Georgie Girl

Chicken soup for my soul. And lovely London blogs.

Am in Boston for a couple of nights. Staying in Charlestown - just in sight of the Bunker Hill Monument and with a lovely view of a sweet marina. Lots of water. Bridge is a rising monolith that shines up through the chasms of buildings...  nice stop. But I am not exploring or taking photos. Plane ride caused a great deal of head pain - and so I'm holed up in my room with chicken soup thanks to a kind work-mate.   

Tomorrow I have lots of interviews and I have to be "on" like "donkey kong"....  and so tonight, I rest and read. I caught up on a lot of my blogs. Keeping my London-bration celebration in November in mind (as it never, ever leaves my mind!) , I have been reading lots of really interesting, lovely, quirky and informative blogs. 

Jane's London is a blog that I started reading in 2008-2009 before my first trip. Jane is a great photographer - almost more of a treasure-hunter who happens to be a photographer. ((Example: I was obsessed with finding boot scrapers and "ghost signs" thanks to Jane during my first trip to London.)) 

My solo trip to London in November is about personal exploration and celebration - as such photography is a huge part. I can linger as long as I like... take pictures of all the flights of fancy that catch me... and Jane shows me a view of London that feeds my passion for looking at history and living in a London-esque way.

For example, check out this blog post she did on chimneys. It's a cool coincidence, but without seeing this blog from Jane (as it appears she posted it in 2010), I took an entire series of chimney photos during my trip in 2009.  If I wasn't working remote, I would post some of my chimney and boot scraper pictures... but perhaps that is something to chronicle the closer I get to my trip?  I actually never posted a lot to my blog about my London trip as far as photos. 

Another blog I am enjoying is The 38 to Clapton Road. What a fun guy and what a great read. (I just stepped away to fix another pot of tea. Staying in a Residence Inn and I had  no idea that would come in so handy! Need to heat up chicken soup? no problem. Hot tea? no problem.)

So I found The 38 to Clapton Road from the London Walks blog. I mentioned the London Walks book London Stories in my last post. Just want to soak that book up.... There are times when I am reading London Stories that I miss my decadent days rolling around in history classes in college. You know, that "parentally labeled" impractical history major to marry up with my other "more practical" business major... oh I miss lectures... spell binding lectures... but I digress.

This blog post and this one ... and this one... I like his perspective and his pictures.

One more blog to share (oh there are so many!) is London Daily Photo (are you sensing a photo theme?). The blog dates back to 2006 so after I have caught up for the day, I often will click back to see some of the older photos. There is also a great list of photo blogs from various cities around the world... and I love looking for new cities to think about traveling to for personal pleasure.

However... I fear, I have been bitten by London and Britain and I really... am going to have to push myself to explore some more personal international travel destinations. Am going to head out to Paris for a day on the Eurostar for this trip to London probably... of course, this means I have a fear that I'll be *so* into my trip to London that I'll come to "resent" the day I have to spend away. However, I know that on my trip to Paris if I focus on my type of excitement - half day at Musee d'Orsay, cafes and just lingering walks with photos, all will be well.  I can't even believe I just typed I would resent having to go to Paris for the day.

Pinch me. Hard.  I am thankful. I am blessed and a London-Lover.

Peace to you and yours... soft wings of angels peace. 

 

Friday Musings: London Reading

Friday Musings:  I have a lot of good things going on - but being sick this past week put a bit of a bump in my happy road towards a new adventure. That's ok. This requires me to get my energy back, take care of myself (dang it) and do one thing at a time (double dang it).  

The good thing is that when I'm sick, I usually can crank through a book lickety split. Reading helps me disengage from whatever ails me - in this case a nasty virus that had my throat and mouth feeling like sandpaper on top of sandpaper and a fever... the kit and caboodle of fun.

I have three books on the hot seat right now and they are about London. I have a whole litany of good books lined up - but these are the three that kept me engaged during nights when just breathing hurt.

The Lady In the Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn by Alison Weir is a sweeping view of the last few months of Henry VIII's second wife, the mother of Queen Elizabeth I and the first queen ever beheaded in Britain. Of course, we all know she was the first, but not the last. The interesting part of Weir's book is that she does a kind and thorough job outlining the facts - and foibles - of historical interpretation without completely trashing any particular theory. I wanted to read Weir's book in preparation for my trip to give me a better background on my trip to Hampton Court  - and for a subsequent second visit to the Tower. Just wanted to renew my historical context.  Another book from Weir, Henry VIII King & Court, is my queue when I finish this book - probably this weekend. 

   (Image: Alibris)

The second book is just a surprising "touristy" find that I wish I'd had in had in 2009 for my first big London trip. It's called London Stories and it's by the experts of walking tours - London Walks. I plan on doing the Victoria & Albert London Walks and possibly the National Gallery London Walks tour on the Friday of my trip.  I didn't really know that much about the organization and - wow, I'm impressed. They  share history in that way I relish. Passionate, layered and witty.  The book, London Stories, is a treasure. Each chapter takes you through a section or a theme of a walking tour of London and even includes recommendations for where to kick back and read a chapter.  I am trying to savor this book and not rush it too much. This book will DEFINITELY be in my London backpack. If anyone knows of other similar travel books for any other cities - doesn't have to  just be London, let me know. 

   (Image:Waterstone)

The final book is a newer one - so I'm not as far along. The writing works well for me - and it's got lots of details. The Great Fire of London: In that Apocalyptic Year 1666 by Neil Hanson has painted a great landscape of the London neighborhoods... and I'm hooked. I want to know how more about the fire that started on Pudding Lane in Thomas Faryners house. I can see Thomas resting his hands on his "paunch" or dodging pickpockets and ballers as he makes his way around London in the chapters where Hanson sets the stage for how over 13,200 homes and 87 churches were destroyed. Why am I reading this? Well, I know that this fire set the stage for Christopher Wren's magnificent spires and the history aspects alone of the impact it had are enormous - that domino effect that having to figure out how to house . PLUS, I plan on hiking up the 311 steps to the Monument to the Great Fire of London and I'd like to be well educated on the meaning of the moment. 

   (image: Alibris)

Ah, so much to read -and since it is almost midnight - and I have to get ready for a relaxing Saturday of pedi/mani, Swoozies closing sale and Archivers visits... along with some groceries...I must get to bed. But not before I pick up one of three tomes "du London".  

May you have  healthy, peaceful dreams... cloud dreams. 

 

Love your pie.

There is the sweetest little pie shop at Spitalfields Market that I can't wait to visit again when I go on my birthday "London-bration" in November. I ate at Square Pie twice - not realizing another Square Pie was at the lovely Selfridges.  

They sell the cutest little shirts that say "Love your pie." on them and I hope I remember to buy one.  I am thrilled to be staying in the cutest flat in the world - so I can buy fun pies at Sainsbury's and Tesco and M&S.  

I remember how I felt - I was so hungry. The morning had been spent at the Tower of London and then we had to traipse to Spitalfields. Starving, low on caffeine and that "quarrelsome low blood sugar" kicking in.... I opened my benign pasteboard box to find warm, toasty pie and creamy mash. 

 
 

Peace to all. And lots of pie.