London Days

Spent Tuesday exploring the Hampstead area which is essentially my neighborhood. What a charming place with numerous cafes, shops, cobbled lanes, and old buildings. Most remarkably it looked too white and wealthy for London. Hamstead definitely has its own character distinct from the rest of London. But then again I'm sure every neighborhood claims this. I walked on into Finchley, which had more of the crazy, London atmosphere I know. Lots more people, cosmopolitan, noisy. On the High Street was a big indoor shopping center. I stepped inside and thought how amazingly similar it was to South African shopping malls. Then I saw a prominent NANDO'S sign and this familiar restaurant was spread out close to the entrance. A huge Sainsbury's supermarket was downstairs and I did some shopping. English supermarkets are so much more fun than American supermarkets. What a joy to consider all the interesting food in all the aisles. Crusty, whole grain breads still warm, fruity, delicate pastries, deli cases displaying Indian food to go and other exotic fare, olive bars, cheeses to die for - creamy, ripe, sharp, aged -, coffee beans, dark, glistening, fair trade. In fact, every aisle you walk through boasts fairly traded goods, organic, healthy, antioxodant rich, Omega - 3's - this country is going mad in this regard - and I love it!
Down the road from the shopping center was a Waitrose. This is a gourmet supermarket and you should enter only if you are prepared to be bankrupt. Irresistable food, absurdly priced, taunts you from every angle at this store. Fruit from all corners of the globe, vegies of every shape and color, and then there's all that prepared food - veg dips/spreads pretentiously named things like aubergine caviar and wild mushroom pate , fresh sauces, stuffed pastas, curries from all over Asia, ... you get the idea. Let's not even talk about the chococate - nothing under 70% cocoa- and yes, fairly traded - so no need to feel guilty about those poor child slaves ... So, I spent a month's salary on some chestnut mushrooms, fresh tagliatelle, bell peppers, and a mix of cress, rocket (arugula), and spinach.

I spent a relaxing afternoon with Angie, catching up on family news over a Nederburg Sauvignon Blanc. The weather was still cool and cloudy, so we stayed in.

On Wednesday, 4th of July, I awoke nicely rested at 6:00 and did the civilized thing of starting my first book that I've assigned myself to read. HOUSE OF PEACE is by Nazia Peer, a South African Indian doctor, and a young muslim woman. This book is so badly written I almost cried. Okay, so the premise or plot if we dare, isn't bad. Six brothers of immigrant parents - Iranian and Indian -and we get each brother's story. Their stories are typical of educated, monied muslim families in Johannesburg, and are worthy of being told. But Peer has a long way to go as far as delivering a story. I mean she does things I wouln't tolerate in my 4th graders! I'm not kidding. Repetition, telling, not showing, awkward language, vague descriptions, god, it's so painful. But I will read it. I am curious to see how she pulls it off.

I went to have lunch with David and Rona Epstein, old friends of ours. They were staying at their daughter, Laura's place. Laura, a doctor, lives near the ferry docks not far from Greenwich. I bought an Oyster card, supposedly a way to save on public transportation in London. I had to take the tube (I'm on the northern line), then a DLR to get to Laura's. I found myself at the ferry docklands, a part of London I hadn't seen before. Across from the row of old, brick semi detached homes on East Ferry Road, was a huge park, a "farm" which had sheep and cows and horses, and an allotment garden. It had an 'away from the city' feel - this area. The park has cycle paths and nature trails - ideal for a family with kids. Laura has a pair of daughters aged 2 1/2 and 9 month old. Ilana and Rosa are as cute as they come and most of our conversation revolved around them. We had a pasta lunch outdoors - the sun was shining and the temperature fairly comfortable.

After lunch I went into central London. Decided I had to do something cultural so went into the New Globe and picked up their schedule. I'll have to book a play for August. Then I trotted off to the Tate Gallery. Modern art is not my thing. I seriously need to take some art appreciation classes. I feel so ignorant not understanding why a crushed up car with pillows suspended above it is art. Or why broad random sweeps of color on a canvas is beautiful. I did find a room I adored, though. The Moross Gallery had works by the Surrealists and others closely related. As soon as I entered the room I immediately recognized a Miro. I love the paintings of Joan Miro and because of a guided tour of the Miro Museum in Barcelona a few years ago, I understand his work to a certain extent. It was with pure delight that I took in Woman and Bird in Moonlight, Head of Catalan Peasant, and A Star Caresses the Breast of a Negress, a painting poem. One of my favorite Piccasso's was here too - The Three Dancers - love, sex, and death embraced in ecstatic dance. What a beauty. Next to it was a fantastic Jackson Pollock - Naked Man with Knife. I loved the bold, flowing lines of this work. In this room there were 2 paintings by Rene Magritte, which I loved as well - The Reckless Sleeper and the Annunciation.
In the next room there was an enormous, eye catching sculpture by Joseph Beuys. It was called Lightining with Stag in its Glare. There was this triangular sheet of metal with a rough surface which stood from floor to ceiling. At its tip was a huge, horizontal bar (lightning) and on the floor around the triangle's base were misshapen metal clods.
I guess the Tate is famous for bold, outrageous art.

It was raining when I stepped out of the Tate. A wind was picking up as I walked along the Thames toward Trafalgar Square. London teemed with people. It felt exhausting. Around Trafalgar Square it was completely chaotic - buses, people, plus prep for the Tour de France, taking place here over the weekend. A stage area was being set up in Trafalgar Square. I longed for
the peace of Belsize Park. I got on a bus and returned home.