More London

There’s just too much to catch up on. Maybe I should start summarising. Where’d I leave off? Sunday morning. Well, it was actually afternoon by the time we turned into tourists again…

After not enough sleep Amy and I realise that we need every moment to fit in just some of what London has to offer. Today Spitalfields markets were calling us. Only a few minutes after walking in we realise that some of next Sunday would have to be devoted to the funky designers, gorgeous jewellery and interesting food. Amy pulled quite a face when she tried a strange Middle Eastern dip we were offered in a leaf. Poor girl had to buy some chocolate sultanas to get over it. A skirt and a couple of prints later we were off to the Globe. The weather had turned crazy by this stage. Rain that flew around and under umbrellas. Wind that flipped umbrellas inside-out. It was time for a coffee stop. Sadly it wasn’t time for the rain to stop so we battled acrossed the Millenium Bridge on the Thames to the theatre.

The third Globe Theatre really is quite stunning – not to mention authentic. We were there to see an original pronuciation of Romeo and Juliet. Given my lack of sleep and the fact that I was going to be standing (a ‘yardling’ as it is referred to) for the three hours of the play, I went along with some trepidation. I had nothing to worry about because the play and atmosphere was fantastic. James Garnon did an excellent job of playing Mercutio.
Remember how I mentioned it was authentic? That means that there isn’t a roof over the centre so yardlings like me, while getting the best view, are also exposed to the elements. Nothing a plastic poncho couldn’t fix. With jubilation Amy and I leave the theatre with soggy shoes and freezing hands. Shakespeare’s never been so fun.

Monday meant two things – first day on my own and first day of the Harrods sale. I ventured down around lunchtime and avoided the queue to get in by finding a side door. I wasn’t really expecting to find anything (have you seen the Oz dollar to UK pound conversion rate lately?), but thought it’d be fun to have a look anyway. I laughed my way past the ladies lining up to get into the shoe section and instead moved right along to the fashion section. I smell a gorgeous coat before I see it and after dropping my jaw at the £1100 price tag (it WAS half price!), I decide that a cow’s life is probably worth that much. Who knows, it could’ve even been two cows. Shopping in Harrods is certainly less effort than Top Shop… except for the expense.

Surprisingly enough I leave empty handed and felt that it was time to get cultural again. I fly on and off the tube and arrive on the doorstep of the V&A Museum. The place is huge so I stay focused and head straight for the exhibition on British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood. What a fantastically crazy woman she is. The exhibition was really well put together to show her progression from punk to peasant to fine couture. Most people found the 10 inch heels from which Naomi Campbell fell to be amusing. Another favourite of mine was the Witches Suit (with the very interesting inverted point in the shoulder), the corsets and a huge silk dress. Sorry, I can’t describe that one so you’ll just have to go see for yourself.

Still not galleried out I tube it over to Charing Cross for a quick wander through the National Gallery. Damn gorgeous stuff in there. REALLY amazing works of art that would have Sydneysiders queuing and paying. Not here though. It’s all free and plenty of space to admire without an American tourist sticking their head in front of yours and declaring “I don’t geddit”.
Turner’s Rain, Steam and Speed was possibly my absolute favourite. The Execution of Lady Jane Grey by Delaroche is an amazing depiction of Lady Jane Grey who was Queen of England for nine days before being beheaded at the age of 17. Delaroche also painted one of my Mum’s favourite paintings, La Jeune Martyre (The Young Martyr) which is hung in that place they call the Louvre.

Time passes too quickly so I promised myself another longer visit in the next few days. I ran off so I could try and get a ticket to see the Brodsky Quartet playing Shostakovich and Britten as part of the City of London festival. The concert was being held in a gorgeous old church not far from Monument station called St Margaret Patterns. Luckily for me they decided to open the choir section upstairs so more people could get in. It didn’t matter that the seats were so upright that I couldn’t lean back because the performance was excellent. First off was a solo cello piece by soloist whose name I can’t remember. Then the fantastic Brodsky quartet. It was maybe the best £5 I’d spent since arriving in London. And to think there was another Shostakovich and Britten concert on Thursday evening!

That will have to wait for the next installment. Oh how will I ever catch up to today!