23 July 2009

Summer holidays

So what have we been up to? Lots and lots. London is just the most exciting city. Just strolling its streets and parks is so goddamm entertaining. Yesterday (Wednesday) we walked and walked - from Hampstead to Primrose Hill, through its gorgeous park, took a moment to enjoy the view of London's skyline, then on through Regent's Park, where the roses in full bloom provided heady scents. This brought us to Marylebone, where we strolled along the High Street to Baker Street on to Oxford Street. Whiled away some time at Selfridges, then made our way to Soho in search of Moaz Falafel. Soho was wonderfully atmospheric, Carnaby street and area all too twee, and the cafes and pubs overflowing. We gorged on Moaz Falafels - delicious as was expected, then bought a Myrtille Tart from Paul's bakery (French) next door. Next we decided to take in some culture so we went to the British Museum, where we spent a few hours enjoying their Greek, Roman, and Egyptian collections. The Parthenon Collection (Elgin Marbles) was my highlight. It amused me to see all these flyers in the gallery defending their right to hold on to these friezes rather than return them to Greece where they belong. Daryl enjoyed seeing the Rosetta Stone for the first time.

After the museum we were quite exhausted. So we hopped on Bus 24 and sat upstairs at the front. Ooh, did that feel good. At home we collapsed for about an hour. I had volunteered to make dinner, on account of having brought loads of vegetables acquired from Suffolk gardens and Marie in Cambridge. I made Courgette crepes and a green salad. We had a special ale brewed in Bury St. Edmunds (where whe bought it) with the meal. Quite satisfying, I have to say.
After dinner we went to the theatre. Aren't we just so civilized? Angie had bought us tickets for a South African play - Koos Sas - which was performed at the Tricycle Theatre in Kilburn. The production was outstanding. I enjoyed every single moment of it. The main character was a Khoi San - indigenous to the Karoo region of SA - and the play's theme was the abuse and exploitation suffered by this group. What was funny was that the entire play was in Afrikaans with English supertitles. If anyone had a prejudice toward the language of Afrikaans, this play provided a cure. The play was extremely critical of the attitudes of the colonisers, especially the Afrikaans speakers, and fully sympathetic with the Khoi San. After the play we had drinks at the bar where the actors showed up and we got to chat with them a bit. Quite interesting to engage in a discussion about a group of people who are largeley ignored in history books.

Today we are going to have a much more easygoing day.

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