Claire, the palace & Soho
Claire came back! She arrived last night and we met at a pub next to her place. An Irish pub where I had some Irish lamb stew (with loads of fat) and pints of beer. Eventually, I must eat fish and chips, even if that plate seems too fried and devoid of nutrition… Anyhow, seeing her was lovely. We chatted non-stop until late into the night.
Yesterday, I finally woke up late and finally started feeling not jet-lagged. I lazed around the apartment for a while before setting out to Buckingham palace. Seeing that the Queen is away on holiday to Scotland for the months of August and September, they open up a few of the rooms at the palace for visitors. Mainly the public service rooms. We did not see any of the Royals' private quarters or official work offices. Nor did we see any bathrooms. But the Gallery, the main hall, several drawing rooms, the music room, the ballroom and the room in which coronations take place were all open. They were all very royal, of a style I usually much dislike but seeing that there was nothing but, it passed. It seemed coherent. And, there were no TVs hiding anywhere, which would have been quite kitsch, and would be what I’d expect from a British subject who admires the style just a bit too much to be congruent with the modern world.
Afterwards I walked around along Park Lane and a bit of Hyde Park. Seeing that I was so close to roaring traffic, I asked a British lady about the driving fees in the center. She was very congenial and told me everything she knows: it begun about 4 years ago and was reserved to the West Central district. Eventually, the periphery grew to include the West, part of the East and the South bank. It was also originally only 4 pounds and now for a “day pass” it’s 8. To pay, drivers must call up a number or access a pay machine, which can be found in the dépanneurs. They basically register their licence number. Those who live within the district can buy monthly passes that are about half the price.
Thursday evening I met Pinakin in Soho. A very nice guy. We walked around, had an Italian supper (lasagna is my first actual British restaurant-bought meal), and had some drinks in pubs. The area is very lively. Contrarily to New York City, where the main streets are very busy but once you diverge unto a side street you feel like you’ve landed in a no-man’s land, Soho in London has pubs and people everywhere, and at every turn you are greeted by a street that very much looks like the one you just left. But I did not find that section of town to look like the first scenes in Blade Runner. Then again, maybe my view lacked the misty rain…
Today, it is beautiful out. We may go to the Portobello market, the one we see in the film Nottingham. Afterwards we may have a pik-nik in Hyde Park. I also would like, eventually, to have tea at Harrods. And tonight, we are going out.
Yesterday, I finally woke up late and finally started feeling not jet-lagged. I lazed around the apartment for a while before setting out to Buckingham palace. Seeing that the Queen is away on holiday to Scotland for the months of August and September, they open up a few of the rooms at the palace for visitors. Mainly the public service rooms. We did not see any of the Royals' private quarters or official work offices. Nor did we see any bathrooms. But the Gallery, the main hall, several drawing rooms, the music room, the ballroom and the room in which coronations take place were all open. They were all very royal, of a style I usually much dislike but seeing that there was nothing but, it passed. It seemed coherent. And, there were no TVs hiding anywhere, which would have been quite kitsch, and would be what I’d expect from a British subject who admires the style just a bit too much to be congruent with the modern world.
Afterwards I walked around along Park Lane and a bit of Hyde Park. Seeing that I was so close to roaring traffic, I asked a British lady about the driving fees in the center. She was very congenial and told me everything she knows: it begun about 4 years ago and was reserved to the West Central district. Eventually, the periphery grew to include the West, part of the East and the South bank. It was also originally only 4 pounds and now for a “day pass” it’s 8. To pay, drivers must call up a number or access a pay machine, which can be found in the dépanneurs. They basically register their licence number. Those who live within the district can buy monthly passes that are about half the price.
Thursday evening I met Pinakin in Soho. A very nice guy. We walked around, had an Italian supper (lasagna is my first actual British restaurant-bought meal), and had some drinks in pubs. The area is very lively. Contrarily to New York City, where the main streets are very busy but once you diverge unto a side street you feel like you’ve landed in a no-man’s land, Soho in London has pubs and people everywhere, and at every turn you are greeted by a street that very much looks like the one you just left. But I did not find that section of town to look like the first scenes in Blade Runner. Then again, maybe my view lacked the misty rain…
Today, it is beautiful out. We may go to the Portobello market, the one we see in the film Nottingham. Afterwards we may have a pik-nik in Hyde Park. I also would like, eventually, to have tea at Harrods. And tonight, we are going out.
posted by julie at
4:31 a.m.
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