Jan's and John's Peripatetic Adventure

A Visit From Hanneke

Wow, this weekend is really exciting; it's the ultimate music experience.

Today one of our favorite California friends Hanneke van Proosdij visited us. She is in London with San Francisco's Philharmonia Baroque for a BBC Proms concert on Tuesday.

She is also playing tomorrow night in our concert/party here with other members of Philharmonia Baroque who also have released individual recordings on Magnatune. She is one of our favorite musicians ever and we're honored and excited to have her and the other extraordinary musicians perform in our home. She arrived just after the harpsichord for tomorrow's concert was delivered so she gave it a test spin. Notice the blurred fingers; damn she's good. The harpsichord has a lovely sound. John and Malcolm, the harpsichord specialist, are pictured below carrying it up the steps. Well done, guys!

Also, for the next few days Philharmonia Baroque's Music Director and Conductor Nicholas McGegan is our first guest in the guest suite downstairs and we're delighted.

More about the concert tomorrow, I'll be sure to take photos!

A Circus in Oz

Last night we went to Circus Oz at the South Bank Centre.

It's an Australian contemporary circus, with astonishing acrobats, freaky contortionists, clever clowns and great live music. It opened with a guy walking across the ceiling. It was hilarious and one of the most clever things we've seen.

A very enjoyable evening!

Building The Bed

Another blog referred to my blog as describing the horrors of living in London. I don't agree with that, we love London. But here we go again...

After waiting 12 weeks for delivery of the platform for our bed from John Lewis when it finally arrived they would not bring it upstairs and left it in the entry hall. Even worse, we are expected to assemble it ourselves. I'm not in the habit of spending £900 on furniture I have to build myself. We could have spent a fraction of that at IKEA where one expects to build it oneself.

This is part of what I find baffling about London. It's one of largest, most expensive and fabulous cities in the world but the service is really inconsistent and sometimes very bad. I realize I'm just an idiot American but I expected them to bring the pieces upstairs and assemble the platform for us, which is what the company we bought our bed from in California did.

On the other hand, the contractors we've had in for plumbing and upgrading the security system have been outstanding. Sometimes difficult to get on the phone but once they're here they are very nice and extremely thorough and helpful. The security company stayed until 11:30 at night recently to get the job completed. That would never happen in the U.S. They'd leave at 4 and come back the next week if you were lucky.

We love living in London but I do wish they had built the bed.

Scarlatti Bliss

One of my original attractions to London was the ability to find cd's only available in Europe.

As Virgin and HMV become more pathetic all the time, that attraction has diminished over the last couple of years. However, every now and then a gem turns up. Today at the Virgin Megastore on Piccadilly Circus I found an amazing cd of Scarlatti sonatas on piano by Fabio Grasso. If a cd is by a name I do not recognise I nearly always buy it, as in this case. And often, as in this case, it is fabulous.

The first 5 sonatas are actually fugues, a form in which Scarlatti rarely wrote. But since everything he did has been called sonatas (not necessarily by him) then that's what they are now called.

The performance is exquisite and subtle. He also plays some of the more famous sonatas and his playing is very civilised, rather than the maniacal pounding that so many performers inflict on us.

If you're curious and want to explore some Scarlatti, a recording that I recommend and is easy to get is the one by Mikhail Pletnev, it's a favorite of mine.

We're All Specks

Ok, the sun came out. Very nice. But...

Lately, and annoyingly, there have been helicopters hovering over central London. I assume their purpose is some kind of security although I can't imagine what it would be.

The helicopters wander around, hovering but sometimes are right above the house and the noise is quite something. They are very loud and... just hovering there.

I understand we need security but does it have to be so loud? Next it will be:

"Attention! You, the speck on The Strand with the backpack! Identify yourself or we will shoot!" And they will, too.

Drenched

The heat wave is definitely over and the weather has returned to what many people think of as London-normal: grey and raining.

I miss the sunshine but the grey does keep it cool. I'm not a rain lover but I know that London needs it so it's a good thing. Shorter excursions, nearby restaurants, and lots of sitting on the sofa reading is how I deal with rainy days. However, I am always surprised at the throngs of shoppers who come out even on days like this to buy ugly clothes at stores like FCUK. I'm not sure which is more amusing: 20-somethings dressed like teenage hookers or 40-somethings dressed like 20-somethings dressed like teenage hookers.

The photos are from our roof deck (note new patio furniture, surprisingly comfortable). The water builds up on the canopy and then when it reaches critical falls onto the deck in a loud splash. Annoying or hilarious depends on how hormonal I'm feeling.

Fun At The Bank

This evening we had dinner at The Bank with David Ferris, wife Jean and son Nicholas.

They are all delightful! It was a great evening with lots of laughter, lively discussion and fabulous food. By strange coincidence they also live in both London and San Francisco, so we'll be able to get together again in August when we're all back in the Bay Area.

Good food and fun people, always enjoyable. BTW, sticky toffee is my favorite dessert ever.

Obi-Wan Meets Ally McBeal

This evening we saw Guys and Dolls starring Ewan McGregor and Jane Krakowski.

We were in the third row! He was a mere 10 feet away, so close I could see the color of his eyes (blue). He was pretty good; dancing and singing, much better than you'd expect a movie star to be on stage.

But the real show stopper was Jane Krakowski. Wow, she was amazing. Hilarious, great singing, great dancing and the kind of spark that really makes a performance special.

The other familiar face was Douglas Hodge who had played the boring son of Sir Pitt in the recent movie Vanity Fair. He was also really great.

The whole show was fabulous; great dancing, singing, hilarious dialogue and highly polished production. A truly memorable night at the theatre!

Again

More bombings.

There's really nothing I can say except I'm relieved there were no casualties and minimal damage. Was this incompetency or luck? We'll never know. The disruption to the tube and many people's lives is the worst part.

But people in London are amazing and really do have a been-there-done-that attitude about it. They live in one of the most wonderful cities in the world and nothing is going to take that away from them.

Packaging

The furniture is still arriving!

Yesterday was Habitat, one of our favorite shops. We bought six glass side tables, one for each sofa. I had expected them to come flat and then to assemble them ourselves. But instead, they arrived fully formed but in these heavy, fiberboard cases. Yikes!

The delivery men were exceptionally helpful and friendly. There had been a mistake and our glass workstation top was put into another truck so they went and got it and came back at midnight! Although a strange hour for a furniture delivery, it was so nice of them to come back because it saved us the trouble of having to reschedule which can be problematic.

I had them leave the tables in the entryway since carrying them upstairs would be a nightmare but also our having to carry the empty cases back downstairs would also be a nightmare.

So, John is opening the cases one by one and we're carrying the tables to their appropriate suites.

Tipping: we've been told that people don't tip here the way Americans do. We're fine with that (there is way to much tipping expectation in the States) except when the delivery men really go out of their way and especially when they carry heavy things up multiple flights of stairs. They are always surprised and seem pleased when we tip them. I'm happy to do it because I really am grateful to them for carrying all that stuff up the stairs, especially at midnight.

Coming soon: patio furniture.

An Extraordinary Evening

Last night we had dinner with Margaret Drabble and her husband Michael Holroyd who are two of the nicest, interesting and fun people we've met.

I've been reading Margaret Drabble's books for over 30 years and recently read Michael Holroyd's two volumes of autobiography which were fabulous.

A very enjoyable evening!

No Brooke

Last night we went to see Brooke Shields in Chicago. Brooke was indisposed in some way so there was a replacement. I really only wanted to see Brooke Shields and should have left. But the show is so highly acclaimed we decided to see it anyway. Oops.

It really isn't our thing. It's hard to tell, though, because the production was like an amateur high school show. The songs were stupid, the story was obnoxious, the dancing was clumsy and no Brooke Shields. We left at intermission.

Chat

Being a nerd makes staying in touch with my friends so much easier.

I met my friend Linda while on our trip to Switzerland a couple years ago. It was a great trip made even better by meeting Linda and her husband Chase. We had a great time hanging out, hiking and dining. Since they live in Pennsylvania, it's great to be able to see each other and chat online, particularly when I'm in London.

Hi Linda!!!

Chairs

In the ongoing struggle to get furniture into the house, today Heals delivered 18 chairs that we intend to use for seating for various dining tables, workstations and sundry corners.

However, they refused to take them past the first floor (second floor for people in the U.S.) and they were nasty about it. Hmmm... no tip this time. It's particularly frustrating because, after the ground floor, the stairway is wide and easy. Delivery men in London are usually very friendly and helpful, this was an unusual exception. We'll see how the delivery of the 2 dining tables goes before I decide whether I want to continue to shop at Heals.

Tonight: Brooke Shields in Chicago, I can't wait! More tomorrow.

The Sofas from Hell

The movers came back this morning with our sofas from the other day that would not fit through the door.

First, they removed the window. Then they lifted both sofas up through the window. It was scary and complicated but a heroic and successful effort.

However, the sofas would not fit through the living room door on the inside in order to be taken upstairs. So, they are staying in the guest suite. That turns out to be ok because they are much larger than we remember them being and would take up too much space upstairs where our home concerts are going to be.

Hopefully we're done with sofas. I don't even want to think about the piano yet.

Chillin'

The heat wave has finally broken and today is delightful.

Last night we tubed up to have dinner with some of our favorite friends Jane Dorner and Stephen Gottlieb; they are so completely enjoyable. A delicious meal and outstanding red wine made for a lovely evening in their garden.

Their cat Zim was a cutie, as always. And various neighborhood cats stopped by to see what was going on in the garden; some were welcomed, some not. I had a nice dose of cat.

Return to Mrs. Alba's House

Last night we went to see The House of Bernarda Alba at the National Theatre.

I had seen it a few months ago and thought it was so good that John should see it. And I enjoyed it the second time as well. Amazing theatre.

And in a 180 degree cultural u-turn, today we saw Batman Begins. I expected to hate it but was pleasantly surprised; it was excellent, we loved it.

Crispy

Ok, it's 90 today, 88 in the living room.

The air conditioning consultant came and we put him on the fast track. He said summers in England have changed dramatically and this heat is very unusual. But it looks like it's here to stay, unfortunately. Last night was awful, there wasn't even a breeze with all the windows open.

The consultant for double glazing the windows also came today. Once we have the air conditioning and don't need to open the windows to get some air (if there is any) then the extra windows will make the house even more impervious to the noise from the street. The traffic isn't too bad but can be loud when it's bumper to bumper. The hum of the air conditioning units above the restaurants in the back can also be eliminated by double glazing, so it seems like a good idea.

A Visit From Handel and Haydn

Today John met with Mary Deissler from the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston to discuss Magnatune possibilities.

Mary is so much fun! I caught up with them and we had dinner at The Red Fort, one of our favorites, and the first time Mary had been there. Then we came back to the house and she and John discussed musical possibilities over home-made lattes.

She comes to London fairly frequently and works with the English National Opera so we look forward to seeing her many times in the future.

Furniture

And Artwork Phase 2.

Our sofas arrived from California today, after much delay in customs and a shocking import VAT.

Unfortunately the 2 sofas for the suite downstairs wouldn't fit through the front door so they're going to have to be lifted in by crane through the windows which have to be taken apart first. Scheduling that is going to take some magic, I think. But the 2 for the upstairs did fit through the door (barely) and we're delighted.

Here also is more artwork John bought in New Orleans. Very sci-fi, I love it. Also pictured is more of the Limoge John bought in New York City, this time the Turkish coffee cups.

The house is really starting to feel like a home, we're really happy here.

Toastie

It's nice having the sky be blue after weeks of grey, chilly, and periodic rain.

The temperature is 86 outside and 85 inside so it's a little warmer than is comfortable. Air conditioning or no air conditioning? Hmm... We're going to get an estimate and then decide after the summer's over to see how hot it actually gets. Once our furniture arrives (tomorrow!) we'll be able to spend time in one of the other suites downstairs where it's cooler so air conditioning may not be needed.

Tonight we're having dinner with one of our favorite people, Larry Dreyfus. Always enjoyable!

Hilarious Shakespeare

Last night we went with Doris and friends to the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park. The play was Cymbeline which none of us had ever seen.

It's a wonderful place. We met on the lawn where people were relaxing while waiting for the theatre to open. There was a buffet dinner that was actually delicious. Then everyone proceeded to the wonderful open air theatre. We heard that they continue with the performance regardless of the weather so we were happy that it had become a sunny, warmish day.

The play was hilarious and the performances excellent. As always, there were familiar faces on stage. This time it was Harriet Thorpe who plays Fleur on Absolutely Fabulous, one of the women who worked with Patsy on the magazine who were always sitting around the table brainstorming for next month's issue.

It was an exceptionally enjoyable evening!

Tonight's amazing dinner: Maggiore's. One of the best restaurants we've found in Covent Garden.

Tubeless

Well, it's the day after and there is little visible evidence anything is wrong, although the effects of yesterday will be felt for a very long time.

Much of The Tube is operational today but our local tube station is closed because the Piccadilly line has no service for most central London stations "until further notice."

The streets are filled with traffic and pedestrians. We went shopping on Oxford Street and it was busy and so were the stores. But people are upset and the driver of the taxi we took today talked of nothing else but yesterday's attack, not surprisingly, and we are of course in total sympathy.

We did drive past the American Embassy where men have machine guns but I'm not sure that's really an unusual thing.

Thank you to everyone who checked in with us (this blog is really handy) to make sure we were ok. John was exhausted after his bike ride from Richmond but said the ride was beautiful as it followed the Thames nearly all the way to London, so there's a silver lining.

We're fine but...

... London isn't.

We are, of course, completely shocked and upset by today's explosions in London. At first described as "a power surge" it is now officially being called a terrorist attack. The closing of the entire Tube is going to be an unbelievable trauma to the city but the real tragedy is the people who were wounded. My heart just aches for them.

Sometimes on the Tube I've thought, "What if..." Now I won't be able to think about anything else.

At 9:30 this morning John was on a train (not the tube) to go to a meeting and I didn't realize how worried I was until he called to say he got there ok. Now he's stranded there because train stations are being shut down. Hopefully he'll make it back into London soon.

Update: since the train was unavailable with no indication of when it would be, John bought a bicycle and biked the 10 miles back to London. He got back around 5:00, thankfully his youth and vigour made this possible.

Edouard and a Bouquet

It's been nearly a week since my friend Lynn visited and the flowers she brought still look beautiful.

Edouard, the gift John brought me from his trip to Switzerland last year, decided that he wanted to sit under the flowers. He looks really cute.

John Lewis delivered our mattress today but not the frame. But we're happy to have a bed in the upstairs rather than going downstairs to the guest suite to sleep.

And, sadly, we saw War of the Worlds today and loved it. Sadly, because we wanted to hate it since Tom Cruise has been so obnoxious on tv recently (yay, Brooke Shields, we love ya) but it was really an amazing movie. His acting was great and the special effects were completely astonishing. It was also fun to see it in the theatre on Leicester Square where it premiered and where Tom got squirted with water on the red carpet by pretend interviewers who turned out to be more obnoxious than him, if that is possible.

Birthday Boy Again

Today is John's birthday, his second in London, not counting his original one many, many, many years ago (hahahaha, ok only one "many" will do). As you can see things have improved from last year when we didn't even have furniture in our old apartment.

This morning we went with our friend Ramsay to see The Wallace Collection and had lunch at the restaurant there.

The collection is jaw-dropping amazing. It's always wonderful seeing famous paintings you've seen for years right there on the wall in front of you. The collection of porcelain, etc. is also fabulous, the museum really is a must-see.

This evening is his birthday dinner at Quo Vadis which now has a tasting menu, one of John's favorites, and perhaps some champagne!

Here is a photo of me getting ready for dinner wearing the illuminated necklace John brought me from his recent trip to New York. It's alive!

Artwork Phase 1

Today the first of four pieces of art John bought on his recent trip to New Orleans arrived.

It measures 3' x 3' and is really stunning; the gold paint reflects the light from the skylight so beautifully. This isn't its permanent position, once the other 3 pieces arrive we're going to move stuff around to decide where it should be permanently.

The Ultimate... Teapot

For quite a while John has been on a quest for the ultimate teapot: artistic but useful; microwave safe but not boring.

On his recent trip to NYC he brought back a complete set of Limoge dinnerware; I nearly passed out when I saw it. It is gorgeous and the teapot is particularly stunning. He also got a couple of everyday teapots that are very nice.

Also, as you can see here, he went a little too far into the artistic category. It's very cool, probably is functional but cleaning looks problematic. It does better just on display on the stair platform with our sheep.

Today is a busy day! This morning we took the tube to Heathrow Airport to get together with John's friends from his childhood, Rhoda, Anne and Michael. I really enjoyed meeting them and John was very excited to see them after many years. This really is the week for reunions.

Then John took the tube to see our friends Stephen Gottlieb and Jane Dorner for lunch and lute discussion. Then he's meeting me later in the afternoon for tea at Doris Lessing's.

I can't think of a better way to fill a Sunday.

Cat Deprivation

Living in central London also means... no cats.

I miss my little Clyde so much. Whenever we visit friends with a cat I'm always chasing it around the house trying to seduce it, with not a lot of success.

I have never seen a cat in Covent Garden which is not surprising considering it's mostly a shopping/entertainment area rather than residential. But today I saw a cat! When I looked across the street there was a cat perched on a wall in the apartment complex across the street. My heart skipped a beat. Some day...