Arrived London! Still pretty wiped out from travel but we managed to get to Covent Garden for a glass of wine and a bite to eat. Rainy day plan tomorrow is the Churchill War Rooms.
Rainy first day so we toured underground at the Churchill War Rooms. Which was quite interesting, particularly for its reconstruction of everyday life living in a bunker. Paring back the wartime government to the forty essential personnel. (Including Churchill's wife, "for moral support".)
Blustery day in London. Went up The Shard to enjoy the view, then took the boat back up the river to Westminster.
Leighton house, a successful 19th century artist and bachelor. The house is opulently decorated as a set piece to further his career as an aesthete.
And Sambourne House, a successful 19th c. illustrator. Staunchly middle class but with a lot of taste and personality.
British Museum today. First the obligatory Egyptian + Greek stuff.
The Enlightenment room at the British Museum. This is is a favorite, both for the cabinet of curiosities pleasure and also for its detailed explication of historiography and European intellectual culture. These photos don't do it justice.
Some of the African collection. This room was very exciting to me, much more vibrant and interesting than a bunch of old crumbling statues. A lot of this is contemporary art. Well chosen!
More from the African collection. This collection of Benin bronze plaques is phenomenal but a heartbreaking story of British rapaciousness. I was glad the placards were forthright about their provenance.
Went out to Greenwich, home of so much timekeeping and navigation research. Didn't love the observatory visit but it's lovely out there.
More from our Greenwich trip: Royal Maritime Museum, a view of the Shard framed in the Tower Bridge.
Today has been 7 hours on an LNER train from London to Aberdeen. Long ride but comfortable and restful. Lots of pleasant views that are hard to photograph.
Today we visited Oyne and Culsamond, two little spots 30 minutes drive west of Aberdeen. Ken's grandparents came from this part of Scotland. We saw his grandfather's home and the church we think he was baptized in. Beautiful part of the world and fun to connect to his story in this way.
Celebrating two days of renting a car and successfully driving on the left every single time we turned. I'm having a mezcal negroni which is very good. Includes a pinch of salt.
Had a nice day driving to Fraserburgh, the northeast tip of Aberdeenshire. Lovely weather today, lovely scenery. And lovely people, everyone in the area has been so friendly and personal. Like the folks at Nooks and Crannies, a very old fashioned cafe. (Not depicted: my ham, cheese, haggis, and apple compote toastie.)
The main reason for Fraserburgh is the excellent lighthouse museum there. Perfect visit for us: lovely landscape, a bunch of lenses, and a climb up the old lighthouse itself.
Yesterday was haggis burps. Today is kipper burps.
A lovely day touring around central Aberdeen. Here is Marischal College, an enormous 19th century granite building. The stonework is quite delicate, almost lacey albeit with simpler shapes.
Also some good museums..
- The Maritime Museum (aka "our friend, the offshore oil platform").
- Provost Skene's house with a remarkable secret Catholic ceiling
- The Aberdeen Art Gallery which has an interesting and unusual collection, particularly of glass and ceramics
Last morning in Aberdeen, had a nice suburban walk to take a peek at the Rubislaw Quarry and the Johnston Gardens. Aberdeen seems quite livable, nice houses and mellow traffic.
Fenner Brockway, an exuberant sculpture in Red Lion Square Gardens, London.
Had a phenomenal dinner at Akoko, a fine dining West African restaurant in London. French cooking and saucing techniques with Senegalese, Nigerian, and Ghanaian flavors. Also lovely front of house.
Very exciting meal, one of the best I've had in years. Run by Aji Akokomi, current chef is Mutaro Balde. These flavors are terrific and don't normally get the fine dining treatment, a real pleasure to enjoy.
Everything was great but our favorite dish was thin ribbons of squid in a sauce with coriander and a meaningful chile heat.
Phenomenal day at the Victoria & Albert. It's as great as the British Museum but instead of singular historical works it's full of collections of terrific manufactured things. Lots of photos! Here starting with four sculptures.
The wonderfully cluttered Cast Courts. Reminded me a lot of the Enlightenment Room at the British Museum: similar exhibit not just of objects but how those objects were originally shown 150 years ago.
And some other beautiful objects.
Pre theater dinner at Bob Bob Ricard.
