Things I miss from London

It is good to be back home, but here is a list of top 10 things I miss from London (hint: lots of it has to do with food... surprise surprise...)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

ENDING THE YEAR "PROPERLY"

There is nothing like a properly made cocktail in a beautiful environment when you are in the mood to celebrate. When I bought a ticket for a musical and realized that I had about an hour free, all I could think was champagne and oysters (Harrod's is closed, I couldn't remember the exact street of Wright Brothers in Soho which would be quite busy). This is when wandering around while taking photos comes in handy (and a memory that flags the restaurant locations). I immediately remembered the beautiful French bistro I had seen in Piccadilly Square area. I was pretty sure it would be open and if it were that they would have oysters. So, I headed right there (after making sure I remembered where the theater was... can you imagine the disaster if I couldn't find my way back after a glass of champagne?)

The street level was empty, but the doorman was very friendly while opening the door. I asked him if there was a bar where I could have oysters and champagne (bars are not a given here, not in the sense that we know in the US. Some pubs and restaurants don't have bars. Some don't have chairs at the bars. Some don't like people using the bars (standing or sitting.) He assured me that there was something I'd like downstairs. I was there, and for some reason I knew this place had it right (advantage of reading menus and analyzing design for many years). 

While I was going down, I was already smiling with the sight of famous French posters and the tastefully done staircase area. Once I went down, I knew I was in for a treat. I could see a beautiful bar through the doors and I could hear the perfectly balanced 1920s music. I felt like walking into a bar in a dream. This is what I expected New Orleans to be when I was there for New Year's two years ago: properly dressed, professional bartenders; properly lined up cocktail tools, beautiful bottles, and glassware. Bartenders making cocktails with the necessary but minimum amount of movements, almost as if dancing to a ballet. This went on for a while as I wasn't sure what to get anymore, and I felt like if I spoke the dream would go away. For a while I watched the bartenders make their beautiful concoctions but my mind was stuck on the first one I saw, it was a drink being topped with champagne in a champagne glass, which turned out to be a manhattan topped with champagne, and of course I had to have one:

And I did, with great joy, and a large smile on my face while the music played on and the bartenders quietly danced to it as if the music was there to help them move to make the cocktails. I never got any oysters, but didn't even think about it. That would have to be another time. One can always find places to get oysters, but one cannot always find a place that makes proper cocktails in a beautiful environment, even for a woman alone on New Year's Eve! Thank you Brasserie Zedel (and the bartender and the doorman), for creating such a wonderful experience, and setting a new standard for the cocktail experience. I will be back...

BEING MYSELF ON THE LAST DAY OF THE YEAR...

Sometimes you just have to do it... be you. In my case, it is letting my feet and my eyes be the guide to my curious brain and take me places. With this in mind, I left the house to end the year with a good note (no pun intended, but there were to be lots of notes on this day). My only concrete plan was the Opera and Operettas Concert at St. Martin in the Fields in mid afternoon, which meant, initially, I'd have about 3 hours to just listen to my clues and find places. We'll see what happens afterwards...

This quote by Oscar Wilde caught my eye while waiting for the train at Kew Gardens: 

Looked like we were on the right track... 

I left the house late morning to get breakfast at Kitchen and Pantry in Turnham Green (craving for the ham and cheese croissant I saw the day before, and a good cup of coffee - we have a long day ahead). Unfortunately, the place was packed, probably due to the fact that a lot of places are closed on December 31st - which was a fact I'd find in the next 30 minutes or so while walking from Turnham Green to Hammersmith and not encountering one decent independent coffee shop. When this happens, my interpretation is generally "OK, I am supposed to be somewhere else. Let's see where it is." In this case, it took me a while, but it certainly did happen...   

Getting more and more hungry, but not willing to give in to chain-type food or coffee, I made it to Hammersmith and had my ham and cheese croissant (which turns out to be much better than what I expected) with latte (average but at least fresh) at Bakehaus (which has an interesting tagline: "Seriously German about Bread" - well, Germans have good bread, and know what to do with grains) before the train. No, this was not the find really, I thought it from the day before as a back-up plan. The good find here though, was the cookies, small, chocolatey, perfectly crunchy, and simply packaged - I am not a big cookie person, but I could see those becoming addictive, especially with a good cup of coffee in the afternoon! Can we have one of those in MD please? 

Bakehaus cookies
(perfectly chocolatey and crunchy, might cause addiction!)

Umm... I think some people really enjoy being British... 

Having found a way to tame my hunger a bit, I headed to the city with the intent to check out the half price ticket box, and see if they might have anything interesting. Once I was in Leichester Square, I began to wonder around to come across this mecca:

 

... and tipped my hat*. Couple of minutes later, it was the view below which intrigued me, and  knowing I was on the hunt for something, I had to follow... 

This street led me to  a part of Chinatown I had not seen before: 

Newport Court in Chinatown

Not the touristy part but the real Asian part with the right but unfamiliar smells coming out the shops and cafes, and (mostly Asian) people queuing at the doors of small places that didn't have big signs, photos or buffet dishes placed in the window. As a matter of fact you could barely see through the small restaurants and cafes in this section due to combination of the cold, damp and slightly dark weather and steamy cooking happening inside. It was almost like a veil hiding the secrets of a beautiful woman in every shop window...  

Before too long, I was inside a tiny little shop with one woman doing the chopping, cooking, and customer interaction. Every now and then, a hurried young Chinese woman who seems to be a server would walk in, say something in Chinese and drop a tiny paper with what I assume to be orders on it. She didn't flinch, just kept working almost as if listening to a rhythm only she could hear: chop chop chop, collect skewers and pile them up on a plate, swish and swirl them in the pot that's been boiling behind the glass, and go back to chopping. 

I had to have a steamed bun from the oven, and I had to try those mysterious skewers which were selected to be boiled in the concoction... Eventually, and after consulting with her, I selected octopus, fish ball, shiitake, and broccoli so I could try different textures and flavors with this method of cooking (does anybody know the name of this style of cooking? She told me it is from Western part of China. It is almost like making fondue with a spicy soup mixture)

By the time I came out with my "lunch box" I couldn't help but notice the line outside the door of the restaurant:

Clearly they were the same establishment, but why they didn't have a door or even an opening in between was a mystery. The poor young server had to come and go back twice through the crowded door and under the rain. The restaurateur in me wanted to suggest, but the travelist said not to mention a thing. Maybe they belonged to the "if it ain't broken..." school. Maybe they were too busy to even think about it. Whatever the reasoning, the line was there for a reason. 

Impatient to try my "finds" I parked under a pagoda structure with a number of other Asian people. Some were eating like me, some were on the phone, some were waiting to meet someone. The bun wasn't too special as I've had many of those before and have found really tasty and juicy ones. But the skewers were incredibly tasty having absorbed the chills, the szechuan peppers, meat broth, and some spices, sauces and herbs I didn't know (or see) in the pot. They were still a bit firm to the tooth as they should be, but very very tasty, and very hot (this comes from someone who loooves chills and regularly eats them, so if you don't like things hot, you may not want to touch these skewers!) As I devoured my newly found Chinese skewer treats, I noticed a fairly nicely dressed Asian man approaching me. I was pretty sure that he was going to tell me not to eat under the pagoda, but to my surprise, he kindly asked me where I got my food from. He seemed to know what these were and clearly wanted to have some! Yes, this was definitely the find! After I pointed out the little shop, I noticed others eating similar buns around me, and I smiled with the joy of being the only non-Asian person under this pagoda and having found a (very hot) treat!

With a pleasant fire burning in my mouth, and only about 20 minutes left before the concert, I could think of one thing: bubble tea with milk. It would be pleasantly cool, and slightly sweet to balance the salt and the heat in my mouth, but where in the world would I find one of those? I had seen a shop between Leichester Square and Covent Garden once, but I didn't remember exactly where and I didn't have the time anyway. So I cleaned up the "table," threw the packaging in the trash bin, said good bye to the bun and skewer shop.

and took about 50 steps to come across... ... a bubble tea shop! It was a bit dark with the rain falling from the sky all day and umbrellas practically covering the tiny street, so it seemed as if it appeared magically out of nowhere, but I had to do it, I had to have bubble tea now! [one of my rules in life is "when you wish for something and it happens, or the conditions appear for it to happen, you can't turn it down..." My wishes don't realize that often, and I am afraid if I don't acknowledge them, I won't have any more wishes realize again!]

It wasn't the best bubble tea I had, but it accomplished the task of extinguishing the fire and leaving a pleasantly sweet and fresh taste in my mouth, so I was all set for the concert. Every now and then, life throws you  a sweet ball (I am not too familiar with baseball terminology to know what the opposite of a curveball is, but if anybody knows, I would love to learn)

Now I was ready for some planned activity, which was the matinee for Operas and Operettas at St. Martin in the Fields. I went through the door, unsure of what I'd find when I came out... 

-----------------

 This could be the prettiest photo of the day

* in case you are unfamiliar with Henry Ford's famous quote, he said "Every time I see an Alfa Romeo go by, I tip my hat"

MORE MUSEUM DISCOVERIES: THE V&A

Since I had such a good time at Courtauld Art Museum and the British Museum (see my entry on December 10) I decided to continue the week with more museum learnings and headed to the Victoria & Albert (aka V&A) Museum. It is hard to explain the V&A as it happens to hold one of the world's largest collections on art & design. Since this probably won't give you an idea, here are couple of facts to share:

• Timeline of objects displayed range from the very first glass pieces to contemporary, cutting edge furniture, and these objects come from all over the world
• The museum's 7-mile (11km) layout spreads over six levels and incorporates 100+ different galleries
• On March 31, 2012 the museum had a total of 2,233,293 items in its collections, out of which only 221,829 were suitable for long-term gallery display (the other items are referred to as "Reference Collections" and can be viewed in the museum's study rooms or by appointment) but only 28% (only 60,039 objects!) were on actual display. Through the museum's participation in loans and traveling exhibitions, it had 5,000 objects on display around the world between April 2011 and March 2012.
• It was originally founded in 1852 as the Museum of Manufacturers to inspire design students, and was renamed by Queen Victoria in 1899 in memory of her husband Prince Albert.
• The main focus of the museum remains design and decorative arts

On my first walking day in London (see my entry on November 26) I walked by the museum and noticed that the building itself was not as massive as the Vatican (which is my measure for real good planning and possibly some anti-anxiety measures as the galleries never seem to end, and my brain begins to give serious stress signals after one tenth of the displays) so I decided to proceed with my plan of "initial exploration" with the intent of a follow-up visit afterwards once I know the lay-of-the-land.  

Once I made the plan, even the especially spooky and cold morning with even the cobwebs visibly frozen on every corner was not going to stop me (I find that cold or rainy days are particularly good times to head to the museums, only if you can get yourself out of the house or the hotel):

The museum is only couple minutes from the South Kensington Tube Station (there is even an underground walkway) but on my way through the streets, I couldn't stop noticing couple of pubs, and wondering how early people start drinking in this town: 

Another pub... and fresh pint glasses at 11am in the morning...

Victoria & Albert Museum (aka V&A)

The museum has a beautiful entrance decorated by an amazing glass piece (by Dale Chihuly, designed and made in Seattle, specifically for V&A's grand entrance. The  piece consists of around 2000 pieces which shipped separately and reassembled in the Museum) and of course a large Christmas tree:

V&A Museum Entrance with Dale Chihuly's beautiful glass piece

Once you are able to move your attention away from the ceiling, here is what you see to your right:

Now you might have an idea on what we are about to explore... 

[disclaimer: all the information below is what I learned at V&A during my visit. I am not an expert nor a scholar in art, history, or anthropology, nor claim to be. I am a mere wonderer who is a student of all the above]

I believe one needs a guide and/or a knowledgable curator to explore and appreciate large museums (I think curators are invaluable in all sizes of museums, but in big museums one gets lost in trying to see it all, and needs guidance on how to navigate around and what to focus on) so I had looked up on the website and planned to attend the Middle Ages tour in the afternoon (free of charge). But having about an hour to explore on my own I -slowly- headed to the Asian collections (when in doubt choose something you'd enjoy seeing) which were on the street level, and would give me an idea of the floor plans as one can see other galleries through the architecture of the building. 

Beautiful Chinese lacquer teacups

Beautiful Chinese Porcelain dolls

Holders for place cards at Chinese banquets

Beautiful model of a Chinese ship made of ivory, circa 1800

Did I say I like looking at cups and saucers?

Korean Onggi jars used for pickling vegetables. 
Formed of rough clay they are glazed and fired for many days, 
they are robust enough to withstand the winter temperatures.

I thought I had an idea about the size of this museum, clearly I was wrong... All the items in this gallery are plaster casts, but still... it feels like time travel around the world... The column on the right above is  Tarajan's column in Rome, originally carved in marble and erected in the Forum A.D. 113. At the time it was topped by a colossal bronze statue of Trajan, and it was replaced by the present bronze statue of Saint Peter at the end of the 16th century. 

Cast plaster replica of the door
at Santiago de Compostela in Spain

Beautifully decorated vases

     

Now we are back to the lobby to explore the medieval and renaissance galleries in one hour...

Ornately decorated medieval piece 

This belonged to a Pope and
had more gold thread in its heyday 

Incredible detail on a wall carpet 

Ceiling tiles from a church depicting the months of the year

Donatello's doctor Giovanni Cellini (bust in the back)
Donatello gave him the bronze roundel of the virgin and child in 1456 as a payment
Cellini noted that the back of this roundel was used to make glass replicas, which
can be seen in the foreground which makes this a very unique object

Here is where the tour ended and I definitely needed a break to open some place in my brain... With that in mind, I headed to the cafe, during which I came across about 20-30 galleries and the lovely courtyard:

V&A Museum Courtyard

Now, I am in my element in a beautiful cafe, and the toughest thing is to make a decision: 

Scones or lambshank? Or roasted vegetables? Or a pie? 

Eventually I decided on a tomato soup with brown bread, knowing I would have to come back for those scones and found a seat in the beautifully decorated dining room. I am very used to bare minimums cafeteria style museum cafes but this was an unexpected treat with so much art and decorations in every corner... If I lived closeby, I'd probably come here couple times a month (soup needed a bit more seasoning but all the foods looked freshly prepared and appetizing, another feature I am not used to. Later I learned that couple years ago most of the major museums changed their operator and Benugo has been awarded a contract - bravo!!!)  

This is what I call eating in a museum... 

After lunch and some cranial rest, I decided to find my way towards the glass gallery (which happens to be another passion of mine). But of course on the way, I stopped at at least 10 galleries, quickly browsing a number of items but keeping my eye on the target. If you look at everything you may never make it to the upper levels here...

Here is something many people don't know:

This caused muslim artists to use symbols, shapes and flowers to interpret the connection of man to God, very different than most Christian art and churches. 

And now...

finally I am here, the Glass Gallery!

Clearly, the gallery is massive but organized into meaningful sections so I can focus on one display at a time - trying not to wonder how they clean these objects... 

Ale glasses for strong ale 17th to mid 19th century,
somewhat different than what we use today

Tumblers & rummers (mid 19th century)

Umm... I didn't do anything and I don't know why these porcelain cups are here in the glass gallery... But they are pretty! 

This is a case from the 18th and 19th centuries, when glassworkers made presents -sometimes called "friggers" for their families in their spare time. These are considered as "folk art" and a by-roduct of the glass-makers' love of whimsy. Apart from the typical objects, certain types were made for specific social and domestic purposes. Some items were used during ceremonial processions. Rolling pins (see below) and scent bottles, often inscribed, were considered suitable as love tokens. 

Rolling pins possibly given as love tokens.
The bottom one has an inscription that reads:
"Think of me when far at sea"

The objects mentioned above are different than the brightly colored and highly impractical pieces which were regularly made in commercial quantities by many glasshouses for sale. They were produced by highly specialized tradesmen with certain stylistic influences where the presents follow no style and are more whimsical intended to display their technical proficiency. 

Now let's take a look at some pieces that were made specifically for artistic purposes:

"Pezzato" (Patchwork) vase
designed by Fulvio Bianconi, Venice 1950

Cutest things I've seen today. So much so that
I forgot to take notes on whose work it was :-( 

Another interesting vase

This is very pretty! David Reekie's A Captive Audience (Norwich, Britain, 2000)
which refers to cloning-but there is one individual in the back about to make a getaway

Brick Man
by Max Jacquard (Kent, Britain, 2002)

This has to be the most beautiful and striking object I've seen today, and maybe in the past year.  According to Jacquard, this piece "attempts to describe the sense of isolation, self-protection and perhaps a certain brittle vulnerability felt by the artistic ego. This body form represents a kind of protective shell. That it is made of glass is an irony that emphasizes the futility of the exercise. "

With that thought in mind and perfectly satisfied with my tour of the glass gallery, I was ready for tea and some scones. The fact that the teapot was metal was totally disappointing (come on! after so many glass and porcelain objects?) but my lapsong-souchong was perfectly smoky and the scones were fresh and well made so I was a very happy museum discoverer. 

Sipping good loose tea (lapsang souchong in my case) with a fresh scone is a unique joy on its own, but when paired wonderful art in every corner, it gets even better... One wants to freeze the time and savor (thank God for photography!) 

After that experience, do I need another reminder to come back?

Yes, those are giant meringues.
There were many tables who had one... and many others
who kept pointing to them and asking about it! 

If the V&A is not large enough for you, next door is the Natural History Museum. It looks like one can spend a week only in this part of town! 

During nice weather you can always go out for some fresh air, and find many cafes and restaurants to your taste. 

 

I am definitely done and very satisfied for today, even anxious to see more museums, which means my "exploratory tour" comes to an end with a sense of accomplishment! More to come!