Arty London Photos, Part 1
Jul. 28th, 2019 05:40 pmI'm finally sorting through the many, many photos on my camera. It's taking some time. I've narrowed it down to 36 that I feel are worthy of showing the intertubes. But how to group them? So I just named them things and put them in alphabetical order.
( so organized omg )
( bonus )
( so organized omg )
( bonus )
Last day in London. Unless something goes horribly wrong (I did mention that I’m paranoid about travel logistics), I fly out at Arse O’Clock tomorrow.
I met![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
pofflewomp and we wandered various squares, visited the adorable October Gallery, saw Jeremy Bentham’s waxy corpse, then met up with smhwpf and did more blue-plaque-themed wanders and Indian food (are you sensing a theme?). I’m currently ensconced in an AirB&B (yes. I know.) that is actually as good as it sounds and is close to the airport.
London was like hot soup today so that was good in the sense that while I adore this city, a thing that I really, really love is not having the skin melt off my skeleton. Just one sleep until I get to see my kitties and my air-conditioned home.
( photos )
I met
pofflewomp and we wandered various squares, visited the adorable October Gallery, saw Jeremy Bentham’s waxy corpse, then met up with smhwpf and did more blue-plaque-themed wanders and Indian food (are you sensing a theme?). I’m currently ensconced in an AirB&B (yes. I know.) that is actually as good as it sounds and is close to the airport.London was like hot soup today so that was good in the sense that while I adore this city, a thing that I really, really love is not having the skin melt off my skeleton. Just one sleep until I get to see my kitties and my air-conditioned home.
( photos )
The most punk rawk of days
Jul. 24th, 2019 11:23 pmIt began with avocado toast, though.
This is, no lie, the best avocado toast I have ever had. Which is saying a lot because have you ever heard of someone fucking up an avocado toast? You have not, because it’s difficult to do. But they don’t normally have sunflower and pomegranate seeds on them.
( more )
This is, no lie, the best avocado toast I have ever had. Which is saying a lot because have you ever heard of someone fucking up an avocado toast? You have not, because it’s difficult to do. But they don’t normally have sunflower and pomegranate seeds on them.
( more )
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Bunkers, BoJo, and goth Morris dancers
Jul. 24th, 2019 09:31 amI met up with notasupervillain at, of course, Platform 9 3/4 (and was pleased to discover that it’s an Ingress portal, naturally). We heard a rumour that the worst people in the country were electing the worst possible person to lead the country, so a fun thing to do would be to head down to Westminster and see what was going on.
Well, we expected some big protests, or something, but there was really only one guy in a Boris mask and a clown suit, some pro-Remain people with EU flags, and some pro-Leave people with very large signs.
And then we heard it.
( photos )
notasupervillain at, of course, Platform 9 3/4 (and was pleased to discover that it’s an Ingress portal, naturally). We heard a rumour that the worst people in the country were electing the worst possible person to lead the country, so a fun thing to do would be to head down to Westminster and see what was going on.Well, we expected some big protests, or something, but there was really only one guy in a Boris mask and a clown suit, some pro-Remain people with EU flags, and some pro-Leave people with very large signs.
And then we heard it.
( photos )
Wanderings
Jul. 23rd, 2019 09:21 amPhotos won’t upload for some reason, but yesterday involved the Jewish Museum, the monument to the International Brigades, the Southbank, Indian food, and the Coal Drops Yard. And wonderful company, of course.
I am off soon to see if I can get into Hogwarts. If you don’t hear from me, assume I have become a wizard.
-1 day to PM Boris, yipes!
I am off soon to see if I can get into Hogwarts. If you don’t hear from me, assume I have become a wizard.
-1 day to PM Boris, yipes!
Socialism, sci-fi, and wallpaper
Jul. 21st, 2019 08:47 pm“If a chap can’t compose an epic poem while he’s weaving a tapestry, he had better shut up, he’ll never do any good at all.” — William Morris
THAT’S RIGHT EVERYONE there is a William Morris museum in his old house.
Okay so William Morris is the most relatable historical figure. He was bougie as anything and wrote utopian science fiction and did LARP before it was called that, and loved pretty things, and also he was a hardcore socialist and published books on the Paris Commune and Kropotkin. And also was just the most brilliant artist, which I am not, but he basically sits at the intersection of all of my interests.
Then we took a long walk and met some boat cats, which apparently belong to people on the boats and I can’t take them home with me, no matter how much they clearly wanted to come home with me. There were even baby swans (less friendly).
Apparently there is a Canadian bar here. It looks like the worst thing ever and has a fuckzillion types of poutine. I am embarrassed for my country.
THAT’S RIGHT EVERYONE there is a William Morris museum in his old house.
Okay so William Morris is the most relatable historical figure. He was bougie as anything and wrote utopian science fiction and did LARP before it was called that, and loved pretty things, and also he was a hardcore socialist and published books on the Paris Commune and Kropotkin. And also was just the most brilliant artist, which I am not, but he basically sits at the intersection of all of my interests.
Then we took a long walk and met some boat cats, which apparently belong to people on the boats and I can’t take them home with me, no matter how much they clearly wanted to come home with me. There were even baby swans (less friendly).
Apparently there is a Canadian bar here. It looks like the worst thing ever and has a fuckzillion types of poutine. I am embarrassed for my country.
Causing trouble
Jul. 20th, 2019 11:24 pmNot content with stirring up shit in my own country, I went to a demo here. It was an anti-Brexit thing and Billy Bragg was playing (everything was running late so I had to leave before the end, but apparently it was too crowded to see him anyway). My impression of London demos is that they’re better than ours in terms of scale, but not necessarily in terms of organization or being able to prune the speakers’ list. A lot of the speakers were really good though; much more inspiring and on topic than what usually happens back home.
Also, I learned some Cornish!
Followed by a party. Which will be followed by sleep.
Also, I learned some Cornish!
Followed by a party. Which will be followed by sleep.
After yesterday’s walking and rather sore legs, I committed to taking it easy today, which translated into only the Museum of London (very cool) and meeting up with @hano, who promised me a pint for years if I were ever in London. Somehow this translated into Many Pints and Discussions of Geopolitics and I’m back much later than expected.
This city is so great, you guys. It is chock full of people who are cool. Whatever fuckery the UK gets up to, London is rad.
This city is so great, you guys. It is chock full of people who are cool. Whatever fuckery the UK gets up to, London is rad.
Bucket list time!
Jul. 17th, 2019 09:39 pmSo much walking up hills. So worth it.
First up: Hampstead Heath. For someone who walked up multiple mountains last year, I am awful at hills. But I am going to be so fit when I get back home, omg.
Then Bucket List Item #1: Highgate Cemetery.
If I had to come up with the names of two men who are among the reasons I turned out this way, you would find both of those people buried here.
Note: No other gravestone has a lot number. Someone just put it there.
Douglas Adams sparked my love of sci-fi and British humour and as a wee tiny child of 8, I had most of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy memorized, even though at 8 there was no way I could have gotten all the references. But it was my favourite book for years and years.
I left a pen on his grave. It’s my only pen, so I guess I’ll have to get another one on the way home.
And of course, the big man himself, and I imagine I don’t need to explain why visiting his grave was the top thing I wanted to see in London:
(I have many other photos; I am sparing you b/c I am nice.)
Bonus Malcolm McLaren as he’s there too:
Then we went on a Hidden London tour of the abandoned station at Highgate. It was meant to be a Big Deal but war and economics interfered, and it was decommissioned. Now nature is reclaiming it and the city has decided to just leave it alone and let it be a sanctuary for endangered bats.
I have a lot of other pictures of it too, but for some reason Flickr isn’t allowing me to upload anything horizontal, so you’ll have to wait to see those after I edit them.
Then we went to Manuelita, a play about Manuela Saenz, a Latin American revolutionary and lover of Simón Bolívar, which was excellent and surprisingly entertaining.
Now I am off to bed.
First up: Hampstead Heath. For someone who walked up multiple mountains last year, I am awful at hills. But I am going to be so fit when I get back home, omg.
Then Bucket List Item #1: Highgate Cemetery.
If I had to come up with the names of two men who are among the reasons I turned out this way, you would find both of those people buried here.
Note: No other gravestone has a lot number. Someone just put it there.
Douglas Adams sparked my love of sci-fi and British humour and as a wee tiny child of 8, I had most of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy memorized, even though at 8 there was no way I could have gotten all the references. But it was my favourite book for years and years.
I left a pen on his grave. It’s my only pen, so I guess I’ll have to get another one on the way home.
And of course, the big man himself, and I imagine I don’t need to explain why visiting his grave was the top thing I wanted to see in London:
(I have many other photos; I am sparing you b/c I am nice.)
Bonus Malcolm McLaren as he’s there too:
Then we went on a Hidden London tour of the abandoned station at Highgate. It was meant to be a Big Deal but war and economics interfered, and it was decommissioned. Now nature is reclaiming it and the city has decided to just leave it alone and let it be a sanctuary for endangered bats.
I have a lot of other pictures of it too, but for some reason Flickr isn’t allowing me to upload anything horizontal, so you’ll have to wait to see those after I edit them.
Then we went to Manuelita, a play about Manuela Saenz, a Latin American revolutionary and lover of Simón Bolívar, which was excellent and surprisingly entertaining.
Now I am off to bed.
Tags:
London via Atlas Obscura
Jul. 16th, 2019 11:09 pmWent to a bunch of odd places around the city: a Banksy piece, curiously contained behind plexiglass:
The ruins of St. Dunstan In the East, bombed during WWII and turned into a garden rather than rebuilt:
The Cross Bones Graveyard, historically a burial ground for sex workers and other poor people, the Clink Museum, and the Doctor Who shop. More photos to come, I hope; they’re just on my actual camera.
Note: Atlas Obscura is an awesome travel guide. I’ve barely seen any normal tourist attractions, haha.
The ruins of St. Dunstan In the East, bombed during WWII and turned into a garden rather than rebuilt:
The Cross Bones Graveyard, historically a burial ground for sex workers and other poor people, the Clink Museum, and the Doctor Who shop. More photos to come, I hope; they’re just on my actual camera.
Note: Atlas Obscura is an awesome travel guide. I’ve barely seen any normal tourist attractions, haha.
Further London adventuring
Jul. 15th, 2019 11:14 pmToday we did All the Things: Went to Soho, wandered around bookstores and had excellent Chinese food, took the riverboat to the Tate Modern and saw the Natalia Goncharova exhibit, went to Camden, had the best vegan pies ever, and explored a few of the local pubs, including the famous World’s End.
( “photos!” )
( “photos!” )
Another drive-by post
Jul. 15th, 2019 12:59 amLess jet lagged, more caffeinated, still unable to get to bed at a decent hour.
Today I managed to see a working Victorian steam engine, the Lea, swans, Hackney, Abney Park, the Cable Street mural, and the exterior of the Tower of London. Gonna dump a few photos here; most are on my Nikon, which I can’t upload until I get home, but like I could wait to show you all a picture of the Cable St. Mural.
( “photos” )
Today I managed to see a working Victorian steam engine, the Lea, swans, Hackney, Abney Park, the Cable Street mural, and the exterior of the Tower of London. Gonna dump a few photos here; most are on my Nikon, which I can’t upload until I get home, but like I could wait to show you all a picture of the Cable St. Mural.
( “photos” )
I am here! Uneventful flight w/ alcohol and then went back to @smhwpf’s place and crashed for about 6 hours, and then met up with khalinche. We went to see La fille de regiment at the Royal Opera House (!!!), which was delightful. Haven’t had much time to explore the city otherwise, but that’s the plan for tomorrow when I’m hopefully over some of the jet lag, but what I’ve seen is gorgeous and always on.
I’m also going to be here in time to see BoJo become PM and the country collapse into chaos and anarchy. So that’s a thing.
I’m also going to be here in time to see BoJo become PM and the country collapse into chaos and anarchy. So that’s a thing.
