Archive for April, 2010

Oxford, out and about

{ April 21, 2010 @ 8:15 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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We went to visit G's grandparents in Faringdon a few weekends ago. We hired the car, got all packed up, and roadtripped all the way to Oxford! There were lots of amazing sights to see along the way — perhaps the most interesting sight of all were the millions and millions of traffic circles! They're called roundabouts here. They're enormous, some with eight or nine exits. Thank goodness we had G's Nuvi to guide us!

But, suffice to say, we landed safely in Faringdon where it was cloudy and pleasant and the kettle was on and waiting for us.

This is the rather charming view from the kitchen window. That's pretty much what Faringdon looks like. If you go back a few pages you'll see what the rest of Faringdon is like (from our last trip out there) — very quaint, very pleasant, very green. 
I love our meals when we go a-visiting and granny and grandad. Everything is neat and orderly, and the food is always oh-so-delicious! I wish I had written this post up earlier because then I could have recorded all of the delicious treats we got. Oh well, next time for sure (I recall some amazing pies, delicious fresh asparagus, a variety of cheeses, biscuits and jams, chicken pieces and more). Above, our breakfast table. 
We had a very enjoyable weekend filled with antique roadshow discussion (see above for the inspiration of this topic of conversation!), amazing meals, excellent conversation and visits to Oxford, see photos below. 
This building, above, is the old prison which has been converted into a hotel of all things! The Malmaison, it's called.It's supposed to be very lush and pricey.
And Oxford Castle! There are castles, keeps and abbeys all over England, it's rather spectacular. I get a great sense of pleasure just looking at them. 
And a bizarre mexican cafe in the heart of Oxford (Lauriane, this reminded me of you and I felt I simply had to snap it up and ask, Que Pasa?!).
This is one of the central streets in Oxford. It's lined with shops, old artefacts, people dressed up (like the Pope!), and shoppers. Very similar to Bath, although considerably fewer Popes there. 
Ah, and old clock! And the soldiers do toll the bell in case you were wondering.
I had to pop in to the post office to send off a postcard so everyone was waiting very patiently for me to return.
And then we found Christ Church. The Christ Church College! Lookee!
Everything in Oxford is very Alice-themed. It's like Alice-Town. I like it. And Christ Church College is, of course, spectacular. 
It stretches on for miles and miles and is full of 'dreaming spires' (see above). Lovely. But then it started raining and we had to run for cover…
… but not before stopping to look at the trees (I just can't resist them, I think G is rather used to it all now).
We took shelter inside a small cafe just opposite the college. A pretty little cafe, also Alice-themed. 
There's the rabbit in the background, and his friends were dotted all over the cafe in rather pretty ink drawings on canvas. 
I had a jacket potato. It was enormous! It fills the whole bowl! I only ate about a third of it and G had to help with the rest of it.
Because I never have pictures of me.
Because I always have pictures of G.
Grandad and Granny had a fabulous Mad Hatter's Tea Party! It was really yummy looking.
And tasty! I love this picture, it's my favourite one from Oxford.
Annnddd then. THEN we found this bookshop. And I had to go in. And do you know what was inside? 
BOOKS. MILLIONS OF BOOKS. BOOKS, books, books … each for £2! And brilliant books, beautiful books, new, clean and fresh-smelling books! Books on Wittgenstein, books on courtesans, books on Elizabeth 1, books on Churchill, books on philosophy, and finally, Indian Novels (to which I have become particularly, unnaturally attached). 
Mmm. Thank goodness we had the car! 
And finally, what good would a visit to Alice-Town be without a visit to Alice's shop? Alice Liddel's shop, of course. It's tiny, poky, lined from top to floor with amazing Alice-themed novelties and gifts.
I did try to take pictures inside but it was oh-so-crowded and very, very busy. Opted to buy a white rabbit magnet and a postcard for the photo album, quite fitting methinks. Our photo album is growing! It's a lovely collection.
Just in case you forgot where you were for a moment. Loads of signs like this posted all over the place. Our rabbit is clothed in a red-and-yellow uniform and he has a trumpet. 
Oh, and before I finish this post, mom and Robyn, Oxford has an ENORMOUS Primark (HUGE) and it's fully-stocked and not so busy. In fact, hardly any queues, the people were civilised, friendly and polite. No pushing, no shoving, no trying-on in the aisles! We'll go there when you come again 🙂

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Tate-à-tête

{ April 18, 2010 @ 8:40 am } · { Uncategorized }
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I dragged G off to the Tate a few weekends ago — I really wanted to see Millais's Ophelia for a piece I'm working on, and that's where she's kept. So off we went! We took the central line to Stratford, changed to the Jubilee, and got off at Westminster. 

It's a bit of a walk from Westminster to the Tate (the Tate Britain, not the Modern), but it is along the Thames and you through a very pretty park so it was all very enjoyable.
We were met by a lovely woman who kindly told me that photographs were not allowed but I could use my discretion because I knew all about art galleries and museums, she could tell. In fact, her words were: "I just knew you were like that!" G and I went off to explore the Tate, much amused.
And then there she was:
The colours were extremely bright and vivid, not at all what I was expecting. The gold rounded bits at the top are part of the frame – I wonder why he chose such a design? It seems to be as if you are looking out through a window upon Ophelia, very effective distancing technique. He captured her forlorn despair beautifully, her face is so empty but so detailed all at once. 
Ah! Wikipedia shares its knowledge and informs us of the frame's function:
At an early stage in the painting's creation, Millais painted a water vole—which an assistant had fished out of the Hogsmill—paddling next to Ophelia. In December 1851, he showed the unfinished painting to Holman Hunt's relatives. He recorded in his diary, "Hunt's uncle and aunt came, both of whom understood most gratifyingly every object except my water rat. The male relation, when invited to guess at it, eagerly pronounced it to be a hare. Perceiving by our smiles that he had made a mistake, a rabbit was then hazarded. After which I have a faint recollection of a dog or a cat being mentioned." Millais painted the water vole out of the final picture, although a rough sketch of it still exists in an upper corner of the canvas hidden by its frame.


Indeed. Later in the post, Ophelia is described as possessing beauty and pathos, quite apt. It's beautiful. I want it.

And then I happened upon another Lady in the Water — The Lady of Shallott! Two in one day! This is waterhouse's painting and is equally beautiful although very obscured by this photograph. The other visitors (and the security guard) were giving me the evil eye so I didn't risk taking another photo. I tried to get the media in on the right-hand side just to give you an idea of the size of the painting – enormous! Okay, not enormous, but big!

And by the moon the reaper weary,
Piling sheaves in uplands airy,
Listening, whispers, " 'Tis the fairy

Lady of Shalott."

                        ~ Tennyson


The rows and rows of fluorescent lighting ruined the image with reflections, so you'll all just have to come down here and see for yourselves.


We also saw Rossetti's paintings and some more Waterhouse… all in all a very productive and worthwhile visit! I bought some postcards in the gift shop, resisted the pull of art books, prints and paintbrush-shaped pens, and then we headed back.

TATE
TATE

 

Can you see how cold it is? We've bundled up really well! Brrrr. The weather is much better now, it's warm outside and you don't have to go out in coats. Scarves, next.
This is walking through the park on the way back to the station. Isn't it lovely? It's going to be really beautiful when the trees get their leaves back! We're going to have to do the sightseeing thing all over again.
I had to stand for a long time to get a picture of the flag facing us – – and then I didn't notice the elderly couple in the corner! Bah composition, I say. Lovely clouds. 
And finally, if you go around the back you see some more interesting things. This is the back-end of Westminster Abbey! Look at that old building in the front, I wonder what it is? And the Abbey does look beautiful as a backdrop. We have been spoiled for choice when it comes to beautiful buildings and abbeys – – they are dotted everywhere and they're all spectacular. We've become oh-so-worldly and we're able to distinguish period markers. I'd love to go inside the Abbey but it has been closed to tourists every time we go there! And to think, that's where Chaucer is buried. 

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A-visiting Brands Hatch

{ April 15, 2010 @ 8:38 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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G decided that he simply had to go to Brands Hatch about a month ago. There was no two ways about it! So he hired a car and off we went! Driving all the way to Kent! Road Trip…

Quite a sweet little car. You tap your special card against the card reader in the windscreen and the car unlocks. You get the key out of the glove compartment and go, go, go!
We packed in our cameras and a lunch, and headed off. 
Only to discover that it needed petrol! Which you put in yourself!
But we made it alright. Nuvi got us a little lost at the end, but it was quite straightforward with all the signage 🙂
Look at all those fancy people all the way up there, enjoying the racing. 
It was a beautiful day, and the track was quite nice too. I must say, I got home and went through my pictures… didn't take many pictures of the cars though!
It was so freeeeeeeezing cold but sunny too, bizarre combination.
The track is very loopy loopy, but I liked the long, sweeping loops best. And the ground was teeming with beautiful rocks! 
Brands hatch & Jess's Farewell 096
Brands hatch & Jess’s Farewell 096

See? 
The nicest loop on the track. 
Here are some cars for you, those of you who are interested. This is the equivalent of G's Clubman Division back home. They were also racing Lotuses, very pretty cars that zooooooom. We had a good laugh at the racing here: if a car even looks like it's about to go slightly off track, the others all go slowly, pull away, get out of the way of other cars, and the drivers almost tip their hats and spill their tea. They're most civil. Wouldn't last a second at Killarney! 
And as usual, I found some trees to photograph. Lauriane, I see some interesting blow-art in this. Think straws and waterpaints. I dare you.
It got really cold and the clouds were really spectacular! The colours were amazing, and they heightened the colours down on the fields and the track as well. Made for some nice photos! I'll get G to upload some of his as well so you can see. 
As you can see, the new lenses had very good use! He took lots of very good pictures. Which reminds me, he still has to upload his photo competition pictures! Yes, I'll remind him right now. 
I like this picture best!
We left before the end of the day — you pay for the car by the hour so we had to get it back to it's parking spot before the charges run up ridiculously! 

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Some last-minute sight-seeing in London

{ April 15, 2010 @ 7:36 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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Telephone
Telephone

The essential London photograph!
And this one too! That's one of the oldest churches in London in the background. 
There are loads of very, very tall escalators in the underground network. This is just one of the hundreds! They're quite unsettling, and you definitely have to hold on!
Ah look what we found! 🙂
And we found this enormous lift in the Science Museum! Imagine squeezing 66 people into a lift! This one was really just a giant moving room. 
And we had tea and cake at Hamley's Toy Store. Well, G and I shared the cake. It was carrot. Hamley's is very impressive – – many floors of toys, toys, toys! I like the gadget floor best.
And finally, Robyn dyed my hair for me! We had to improvise with the coverings to prevent spillage!
Yes, very entertaining. Do I really need to be photographed right now?
And especially now? No!

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A quick round-up of Bath and back to London!

{ April 15, 2010 @ 7:28 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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On our last night we went to a very old pub while we waited for the train. There was a team of touring South African Rugby Players! 
And we all shared a plate of chips with sachets of mayonnaise! 
The trip home was quite late so we were all tired and sleepy! That's G and I leaning over in the reflection, with Robyn napping under her hood and mom having a good laugh at the whole situation. 
Ah yes, a bit out of order, but this is G weighing himself at the station. We had quite a long wait so we were enjoying the only entertainment there. This particular picture is Robyn trying to put weight on the footplate so that we could all try and have a go. Unfortunately the scale was very clever and only had a registered weight reading for a few seconds before it reset itself!

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The Regency Tea Rooms

{ April 15, 2010 @ 7:18 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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London visits 440
London visits 440

Bath is very, very proud of Jane Austen (she lived here from 1800 and wrote her most famous novels from here). I found a 2-for-1 deal for Jane Austen's Regency Tea Rooms where we enjoyed…
… Lady Catherine's Proper Tea!
Here's G sitting like Lord Muck next to the portraits of Darcy (out of this photo). You can see in the background that the tea rooms aren't particularly big, but it was absolutely packed the whole time we were there! Also, g's sunglasses have just reminded me that it was pourrring with rain outside! We got quite wet wandering around from the baths to the tea rooms 🙂
It was very pretty! Lovely colours, lovely service, lovely scones…
Mmm, guess who had the coffee pot. 
And I found some more sugar cubes! Although these were less cubes and more lumps. You had to guess how many spoons of sugar each lump would be… I had one lump, in case you were wondering. 
We each got two massive scones. If we had known, we would have ordered two servings between us!
The scones came with a giant pot of jam and clotted cream. Yum! Mom described clotted cream as cream-flavoured butter. They also make ice-cream out of clotted cream which is THE BEST ice-cream in the world, in my opinion thus far. Although Italy's spoils still await!
… and did I mention that the tea was served by real teagirls in real teagirl outfits? 

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… and then there was internet. And it was good.

{ April 15, 2010 @ 6:24 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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Our internet has been broken for what seems like aaaages but it's all up and running now so I can continue with the occasional sojourn into blogland. 

So where was I?
Right-o. Bath! I believe we were heading towards the Roman Baths when Virgin decided I shouldn't be reporting. So back to that. Just a few pictures and musings … I've much else to share as well!
We got audio guides at the baths. They were like giant handheld mobile phones with a neck strap. You just wore it like bad costume jewellery until you saw a sign like the one above. Then you typed in the relevant number, pressed the green button to 'go' and then listened to the stories that have been pre-recorded. I listened to the Bill Bryson commentaries when they were available: mostly Bryson just expressing his hey-shoo-wow awe in very literary terms. 
Mom listening to her audio guide. Because you have to hold the guide-phone up to your ear, most groups split up until they were just solitary individuals wandering around the displays, following the guide's instructions. ("look behind Minerva's head. Can you see the missing pieces? That's where…" etc.)
Lookee, some old coins! How beautiful they are. And how shiny. Those are earrings on the right –  look very similar to my own, some 1800 years later. Oh, civilisation, how we've advanced.
They had quite a few of these displays to illustrate the kind of people and lifestyles that were prevalent at the time. Fascinating!
This is an indoors spring. Isn't it beautiful? It's so dark inside. They say that the water hasn't be filtered or purified so it's quite harmful to you – – even if you just dip your toes in! It was rather tempting though: the average temperature was 40'!
You have to walk through the exhibitions for about an hour before you get a glimpse of the baths. And then they kind of sneak up on you and make it all worthwhile. 
It was really beautiful. Enormous bath, veerrry hot water, amazing architecture and just look at those statues!
The bath with Bath Abbey in the background. You'd never guess that this is what was hiding behind the walls when you're standing outside the Abbey. Rather remarkable.
Mom standing in front of the baths. You can get quite close up!
But there are still people watching and waiting for you to try get your toes all warm and cosy. They are all dressed up like Romans, of course. Novel!
The Bath again. You can see where the water used to be – – that dark line going around the buildings. Also, above the line are round handles for when you're lazing in the hot water and you want something to hold on. What a way to cure your ailments! And not to mention, to socialise and hobnob with the who's-who of the day.
Mom and Robyn listening to their audioguides. 
A rather beautiful wishing-spa! You toss your coins in and make a wish. And then it sparkles for all of our cameras to capture. See how big it is! That is a lot of coins. 
You have to exit through the gift shop! Sneaky!
… And then there's the Abbey. 
It's quite something. Each stone that made up the floor was a mini-tombstone, in memoriam.

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