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Aug. 30th, 2006 07:25 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chelseagirlDeadline met, thus I can begin the story of my trip, finally.
As to the traveling part, I just need to specify that my husband is perhaps the worst traveler ever, and that my most heartfelt thoughts of divorce inevitably coincide with airplane flights. He's not so much a nervous traveler as a cranky, uncomfortable one, which is compounded by not being able to smoke for many, many hours on the flight. At least Heathrow has a smoker's lounge; look, I dislike smoking as much as anyone (well, maybe not as much as anyone as I was still able to fall in love with a smoker and not shut out the possibility automatically as some folks might do, but I dislike it a lot anyway), but every airport terminal should have a smoker's lounge, because if you're going to deal with the discomforts and nervous-making-ness of a long flight, you should at least be able puff your head off in a controlled area before that flight begins. Seriously.
Other than making various train connections, I only had an afternoon and an evening in London, wherein![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
silme and I briefly hit Forbidden Planet, the British Museum and the Globe for "Titus Andronicus". Really must schedule more London time next time.
Forbidden Planet was notable for how many more toys and tchotkes they had for various Hollywood products than for Doctor Who. The search for Doctor Who toys was a continuing theme of our vacation, and at this point I didn't realize quite how good FP's selection was. I neglected to pick up a couple of Mary Gentle books I saw there (only a few of her books are in print in America) and spent the rest of the trip regretting it; still, I'd gotten one I didn't have in Norwich already.
The British Museum: for some reason, I'd never made it here. We were somewhat limited for time, but I did see the Elgin Marbles, excuse me, Parthenon Sculptures, and picked up the handy brochure about the ownership controversy for later perusal. Was delighted to find several set of Assyrian winged bulls that match my old friends at the Met. Saw the Rosetta stone, of course, the old British Library Reading Room (hard to miss), and we peeked at some of the Victorian design stuff, with a brief visit to the medieval room afterwards. High speed museum-ing, but at least I have some sense for future visits.
Dinner at Wagamama's, notable as the site of M's and my first fight, four and a half years ago, but also for good, affordable food. Found a bookstore called Jarndyce & Co. which specialized in Victorian editions; the shopkeeper was momentarily interested in my dissertation topic but could see we were not Serious Buyers (though I would have loved to have been)!
My groundling days at the Globe may be coming to an end; between my heel pain (standing on that authentically Elizabethan concrete floor) andsilme's knees? back? something ache-y, we were longing for seats. (However, as always, can't beat the 5 pound ticket price!)
Titus Andronicus not one of the plays I know best from Shakespeare's canon, but this was a *fun* production, what with all the blood and guts and tragedy and treachery. The standout was Shaun Parkes as Aaron the Moor; he was the captain in this season of Doctor Who's Impossible Planet/Satan Pit episodes, as well as Casanova's valet/best friend in the David Tennant Casanova (which I'd ordered from amazon.co.uk and was waiting at the in-laws on our arrival); he was fabulous and really the standout of the cast. Lots of incense and shouting and running about; the groundlings had to keep a sharp eye out for scenes taking place in our midst!
Lots more to come but I don't want to overwhelm my f-list, and besides I've got to spend the morning prepping for a freshman orientation writing workshop I'm doing this afternoon.
As to the traveling part, I just need to specify that my husband is perhaps the worst traveler ever, and that my most heartfelt thoughts of divorce inevitably coincide with airplane flights. He's not so much a nervous traveler as a cranky, uncomfortable one, which is compounded by not being able to smoke for many, many hours on the flight. At least Heathrow has a smoker's lounge; look, I dislike smoking as much as anyone (well, maybe not as much as anyone as I was still able to fall in love with a smoker and not shut out the possibility automatically as some folks might do, but I dislike it a lot anyway), but every airport terminal should have a smoker's lounge, because if you're going to deal with the discomforts and nervous-making-ness of a long flight, you should at least be able puff your head off in a controlled area before that flight begins. Seriously.
Other than making various train connections, I only had an afternoon and an evening in London, wherein
silme and I briefly hit Forbidden Planet, the British Museum and the Globe for "Titus Andronicus". Really must schedule more London time next time. Forbidden Planet was notable for how many more toys and tchotkes they had for various Hollywood products than for Doctor Who. The search for Doctor Who toys was a continuing theme of our vacation, and at this point I didn't realize quite how good FP's selection was. I neglected to pick up a couple of Mary Gentle books I saw there (only a few of her books are in print in America) and spent the rest of the trip regretting it; still, I'd gotten one I didn't have in Norwich already.
The British Museum: for some reason, I'd never made it here. We were somewhat limited for time, but I did see the Elgin Marbles, excuse me, Parthenon Sculptures, and picked up the handy brochure about the ownership controversy for later perusal. Was delighted to find several set of Assyrian winged bulls that match my old friends at the Met. Saw the Rosetta stone, of course, the old British Library Reading Room (hard to miss), and we peeked at some of the Victorian design stuff, with a brief visit to the medieval room afterwards. High speed museum-ing, but at least I have some sense for future visits.
Dinner at Wagamama's, notable as the site of M's and my first fight, four and a half years ago, but also for good, affordable food. Found a bookstore called Jarndyce & Co. which specialized in Victorian editions; the shopkeeper was momentarily interested in my dissertation topic but could see we were not Serious Buyers (though I would have loved to have been)!
My groundling days at the Globe may be coming to an end; between my heel pain (standing on that authentically Elizabethan concrete floor) and
silme's knees? back? something ache-y, we were longing for seats. (However, as always, can't beat the 5 pound ticket price!)Titus Andronicus not one of the plays I know best from Shakespeare's canon, but this was a *fun* production, what with all the blood and guts and tragedy and treachery. The standout was Shaun Parkes as Aaron the Moor; he was the captain in this season of Doctor Who's Impossible Planet/Satan Pit episodes, as well as Casanova's valet/best friend in the David Tennant Casanova (which I'd ordered from amazon.co.uk and was waiting at the in-laws on our arrival); he was fabulous and really the standout of the cast. Lots of incense and shouting and running about; the groundlings had to keep a sharp eye out for scenes taking place in our midst!
Lots more to come but I don't want to overwhelm my f-list, and besides I've got to spend the morning prepping for a freshman orientation writing workshop I'm doing this afternoon.
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Date: 2006-08-30 12:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-30 01:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-30 12:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-30 01:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-30 01:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-30 01:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-30 01:30 pm (UTC)I heard something was similar to Wagamama's in London, unless I am totally making that one up in my head. Or remembering something from my trip 6 years ago....
Well, now that I know you mean NYC, I definitely have not been there and now I know to go!
no subject
Date: 2006-08-30 01:38 pm (UTC)Republic is good. A more limited menu than Wagamama's, but definitely a similar feel and style of food. Plus they have a wide range of delivery -- not too many places at Union Square will deliver all the way to west Chelsea!
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Date: 2006-08-30 01:39 pm (UTC)I'm totally checking out Republic on my next visit to Manhattan for sure. And awesome on the delivery!
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Date: 2006-08-30 01:44 pm (UTC)I think we're just getting confused. ;-) It's the kind of name you'd remember. I'm just wondering if silme told me they had restaurants elsewhere as well -- fuzzy, fuzzy memory.
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Date: 2006-08-30 01:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-30 01:52 pm (UTC)I totally get that. My husband's alarm goes off at 5:30 (he works in Prospect Park, Brooklyn and has to be there in time to get his coffee before 7:30 when the workday starts); we live in a small place so when he wakes up, I wake up. I get to work as soon as he leaves at 6:30 and usually do much of my email and LJ stuff before I'm by any means conscious. :-)
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Date: 2006-08-30 01:57 pm (UTC)My boy starts school again (as a teacher, like you!) soon, so that means up before me which also means I will be waking up with him. These past couple of weeks, he's snoozed right through my waking up, which has me hating him because I would love nothing more than MORE sleep!
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Date: 2006-09-01 01:20 pm (UTC)What's he going back to teach?
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Date: 2006-09-01 01:22 pm (UTC)J is a high school physics and philosophy teacher. I guess you can say he's just as geeky.
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Date: 2006-09-01 01:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-01 01:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-30 04:25 pm (UTC)I really think that Aaron may be the best role in Titus Andronicus. Well, best in terms of "most fun," which frequently means the actor will run with it. Tamora's pretty juicy, too -- but Aaron is the role.
My husband and I will occasionally do Lavinia impressions (as we have morbid senses of humor). It involves pulling one's sleeves over the ends of our hands and making incoherent noises as we mime writing with a stick. :)
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Date: 2006-09-01 12:57 pm (UTC)Morbid but funny -- I must share this with
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Date: 2006-08-30 05:53 pm (UTC)you didn't know about them? I never mentioned them to you because I assumed you were ALL about them. If I'd known, I'd have certainly told you of them LONG ago. Love them alot
the Elgin Marbles, excuse me, Parthenon Sculptures
ah, the marbles. How the guards dislike people discussing their "liberation". So touchy
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Date: 2006-09-01 01:02 pm (UTC)I did pick up a few adorably dusty Victorians at a little bookshop cafe up in Norfolk later on, though.
Re. the Elgins, I did get a kick out of the explanatory brochure, which refers you to the Greek government's website for their side of the argument.
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Date: 2006-09-01 02:20 pm (UTC)I always think of the Elgins fondly as my innocent joke about how "liberated" they looked led to the invitation to "move along" to another gallery on the first of my thee famous "How to Get Asked to Leave Places of Note in London" tours.
Alas
Ah good times. One day I shall write a book. "Dismissed! Getting the Goat of Guides and Guards 'Round the Globe"
Chapter One: The Alamo
Chapter Two: Westminster Abbey
Chapter Three: The Dome of the Rock
etc...
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Date: 2006-09-01 02:31 pm (UTC)In any case, I'm proud of you.
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Date: 2006-09-01 02:38 pm (UTC)