Helene and Nick visit

Helene and Nick who are from Wisconsin came for a visit from Grantham, England. Nick is over here for a six month teaching assignment and Helene came with.

I'll give a quick review of our weekend as I'm running out of time and I think this coffee shop is closing soon.

They took the train down on Friday. I left keys with "All Bar One" the bar next to my flat. The dim sum restaurant wouldn't do it.

They went to the Victoria and Albert Museum while I was at work. They walked an awful lot to get there and back.

Saturday I took them to The Wallace Collection while I went to bank and phone and grocery. I met them there and we went to Selfridges to look around.

We caught an Oxford Street bus to Holborn. We were heading to the Sir Joan Soane's Museum. We had some trouble finding it and wandered around but nothing wrong with that as you just see more.

The museum is amazing. More about that later. After the museum we stopped in a pub (Helene and I like our beers). We were pretty pooped but walked over to Trafalgar Square. It has turned into my "place." There had been a big peace rally earlier but thankfully had cleared out.

We took the Underground back to flat and had dinner across the street at Greek restaurant.

This morning (Sunday) we went to a French pastry restaurant and had wonderful breakfast. I took them to my farmers' market and I bought groceries for the week. They then headed to the Underground to go to rail station and head back to Grantham.

It was great to spend another weekend with friendly folk.

Wierdness - German

My computer is showing this in German. Odd.

Sunday with Chris and Jill

This time went to play with Chris. We went to matinee of Rock and Roll a Tom Stoppard play. The understudy for the lead was on. I later find out because the lead was receiving an Olivier award. That is the equivalent to a Tony in the US.

A very difficult play to follow. And it was not well acted. The understudy did a fine job. The other actors were just not very good except for the actress playing the daughter. Tricky to describe the plot. I did not understand the beginning of the first act and that made it almost impossible to appreciate the emotion in the second act.

We kind of ran into the Chinese New Year celebration in Trafalgar Square. I keep returning there. It is kind of the hub for public gatherings.

I have more visitors this weekend. Helene and Nick who I met at Gracie Kay and Nate's wedding party are spending six months in England. They are coming down to spend the weekend with me.

More theatre - Saturday evening - continued

Finally getting a little window of time to update this.

So Jill and I are waiting in line with the other blokes. We're like 5th or 6th and there's this Italian guy behind us who apparently is holding space for two more folks.

At one point I go over to Victoria station - one to see it and two to use the loo. When I get back the Italian guy is now kind of singing and talking to himself. Strange but hey, what ever to pass the time.

They don't actually start selling the "returned" seats until the show starts so it is done rather frantically. We pay our 55 quid each and get great seats in the first balcony third row just off center and Jill has aisle seat which is great for her knee.

Turns out the Italian guy gets seated right next to me.

Billy Elliot, the Musical is a really big show. Lots of cast with kids. Lots of scenery. Just lots of lots. The accents are bit tricky to understand but overall a good show. The kid who plays Billy is tremendous. Turns out he is almost 16 years old and is playing a 12 year old. You wouldn't know it except he is so talented.

Anyway, in the play and movie Billy's mother has passed away but he talks and sees her. In the first act the scene where he reads/sings the letter from his mom is quite emotional. So emotional in fact that the Italian guy starts weeping OUT LOUD. Huge sobs and heavings and ends up pulling out tissues. It is quite amazing and instantly sucks the emotion out of it for me.

Fast forward to the second act. Second act starts and the Italian falls asleep! We get to the part where Billy's dad agrees to let him do the audition and again the Italian goes over the emotionally deep end. Even bigger sobbing and heaving. It is rather uncomfortable. This show has really hit a nerve for this guy.

Anyway, it was an enjoyable show. They are going to have to back down on the accents when it moves to New York.

More theatre - Saturday evening

Jill and I wanted to see Billy Elliot, the musical and Chris didn't. So after tea we caught a bus to Victoria station. Billy Elliot is at the Victoria Theatre. We had just missed the 38 and had to wait quite a while for the next one.

We made it to the correct bus stop and, of course, when the wrong direction. We only had to walk around the block but it always works out that I go the wrong way.

There weren't any tickets for the show...which is what we expected. The queue for returned tickets was supposed to start at 6pm so we went next door to the Duke of York pub. They wouldn't seat us in the restaurant because we didn't have a booking. The place was practically empty!

At the bottom of the stairs to restaurant just outside the bar area was a little table and two chairs. I ordered two beers and Jill got out the sausage's we had bought (sliced) and we had a little dinner of sausage and beer. It was marvelous.

We went back next door to the theatre a little before 6pm and the line had already started. We were like 5th and 6th I think.

to be continued...

High Tea

On Saturday Jill and I went to Harrod's department store. We stopped by the memorial for Princess Diana and Dodi Faid. Dodi's father owns Harrod's.

We bought some really neat sausages in the food department. Jill bought an outfit for Alicia. I suggested she buy her a school uniform and tell Alicia that "all the girls are wearing them over there."

We went to Fortam and Mason's after Harrod's for tea. They are supposed to have one of the better ones. We didn't have a reservation (booking) but Jill had checked it out the day before and was told to come at 2:30 and would probably get seated. We were seated right away.

Tea was lovely. I had the Welsh rarebit. I had never had that. It was delicious. The little cakes and sandwiches were just okay. It was very peaceful though.

Chris as seeing a matinee and so was off on his own.

More theatre

After the London Eye we stopped at sushi place. The food comes around in little bowls and plates on a conveyor belt. You take off what you want and they add up the plates and bowls at the end for the charge. Different colored plates are different prices.

Then we hoped on a bus toward Picadilly Square. Chris and Jill and picked up tickets for Boeing, Boeing at the Comedy Theatre.

The play was absolutely hysterical. It is a French farce written in the 1960's. This is a rivival. The British translation is spot on. The story is about a french man who has three different fiances all of which are airline hostessses. So he manages because of their different flight schedules.

Of course, that all ends up blowing up. An old friend of his has stopped by and helps with trying to keep the girls from finding out about each other. There is also an older French maid.

Superbly acted and directed, the timing is incredible. There is a scene between the maid and the friend that had me with tears streaming down my face. I thought I was going to have a heart attack from laughing.

Jill and Chris had gone to this amazing cheese shop near the flat and bought a couple of different cheeses, some bread and wine from the wine shop. We went back to the flat and had a little wine and cheese party.

London Eye

After work on Friday I met Jill and Chris and the London Eye. It is the world's largest ferris wheel. Located on the south bank of the Thames, it has incredible views of the city as it slowly rotates around.

A flight, they call it (sponsored by British Airways), takes about 30 minutes and each gondola can hold 25 people but we had about a dozen maybe.

Kind of blurry pic here but that is Big Ben in the background with the three of us.

First theatre

Jill and Chris each went to separate matinees on Thursday. Chris had gone out earlier in the day in search of tickets. So much is sold out you can't be too picky.

He really lucked out and got three tickets to a new play at The National. I met them after work at the theatre. The play, The Reporter, was okay. The lead actor was very good and the women were good. Two of the male actors were not so good and the play was too long.

Chris didn't like it at all. I thought it was pretty good -- especially the first act.

Friends have arrived

Jill Rendall and Chris VanGroningen arrived yesterday. Jill spent an incredibly long day flying from Oregon via Seattle and Detroit. Chris flew from New York to Detroit to meet up with Jill.

They were remarkly in good spirits and awake. I worked from home so I would be there when they arrived. They are staying through Monday morning.

British Library

The British Library is a modern building that has exhibitions of important documents and texts.

Saw a copy of the Magna Carta. Turns out there is no original version anymore. Probably destroyed in a fire plus copies were made anyway to give to the various parties involved.

There was an early translation of Beowolf. Also, an original folio of Shakespeare plays. Music from various famous composers and original 45s of the Beattles. There were also beautiful bibles and bindings of books.

There is a special exhibit of maps of London. Very very interesting and I ran out of time as the Library closes at 5pm.

Here I am in the plaza in front of the Library. Behind me is Saint Pancras rail station. It is undergoing an extensive renovation and is not open. It is a beautiful building.

How many chins to I have?

Here is the flat

Here is a picture of the flat. I'm right above the restaurant which is black colored section on ground floor. Earlier I said it was above a real estate office.

The entrance is to the right in the picture. The white part with the black door. The brown covered window is the bathroom. The window doesn't exist inside as that is where the shower and toilet are.

The window to the left of the bathroom is the bedroom. The window to the right of the bathroom is where the living room area starts. It is open all around with the other three windows.

What's with the garbage collection

I'm used to having garbage picked up once a week. You get the banging and clanging the same time every week.

I don't know what it is but they go around with big garbage trucks down these narrow streets every day picking up rubbage. I did notice on Friday that people put there rubbish out on the curb but the garbage trucks still come every morning.

We have recycling bins down the street at the park but I've never seen them stop there to clear them out. They do get cleared out so it must happen during the day when I'm at work.

On my own

To be honest I'm getting tired of wandering around the City on my own. I like the freedom of being to go where I want when I want. But eating alone is a drag and sometimes better just not to.

The sun was supposed to come out today and made a very brief appearance very early but now it is cloudy again. I don't think the weather is helping.

Wallace Collection

Just a few block from my flat is the Wallace Collection. A museum of 18th and 19th century furniture, protraits, paintings, bric-a-brac and all around amazing stuff.

It is housed in an incredible townhome. More like a mansion. They've kept many of the rooms decorated as a home with fabric wall coverings and matching floor to ceiling drapery. Chandaliers that are gorgeous and clocks that actually work through out.

There are also rooms of armour and armoury.

This picture is rather blurry but shows a tiled alcove. This tile was originally throughout this enormous room.

There was just so much to see. I kind of got sensory overload and am saving the rest for another visit.

Snowed again

It snowed again in most of the area. Since the last time was such a mess with transportation I stayed in the city. I still don't have internet access at the flat so went to a coffee shop in the morning.


The snow was quite pretty and there was a lot for London. By afternoon most of it had melted though.

I went to the IBM South Bank (south bank of the Thames River) office in the afternoon for a team conference call. I had wanted to go downtown in the evening anyway because there is supposed to be a light show going on with the buildings and bridges.

I walked along the south bank toward Tower Bridge. Not much in the way of extraordinary lights from what I could tell. I crossed the Thames via London Bridge - yes, there is still a London Bridge even though the original one is the the United States I think -- this one was build in the 70's.

On the city side of London Bridge is The Monument. Built to recognize the big fire that burned down huge junks of London in the 1600's. The Monument underground station was closed because of flooding so walked to the Bank station and headed home.

For the men

So far I have only seen one kind of urinal. Are there no other urinal manufacturers in UK?

All the urinals are exactly the same -- egg-shaped and flushed on their own by a timer.

First laundry

I did my first real load of laundry in my flat. The machine is combination washer and dryer all in one. I don't know if I'm doing something wrong but it takes forever for the whole thing to finish. And I have new meaning to wrinkled clothes.

I guess you are only supposed to do about one shirt at a time. My wrinkle-free shirts that have been wrinkle-free for wash after wash now have more wrinkles than one of those Chinese pug dogs.

At this rate I'll be doing laundry every night and ironing every morning!

Cheers.

Quick trip

Made a quick trip back to Minneapolis over the weekend. Part of the reason I haven't been making updates here.

Was the coldest few days in Minnesota in several years and the cold has followed me back.

Been at freezing the last couple of mornings which has made it the coldest so far this winter in England. And tonight they are predicted up to 6 inches of snow.

If that happens, it would be the most snow they've gotten this century!

Sever delays

Thursday night I went down to Trafalgar Square to see a dance and light installation. Music to Swan Lake played and anyone could walk, dance, run, move in this certain area and a spot light would follow you around. It was pretty neat.

But the real story was taking the Underground. They make announcements all the time to let you know if there are problems on certain lines. The announcement that night went something like this.

"There are severe delays on the Central Line. The such-and-such station is closed and all stations are having major delays due to a person under the train."

It was just another night on the London Tube!

My new flat

I moved into my new flat last night. It is going to be so nice having one place to come home to every day. It has a kitchen/dining/living area. Bathroom with shower. Separate bedroom.

It is on the first floor (one floor above ground floor) of I think a four story building. I think there is only one unit per floor. Not really sure. There is a real estate office below me.

If you want to look it up on MapQuest, the address is 10A Paddington Street. Just two blocks from Madam Tousou's wax museum. There are lots of restaurants, a nice grocery store, pubs and a little park.

I will have to get used to living in the city again. A bit of street noise. The flat has lots of large windows and though they are closed I kept looking to see if they weren't. The glass doesn't seem to do a thing for noise.