On the Road: London Hailing!! I Left My Heart in United Kingdom

I regard National Portrait Gallery a yet another Hall of Fame, in British classical version. A giant, tender gentleman leads me to the Gallery of the Tutors, with some rather dimly yellow light, on the wall, Henry VII, Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, Mary Tutors show their beauty and confidence, and on the opposite there is the cover girl of Anthology of British Literature, Elizabeth I, the Faerie Queene standing tall. Aside of monarchy, William Shakespeare, Sir Isaac Newton and Beatrix Potter are displaying their curiosities. Opened in 1856, the celebrities will definitely contribute more to National Portrait Gallery.

Founded in 1852, located in the Brompton district of South Kensington underground station, the Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) is also admission free, ranks the world’s largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4,5 million objects. The V&A Museum is split into four collections departments: 1, Asian; 2, Furniture, Textiles and Fashion; 3, Sculpture, Metalwork, Ceramics and Glass; finally, 4, Word and Images. I am intrigued in the jewelry design the most and the ceramics of tableware on the top floor. Many famous potters, such as Wedgwood, William de Morgan as well as Royal Doulton are presented in the collection. And the bookstore of V&A museum has the best selection on fashion and photography, I spot this Edwardian Fashion by Daniel Milford-Cottam, 6,99 GPB, and am looking forward to the new knowledge of culture of outfits. The costume collection is almost the most comprehensive in Britain, containing over 14,000 outfits and accessories, mainly dating from 1600 to the present. Some evening gowns, such as from Dior, are the general gifts from the Harrods.

Established by Charles Henry Harrod, Harrods is an upmarket luxury department store, which occupies a 5-acre site and has 330 departments of retail space. The Harrods motto is Omnia Omnibus Ubique, which in Latin for “All Goods for the All”, its ground floor accessories are amazing, the top designer’s latest treats are alluring every single moment. I purchase my Chanel logo earrings with lovely service, and try all the 7 fragrances at Louis Vuitton. The well-known food hall of Harrods is definitely not to be missed. My tremendous surprise is that the tea collection next to the Christmas market area, that all kinds of the flavor are waving ‘would you care for some tea’ to my helpless soul.

We mates still choose the most budget-saving strategy to spend our Saturday: select a sushi box at ITSU and croissants from Whole Food Market and chill out at Kensington park. We would also visit Japanese restaurant Tombo for a chat, or enjoy a proper Sunday British afternoon tea at Covent Garden. When I am having mini solo trip, I like to hang out at Borough Market, under the London Bridge, and see how local citizens have some small talks with farmers about organic delicatessen. By this way I can discover more interesting pub, tavern, storefront, and even St. George the Martyr in Southwark.

The very last day, I mimic what a tourist usually does in London: write the postcards, search the red mailbox, take the underground to Westminster, shoot numerous pictures of the Parliament, record the bell of Big Ben, feel the mourning at Westminster Abbey, and witness the Changing of the Guards in front of Buckingham Palace. It was heavily cloudy, but the people on the streets are energetic and exciting. Walking through the St. James Park, passing by a huge crowd of human wall, smelling the shits from the horses, I see on Buckingham Palace rooftop hanging the Great Britain flag, the ceremony begins on the forecourt of Buckingham Palace at 11:30 sharp, for a good spot, visitors shall come no later than 10:30, following a march by a detachment of the Old Guard, with musical support. Alas I arrive at 11:25, still, the fences of Buckingham palace allow me to take a closers gazes of the guards marching. My iPhone 5C is running out of battery, never mind, London is calling, and I am definitely responding.

Special Thanks: Rosie & Miko

On the Road: London Calling!! London, I adore You!

September 2016

London, whose underground is the oldest railway network of the world, in 2005 I mainly stayed at campus crib with my college mate at University of Reading; eleven years later, I am lucky to get share a dwelling together with two Finns, and continue my journey from Canary Wharf via Jubilee Line.

Choosing oyster card to travel around is the easiest way to discover The Chinatown, Piccadilly Circus, Her Majesty Theatre, National Portrait Gallery, Trafalgar Square, South Kensington, Knightsbridge, Harrods, Victoria & Albert Museum, Chelsea, London Bridge, Borough Market, St. James Park, Big Ben, Parliament Square, Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey. I would loved to revisit The British Museum, Tate Modern, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Tower of London and Baker Street again, alas it's all a matter of time. I target shopping at the outlet, such as Bicester Village at Oxfordshire, rather at New Bond Street, therefore the extra budget I put on cuisine and musicals. For such a museum mania as I am, I can pay a visit during the rainy days or with friends since it’s often all-time free admission in London.

At Gerrard’s Corner Chinatown, I have dim sums, steamy dumplings and rice rolls accompanied with oolong tea at Cantonese restaurant小籠皇; the reason I select among hundreds of, is based on the circulation of the guests, the menu shown at the doorway, and the photo of Prince of Wales on the wall. I am fulfilled and delighted since it’s almost impossible to have an authentic and proper Cantonese lunch in Helsinki spending merely 13 GPB. On Friday night, while my British roommate and I decide to do food grocery shopping for Asian cuisine cooking, we hop off at Piccadilly Circus, and revisit the same hood. I introduce Taiwanese bubble tea and fried tofu as the late night snacks, again our stomach and mood are indeed in jubilee and gaiety after the shopping.

I attended Billy Elliot the musical in 2005 at Apollo Victoria Theatre, and I could never forget the experience. Through the sale ticket booth at Leicester Square Garden, I the stall seat for only 35 GPB, indeed, The Phantom of the Opera at her Majesty Theatre. The programme costs 4 GPB, still it’s a quick cheat sheet to adopt the necessary info the performance. The Phantom starred by Ben Foster, sadly his voice and body gestures are too feminine to look powerful, desirable and uncontrollable. Celinde Schoenmaker as the talented and beautiful Christine Daaé, her confidence and elegance on stage with no doubt is the super star of the musical universe. While Christine pitches high at ‘The Phantom of the Opera’, her excellence gains joyful applauses. I find Nadim Naaman who plays Raoul is both handsome and charming, more of the dreamy British boy I would like to befriend with. The climax of the musical is not only the catchy theme songs, but also the setting design and the visual luxury of the costume. Such as in the dungeon scene, only Christine is wearing ivory-white chiffon dress in order to represent her angelic personalities, all the others are putting pure black with only a slightly of golden details on their hats or buttons. I am amazed how fast-pace the setting switch between acts, together matching perfectly with the colour tone of the apparels and accessories on each cast.

Special Thanks: Rosie & Miko

On the Road: Downtown Abbey & Roman Baths Compose A Dream

September 21-22, 2016,Bath, England 

The first encounter Bath the name was reading Children’s Daily in circa 1990’s, learning about Roman Empire established the city in South West England around A.D. 60. When I was in high school, a miniature calendar of Bath given as souvenir from my mate in class, therefore, my better known of the city view has formed. While mastered at British Literature in Taipei, Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, the Wife of Bath storyline introduces quite an early stage of feminism of the Middle Ages. During the preparing phase of qualification examination at National Kaohsiung Normal University, watching BBC production of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, the major characters at the Royal Crescent in Bath, makes me no excuse to miss this beautiful valley city of the River Avon in 2016 England tour.

Bath became a World Heritage Site in 1987, 156 kilometers west of London. Booking from Great Western Railway service, an early bird ticket cost 35.35 GBP for the outbound-return fare, and the physical vouchers can be collected by using the payment card from 1000’s of stations with a ticket machine in London. Departure at London Paddington to Bath Spa at 09:30, arrival time is only 10:54, I travel light with my Miu Miu Madras and See by Chloé luggage, and check Bath Abbey at city centre.

The Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Bath, commonly known as Bath Abbey, is an Anglican Parish Church. Founded in the 7^th century, the cruciform abbey is built of Bath stone, which gives the exterior its yellow colour. As an typical style of the perpendicular form of Gothic architecture, with low aisles, nave arcades and a tall clerestory, the walls and roofs of Bath Abbey are supported by buttresses and surmounted by battlements, pinnacles and pierced parapets. For the windows, Bath Abbey owns 52 in total, occupying about 80 percent of the wall space. The fan vaulting provides structural stability by distributing the weight of the off down ribs that transfer the force into the supporting columns through the flying buttresses.

The organ in the north transept, rebuilt in 1997, balance the atmosphere of the monument stones and melancholic statues surrounded by. One of the most amazing monument is William Bingham’s with two marble angels guard each side of mounted plaque. After the cruising, I sit on the wooden bench and have ears on public speech of Father of Abbey, surprisingly, whose calm voice speaking up the hidden worry of mine. He welcomes all the believers and visitors, and states that the anxiety resides in between of us, is necessary of the moment but unnecessary of life. After the weak applause, I suddenly realize that there is an unexplained strong force attracting me at this exact perfect timing in Bath, England, through a complete wise tongue, my unsatisfied mood has the answer, and my strength has regained back.

Roman Bath is the neighbor of Downtown Abbey, with the 10% discount ticket after joining the Stonehenge tour, the Roman Bath are below the modern street level. On the Terrence, standing the statues of Roman Gods, Goddess and Emperors. For main features are the Sacred Spring, the Roman Temple, the Roman Bath House and the Museum. While the Great Bath above the level of the pillars bases is a 19^th century construction, visitors today can still see the caldarium, (hot bath), tepidarium (warm bath) and frigidarium (cold bath) plus woman’s bathroom. With the audio guide provided by 12 languages, it’s much easier to move around to avoid the huge crowd. We learn that the original name of the Roman Bath was dedicated to the goddess Sulis, whom the Romans identified with Minerva, after the Roman invasion, leading to Bath the name ‘Aqua Sulis’, and the most interesting is, bath as being a public service during the Roman Empire, also the social gathering spot, as well as the confession of the citizen’s emotions, about 120 curse tablets have been found at Roman Bath. Many of the cursed letter related to the thefts of the clothes whilst the victim was bathing.

Unfortunately, the Roman Bath today is not allowed to take, tests shows that an extremely dangerous disease-causing amoeba was in the water. Around the pool there are costumed Roman solider and bards hanging around, transport us back to the time of the Empire. At the end of the tour all the visitors are free to taste several paper cups of the thermal water, of course they are not radioactive as it contained of the pool. While Bath is rather an early bird city, museums, shops and services are closing at 18:00, after my ‘The Doors’ shooting project got wrapped, now it’s about time to check-in at The Griffin Inn, and search a nice Asian food restaurant to chill out.

BATH ABBEY

ROMAN BATHS