Sunday 28 December 2014

More Magic of Times Past - Dennis Severs House revisited



Just before Christmas I went again to see Dennis Severs House in Spitalsfield in London.  It has become part of my Christmas routine, and I always take a friend, who is invariably enchanted.

The people who run the House very generously sent me a few more photos for the blog - for my previous blog post on Dennis Severs House see this link 


Most of the photos in this post are not of the House in its festive Christmas gear, but all the same they give a good impression of what it is like during the rest of year.  I post links below the photos - enjoy!













  


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr2HtBYSNY0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAjZWZwxg_g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dv0Y3kqbqFg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh2uWEKbvMg

Wednesday 24 December 2014

Merry Christmas Everyone!


My dear friends and faithful readers!

This year has been very eventful for me, with many losses and changes.  However, I have every reason to believe that 2015 will be much improved, and am looking forward to that year with great hope and joyful anticipation.

I will try to be a more regular blogger; since the last summer so many things have happened which required my time or otherwise interfered with my ability to post that very little got done.  But I have quite a few posts in the pipeline, and will compose a few posts between now and the new year.

A very merry Christmas to everyone, and especially to lost and absent friends – you know who you are.  Take care of yourself and remember you are loved - the door of my heart will always be open to you.


Wednesday 3 December 2014

Hyde Park in Autumn


I was in London on the weekend.  The idea had been to go to Winter Wonderland ......


There had been a problem getting to my usual London drop off point, apparently they were cutting down trees in Park Lane just outside Hyde Park where my coach usually loosens me into the world, so the driver had to take a different route and decanted us somewhere near Shepherds Bush.  I vaguely remembered that Shepherds Bush wasn't all that far from Hyde Park, and decided to walk there.  After about an hour of getting lost all over the place, I finally arrived at the end of Hyde Park that is opposite the Winter Wonderland side, and had to walk all across the park to get to my final destination.



Serpentine lake at the end opposite Winter Wonderland



Lots of cover for the ducks!

Reminder of la Bourboule - genista in bloom!



My favorite bench at the Serpentine!

Leaves evenly distributed on the lawn

Hyde Park was absolutely beautiful!  It was one of those clear crisp days, not too cold so I didn't need a heavy coat, but seasonally chilly enough for pre-Christmas - just perfect!  There were huge numbers of people, lovers holding hands and kissing on benches, couples with children in prams, three generation families having an outing - exactly what a Saturday afternoon in the park should be like.

All the same, there were a lot more people than usual ....

I found out why when I finally arrived at the gates of Winter Wonderland - there were long queues!  Usually I go in the middle of the day, during the week, but Saturday late afternoon is obviously the most popular time to go.  There were guards everywhere stopping people sneaking in - there is no entrance fee so this was purely a crowd control measure - and we had to queue in an orderly fashion at one gate only.  We stood there in a line six abreast and 100 feet long, and every ten minutes or so a guard allowed a contingent of us to enter the fair.

View of Winter Wonderland across the Serpentine

Too scary for me!




I passionately hate queuing, and only waited because (a) I was close to the front (having inadvertently managed to maneuver myself there in the general confusion), and (b) I wanted to buy marzipan (there is a stand that sells a very superior sort).  After twenty minutes I was gestured in, only to be confronted by people in luminescent yellow vests shouting, "Keep to the left, keep to the left!"  I suppose it was necessary to control the masses somehow, but it left me rather sad all the same.  If too many people want to do the same thing the experience gets ruined for everyone!

I bought a dozen marzipan tarts and fled from the scene.  Lots of others did the same, and I got swept along in the wrong direction, and it was dark, and I got hopelessly lost again.  Eventually I got sick of the whole thing and decided to flag a taxi, but no such luck, no taxis anywhere.  I did see a Bicycle-rickshaw, and decided to try one.

My rickshaw peddaller was French, and maneuvered the rickshaw as though he had learned it in the Paris traffic.  I mainly held on tight and hoped for the best.  Regent Street was closed for traffic and thronged with pedestrians, but my chauffeur braved the crowds and pushed on through.  I felt like some medieval potentate riding roughshod through the downtrodden masses, and very very guilty.  I tried several times to steer my sociopathic driver into little side streets, but there was no stopping him.  I felt a bit better when I saw dozens of other rickshaws doing the same thing under the benevolent gaze of several policemen - was my peddaller just normal, then?  All the same I was very relieved when I was finally put down outside my club, and resolved to just buy a map and walk next time.  I am so glad my parents weren't dictators or royals or billionaires, chauffeured about in limousines - I couldn't handle this kind of  moral stress on a daily basis.

Later that day I walked back to the bust stop through another park, and saw a very nice lit from the inside glass tree, and actually managed to photograph it reasonably well by placing my camera on a fence to keep it still.  Hope you like the picture!

Glass tree


Countess Dracula dress in Vivienne Westwood store window

Monday 24 November 2014

Paris - Museum of the Middle Ages




Entrance to the museum

During my visit last weekend to Paris I finally went to the Musee national du Moyen Age (formerly known as Musee Cluny).  It is just a stone throw from Notre Dame and my favourate little cafe, and contains the famous 15th century tapestries depicting the Lady and the Unicorn.  I am quite fond of tapestries, and particularly of the Lady & Unicorn ones, since I have copies of them in my dining room.

These tapestries have been copied lots of times, with varying degrees of success.  I have two old copies from the 1950 I think, and one brand new one made in Brussels (still the centre of tapestry weaving).  I prefer the older ones, they are made of wool and a bit coarser than the new one, which is made of cotton.  The new one is finer and picks out more details, but the older ones have more atmosphere, I think. The originals in the museum are halfway between my new one and older ones.

I tried to take photos of the original tapestries in the museum, but since I wasn't allowed to use the flash the photos turned out badly.  But never mind - I photographed my own for your delectation!  See below ...



I always am amazed at plants in unexpected places!

After the museum, which contained all sorts of medieval artifacts, aside from its magnificent collection of tapestries, we had lunch at the cafe and meandered around the centre, as per usual.  We even nipped over to the Christmas Market in the Champs Elysee, but there were so many tourists that we fled.  I mainly went there to find some special French/German sweet only available at Christmas time, oh well, maybe next year.

On the way to the Champs Elysee we saw these mimes, copying Churchill,I think....





Notre Dame with autumn coloured trees

Now then, ready for my very own tapestries?

This is the new one

One of the older ones

New and old separated by a bureau bookcase

I must have my little joke - hanging near the tapestries.  Excuse the glare!

Close up 1

Close up 2

Details of the old tapestry upstairs

dito

dito

dito

and well!





Thursday 13 November 2014

Just a quick up-date from DB-Hausen

I have not posted for a while, there have been too many things I needed to attend to.  However things have slowed down a bit now, so I am planning to start proper posts again soon.

I am keenly aware of having marooned a dozen tiny gliders on the eve of their escape, and am going to get back to them well before Christmas, I hope.  I also plan a few special posts on scarves, because they have been a great consolation to me in my recent travails.

And of course the Christmas season is about to start! I have booked a visit with my good friend P to the Dennis Severs' House, and they very kindly sent me additional photos which deserve a post of their own.  I also have a trip to Paris lined up, and shall hopefully spot-check the Christmas Markets, as well as visit the Museum that houses the famous Unicorn tapestries -I have several copies hanging in my dining room and am keen to see the originals, at long last!

The garden needs further attention as well, I had some major slashing before my recent tribulations but much has grown back and I will have to go out there and fight once more.  At least the frogs have hopped it, and the baby birds have flown away, so at least I won't get any flak for entering the wilderness this time.

So stay tuned for my next post, which will probably be 'Scarf-games for Insomniacs'.  If that doesn't get your attention nothing will!

Pip pip tally ho and let's go out and boogie! Literally - I have a scarf called Boogie Woogie ....

Tuesday 26 August 2014

Rooftop View in Paris



I had a very nice time in Paris last weekend.  First we noodled around the Isle de la Cite, then went to see St Lazare, and finally meandered up and down the Boulevard Haussmann and Rue la Fayette, ending up on the roof terrace of the Printemps department store.  Unfortunately it dribbled down on and off, so the photos aren't as good as they might be, but nevertheless it was a great view!

Commemorative airplane


St Lazare Clocktower


St Lazare church


Back of the church





Inside the church




An umbrella can be a very effective argument!


Printemps!
On the roof!




Eiffel Tower

Madeleine church


La Defense - where the Evil Ones dwell


Montmartre


Cool lamp in hotel entrance!


Unknown church pronounced 'Insupportable!' by A....

But I like it - it breaks all sorts of architectural rules!