After 2 1/2 weeks of house sitting, a 2 weeks in Portugal, and a long time back in the US, I made it back to London yesterday and spent the day packing and unpacking, washing and sorting because I am headed back to the US for a bit of Ballet in NY and some family and warmth in Miami.
So today the sky was clear, the air was crisp and I thought I would hit the V&A and see what was happening and finally get to this French bistro I have had popping up in my calendar for months. A real ladies who lunch, and expense account place about a 10 minute walk from South Kensington Station.
I arrived and was seated on a lovely banquet at a table without neighbors. I pulled out a couple of magazines, set up my podcast and new headphones for during lunch and ordered myself a “Filet de Boeuf Sauce au Poivre – Beef Fillet (Scottish) with Peppercorn Sauce £ 29.50″. worth ever dollar.
Then headed towards the V&A but not without getting caught at the Hummingbird bakery for a piece of chocolate cake.
It’s a lovely neighborhood and I thoroughly enjoyed the walk.
especially peeking into peoples windows.
I am pretty sure these people intend for you to look
Then across the street and into the side entrance to see what special exhibit was going on. CARS! Really? As I am more than capable of seeing even the best exhibits in under 20 minutes I scooted down three flights and was greeted by no line and a fabulously fun exhibit.
Applause again for whoever curates at the V&A. It doesnt really matter if you want to see, or are interested in the exhibition. The way they set things up is enough to engage the least willing.
Films, playing, old cars on display, concise messaging and a short history lesson. But also getting in a lot of ‘cars are dangerous’ and bits about their effect on the rest of society. There was footage of traffic jams, accidents, pollution and my favorite, decorated trucks. Who knew?
I spent longer than I had intended but it was still well before 4 so I popped upstairs hoping to see if there was a new temporary exhibit in the hall where I saw the Beatrix Potter exhibit last year. But no, it was still there so I walked back through the galleries and stumbled on not a new exhibition but a history lesson on Nazi looting. It wasn’t as large or obvious as I would have wanted but they did put it right out there
There is an exhibition of beautiful nik naks from a private collection that could be permanent, and the curators stepped up and admitted that some of the pieces might have been part of the looting. They selected a few pieces and went through their provenance and it was quite moving. Very small, very low key, but certainly a step in the right direction.
As I was leaving I remembered there was another exhibition hall where they do temporary exhibits so through the silver collection
and down through Jewelry where I saw Beyonce’s ring
…to find myself face to face with an exhibit they had been advertising strongly. Photographer Tim Walker ‘Wonderful things’. They set him loose in the museums holdings and he used what he saw as inspiration for a number of different series of photos. Again with the wonderful curators. Each room was better than the last.
THESE
INSPIRED
THESE
INSPIRED THIS
THIS
INSPIRED THIS
And I could not have been happier when I reache dthe ed of the exhibit and he had paid tribute to the curators
It was finally time to leave when I remembered to go past Muriel’s Kitchen. I know we had been here before for a sweet but I couldn’t find a record of on this blog. And though you might be reading this blog, and thanks and hi to you if you are, it’s purpose really is for me to have a record, somehow to remember all I do and where I have been.
So at Muriel’s I got a chocolate brownie with walnuts. Here in the UK they are big into the pecan so how could I resist the walnut brownie. Will come back with an update after dinner. UPDATE: YES!