Week 4 | Recap

I was on top of my game for the first three weeks.  And then.  I fell off the wagon.  It nagged at me, knowing my faithful followers [hello mom + dad] would be devastated by the lack of updates.

Never put off till tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well. – Mark Twain

Wring your hands no more people.  At long last, week 4 recap is about to unfold.

Fair warning: there is nothing terribly pithy or deep in the words that follow. Just lots of pictures and we did this and then we did that kind of reporting.

And so.

We begin with a move from our beloved Chelsea/Fulham neighborhoods to something entirely new and, it turns out, quite different: Hackney. Specifically Hackney Wick, the eastern edge of Hackney.  It’s post-industrial, graffiti-strewn, hip yet filled with marshes and canals that attract cyclists.  It is also 5 minutes from the 2012 Olympic Stadium [the site of several World Rugby Cup matches while we were there], which we could see from the roof terrace of the new flat.

A separate post on our Airbnb experience in London is in the works.  For now I’ll simply say that our artist studio loft in the Wick was my favorite to date.

 

Kensington Palace + Gardens | 09.21.15

Fashion Week began the week of September 21st.  Grace wanted to go to the Burberry show at Kensington Palace.  There were rumors that one Harry Styles might be on the guest list.  Alas, it was not true.

We figured we’d walk through Kensington Gardens and then find the fashion show.  It was a chilly, overcast day [the rain would come later] and it felt at times that the gardens were ours alone.  It’s a beautiful place even if muted by the weather.  A part of the “green lung” of London, the 270 acres of the grounds feature broad walking paths, a lake, statues, playgrounds.

The Palace dates from 1605.  I expected more, frankly.  When you hear “palace” you think big, ostentatious.  But Kensington, while impressive, is not imposing. William and Kate live here now with their babes, as does brother Harry.  It’s where the brothers grew up with their mother.  Feels poignant, this universal connection to family.

 

Even in late September, the sunken garden was blooming. And so was my girl.

 

Greenwich | 09.23.15

A bit of a hike to reach – including a stint on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), a first for us – Greenwich was a gem.  Small, eminently walkable and home to a treasure trove of fascinating places. We began with a tour of the Cutty Sark, moved on to the Royal Observatory, hit up the National Maritime Museum on the way back down the hill and allowed for some meat pie [my fourth, at least] and a pint at the Greenwich Union.

Normally I’ve been the mad researcher. Scouring books and websites for background and “must sees” for every place we go. This trip has been different. There’s been quite a bit of winging it. Reading a bit in the morning, saying “hey this sounds good” and then checking it out. Often, there are no expectations and so I am routinely surprised by how much I love it. The deep delve comes after.

The Cutty Sark was a perfect example.  The Jojo wanted to go.  Me, not so much.  Boats and I aren’t the best of friends.  It turned out to be one of my favorite experiences. Not only because said boat was dry docked.

From the website:

Cutty Sark has travelled across the world, sailing under both the Red Ensign and the Portuguese flag, visiting every major port in the world through the course of her working life. In admiration of her beauty and in recognition of her fame, she was preserved for the nation by Captain Wilfred Dowman in 1922. Since then, the old clipper has been berthed in Falmouth and Greenhithe, finally arriving at her current resting place in Greenwich in 1954. – Royal Museums Greenwich

 

Truth.

 

The ship has been raised nearly 10 feet allowing visitors to walk underneath.

It’s a steep climb through Greenwich Park up to our next stop: the Royal Observatory to stand at the center of time.  Since the late 19th century, the Prime Meridian at Greenwich has served as the reference line for Greenwich Mean Time.  One foot in the Eastern Hemisphere, one in the Western Hemisphere.  Straddling the line is very much like visiting Four Corners.  It’s a bit kitschy.  A photo-op.

 

But the view? The best I’ve seen so far.

 

One Direction | Invasion

And so it begins. One Direction at the 02 Arena. I’ve been three times now, to collect tickets and provide porter services to Grace and Jenn.  The girl needs to file a guest post because recounting the [many, many] stories is well beyond my artistic abilities. Plus, the likelihood of embarrassment is quite high.

 

Wandering. Not lost.

And then we wander.

To Islington to find Joe’s great, great grandfather’s house. Giggling while the neighbors across the street peek through the curtains wondering what all the fuss is about.

To the British Museum [once again for me] for a talk on the Rosetta Stone. And selfies with Buddha and crocodile chest plates. Among other priceless treasures.

To restaurants and coffee shops.

And still more restaurants. Food is for Joe what art is for me. Nourished in different but equally important ways.

We walk miles every day.

We are here, moving through these places with eager eyes and tired legs.

And I couldn’t be happier.