Sunday, January 30, 2011

London


I lived in England as a kid for two years when my dad was stationed there for work. We made a trip to London then, and I vaguely remember watching the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. Or at least, I remember the picture of my brother and I standing outside the gates at Buckingham Palace.

This trip was officially about me seeing theatre that I had cast. Which we certainly did. It was tough to have to see Deathtrap the night we got there (jet lag and all), but that was the closing performance and therefore our only option. I was tired, but it was good. The next day we saw them loading up the lights and the set for the next show to move into the theatre. I was able to snap one of the last possible shots of the Deathtrap marquis.


As always, we just did a lot of walking around, picture taking and soaking it all in. It was gray and rainy, but at least it was in the 50s. We liked wandering around Covent Garden.




Bought some licorice all-sorts here. Yes, I am one of the few people in the world who actually like licorice.


Had actual tea at the Covent Garden Hotel. Like you do.


I know I've already talked far too much about thi cheese shop, but it's awesome and I can't help myself. I love cheese.


We also spent a morning in Notting HIll.







Walked all along Portabello Road. On Saturdays there is a huge market here. Usually with masses of people, I would bet. We were there on a Sunday and had it relatively to ourselves, which was also kind of lovely. In one of my favorite Disney movies from childhood, Bednobs and Broomsticks, Angela Lansbury sings about Portabello Road - "the street where the riches of ages are sold." And boy, are they ever. I could not stop taking pictures. I wish I had had the money and the room in my suitcase to buy all these things and SOOOO many more.


Found someone selling Geoff's initials.



We (meaning I) had a minor "I'm too hungry" meltdown on the way to lunch at Harrods (overrated, though their gelato in the candy shop was good), rode a double decker bus where I lost the adorable grey beret that Alison made me (sadness), but at least some lucky Londoner now has an Alison original.

Evensong at Westminster Abbey was cool only because of the men's choir. Well, ok, and the Abbey itself. We could only stay 20 minutes without being late for the theatre and the priests didn't seem too pleased with that when we told them in advance. But the building was pretty amazing. And the choir sang an amazing song as we were walking out, which was super cool. Next time, I'd spend a little more time walking through and reading/learning everything about the history of the Abbey itself.


Our last day we did the Tower of London. I'm such a sucker for how much history there is in London period, and the Tower was chock full of it, obviously. Our visit there also happened to coincide with the 1 hour of sunshine we had in London. You can see our shadows in this picture.




I just like that there is a full trunk of grit on hand.



I called this a Catapult. Geoff was all fancy and knowledgable and called it a Trebuchet. Show off.




Tower Bridge. Also pretty cool.


As was London. I thought it was pretty charming. We didn't do curry, or fish and chips or see Buckingham Palace, but we feel we had a fairly full fledged London experience nonetheless. And despite facing a few of the challenges I've mentioned before, we really enjoyed it. I would certainly go back

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Snowy Wednesday

It's a snowy day in NYC and I for one love it. Everyone on Facebook seems to be over the snow, but I am not. We're back from London/Paris and settling back into real life. Pictures and stories and details to come. There may even be some videos of me playing faux travel guide at the Tower of London, which we made while goofing around. Those were fun. The trip itself was good, though not what we had anticipated, as is always the way of things. I sadly felt like my photography mojo was off for nearly the whole trip. It may have been because it was gray and or rainy the entire time we were there, in both cities. We had about 3 scattered hours of sunlight on Geoff's birthday, and that was about it, so everything looks a bit gray and cold and sad in the photos. I will say that was a bit of a bummer, since my favorite thing to do in pretty places I've never been to is photograph them. But we'll see what we come up with after a little photo editing. Speaking of photos - my apologies for the horrible quality of the iPhone photos that appeared on this blog while I was gone. They looked a lot better on the tiny screen of my iPhone than on an actual computer. I had no idea.

Geoff has finally caught the cold I had on the trip, so he is feeling pretty lousy. I'm back at work and sensing things starting to really heat up in the next 2 months. I'm anticipating being quite busy. Trying to brace myself. Gosh there are so many things I'm thinking about, but I'm skirting the line of what to share when, what to share here at all and when I'll actually have time to write about it all in a way I feel good about. In the meantime, tonight I'm trekking to Brooklyn for dinner with my best friend and that alone will answer at least half of my questions.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Winding Down



Took the train back to London yesterday. Had a lovely French cheese and wine picnic as we watched the foggy French countryside roll by. Truth be told it was mostly highways and gas stations, but we did notice a few quaint country towns in the distance.

Got back in time to make it to the first preview of The Children's Hour in the West End, which our office cast.



Kiera Knightley, Elisabeth Moss, Ellen Burstyn, Carol Kane and others. I really enjoyed it! Some terrific performances.

A few last hours in London before we head to the airport and fly home. Not looking forward to 18 degrees but it will be nice to be back in my own little bed.

- Posted from my iPhone

Location:London,United Kingdom

Friday, January 21, 2011

Paris is COLD



It is frigid here today. And I do not have my warmest down winter coat, since the rest of the trip was mid 40s-mid 50s. It hampered our adventuring today for sure. Hence, French Onion Soup for lunch. It was pretty amazing. And necessary.

We leave tomorrow for London. Things we have not done yet: have a crepe(s), try a macaroon or any other French pastries besides croissant and pan de chocolat, make it to 80% of the restaurants that were recommended to us. I guess we have a lot of eating to do in less than 24 hours.

- Posted from my iPhone

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Just Your Average Thursday



OK, this photo is deceiving, as we only made it to the Louvre just in time for closing. But tomorrow they are open until 10pm. So that's on for tomorrow.

Today was Montmartre, being accosted by the artists there who all wanted to draw me, extensive time in multiple cafes, much street photography, walking by Lapine Agile (closed) and the Moulin Rouge before meeting a female cab driver and getting to chatting about her son Joaquin (Joe) the accountant, who moved to NYC, got married to a Russian girl there and the mean ole thing just up and left him - leaving him heartbroken. Come on, New York, I know you have better options for him. I could think of a perfect one, but she is currently taken.... All other ideas welcome.


- Posted from my iPhone

Location:Rue Amélie,Paris,France

Petit Dejuener




Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. See how they are half gone already? Before the cafe even arrives!


- Posted from my iPhone

Location:Rue de Grenelle, Paris

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Happy Birthday, I Got You This




Happy Birthday to Geoff! The big 4-0. I got him this Paris. Not such a bad gift.

Eiffel Tower in the morning, MANY photos, much wandering, a late lunch at Le Comptoir in the 6th arr., Arc de Triomphe, Champs d'Elysee and are now off to a birthday dinner at a brasserie TBD. Hopefully with champagne.

- Posted from my iPhone

Location:Rue Amélie,Paris,France

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Paris Bound



My cold is still hanging on, so this morning was a bit rough. Still managed to visit the Tower of London, ride in several taxis (where Geoff was immensely pleased with the leg room) and pop back into Neil's Dairy Yard for some bread and cheese for our train trip to Paris!



Bon Voyage to us!

- Posted from my iPhone

Location:Cheney Rd,Camden Town,United Kingdom

Monday, January 17, 2011

The Abbey



Evensong at Westminster. Pretty stinkin' cool. Wish we had time to explore it more, but we had to dash to HAMLET at the National Theatre. Which was equally epic and cool.

- Posted from my iPhone

Location:Stamford St,Lambeth,United Kingdom

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Down But Not Out



Though jet lag and a cold knocked me out for the morning, it couldn't keep me down long. By 2pm we were out wandering through Covent Garden, having afternoon tea and taking photos.

A rest, some dinner and another walk that ended along the Thames. One place we will definitely be going back to when it's open...



Neal's Yard Dairy - specialty farm cheeses and produce from the British Isles.

Count me in.

Lots more tomorrow!

- Posted from my iPhone


Location:London,United Kingdom

False Start





A funny thing happened on the way to our big European adventure. Hi everyone, Geoff here. Writing from our hotel bed where my poor sweet adorable wife Kate is sleeping deeply right beside me. Apparently the countless weeks of little sleep and lots of travel, work and stress have caught up with our hero and she seems to have picked herself up a bit of a cold. Yes I know, the tragedy of the timing could not be overstated. But as far as I'm concerned things could be far far worse. Besides, deep down I think we're both really grateful for a day off even if its not from work at this point but from a possible fun filled day of galavanting across the city of London. Oh well, c'est la vie, we're not as young and vibrantly heathy as we once were and need to sometimes take heed when our bodies say whoa.
More updates to come later.

Location:London,United Kingdom

Saturday, January 15, 2011

It Begins!




Heathrow Airport 8am. Little to no sleep, but this sign a welcome sight.

Geoff also enjoyed this sign at the Underground. And that they kept repeating the name of the station at every stop (as that was the train's final stop). Every time they announced it, we chucked. (Sorry, but it's true).



Yes, we are grown ups. Barely. Let's blame how funny we found it on the lack of sleep. Let's also blame the fact that I'm posting about it on said lack of sleep.

I must cut myself off before I do further damage. On to the rest!

- Posted from my iPhone

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Testing






The Roosevelt Island Tram tonight.

(Just actually testing that I can blog with photos from my phone - in the hopes that I can do so from London and Paris next week...)


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone


Saturday, January 8, 2011

I see London, I see....


Exciting Thing #1 of 2011: (OK, more exciting for me than you. Exciting for you via photographic recap when all is said and done.)

This past year, I help cast 3 show in London. And my boss said he'd send me there to see them. Well, will the craziness of the fall, there was no time for me to go. But we finally figured out a way for me to go in January. All we had to pay for was Geoff's ticket and he could come with me. So we're going in less than 10 days! I'm super excited. Two of the three closed have since closed, but we've timed it so I can see a fourth show (that I didn't personally work on, but our office did) just before we leave.

So check us out. We're fancy and we're going to London. Booyah.



And then my brilliant husband had this great idea.....


"When will we ever be so close to Paris on a trip that is half paid for?" he wondered. And he was right. So I screwed up the courage to ask my boss for two more days off so we could pop over to the City of Lights. Surprisingly, the boss man agreed. Even encouraged me to go. As someone who travels to London for business, he says he always regrets not doing this very thing - taking a couple days to see another part of Europe for a long weekend. So even though he can be crazy and quite a handful on occassion (ok, frequent occasions), I'm grateful that he is as generous in spirit as he is.

Because, after all, life is short. Go to Paris.


Don't worry, we'll take a TON of pictures.