Architecture

Mom & Dad visit: Day Three

Architecture, London

The day went like this:
Woke up at 8, took a shower at 10, got ready and went to Holborn with Melissa only to find out that the store we were going to visit is closed on Sundays. So I went back to the hotel room and read for a little and napped for a little before my parents came back. Then, while Dad was napping, Mom and I researched car rentals and then went shopping on High Street Kensington. I got two lovely new shirts from Laura Ashley because Mommy is the best ever ❤ When all the stores closed at six, we went back to get Dad and then the three of us took the Tube to Victoria and looked around. Went to a restaurant called The Shakespeare where I got Chicken Tikka Masala–a delectable Indian dish. Then we walked to Buckingham Palace which was glowing and beautiful.
palace

victoria

We strolled down the St. James’s Park Mall before ending up at Westminster Abbey and Parliament again. The moon was foggy and mysterious but it didn’t come out well on camera.
abbey

Mummy and Daddy in London!
momdad

Not a soul in sight. At 10pm Sunday night, London sleeps.
station

We waited till 10pm to hear Big Ben chime. I took a really good video but alas, it cannot be uploaded easily and I was dumb and taped it vertically, which means the image is tilted. But it was a really powerful moment—the chiming of the bell—even with all the surrounding loud traffic. I doubt I will ever tire of walking around the city of Westminster.

Mom & Dad visit: Day Two

Architecture, London

Absolutely knackered, so I’ll try and keep it brief.

This morning I met Mom & Dad at 11. We went to Trafalgar Square to tour the National Gallery and see fair doses of Rubens, Reynolds, Constable, and even a Leonardo. Then we Tubed it to St. Paul’s to take a look inside the cathedral and walk around the area, where we found the Central Court.
court

Justice.
justice

Then we walked across the very windy Millennium Bridge and visited Tate Modern. There was some pretty weird stuff in there, like an entire palm tree tipped over and coated in gray paint, rope tangled in a pile, three vacuums encased in glass, and a canvas covered with a mirror. However, there was a fair share of notables: Braque, Duchamp, Klee, Rothko, Pollock, Warhol. We were really tired though so we blew through a lot of rooms. A view after one of the Abstract Expressionism rooms:
tateview

I am definitely planning a trip back, especially to see the Pop Art exhibit now on view.

We took a nap at the hotel before going out to Green Door Steak House for dinner, where I ordered two delicious Midori Sour’s and my meal: braised steak with mushrooms and pale ale pastry pie with mashed potatoes. Wonderful. Mom and Dad went to check out Piccadilly Circus but I opted to stay in for the night and get some rest. Tomorrow: studying, and then a Rugby game!