I came home and cooked dinner with my roommate. We're trying really hard to spend no money so we cook every meal together and quiz each other on our daily spending. She approved of my exhibition ticket and poster as well as the instant coffee, dish soap and sponge I bought on the way home. For now, cooking is really nice. We usually split these pasta packages we bought at the British equivalent of Walmart and then we also make a salad with chicken and Italian dressing. They still don't have the internet working in my room here and the tech guy is on vacation for another week so once again, I'll have to keep this post short. Maybe tomorrow I'll actually make it to the Dulwich Picture Gallery!
Monday, September 27, 2010
V & A Surprise
Today I tried to go to the Dulwich Picture Gallery which was highly recommended by my grandmother (who also recommended that I go with her to the Courtauld four years ago and look where I am now). Unfortunately, after taking two buses to the middle of nowhere (supposedly east Dulwhich) and getting totally confused about where I was, I looked at my Blue Guide and realized that the gallery is closed on Mondays. So that was a bit stupid of me. Luckily, I enjoy riding around in double decker buses so all was not lost. After taking the bus back to King's road I decided to walk to Kensington (which is really quite close-maybe a 15 minute walk) to see the Victoria and Albert. As I was looking up and down at the map three vertical red banners with giant gold letters caught my eye. I wish I could describe the feeling that came over me when I realized exactly what I was looking at...I think I probably started shaking...anyway, the signs said 'Diaghilev and the Golden Age of the Ballet Russes' which I could hardly believe because it's so rare that museums do shows on dance history. It was probably the best exhibition I have ever been to and not just because I loved the topic. I spent about two hours wandering through it. The costumes were fabulous, they had a beautiful special section on Nijinsky, and they did a great job explaining everything from the music Diaghilev chose to his elite social circle. They even had a special section on James Joyce! It was wonderful. I wish I could have watched the curators design the whole thing. Anyway, I basically skipped home I was so happy. I feel like it was some sort of sign...London seems to be welcoming me with open arms. For those of you who don't understand why I'm so excited- I am really fascinated by Diaghilev's Ballets Russes- from the choreographers that created their blockbuster hits (think Nijinsky's Rite of Spring) to the avant-garde artists that surrounded the company (from Picasso to de Chirico). Diaghilev was really good at what he did. I wanted to go crazy in the bookstore-they had all these books that sat on my carrel in the art library all last semester but obviously I'm not going to carry all of those home with me. Instead I bought a postcard of Diaghilev (google search him he's very funny looking) and a three pound exhibition poster. If anyone wants to buy me a christmas gift you could get the book they published with the exhibition! It's only 30 pounds! Just kidding....
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You are brave to try to get to Dulwich by public transport. It's really off the beaten track. It's obvious that you are going to become a sophisticated transit rider. One piece of advice. Use buses as often as you can--especially at first. The tube will get you places faster. But using buses will help you internalize the geography of London more quickly. I used the tube exclusively at the beginning and ended up not knowing how to walk between places that were very close. [Keeping a map or A to Z on hand helps, too.]
ReplyDeleteTim and I relied on our friend Bob Jezzard to drive us to Dulwich. It's a stunning collection. Incredible Gainsboroughs. Your grandmother obviously has very good taste.
You're trending very kinky about costumes, young lady. It's something we never realized until this blog. "Vicky and Al's" is huge, with many quirky and interesting collections. And it will be your close neighbor. Lucky you.
I'll let you settle in more before I start harassing you to ride doubledecker buses to see London's Nicholas Hawkesmoor churches. They are insane and unique. England's best architect. Christ Church Spitalsfield; St Mary Woolnoch, St Anne's Limehouse. St George's--both Bloomsbury and "in the East." I rang bells in Spitalsfield before it was renovated. It's near Brick Lane. The neighborhood was a dump when I lived in London [1973-1974], but is very trendy now.
SOME DAY you have to come clean about Venice!
Jenny, I'm going to be compelled to suggest "a few of my favorite things" that you might want to see in London. Hawkesmoor churches are the first. But think about an outing to Hampstead. See Kenwood House in the Heath [perfect double cube room]and hike the heath. You could visit Highgate Cemetery first. Many famous graves--Karl Marx being the one I remember. End with afternoon high tea somewhere on the Hampstead Village High Street. Tim and I did this outing years ago. Who did we run into at the Hampstead tea shop? Sara Paretsky, the Hyde Park mystery writer and a friend from grad school.
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