Winter Holiday in London - Part Two

I haven't been hiding....just not in a blogging mood (Goodness, I think I've said this before!).  I guess I've been busy and preoccupied ... and not very chatty.  But I do want to share. Suddenly today, even though I have a million other little things on my To Do List, I'm back!  

After Copenhagen, I went to London on New Years Day and spent 3 days wandering .... alone.  Something I haven't done in years.  My goal was to visit the Victoria & Albert Museum and British Museum ... to spend two full days without distraction (from a 6 year old or hubby, no offense guys!) and really take in all the ancient jewelry for inspiration and knowledge.  And I did it!  

Day one... 

I arrived in the afternoon and decided to brave the weather.  I walked around the Tower of London, across Tower bridge through the rain, ran into the nearest pub for hot soup and cold brew, then caught the tube to Parliament and on to Westminster Abbey.  When I came out of the Tube at Parliament, the sky was deep blue and everything was warmly lit... the sight was breathtaking!  And there were still Christmas trees glowing with tiny white lights everywhere.  Unfortunately everything was closed but I got lucky.... a free organ concert was about to begin at Westminster Abbey!  After a short wait (at a nearby pub) I entered the Abbey.  As I walked through the doors, I looked up... guess who centered directly above the doors and was looking down at me???  Dr. Martin Luther King Junior.... our own American hero!  I smiled.  The concert was lovely but as I only had three hours of sleep the night before (after New Year's Eve in Copenhagen), I almost fell asleep.  After the concert, I headed back to my hotel for a much needed slumber.

tower bridge

parliament

westminster abbey 

entrance to westminster abbey

dr. martin luther king jr. 

Cold and rainy?  Who cares!!!! London is spectacular!

To be continued....

Hand Tooled Beauty in Paper

During my stay in Pakistan, I was constantly blown away by the amazing arts and crafts I saw ... past and present .  The markets and bazaars were filled with peddlers and refugees from all over central Asia selling their goods... Western and Northern India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and many others.  I felt like I was discovering treasures from an ancient civilization.  There were many ancient, antique and vintage finds yet their artistic and cultural heritage is still alive and thriving with new creations borrowing from old traditions.  

I'm not sure if it is an old tradition or new, but one of the artisans that I met (at Lok Virsa in Islamabad) was a man who was hand tooling intricate lace-like patterns in paper to be used as stationary.  I couldn't believe the perfection he created by hand...one would swear the designs were created with a laser.  And again, his prices were so reasonable. I still have many pages of these little masterpieces and save them for special occasions....they are hard to part with!

As an art major, I took many art history classes and never learned about the arts of Central Asia (Northern India, Pakistan, Afganistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan..).  Why?  I'm not sure. But, it infuriates me! Especially as Central Asia is home to one of the oldest civilizations on earth.... some say even older than Mesopotamia.  I was and still am saddened that the only image most people have in their minds of Pakistan and Afghanistan is one of desolation, destruction, guns and poverty when there is so much beauty still to discover. 

More artisans at Lok Virsa...

"Art is important. We tend to think it is a luxury, but it gives people deep pleasure because beauty is the personification of hope that something grander is at work."

~ Gil Dellinger ~

 (see my post Slippers Fit for a Princess for more info on Lok Virsa)

That Second Windy Chi Town City

Windy and cold? Yes... but invigorating!  It wasn't easy going from 90 degrees in Southern California to 30 degrees in Chicago but I am proud to say I acclimated quite well considering I'm a weather wimp.  

For such a huge metropolis, Chicago is really a friendly, clean and beautiful city....and a great place to hoof it!  My feet were killing me when I got home but I really enjoyed walking everywhere as there was something interesting to see around every corner.  We wandered to the new space-age looking Trump Tower and Hancock Tower, pre-fire antique castellated gothic Water Tower,  1922 Neo-gothic Tribune Tower and 1929 deco-inspired Carbide & Carbon building,  Lake Michigan, the Chicago Loop river, Millenium Park, Cultural Center/Public Library, Chicago Art Institute... the list goes on.  We only jumped in a cab one time to dinner as I was in 5 inch high heels with slippery nylons which made it impossible to walk!  After that ridiculous experience I think I have decided to swear off nylons forever!!!!

Here are a few sites from this "Toddlin" town.....

wall detail from the Cultural Center

door casing detail from the Cultural Center

famous Tiffany domed ceiling at the Cultural Center

staircase at the Cultural Center

Millenium Park

The stainless steel Bean

views from Hancock Tower of Trump Tower and "Sears" Tower

peak of Lake Michigan from Hancock Tower

House of Blues and the Yonder Mountain String Band...wooohooo!

It's not my hometown but this ol' Sinatra standard reminds me of my hub (short for "husband", if you weren't sure) and me dining and dancing our way around town......

Chicago, Chicago--that toddlin' town.

Chicago, Chicago--I will show you around. I love it.

Bet your bottom dollar you'll lose the blues in Chicago, Chicago.

The town that Billy Sunday couldn't shut down.

On State Street, that great street, I'd just want to say -

They do things they don't do on Broadway.

They have the time, the time of their life.

I saw a man, he danced with his wife.

In Chicago, Chicago, my home town.

Chicago, Chicago--that toddlin' town.

Chicago, Chicago--I'll show you around. I love it.

Bet your bottom dollar you'll lose the blues in Chicago, Chicago.

The town that Billy Sunday could not shut down.

On State Street that great street, I'd just like to say -

They do things that they never do on Broadway.

They have the time, the time of their life.

I saw a man, he danced with his wife.

In Chicago... Chicago... Chicago.

That's my hometown!

.......who the heck is Billy Sunday anyway???

I left my heart......

in the Japanese Garden in San Francisco.  In fact, I leave my heart in all Japanese gardens... Portland, Pasadena (Huntington Gardens).... I love the architecture, color, composition... They are just so calming and zen and lovely.

 Don't get me wrong, I am a lover of wild abandoned nature too but something about Japanese gardens calls to me.  Maybe it's a past life thing. Who knows!

While I took the photo above, notice who also has a camera and took the following photos!

We (hubby, son and I) had a great weekend wandering Golden Gate Park on Thursday and then toodling around the marina before the BIG GAME on Friday..... the Giants opening (home) game.  And they won!  I'm  not a huge sports fan but attending a baseball game is fun.... especially in the gorgeous new AT&T Ball Park on the bay.  Though I've been a true blue Dodger Fan since I was a kid,  I do root for the Giants to please my hubby... as long as they are not playing the Dodgers.  We had a fun dinner with a great view at Alioto's after the game to celebrate their big win then breakfast at the historic Cliff House yesterday morning before the LONG drive home.  A nice end to a fun "weekend".