"Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography" by Laura Ingalls Wilder (South Dakota Historical Press, 2014)

I never watched “Little House on the Prairie” on television, nor did I read any of the Little House books on which the series was based.  But when Laura Ingalls Wilder’s autobiography was published two years ago, I vowed to read it.  Written in longhand on seven Big Chief tablets around 1930 at the age of 63, she recounts her family’s amazing lives in Wisconsin, Minnesota and the Dakotas in the last quarter of the nineteenth century.  More memoir than autobiography, she shapes their experiences as she remembers, not always reflecting the facts.

Her father was the embodiment of American frontier lust for property, and he kept on the move most of his adult life, homesteading in many locations and working to feed the family.  They survived, barely at times.  But there is nary a discouraging word from the writer.  It is a tale full of wonderful characters, lived in amazing times.  I loved every word.

Most effective is the layout of the 370 large format pages.  The original narrative fills the center with all the “footnotes” directly in line with the text rather than at the bottom of the page or in the back.  Your reading is constantly informed not only with photos and maps but with the research on all the places, characters and historical events.  The “Little House” books were written after the autobiography, and the notes show which sections were used as parts of which books.  

Highly recommended for anyone who is a student of American frontier history and for those who are fans of the books and the television series.

"The Lower River" by Paul Theroux (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012)

Reading a Paul Theroux book is like a visit with an old friend—no matter when you see her, you pick up where you left off, even after many years.  We have read most of Theroux’s books (46 of them), from his great, misanthropic travel adventures (The Great Railway Bazaar), through his excellent fiction (The Mosquito Coast) to his more recent, and often less satisfying books.  

Theroux began writing fiction about his experiences in Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer in Malawi.  He loved his work, but viewed situations through a fatalistic lens. He became politically active and was deported from Malawi and the Peace Corps. He returned to Uganda as a teacher for two years, then again left during political turmoil. In the last ten or 15 years, he returned to Africa. First with the starkly realistic and depressing journey from North Africa to Cape Town, Dark Star Safari.  He found no hope or joy to report.  The Lower River is the fictionalized account of a Peace Corps volunteer who returns to his “home” in Africa as a retiree and finds no hope or joy. It is traditional, dark Theroux.  

On the good side, Theroux is an excellent writer and you sink into his easy prose style and float through the journey in the hands of a master.  It’s a dark story well told, and so much better and meatier than what passes for Best Sellers today.

"Incarnations: A History of India in Fifty Lives" by Sunil Khilnani (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2016)

What an interesting way to explore complex history.  Each biography is about six pages long. There are a few representative photos in the middle (more would have been appreciated).  An outline map of India in the front identifies birthplaces.  An actual map of contemporary India with major cities and states would have been helpful.

My interest in this book never flagged.  From Buddha through Dhirubhai Ambani (one of the world’s richest men today), the author illustrates the nature of the complexity of contemporary India and Pakistan by examining briefly the lives of those who shaped it.  You see how traditions in locations still influence economics and politics–the everyday lives of citizens.  Though no one endorses the caste system today, it is still reinforced by special benefits from the government for lower caste members. 

If you enjoy history, this is a good read.

"The Shores of Tripoli: Lieutenant Putnam and the Barbary Pirates (A Bliven Putnam Naval Adventure)" by James L. Haley (G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2016)

Ah, a good new historical novel.  They are rare – perhaps because the research is fundamental to the plot rather than incidental.  

If you are fan of Patrick O’Brian’s series about a commander in the British Navy, beginning in 1800 and going through 1815, then The Shores of Tripoli will appeal.  It’s almost the same setup, but in the nascent U.S. Navy.  The protagonist is a young teen who quickly rises to temporary Lieutenant Commander by the end of the novel.   Seems there was a dearth of experienced naval men in the U.S. at the time the Navy was formed, so trainable teens were the brought into the corps as Midshipmen to be groomed for command.  

In 1801, our sparse fleet was sent to the North African coast to battle the Mussulmen pirates. Hence the U.S. Marine song, “From the halls of Montezuma (Mexican-American War) to the shores of Tripoli (First Barbary War)…”  We won, but a pyrrhic victory.  

Don’t be put off by the length of the book—438 pages.  The type leading is large, so it reads quickly.  Don’t miss the simple glossary in the back – good for unfamiliar naval terms.  This is not a great book, but a good one, and the first of a series.

Paul Beatty – Audacious African-American Author

A black American winning the Man Booker Prize in 2016?  I didn’t think Americans were welcome in those august circles.  Then I read The Sellout by Paul Beatty (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2015).  And I listened to Slumberland (Bloomsbury, 2008).  Paul Beatty is a genius.  

His first published writing was poetry.  The rhythm of his prose reflects this.  It was noticeable in The Sellout, but Slumberland, when read aloud, is narrative poetry, sans rhyme.  Some credit also goes to the excellent narrator, Kevin Free.  

Sound too highbrow for you?  Think again.  Beatty is an audacious satirist.  In The Sellout, he turns political correctness on its head.  The plot is so far over the top that there might as well not be any, unless it is homage to negritude.   Slumberland takes you into the murky nightclub world of African-American jazz in Berlin 1989, through the eyes and ears of D.J. Darky and his phonographic memory.  Again, not much in the way of plot, but mesmerizing and funny and oh, so funky.

My humble take on the inclusion of American authors for the Man Booker Prize—keep the U.S. out.  Man Booker has always been the doorway for us to great writers in English from the U.K. and Commonwealth countries.  Conversely, Paul Beatty would likely be unknown to me if he had not won.

“Midnight's Furies: The Deadly Legacy of India's Partition” by Nisid Hajari (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015)

Recounting the year prior to the August 15, 1947 partition of India and Pakistan, Hajari draws the main characters in precise detail: the passionate Nehru, the otherworldly and ultimately ineffective Gandhi, the austere, recalcitrant Jinnah, and the arrogant Mountbatten.  Years ago, I read Train To Pakistan, an historical novel by Khushwant Singh, published in 1956.  Singh radically simplifies partition into the story of one village on the Indo-Paki border -- a most memorable book.  I was looking to Midnight’s Furies to provide the backstory.  To a degree it does, but it seems to gloss over or ignore the reasons why such extreme violence would erupt, ending with at least a million dead and 15 million displaced.  

India was home to three major religions -- Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs -- and numerous sects of each religion.  For hundreds of years they lived in comparative harmony, a syncretic culture. Confronted with the opportunity for independence from Britain, every memory of oppression, bullying, favoritism, and discrimination rose up in the factions (mostly instigated for political gain) and became fodder for murder and mayhem.  Bankrupt from WWII, Britain was desperate to get out of the imperial business and become more a benevolent leader of the consortium of former colonies, then continue funding the black hole of India.  To this end, the time from announcement of the withdrawal of Britain to the partition was eight months.  In fact, Mountbatten announced the actual partition plan June 2, 1947 and it was implemented August 15th.  No time was allotted for establishment of functional government and systems for either country, though India had the upper hand because their government remained in Delhi while the Muslims had to move from Delhi to Karachi.  And, the stories go on and on.  I’d appreciate hearing from readers who have found other informative books on this period. BTW, I have read Midnight’s Children by Rushdie – a magnificent book, but not written to be a history of partition

End of the year catch-up on book reviews

Between our UK trip and time dedicated to recovery from surgery, I galloped through books. So these get tumbled into one post and we begin the new year with a clean slate and even more good books.

A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie (Scribner, 1993) - first of a long series written by a Texan in the British crime genre.  Nothing to write home about, but I will probably read a few more as this series was recommended by a friend.

Turn of the Screw by Henry James, (originally appeared serialized in Collier's Weekly in 1898) - a golden oldie I'd not read.  Listened to it on Librivox.  Traditional gothic horror tale.  Well written; unkind to hysterical women.

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (Viking, 2016) - How do these innocuous books make it to the Best Seller lists?  This is a combination of Heloise, The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Third Man -- and not as original as any of them.  A good book for your grandmother, assuming she is not looking for sex and violence in her recreational reading.  

The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith (Crichton Books, 2016) A slow, quiet book -- similar to lots of 17th century Dutch landscapes.  Interesting historical insights into painting, forgery, and the role of women in the arts.

Safe from War by Chris Hernandez (Tactical 16 LLC, 2016) - So many of our returned military men and women turn to careers in the police and border patrol.  Their active tours of duty do affect how they perform their current jobs.  Chris Hernandez served his country in Iraq and Afghanistan and now is a senior law enforcement officer.  So, you can trust that this novel is grounded in truth. Eye opening and sad.  

"The Neapolitan Quartet", Elena Ferrante (Europa Editions, 2012 - 2016)

My Brilliant Friend, The Story of a New Name, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay, The Story of The Lost Child.
   
Could not put these books down.  Beautifully written.  For me a great read is like settling into a comfortable small boat on a quiet stream and floating purposefully.  All four books are like that – you trust Elena Ferrante to deliver you safely and satisfactorily.  

These books may be for women only.  They are the story of love and small betrayals that often characterize female friendship: facts that are not shared, competition, estrangement, engagement.  I could find facets of the 60 year friendship of Elena and Lila in my friends, hauntingly so.  

Also enjoyed the turmoil of post-war Italy, especially Naples and the manner in which the educated and wealthy are separated from, but ultimately succumb to the underworld of corruption.  

A must read! 

T. C. Boyle, "The Terranauts", (Harper Collins, 2016)

I've read every book that T.C. Boyle has written.  There are at least 16 novels and many collections of short works.  For me, the quality varies, and I expect that from an author that I value enough to read their entire bibliography.  The last books, three of which focus on the ecology and history of the Catalina Islands and this one that focuses on synthetic ecology in the Biosphere, are not up to his previous standards.  

The Terranauts fictionalizes the Biosphere enclosures in the mid 90's and is based on the journals of participants.  Despite a compelling situation (four men and four women sealed off from the outside world for two years) the characters are flyweight, the plot simplistic and it drones on and on -- all 500 pages.  Full disclosure: I skimmed the last 100 pages just to get through it.  In its review, The Washington Post called this book,“The Bachelor: Terrarium Edition.”  There you have it! 

Can't recommend this book.  If you want T.C. at his best, pick up The Tortilla Curtain or A Friend of the Earth.

Day 28 - October 18, 2016 - Home

We were up and out at 4 am, arriving at Heathrow about 4:45.  Breezed through immigration and left with three hours to kill.  Leisurely breakfast, one last tour of the shops to squander our notes and coins.  Pulled away from the gate early.  Excellent, roomy seats on American, but lousy entertainment.  Eight and half hours later, we are home, everything ahead of schedule.  

Ed and Norah's cousin, Georgia, kindly picked up Norah and whisked her back to Valparaiso, IN. Ed and I luxuriated in the love of our kitties, Sophia and Galina, and the mounds of cat hair that accumulated in 28 days with no vacuuming.  A wonderful trip and great to be home.

Day 27 – October 17, 2016 – Tower of London

One last notch for our London tourist belt – the Tower.  I’m primed for it after reading Rutherfurd’s London, but also amazed by it.  Today it lives in a background of skyscrapers, which only emphasize its squat, broad nature.  The walls were high in the 12th century.  Today, they look like Lego projects.

We anticipated crowds and chose a Monday to try for a lower attendance.  I don’t think it exists.  As usual during the week, crowds of schoolchildren everywhere – most of them way too young to really appreciate anything except the armored horses.  Our London Pass put us right at the front of the entrance and later, my cane got us right into the crown jewels.  We can’t complain about wasted time.

We arrived on the Tube – a short walk and you are within the precincts of the Tower, which sits directly on the north bank of the Thames, a bit east of St. Paul’s.  As blocky and Lego-ish as the Tower, but with fanciful turrets, the Tower Bridge spans from the side of the Tower across the Thames to the wharf district.  The Bridge was built in the late 1800's and is currently closed to vehicular traffic as they rebuild the roadway.
 
The Tower is really a fort that encloses many buildings.  We head to the White Tower upon arrival – the oldest complete building in the compound.  It dates from the 11th century and was the castle royal from the time of William the Conqueror.  We joined a short tour of the royal apartment and chapel.  What a sharp contrast to the size and magnificence of Westminster Palace, Buckingham Palace, Hampton Court.  Huge collection of arms and armor.  Other than that, the royal apartment is unfurnished and Spartan.  The only real changes made over the centuries is the addition of high windows added under the direction of Christopher Wren.

Our nice guide led us right down to the crown jewel display and to the front of the line.  You glide past these beauties on a moving walkway.  There is a step behind the walkway where you can stand and stare – because these are stare-worthy--more beautiful than the jewels of the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul.  If you watch the mini-series, The Crown, you will see all of them, plus lots of the royal every day tiaras and jewels, up close and personal.

Then we wandered around, visited the Bloody Tower, where out-of-favor folks were stashed for weeks or years.  The “graffiti” prisoners carved in the walls is interesting.  Overall, better than a prison cell, but likely cold, damp and dark.  Only one prisoner is said to have escaped – a cardinal who treated his guards to a feast with lots of wine and stashed himself into an empty barrel to be rolled out with the trash.  In the area where Anne Boleyn lost her head, there is a crystal pillow in a small enclosure – a crystal head would be more memorable.  
As we left the Tower enclosure, we climbed onto Tower Bridge to walk across, 300 stairs to the pedestrian overpass.  All manageable and fun to stand “over the Thames” on the glass floor with a marvelous view of London.

The wharf district on the south side has been renovated with upmarket stores, restaurants and offices.  Our last day in London, so we treated ourselves to an extravagant lunch at Butler’s Wharf Chophouse.  Delicious – the kidneys in Ed’s steak and kidney pie melted in your mouth. And the pie was prepared the authentic way, steamed, not baked.  

We made our way leisurely back to the apartment.  Norah returned later in the afternoon, festooned with shopping bags, as she paid her last homage to the London stores.  Then, we packed…

Beware the archer as you approach the Tower; walking alongside the old moat.

The Shard high rise in the background of the Tower Keep; approaching the White Tower.

The Chapel in the White Tower--still used for services; the location of Anne's demise.

Ravens abound at the Tower; graffiti in the Bloody Tower.

Tower Bridge; The Shard highrise on the north side of the Thames, 40 Fennchurch on the south; down the stairs inside of Tower Bridge.

Steamed steak and kidney pudding with oysters and a side of creamed spinach, celeriac soup, wild mushrooms on toast, smoked salmon and a pint.

Day 26 – October 16, 2016 – Ed to the Zoo, Norah and Ann to Westminster and Tate

Ed and I usually do the zoos together, but I’ve been to the London Zoo and it’s no prize.  So we split for the day, Ed to visit animals and other things, Norah and I for some Church of England splendor and the Tate Gallery.  Ed’s zoo comments follow mine.

We tried to attend High Communion last Sunday, only to learn of the marathon in central London and total lack of public transport.  This weekend was perfect.  We grabbed the bus and 15 minutes later were way too early for the 10:30 service.  They don’t open the doors until ten, so we strolled around the beautiful buildings and spent some time admiring the Houses of Parliament.  Westminster is just a lovely area of London.

We were close to the front of the line when they opened the Abbey, so were quickly ushered to the seating area inside of the Great North Door, where we took seats with a good view of the altar.  There are no pews, just chairs.  Some of the later arrivals sat in the Quire – next time we will know to just go and sit there.  What a magnificent gothic church.  Floor to ceiling measures just over 100 feet.  Windows are mostly clear glass and let wonderful light down to the floor.  We could not take photos inside, but I’ll include some ceiling photos from the web.  It was awesome.

Most beautiful was the service.  We arrived on the Feast of Dedication of the church in 1269 – 775 years ago.  So it was a super-high service with two “Presidents”, six canons, lots of other folks in robes and lace colors.   Best of all was the choir: 16 men and 20 boys.  Celestial.  God was pleased.  Service was in English, all singing, except hymns, in Latin.  The service is identical to the Catholic Mass, except the Kyrie was missing.

The sermon, by The Very Reverend Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster, was about the Greatness of God.  Well worth listening to, and you may read it on line.  Best of all, you could clearly understand every spoken and sung word in this huge church.

We leisurely strolled down Millbank to the Tate Gallery, home of all British painting and sculpture.  Norah is a fan of the Pre-Raphaelites and I always find something to like in a good gallery.  The museum is arranged by era and you can progress from early to contemporary, or just go willy-nilly.  We did the later, and enjoyed every room we visited.  Tate also had the Tate Modern, and one visit twenty years ago will last me a life time.  For my taste, it was terribly edited – broken toilets as art, newspapers strewn on the floor as an “installation”.  Spare me. We did not return.

Had a nice lunch at the gallery.  Nothing special.  These gallery lunchrooms usually have three hot plates, a selection of salads and sandwiches and yummy desserts.  Reasonably priced for the convenience.  

Raining on the way home, and we had to switch busses at Trafalgar Square. But we were entertained by a celebration of Diwali, the Indian Festival of Light.  Even on a hugely crowded Sunday afternoon, the busses move along their dedicated lanes.  Home to enjoy Ed’s zoo stories, some of which he shares below – and to watch the voting results of Strictly Come Dancing.  
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I agree with Ann, the London Zoo wasn’t the greatest when we visited before, but that was 25 years ago, so I wanted to check it out. They have improved it considerably, so I’m glad I went.
A tube ride to Regents Park station, and still a good walk to the zoo. But it is such a nice walk through Regents Park. To top it off, my Oyster Card (the transit fare card) was too low, and didn’t let me through the exit gates. The one machine to re-charge the card was out of order. Fortunately I found a partly open exit gate and escaped. But I have a day ahead with a lot of walking, and I wondered if I would need to walk home afterward. Oh well.

I arrived about ½ hour before the otter feeding, so had time for a stroll through the aquarium. Some really nice aquatic displays but nothing especially noteworthy. These are Asian short-clawed otters, smaller than our native variety in the USA. But still, terminal cuteness. And voracious! They went after the fish feed like little tigers. Watched, took pictures, then on to other things. Watched the meerkats (more cuteness and frenzied activity). Next was the minimal exhibit of owls and the like. Very few and mostly in hiding. Then the open room with ring-tailed lemurs; a strange combination of cute and freaky.

Walked through the big free-flight aviary - almost all varieties of ibis.  Also a peafowl and a common crane. Then just as I was leaving, I noticed that one of the birds perched in a tree was a hawk of some sort. Incompatible you might think, but the ibis and others were about the same size as the hawk or larger, so wouldn’t interest it as prey. I assume that the hawk was there for pest control - sparrows, starlings and rats would be attracted by the food - but don’t know for certain.

Walked some more and saw various and sundry creatures. A sad pygmy hippo in a very small room. But a bit more space for some larger African mammals. Some giraffe and zebra; a sub-species named Chapman’s zebra. It has alternating wide and narrow stripes, more dark brown than black, a pretty animal. And then a great close-in view of an okapi. This is a close relative of the giraffe that lives in the deepest forests. Rare, and only discovered in the 1940’s. Now endangered of course, like everything else. The one thing I wanted to see were the African hunting dogs, a favorite animal of mine. Well I got a good close look, but they were all asleep. These are usually very active, but all I saw today was a “dog-pile” as they huddled together for a nap. The only activity in their enclosure was a couple of magpies stealing any un-eaten food.
Now for a look through the reptile house. Ann never likes this, so even when she’s along I am always on my own. A lot of interesting reptiles and a lot of good pictures. After that walked past a large free-flight aviary for raptors, and one pair of macaws, all separated of course. These would not co-exist peacefully as the birds in the ibis aviary did. Saw an African harrier, striated caracara, griffon vulture and the blue-throated macaws. There is a huge penguin pool with glass sides for over and under water views. Lots of penguins and all active.  

By then I was more than ready for some lunch; especially for a bit of sit-down Nothing special, fish and chips and diet soda. But the rest was welcome.

I always like to see the big cats, and the zoo had both lions and tigers. In this zoo there are rare sub-species of both, the Asian lion and the Sumatran tiger. But no luck for me today.  Nothing out of the ordinary visible in either exhibit.

My last stop was another large free-flight aviary containing various aquatic birds. Waders and ducks; some of the ducks distinctively patterned. Finally, enough was enough. It was time to head back to the apartment. I walked a good many miles already and wasn’t looking forward to more, but one way or another I still needed to make that long walk back through Regent’s Park. The nearest tube stop is at the south end of the park and the zoo is at the far north. And my transit pass was “empty”. I finally found a station with fare machines operating at Tottenhan Court Road and re-loaded my pass. But by then I was close to Alfred Place and “home” so I walked the rest of the way.

A long day for sure, but enjoyable. Finally at home, we traded stories about our respective days and vegged out.  Strictly Come Dancing – what’s that?

Facades of Westminster Abbey on a rainy Sunday

Victoria Tower and Houses of Parliament at Westminster

Entrance to the Tate - all British art, all the time.

Paintings by Albert Rutherston, Thomas Gotch and David Hockney

John Singer Sargent's Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose and the study for Mme Gautreau, the painting of which is in the Chicago Art Institute

Paintings by Arthur Hackler, Charles Furse and Gwen John

This painting/collage, "Film Star" by John Latham, fascinated me.  These are excerpts, not the full size.  From across the gallery, the view on the left looks so much like a plant we try to grown in AZ called lithops or living stones.  They are pictured in the center.  The far right is a close up of the piece, which is burned books.  Amazing.

Bronze of Athlete Wrestling with a Snake by Lord Leighton.  Note child staring in amazement!

African wild dogs, pigmy hippo, okapi, meerkats, ring tailed lemurs 

An assortment of noteworthy and photogenic birds.

Day 25 – October 15, 2016 – The Wallace Collection

I love sweets!  Imagine a Baked Alaska – and instead of just ice cream inside, you find nuts and fondant and candied ginger and all the goodies you love – well, that is the Wallace Collection. A feast for the senses.

We walked over – just about a mile due west, crossing Regent Street, Hardy Street, passing the Radiant Building, from which radiant heaters were sold.  These replaced coal in many fireplaces.  At The Cock and Lion (hardly an even match) Pub, we turned north and there was Hertford House (the London home of the Wallace family), home of the Wallace Collection.

The Wallace Collection is a national museum which displays the wonderful works of art collected in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by the first four Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace, the son of the 4th Marquess. Sir Richard’s widow, Lady Wallace, bequeathed it to the British nation in 1897.

The Wallace Collection presents its outstanding collections in a sumptuous but approachable manner which is an essential part of its charm.  Yes, you can practically stand on top of Franz Hals, “The Laughing Cavalier”.

The Wallace’s were omnivores.  They bought in bulk, at estate auction of the rich, famous and now penniless.  Their world renowned collections of arms and armor came not from thoughtful acquisition, but the purchase of entire collections assembled by others.  What we see today is only a smattering of their “goodies”, but it captivated us for hours.  Objet d’art we did not know existed – like wax miniatures from the Middle Ages; pieces of glass that should have been shattered centuries ago.  Mallorca ware, something I considered rather tacky, of such beauty that I searched the gift shop unsuccessfully for a reproduction.  The photos will give you a small sense of the awe we felt – and the restaurant was great!

After five hours with the Wallaces, we walked south to Oxford Street, so I could make a quick sox and underwear stop at Marks & Spencer’s.  My only shopping so far has been Tesco and Oxfam.  So even though Ed had to park in the Tea Shoppe for 45 minutes, I snagged just what I was seeking – five knit shirts on the 70% off rack.  Darn, sometimes I wish I enjoyed full-price retail as much as rag-picking for bargains.  As you can see from the photo, Oxford Street on Saturday afternoon is not for the faint of heart.  Home, glass of wine, and it’s Saturday night, so the big two hour “Strictly Come Dancing” show is on.  Joy!

The Radiant Building and The Cock and Lion sign.  The walk was full of interesting buildings.

Whoa, Nellie!  Knights and horses outfitted for battle and jousting.

Knight's jousting armor.  They could really see nothing.  Savage daggers.

Yes, it is Louis XIV.  We always thought Grandpa had a nice roll-top desk.

Miniatures in wax!  Fragile glassware!  How did they survive?

This guy, The Laughing Cavalier by Frans Hals, just greets you as you wander through a gallery.  Look at the brush work in this lace cuff.  Ah, the Dutch painters of the Golden Age!

Then there is this Dutch painting by Van der Halst of the Avan Aras Family.  A dead rabbit in her hands, really? And is he looking intently at her or the rabbit?

Oxford Street Saturday afternoon.

Day 24 – October 14, 2016 – Ed visits the Natural History Museum

I’m taking a much needed day of rest – but Ed runs on Energizers.  This is his report.
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Today I’m off to the Natural History museum -- the perfect day for it. Ann doesn’t particularly like this sort of museum, and she is doing an R&R day, Norah is shopping (of course), so I am on my own.

An easy tube trip (they mostly are easy here) to the museum. I get off at the station for the V&A, Albert Hall, the Science Museum and my destination, the Natural History Museum. They’re all clustered near each other and the directions in the tube were clear, unravelling a maze of tunnels leading off in various directions. The walk through the tunnel was over a half mile.  No problems finding my way to the museum as I come up right by the entrance. Even underground here you often walk and walk to get to where you’re going.

The museum is in a great late 19th century building, itself a “museum piece”. It was crowded, but not nearly so much as my previous failed try on the weekend – my mistake.

They have a great diplodocus skeleton in the main entry, holding the place that Sue, the T. Rex, does at the field museum in Chicago. The museum and the exhibits have been completely modernized, but in a good way. Everything is accessible and visible. 

So my route.  First the dinosaur exhibits. Some great fossils from marine reptiles, best I’ve seen anywhere. Then other prehistoric beasts. The mammal and bird halls have a lot of interesting things.  No diorama’s as at the Field, but a nice collection and easy to view. There is a great exhibit on the Thylacine or Tasmanian tiger, a marsupial carnivore that only went extinct about 75 years ago. In the bird exhibit was sad. A big display case full of hummingbirds from late 19th and early 20th century expeditions. Must have been 150 different species, still fairly bright after over 100 years. But nothing like the living hummers we’ve seen in Central and South America.

Then, hungry and ready for a “sit-down”, I went for some lunch in the dining room. This is in another great, old hall. The seating and lunch are ordinary, but the hall itself, beautiful.

Next to the exhibit on Volcanism and plate tectonics. This was the best presentation I've ever seen of the geological evolution of our planet, which of course is continuing today. Great information ranging from the most basic to relatively technical. It was all excellent.

And finally the exhibit on human evolution. Another great one. I always check to see if Homo Floresiensis gets a fair shake. That’s my litmus test for this sort of exhibit. They passed.

Really too much fun stuff (for a Natural history buff) to take in on one visit, but I saw a lot, all very enjoyable. Finally – tired but happy – back to Alfred Place for some relaxation before dinner.
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Ed’s ladies are waiting for him on return.  Norah had a lovely day doing her thing at Harrods, Selfridges and other stores.  Her mastery of the busses is awesome.  

Natural History Museum

Main hall of Natural History Museum

Marine reptile fossils

Giant Sloth skeleton. These were sometimes "game" for early humans in the America's

Ed's foot - Dinosaur foot. That Dino must have a hard time finding shoes that fit.

Ornithischian eggs hatching

The poor hundred-year-old hummingbirds.

Thylacine or Tasmanian Wolf

Mineral showing several geological effects over millennia

How I spent the day - reading on my Kindle - heaven.

Day 23 – October 13, 2016 – Courtauld Gallery, Temple Church, St. Paul’s

We have our first battle casualty today, Norah is taking a day off to rest and relax.  Ed and I beaver on, but we are also wearing down.

First up is the Courtauld Gallery – it’s small and specializes in Impressionist and post-Impressionist art, not a keen interest for us.  But we do enjoy their medieval and renaissance pieces, and the lovely building that houses the collection, Somerset House.  

Somerset House is huge.  The Gallery occupies only a small section in the front.  Somerset House began as the home of the British Academy of Art, then went through various incarnations as government offices was recently remodeled, and is now totally devoted to art history and restoration as part of the University of London.  The square in the middle of the compound must be tempting to developers as it sits right next to Westminster.  Fortunately, the property is protected by the National Trust.

Next we walked back to the Inns of Court, to visit the Temple Church.  On the way we passed the Courts of Justice and dropped in for visit.  Anyone can enter a courtroom, unless it is marked as private.  Brexit hearings were going on, but we could only get into the overflow rooms, viewing a TV transmission.  We did visit an appeals hearing about a media distribution agreement.

Temple Church dates back to the 11th century and is lovely inside.  Like most of the churches we visit, it is active, but this is not a parish.  It is part of the Queen’s churches that report directly to her without management by a bishop.  The chapels within the Tower of London are also part of this group.

St. Paul’s Cathedral, just a short walk back in the direction of Westminster, is our next stop.  We do lunch there – nothing to write home about, so I won’t.  I discover that our London Card does not cover St. Paul’s and it will cost £36 for us to visit.  Normally, I would pay, but we are worn out, so walk around the outside, stick our heads into a side chapel and call it a visit. Home on the tube to rest because we have theater in the evening.

“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time” is as good a play as it was a book.  It’s difficult to make a book into a two plus hour play because of the need for radical simplification.  Usually a narrator is involved and in this case, they have Christopher’s teacher reading from his journal to drive the plot.  It all works.  The sets are magical.  The dramatic arc is plausible and the ending is sad and realistic.  The National Theatre is touring this play in the U.S. from now through the end of the year.  If it comes to your city, don’t miss it.  

Somerset House, home of the Courtault Gallery

Paintings from the top: Daddi's Crucifixion with Saints, Rubens's Moses with Serpent, Seurat's Woman with a Powder Puff, Manet's Bar at the Folies-Bergere, Lucien Freud's Girl with Roses. Freud is a favorite artist of ours.  This is a very early work painted in 1942. He was active until he died in 2011.

Somerset House staircase.

Courts of Justice buildings at the London Bar.  We could not take photos inside.

Temple Church, from top: outside, inside and view of the rotunda from the balcony shows graves of the Knights Templar.

Fabulous staging at The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

Norah enjoys her day off.

Day 22 – October 12, 2016 – Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre

The idea of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre did not excite me.  After all, it’s a reconstruction.  But the experience of it blew me away -- one of our best days in the trip.  The original early 16th century theater district was on the south side of the Thames, the swampy side, populated with bars, brothels and warehouses.  But, it wasn’t long before even Queen Elizabeth 1st was barging across from Westminster to enjoy the plays.  And even though the original Globe burned down, it was quickly rebuilt and thrived until the Cromwell’s Puritan government shut down all theaters, Catholic churches, and brothels – or tried to shut them down.  Brits ousted the Puritans after ten years due to their inability to govern effectively, and British theatre has thrived ever since.

Today, Shakespeare’s Globe sits almost hidden amidst plane trees on the banks of the Thames. London has become a city of flagrant skyscrapers that thrust upwards from the horizontal plane of six to ten story buildings.  Where does this three story theatre figure when the eye hits The Gherkin, The Shard, 20 Fenchurch – even the first skyscraper, Centre Point, that is getting a massive overhaul?  This theatre fits beautifully because just as the buildings emerge, so do Shakespeare’s plays.  This is not a museum to the playwright.  It is a breeding ground for vibrant theatre using the DNA of the 16th century and producing experiences as striking and engaging as modern London.  

We purchased tickets for a play called Imogen.  Shakespeare did not write Imogen.  He wrote Cymbeline.  Imogen is Cymbeline’s daughter, just one of the characters.  Globe Artistic Director Emma Rice and Director Matthew Dunster created a whole new play.  As the review in The Observer said, “Go for what this says it is – a play called Imogen – and you will hear a taut, disturbing and intelligent melodrama, shot through with some of Shakespeare’s most neglected beauties: “melted from the smallness of a gnat to air”. You will see crystal-clear action and, pumping behind it, the emotion that fuels the drama, some of the best dancing on the London stage.”  If you went expecting the authentic Cymbeline, you would leave disappointed.  We were walking on air as we left.

Getting to and from Shakespeare’s Globe is a beautiful journey.  You leave the tube at St. Paul’s, continue half-way round the Cathedral to St. Paul’s Passageway.  That joins to Millennium Bridge (pedestrians only) that deposits you at the feet of the theatre.  We lunched at a Turkish restaurant, Tas Pide.  Good food, reminiscent of our Turkish holiday, but made me long for the pides of Anatolia.  A pide is a boat-shaped pizza.  We retraced our journey home, full of the marvels of London.

Through St. Paul's Passageway towards the Thames

Crossing Millennium Bridge - foot traffic only

Approaching Shakespeare's Globe

Norah and Imogen

Tas Pide - Yes, we ate it all.

Interior of the theatre set for a more traditional play.

Our view, sitting just behind the groundlings, who stand.  The "shower curtains" surrounding the stage were used to good effect, giving an industrial feel to the production.

Montage from Imogen:  Imogen and her husband, Posthumus; King Cymbeline and the Queen; war scene effectively used flying to give more action on the small stage; the ensemble. 

The seats are hard benches with no backs.  We rented cushions and seatbacks.  Comfortable.

Thames at low tide

Heading home - what a wonderful day!

Day 21 – October 11, 2016 – Museum of London, Inns of Court and Wyndham Theatre – a day of overkill

We arrive at the Museum of London as it opens at ten am.  Forewarned by the attendants, Ed and I head for the special exhibit on the London Fire of 1666 before the school children arrive. Norah delves into other parts of the Museum.  Good exhibit, especially the part that illustrates where the fire began and how far it spread. Then the children arrive – probably third or fourth graders – and they are set free to roam the floor because it’s a “discovery” exhibit.  Yikes, they invade like William the Conqueror and his Norman hordes.

The book London by Rutherfurd is the Museum of London brought to life.  He wrote it with their guidance.  It was so informative to see the Museum’s relics and interpretative displays. And, as you go through the Roman section, suddenly there is a large window and you are overlooking the original Roman city wall.  Ok, is was rebuilt from rubble, but the effect is stunning.  For any history buff, this museum is a must.  Like most museums organized on a chronological basis, the modern detritus lacks the editing of time, so to me is mostly junk.  It’s always interesting to see what survives hundreds of years.  Not likely to be videos of pop stars.

 
We lunched at a nice restaurant next to the museum, fortifying ourselves before our walking tour of the Inns of Court.  The Inns were a revelation in so many ways.  They are BIG, covering acres.  We walked through all four: Gray’s Inn, Lincoln’s Inn, Inner Temple and Middle Temple. You would never realize the complexity of their quarters viewing the small gateways off Chancery Row or Fleet Street. Every bit of the tour enlightened past reading and all future reading.  Though I suspected that Rowling based Harry Potter’s Hogwarts on the Inns, it is clear to see how cleverly she used the history of the Inns to create the four houses, represented by their emblems.  Now I need to find a contact in the US who has a barrister contact in the UK who can invite me to dine at one of the halls.  We did not have time to go through the ancient church at Middle Temple, originally founded by the Knights Templar, so we will return.

We are so exhausted, that we cab home, as we have theater tonight.  Quick dinner and Ed and I walk down Tottenham Court Road to the theatre. Norah is not feeling up to yet another outing, so she puts her feet up for a good rest. Tonight it’s Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart in Pinter’s “No Man’s Land.”  Excellent.  The play is not for everyone.  A bit of Samuel Becket shows through this 1974 revival.  There is malice, humor – just one set and four actors.  What a pleasure to watch fine actors deliver well-crafted lines, and we had great seats.

From the Museum of London, clockwise from upper left:  view of the Roman city wall, first bridge over the Thames, wooden pontoons that floated with the tide, polished mace-head (probably sacrificial) found in the Thames, elephants used by Romans conquering the Celts - like Pizarro and the Incas only bigger and scarier than horses. 

One of many amusing costumes in the Museum of London.  Yes, some lucky lady wore this.

Model of the St. Paul's Cathedral prior to the fire.  Note the early Romanesque small original churches on the left.  The new cathedral, which will you see in future photos, was designed by Christopher Wren and is huge and austere, not Gothic.

Staple Inn, built in mid 16th Century and still in use on Holborn Street.  Originally lodging for visiting wool merchants (staplers), it became an inn for law students.  Today, it's offices.

Entrance to Gray's Inn is portal in white facade on right.  You walk right by these if you don't know what they are.

Interior Gray's Inn - like all four Inns, hundreds of chambers housing barristers and students are built around interior courts.  The Inns provide all school and OJT for barristers in the UK.  They also house all the judges.

Dining hall, Middle Temple.  All Inns have chambers, dining halls, chapels and gardens.

Entrance to Gray's Inn Garden.  Public is allowed entry at midday.  Lovely urban oases.

Crypts under Lincoln's Inn Chapel.  A place to bury the deceased barristers and judges from the Inn, conduct private discussions with clients and colleagues, and for some impoverished women, a place to leave babies who were adopted by the Inn, educated and placed in sustainable positions.

Temple Church of the Inner and Middle Temple dates to the 12th century and the Knights Templar.  This was originally their UK HQ, until they were dissolved in the mid-14th century.

Temple courtyard, two Knights Templar riding one horse, their supposed practice of economy. Pity the horse.  The London Bar, rising from the middle of Fleet Street, represents the divide between the royals in Westminster and the protected wealthy merchants of the City of London.

Symbols for two of the Inns - griffin for Gray's Inn and Pegasus for Inner Temple.

Obviously signs for uninformed Americans.

Where you purchase your wigs and robes - gently used ones available at a shop round the corner.

Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart in Harold Pinter's "No Man's Land".  

Day 20 – October 10, 2016 – Hampton Court Palace

We planned to take the train to Hampton Court and the boat back down the Thames.  First thing we found on arriving is that the boat trips ended the first week of October.  So I miss the opportunity of pretending that I’m a 16th century member of court, leaving the palace and returning to London, being rowed in a small barge.  Pity.
 
The rest of our visit was magical.  This is how the royals lived at leisure.  Henry’s rooms are large and brash, just like the king.  William of Orange’s rooms are more refined, looking onto lovely gardens.  The art collections are splendid.  There are more notes on the individual photos.  

Home on the train, dinner chez nous.  

Norah enjoying the free newspaper they give our morning and evening at all transport stops.  A different paper each morning and evening.  Print media still has lots of legs in the UK.

Approaching Hampton Court, on the Base Court 

Ceiling of the main entrance gatehouse.  Most of the rooms from Henry's time have magnificent carved wooden ceilings.

Henry's Great Hall, surrounded with huge Flemish tapestries.  This was where the staff and lesser visitors ate; the king usually dined in his quarters.

Elephants from one of the Flemish tapestries next to the elephants from a huge Rubens painting at the National.  They were both created in the late 16th century.  

Beautiful painting of a page looking through a window, artfully displayed in shadows.

The Queen's Staircase (Queen Mary, wife of William), cobbled together by me to show the size and beauty.  

Willam's dining room - intimate, refined.

Door handle with monogram of William and Mary.

Down the alley outside the enormous kitchens that served the palace.

Like the royals, we ate well, but surrounded by the hoi polloi.

Alas, not a Tudor red rose, but a lovely pink with a hint of scent.

Commuter bikes outside our flat.  Every morning the rack is empty and by ten am, it is full, then empty by seven pm.  Santander (national bank of Portugal) purchased the naming rights, so their name is everywhere in a positive way.  

Day 19 – October 9, 2016 – Almost to Westminster Abbey and Liberty of London

I’ve never been to Westminster Abbey, but am not interested in a tour of all the famous dead people.  Would rather go to Church there and enjoy the choir, organ, sermon, etc.  So, we charted our bus route – one bus from near Alfred Place all the way to Westminster.  As we went to board, the driver said, “Only making two more stops, ma’am, then all the transport into that area stop for the rest of the morning.  Half-marathon, ya know.”  Welcome to the weekend in London.

We dragged ourselves home to read The Sunday Times.  Then Ed headed out to Kew Gardens while Norah and I walked over to Liberty of London – one of my favorite stores.  We arrived a bit early and while enjoying a coffee across from the entrance, were entertained by a couple “sleeping rough” right out of our cafe window.  They didn’t appear to be roughing it too much – mattress, duvet, bags of food, ciggies, folks bringing them cups of coffee – and a Jack Russell terrier who spurned offers of food because he seemed to be well fed.
 
Liberty is such a beautiful store – inside and out.  In years past, I’ve been able to purchase clothes, fabric, tchotchkes, at reasonable prices for the quality.  Now, it’s way upmarket, the least expensive thing I found being a small box of plain paperclips for £4.  Not that I need to purchase anything.  When I return home, I’ll enjoy all of past purchases that are still lovely and used often.  

We had a mediocre lunch at the Liberty Café.  Norah had eggs benedict with tough bacon and I had a bowl of soup – leek and potato, not exciting.  After, we strolled (really fought our way through the crowds) up Oxford, picked up a few groceries at the M&S Food Court, which is a lovely, and as chock full of goodies, as I remember.  Then home, because Sunday evening, all the UK watches the weekly dance-off on Strictly Come Dancing.  

The busses around city center are new, clean and run constantly - except on the weekends.

Sleeping rough, but upmarket

Interior of Liberty of London - what a beautiful store.

In my "good old days" at Liberty, there was a cafeteria in the lower level that served beautiful food at reasonable prices.  Had my first summer pudding there.  You never forget your first summer pudding...

Ed enjoyed Kew Gardens.  I went twenty-five years ago and that will hold me for a lifetime.

We haven't a clue who these contestants are, but they dance so much better than the U.S. contestants, have more fun and the show is not so repetitive.  No wonder it's such a hit.  

Day 18, October 8, 2016 – Royal Court Theater – welcome to the weekend in London

With the working crowd hopefully doing family things at home, we look forward to having the city to ourselves – wrong.  Weekend London is thronging with families and tourists.  Everything is packed.  We took the morning to relax, heading out to the Royal Court Theatre at Sloane Square for a one pm booking in their Café and a 2:30 curtain time.  Ed headed out for a batchelor visit to The British Museum where he enjoyed the Sunken Cities: Egypt's Lost Cities.
 
We were to take our local tube to Embankment, change for the District or Circle lines and voila, Sloan Square – wrong.  District and Circle Lines closed at Embankment all weekend for repairs.  We hopped on a bus heading for Sloan Square, and it gets slower and slower, then stops and the driver announces he is getting off to make way for the new driver who is on his way.  Hmmmm, so I ask how long a wait and am assured it won’t be more than five minutes, but there are diversions around Sloan Square, so we will be further delayed.  We hop a taxi, who takes a most circuitous route and we arrive 15 minutes late.  So much for public transportation.  Nice enough lunch, nothing to write home about.

The play, Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1,2,3) by Suzan Lori-Parks premiered at The Public Theater in New York in 2014.  Ms. Parks won the Pulitzer Prize for theater in 2002.  The London reviews called the play imaginative, playful and theatrical.  We found the first two parts long and somewhat contrived.  However, Part 3 was wonderful, mostly because of the introduction of a talking dog.  The main protagonist is Hero, a slave who fights for the South, serving his master.  He fears freedom because he is literally worth more as a slave than as a freeman.  Hero is not much of a hero and the play ends with his fellow slaves leaving the farm to head North while Hero remains.  Parts 4 – 9 have not yet been produced.  A good, but not great, afternoon of theater.

Norah and I call our friend, Addie Lee, for a car home.  Lucky for Ed, The British Museum is a five minute walk from our apartment.  

Bus selfie - we think we are home free.

Trotters and sulkies passing the bus and further tying up traffic on Saturday.  Never could find anything about them.

Royal Court Theatre on Sloane Square

Norah enjoys the largest and sweetest apple cider at the Cafe.

Good, but not great, theater.