Living in London

We are lucky for many, many reasons, one of which is where we live.

One of our favourite excursions is to hop on the train and within about 8 minutes we are at Waterloo station. From there it is a short walk to the Thames, Southbank and the London Eye. Everytime we walk across the water there, we are reminded that we are in LONDON. We look across the water in one direction and see the houses of parliament and tower of Big Ben, the Eye; and in the other direction St Paul's cathedral, the Gherkin and other London icons. Along Southbank, particularly in the summer months, there is a festival feeling. We've gone along to a random comedy cabaret at Udderbelly (a giant inflatable purple cow with a theatre within), had a quiet beverage in the cave of Gordon's Wine Bar (the oldest wine bar in London), strolled along the river admiring the art installations and buskers, and watched various free performances on at the xxx.

Having icons close to your door definitely reminds you to look around and take it in - we really are lucky.

Stomp

Being in London we're lucky that we can attend top class shows whenever we feel like it. Monday night we went to see Stomp.

It was really physical for the 8 performers.  They used their feet, hands, elbows, sticks, tubes, brooms, basketballs and spoons to make rhythm and music on the floor, match boxes (my favourite), Zippo lighters, kitchen sinks, plastic and metal chemical drums and buckets, pots, tins, takeaway cups, plastic and paper bags, newspapers, and I'm sure I've missed some.

The performers were cheeky with us and with each other and conveyed their messages totally without words - some of the expressions were just classic.  There was a mix of training backgrounds, from percussion to dance, but each were solidly grounded in rhythm.  Even amongst this high level of performer, it was clear that rhythm came naturally to some and was deliberate for others.  It appeared that some of their performance was intimately choreographed (across the world stage) and some was improvised.

To finish, it was all brought together in an interactive 'jam session' where each performer brought out one of their props to add to the overall cacophony of rhythm and we even tried our hands at it - it's harder than it looks!

There were a couple of school groups watching the performance - perfect in our opinion: it's a 'show' in London's west end, it's high energy, it's funny, it's engaging, it's short (1.5h) with no interval (can't lose kids), it's interactive.  There were bound to be a bunch of kids hitting stuff all the way home (these kids definitely did).

Our house, in the middle of our street

In March, we moved from our quiet suburban area to across the road from a major station - Clapham Junction. We saw the move as an opportunity to taste 'inner city' living. 

We're already used to the convenience of shopping on the 3min walk home from the station, the 5min walk to a major supermarket and crossing the road to get to the gym. I enjoy the saxophone playing busker who starts up about 10pm.

One of the most interesting parts about living on the junction is the range of people out and about. As a major public transport hub, many are passing through, rushing to get home, to work or out. Some live locally, some as locally as on the street. There's students, yuppies and couples with young kids and drunk people. There are people dressed to the hilt (Ascot Races last week so fascinators and top hats were key), arty-types, English-rose types, business suits, those in costume for the Sunday session at the Grand (opposite our house), cyclists and sport players.

The world is made up of all types and pretty much all of them pass through Clapham Junction.

Sweet(de) Stockholm

The context:
Leaving London 6pm 10/6/11: raining, 15 degrees
Weekend in Stockholm: sunny, 24 degrees
Return to London midnight 12/6/11: raining, 12 degrees


We landed and breathed in the fresh smell of pine, boarded a coach for 1.5 hour drive Stockholm to arrive at 11pm. (Still shorter than the 2h journey from my office to
Stansted Airport.)  Having not yet eaten, our hunger added to the disorientation of being in a new country, and after we had sorted that, our tiredness detracted from our decision-making processes.   The detail went along the lines of:

1. ATM for some local currency  
2. Pizza Hut (it was either that or MacDonalds)
3. Find the T-ban station
4. Try to buy tickets from the information and tickets counter (pointed toward machines)
5. Machine doesn't take notes
6. Go up to Maccas and buy ice-cream cones to get correct change
7. Machine doesn't take coins
8. Shop that sells vouchers has shut
9. Stand in line to Information and Tickets again (while watching all the locals cheat the system)
10. Additional clerk speaks english, pay an extra 10 Kroner each to buy from the Info desk
11. Catch train to Slussen and walk straight to our room - on a boat!! (1am)

I was very happy to be there after leaving work almost 11 hours earlier. 


After a late start Saturday morning, we worked out how to get across and visit one of islands - far enough out on the ferry to get a look at some of the archipelago.  It took us 1.5h on the ferry to make it out to Grinda.  On the way we passed islands in a range of sizes and degrees of habitation. The largest had whole suburbs and shops, many had summer homes painted in burgundy paint with deck chairs and matching boat sheds near their personal moorings - a perfect oasis amongst the pines in the 24 degree heat. The smaller islands were rounded, rocky (granite?) protrusions that were sometimes covered in pine.


We arrived at the north end of Grinda, a 1km long island, and immediately decided on a swim. The water was clear and cold and we finished our swim 'in the nick' of time before we were joined by some
others bathers. A stroll took us past the camping area, other huts, the beach and some sheep, before we caught the last ferry home.


Having become so accustomed to the rocking of the boat overnight and on the ferry, we were still feeling it when we ate our delicious dinner at 10pm. The 'Taste of Sweden' entree included pickled and fried herring (tasted sweet), smoked reindeer (felt cruel), orange hoe (caviar) on potato pancake (reminded Lee of how good his Dad's potato fritters are) and, the best of all, shrimp in dill mayonnaise (so fresh!). I followed up with salmon and crayfish and lee with scampi pasta in a cream sauce. We realised how long it had been since we'd had a decent meal out with fresh ingredients, so truly enjoyed it.  Not only did our accommodations hold novelty value, they were also really close to the action - so only a short walk home - although we went the long way for photo opportunities.  (Lee didn't take many shots this weekend, but I still think he's being converted to an avid photographer.)


Sunday we picked up some hire bikes and explored a little of Slussen (port area built in 1930s near our boat), through Gamla Stan (old town island with colourful buildings and narrow streets) and across to Djurgården (owned by the king). There we went to the Vasa Museum, as recommended by Rick. Vasa was one of the king's naval fleet in the 17th century. It sank on 10th August 1628 after travelling just short of 2km and 20 minutes of sailing. Unfortunately the king and master ship designer had underestimated how wide and how much ballast would be required for 2 levels of guns (64 in total), so it was never stable in the water and was pushed over by a stiff breeze.  It sat immersed, its location forgotten, until 1950 when Anders Franzen found it again after much searching (years) with, for all intents and purposes, a bit of lead on a piece of string. It was arranged for it to be brought to the surface and investigated/preserved.


Stockholm is spread across multiple islands connected by bridges. As a result it feels very open and fresh - the water and trees making it feel close to nature and open because despite all the housing being 6
level apartment blocks - the bridges go from high point to high point, opening up the sky.  All over, the city is on multiple levels and nothing like other cities I've been to.  Its 1000s of islands and rocky outcrops ensures boating is very much a part of everyday life and the evidence was everywhere - on the water, what people wore and in the number of nautical shops.


Most people we saw were very tanned, wearing white and there were more blond men than women.  There were quite a few men sporting haircuts that were short round the back and sides and long and boofy on the top - very unique - or perhaps I need to get out more. Multiple times I mistook men for women and vice versa (oops).  There were very few overweight people.  Of all the people we met, all except one spoke fantastic English - completely outdoing our one word, tak, which covers both please and thankyou.


I really appreciated seeing the locals sitting on the river or in the park, the fresh seafood and the beautiful summer weather (didn't need to bring that beanie after all). Based purely on our weekend in Stockholm, I think I could live in Sweden.

The Chalk

Being a Terry Pratchett fan, my travels around England have borne asurprising resemblance to the Disc World. A big clue is Ankh-Morpork,a boiling hotpot of races and species that are totally independent of their homeland, yet retain their prejudices as a badge of belonging.

The City Watch (akin to the City of London which has a separate police force to the rest of London), The Patrician (just like the Mayor of the City of London - acting independently of any monarchy), the Guilds, the river is brown sludge (pick any city really) and it is every man for themselves (again, any big city).

Today, taking advantage of a long weekend, I found myself in The Chalk. Following the advice of a random blog, I caught the train to Eastbourne to walk along the coastline. I had to laugh at the station's byline: Eastbourne station - the sunshine coast - as the only place that was in sun was the clouds above. Just like our trip to Brighton, the day light was not so much sunshine as cloud and glare.
On a tight schedule I powered through the town, along the beach and onto the path. One of the best things as a traveller in England is the number of public access areas through farms. This particular path had white cliffs that dropped straight down to the water below. In places it looked like bites had been taken off the edge, where the ground just disappeared. I passed a couple of lighthouses (one that featured in a Harry Potter movie), Beachy Head (the highest chalk sea cliff in the UK), and over the seven sisters (a section of seven hills on the cliff edge).

Features in common with Terry Pratchett's The Chalk were the sheep, the shepherds hut, the mounds (as I imagine them) where the Kelda and Wee Free men abide and, quite literally, the chalk - I picked up a piece to prove it. Obvious exclusions in this Chalk were the Wee Free men - which based on accent, booze drinking and propensity for fighting made me think it was in Scotland. So maybe I'm completely wrong about it being The Chalk.

The whole area was commonly used for smuggling to and from the continent since the 17th century when import/export charges were introduced.  Originally it was for the export of wool direct from the area, but later became a base for the import of various contraband by smuggling gangs.
 

I was lucky in that it didn't rain on me, although it misted its hardest, and the sun even came out for a couple of minutes to give me my best shot of the day.

I finished my walk at Exceat amongst a bunch of families exploring the beach, caught the bus back to Eastbourne, and the train back to Clapham Junction in time for tea.

Wonderful Copenhagen

"Don't be cheeky about being cheeky" - mother overheard in Copenhagen airport (..which I suspect is vivid preview of my future)

The excitement of going to a new place can never be quelled and is usually very contagious - and so it was that I arrived in Copenhagen.

Copenhagen reminded me of the Netherlands - the abundance of bicycles, the clean streets and, as all European cities, the well-dressed women. I arrived as the golden sun was setting, and explored with my excitement and the warm (it's all relative!) temperature making it
feel like a summer festival.

The streets were wide and (as already mentioned) clean. The buildings were pretty much all 3 stories high and very blocky (square) but in a way that made them impressive rather than boring. There was an exhibition of photos from all over the country in one of the main squares, which together with the golden sun had me cursing myself for choosing not to bring a camera (based on my recent posts I'm sure you're questioning this too).

A local arts guide I picked up in the airport had a picture of Aussie Queen Mary dressed in her finery, so I was on the lookout for anything palace-like. I think I attributed the parliament house as somewhere that might be suitable.

I didn't see too much more of the city, as my primary purpose for being there was to play frisbee - the Wonderful Copenhagen tournament (insert exasperated sigh from my mother here). It was our first tournament of the season and the team started to gel together and improve with each game. It's one of the best tournaments I've been to over here as the food was supplied and deliciously catered. Similar to our regular training pitches, the fields were rock- hard, but a win in the final made all the soreness worthwhile.

It was a great chance to get to know my team mates a bit better and to see a little of Wonderful Copenhagen.

(Photos taken on my phone)

Photography in Wales

This weekend was my eagerly awaited birthday present - a photography course in the Brecon Beacons, in South Wales, conducted by a professional photographer.  
The course started with a quick run down of theory using images on the computer to illustrate and then we head outside.  Each with a camera and a borrowed tripod in hand, the first stop for Lee and I was the local reservoir for a lesson in composition, perspective and moving elements of the landscape by moving our feet.  Next up was a waterfall where we practiced taking pictures of moving water, a hillside where we took multiple shots for merging, followed by a quick break for lunch and some processing.  Heading out again we visited a local castle where we took multiple interior shots for HDR and practiced perspective with the tower, followed by a session in a wood to try to create a starburst with the sun and finishing with shots of the patchwork fields in the valley.


It was difficult to keep up with the fast-paced direction while learning to use the camera, but I learnt several very useful lessons:
1) How to use full Manual
2) How to use the histogram
3) How much can be recovered when shooting in RAW
4) When to take shots of moving water to get the 'silky' look (not in sun)
5) Take multiple portrait shots to build landscape images
6) The range of shots to build HDR images


We ended up with some printed images from the day, some promising shots from the next day and a long wish-list of products to buy.