so I'll think about it today and make a decision before my internet time runs out.

I'm still a bit tired from not sleeping much Tuesday night because I was on a plane, and the time difference, too, I suppose. I'll be going out for a walk this afternoon to see what's nearby. The TATE Britain looks close enough to walk to. Also, I have to contact all the people I know in the UK! And upload my photos!

Uploading photos will require some work because my camera wasn't connecting to iPhoto properly, so all the photos are in folders on my external hard drive and I can't preview them properly at the moment. Still, it is easier than trawling job search websites, with the other thing I have to do.

First: lunch.

I am in London.

My flight was faster than scheduled from New York to Frankfurt. Then I went through two lots of security and one passport check to get into the gate for the flight to London. That was delayed three hours til the weather cleared over Heathrow (so, I suppose we were lucky not to have to wait a couple of months).

The internet at the hostel is expensive. You have to pay for the wireless. So I'm going to hunt down a free wireless hotspot. Or at least one where I also get a coffee or hot chocolate along with my internet. I also have to eat dinner.

It's not as cold in London as it was in New York. And this hostel is much more properly hostel-like. New York is fabulous, but I am very glad to be somewhere different with different people again.

Hopefully another update soon.

I made it to Berlin, and my hostel. This was an adventure in itself, because the train station is across nothingness from the airport, the platforms are not easy to negotiate and the information people are not nice. But the ticket woman was, and I eventually found a train that went to the right station to change for the right line to get here, where the internet is cheaper in Euros than the London one was in pounds. (It's about six dollars an hour instead of twelve, which is good.)

The hostel is fabulous. If faces the main road across a car park with hoardings on the street. And the reception is on the second floor. My room is on the fifth floor, so I'll get quite fit walking up and down. I had to carry my suitcase (19.4) kilos up all five flights last night. But the reception was very welcoming and I didn't feel to bad once I got here.

When in doubt, eat. Don't necessarily eat cake, an apple is quite good. I had a bratwurst with mustard at the train station, after a minor breakdown when I missed the first train through being unable to find the platform (this was before the nice woman at the ticket booth, and having had only a cup of soup since breakfast). Note to self, watch blood sugar levels. Also, ordering food is easy, and gives you an immediate feeeling of accomplishment.

I've spent this morning on breakfasting and writing my own diary. I'll also start drawing the picture of London L comissioned before Berlin seeps in. Berlin is so very Berlin in the way that London is London like.

I went to the British Library yesterday morning, but I only had half an hour. They don't let you into the reading rooms unless you are actually reading, and in returing to the info desk to apply for something to read (I was going to look at Les Mis, hehehe!) I discovered a public gallery/ exhibition of printing. They had one of the four original copies of the Magna Carta, Pope Innocent III's denunciation of it, a Guttenberg bible, one of the first folio editions of Shakespeare, and several recordings including one of Florence Nightingale, whose likeness I had seen in the protrait gallery. So I'll be going back there when I'm in London again.

But there's lots to do in Berlin. There's a supermarket not far from here, and the Lonely planet guide has a list of cheap supermarkets. I'm going to see the Dog Museum this afternoon. And I'll see about the Natural History Museum, the Jewish Museum, East Side gallery, the Technical Museum, the Stasi/government museum, and the Reichstag and just walking through the Tiergarten. Also to Kufustendamm for to buy gloves.

I may stay an extra day in Berlin, depending on how I go. And then I'm going to Dresden. Leipzig sounds interesting (I'm reading about the Stasi legacy at the moment). But I think Dresden will be interesting just to look at, and that's really what I'd like to do. I'm not going so badly with the weather at the moment, although it's colder in Berlin that it was in London. I haven't reorted to long underwear and four layers yet, so I'm prepared for colder.

I think that's all from me for the moment. Although I'm back on German keyboards, which deserves comment because I haven't done too badly now I've found the / (shift 7) and the ' (which is shift #, but actually right next to the return key.) Instead of ' I want to type ä and y and z are around the wrong way.

I won't be able to type on a qwerty keyboard when I get home. Oh well.

I'll be back to describe strange foodstuffs and the dog museum later.

Current Mood: chipper
Current Music: Something strange on the tape deck in reception.

Hi,
I't been a full few days. Thanks for all your comments. I think I'm okay jet-lag wise. I'm, tired, but not ready to drop. I'll see how I go with another time change to Germany, not sure how much it is (if at all, actually) but there are three hours between Paris and London.

It'a eight am in Sydney at the moment. I know that because there are clocks on the wall at the hostel. I used L's magic number to call Berlin to confim my place in the hostel for tomorrow. I'm sure it was a very expesive way to call, but I've run out of pounds. Yay.

Working backwards, the last thing I did was, actually, eat dinner. I had an apple with my dessert, and was very pleased with myself. I also repacked everything, I think it will fit (forgot towel). I went the portrait gallery this afternoon. I'm not sure how well I did navigating around to see everything, but there was some great stuff. They had Oliver Cromwell and the wife of Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke in the same room. I am, apparently, realated to both. Also had Germain Greer. But most of the pictures were of British people I'd never heard of. James would do better.

Also, my feet were killing me because I was wearing my good shoes, because I went to church. (That's not actually immediately before, but you can work it out.) I attended the Sung Eucharist service at Westminster Abbey, because they don't let tourists in on Sundays, and I've never been too comfortable with visiting churches except as churches. It's amazing inside, and so old. They have tomb markers for people who died before Australia was thought of in Europe (and also a plaque to James Cook with us on it) and we have a seat in the front bit of the chruch. With our Kangaroo and Emu coat of arms.

The service was very nice, about John the Baptist and Advent and being firm in what you believe. I lit a candle, too. Speaking of chrurches, congratulations to Jono and Erin on their Wedding (which was Saturday).

The age of the Abbey and the surrounding area, and London itself is overwhelming after a while. I don't think the Londoners themselves think about it.

After chruch I caught the train to Notting Hill Gate to walk through Kensignton Gardens to the Peter Pan statue. I also went the other way first and walk along Portabello road, and back through side streets to the gardens. Along the main road is not very nice, and I had thought that London couldn't do beautiful (awe inspiring, yes, and grand, but not beautiful) but then I got there. There are some fabulous houses. It the sort of place the people who are responsible for the rest of London live in, I think.

Also, Kensington Gardens are fabulous. The walk to them is through the Embassies, and you can't take photos. But it was a real park, and still had autumn leaves. I sat by the pool and ate my lunch. Then got to see the Peter Pan statue. Which is very cute. And I got to see squirrels too, which was worth, I think, missing out on the V & A, because it's a more English/ London thing to have done. And I'm not sure I would have felt as much about what's there. I'll see it next time I'm in London.

Last night I ended up at Westmister to see what times the services were. And on the way back, also footsore, I found a supermarket, and got over the feeling that I will always need someone to look after me. (I do, but I'll be able to fake it by the time I get back.)

Yesterday afternoon I saw Les Mis. I got to the theatre just in time for the Matinee, and they had one returned ticket for the Dress Cirle. It was fabulous. The tube ads say Fall In Love All Over Again, and I did. I can say because I'm on the other side of the world, but Bec was right, Javert rules. (They had a particularly good Javert, and good direction of the interactions.)

I spend the morning in the Tate looking at everything I missed the previous night. It's open late on Fridays and Saturdays. Modern art is sometimes fabulous, sometimes not worth it, and often strange. I bought quite a few postcards of pieces. It's easier to talk about them with picutures.

I spent Friday morning and early afternoon at the Museum of London, which documents London's history since forever. Wow is this place old. They have exhibitions on the Romans, the fire, the royal families, all up to the Great War. I got to the see the treaurer's robes. I think he should still get to wear them, black and gold and sweeping. They also have Lord Nelson's sword. It had diamonds in the hilt.

I ended up at Trafalga square last night to see when the British Portrait Gallery opened and there was carol singing. Ah, so Christmasy.

It hasn't been too cold yet. And I haven't really needed my hat. I've been taking every thing around in my carry bag. Mostly feeling pleased with self for not getting too hungry, cold or foot sore.

I'll write again from Berlin. I've got my train ticket.

Current Mood: accomplished

So I made it to London. It was a very pleasant flight over the cost from Europe. (Although very long over the rest of the world.) I'm catching the train from Singapore next time.

I keep losing internet posts because I run out of time.

It was 6 degrees on the ground when I arrived, but too warm in the airport for having put on my jumper and having to walk through all the tunnels to the tube station. I found it though, and managed to buy a ticket.
It was dark by the time I got off in London. I found the hostel on my own too. It's very nice. I'm in a room with three others, and we have our own bathroom. I got to have a shower, wash my hair and change. Yay!

It was six by then (and had been dark for maybe an hour). But I caught the tube to Covent Garden (which isn't actually a garden) and the Apple Market (which doesn't sell apples, but has all the same stalls as last year).

But I feel into a bit of a frustrated heap trying to find my away around, in the cold, hugry, and mapless. I'd left the maps behind in the minor worry of trying to work our where to keep everything in the room and what I could reasonably carry (without looking too silly).

But I've just gone through them now to try and work out how to get to Carneby street, and I don't think I have one that has tube stations and streets. There's a tube map and a bus map. No, there is the other big one, I'll have to look at it carefully.

I'll get breakfast at the 'restaurant' on the first floor here tomorrow. I had dinner here tonight (and felt much better for it). But there's a thing you have to remember about English food. What would be a side salad of a cherry tomato and couple of wilted lettuce leaves anywhere else in the world is a pile of chips in England. So I had a meal that had no vegetables in it (salt covered fried potatoes don't really count. I'll have to watch that tomorrow.

I'm really looking forward to being out in the daylight again, given that I was on the plane for fourteen hours of it, but it was dark when I got outside.

P leant me her hat, and it's good, but it's a bit loose around the edges because it's a fold over one. So as well as fearing that it will fall off, sometimes the wind blows in. Not a good time to remember that I get homesick; even at the Bec's house or my grandparents'.

I liked travelling with the peak hour commuters on the tube though. There was a little kid, like just 11, in his shool uniform (suit/ blazer) standing at the doors. He was just shorter than the bending in bit (the corners are cut off the tops of tube carriages); his sticking up fringe was in danger of being caught. And a guy who bent over to read his paper at just the right angle to lean against the doors.

Will have to properly invesitgate the right ticket for tomorrow. But I know that the Luton railink train leaves from King's Cross, which is just down the road. I'm catching my plane to Berlin from there.

Current Mood: tired
Current Music: TV: Little Britain, I think.