England Before Utah

I know I promised more details on my education on the Theocracy but first a little bit on England.  One of the highlights of the trip was getting to meet The Wool Palace Mary on my day visiting London.   We met up in Victoria Station and  then  took in Westminster Abbey (no pictures allowed inside) where I got to see the tomb and deathbed sculpture of one of my all time heroes, Elizabeth I.  The Abbey is very tall inside but just chock-a-block with crypts and monuments to over 3,200 famous and not famous Britons. So the feel is very cramped and crowded.  It was a blazingly sunny and warm day. Being inside at about noon gave us the beautiful fall of color through huge and intricate stained glass windows onto the ornate carvings of marble and wood within. just beautiful.   

On our way to the bus we passed Big Ben

And a semi-permanent and very creative protest against Tony Blair's lapdog-like support of dubya's mad crusade in Iraq (we were not far from 10 Downing Street)

Then we were off on a double decker bus to visit the mecca, Liberty of London. Here we are, breaking the rules for no photos are allowed, rubbing up against the crack silk haze posing for a photo in front of the Rowan lushness.

The high pound vs. the dollar kept me from buying much but that which I can't easily find in Miami, so I came away with enough crack silk spray (like crack silk haze but softly variegated) in deep rose/raspberry to make Glad from Rowan 39.

The clincher was that Liberty had a shop model of it on display so I could try it on. After making the sleeves, oh, about 4 inches shorter is will be a dream. And light enough for over airconditioned nights in South Florida. But it looks much better with one long front piece thrown shawl-like over a shoulder.

Mary had a great hint for all who maul yarn at Liberty, take the yarn over to the window to look at it in natural light. The shop lights totally distort the colors.  We peeked in on the cafe where the knitting group meets. Looks lovely.  And I also bought the large hardback of Kaffe Fassett at the V & A.  The showing of his patchwork quilts made from inpirations at the V & A.

I sorely regret not taking pictures of the building itself which is lavish with carved wood and amazingly creative displays.  Ah, well, next time.

We were feeling hungry so we walked across the Millenium Bridge

And headed down the embankment on the South Bank of the Thames toward the OXO Tower. There is both an informal Brasserie and a lush and lovely restaurant, on the 7th or 8th floor, with a 180 degree view of the Thames, the Millenium and Waterloo Bridges and the City of London on the other bank.

The restaurant was quite posh, elegant service and a prix fixe 3 course menu that was to die.  I splurged for a bottle of good, dry rose champagne and we drank the lot.  Here's Mary lingering over the cheeses we had for our dessert course.

Note the lovely handknit top and matching shrug. Mary? help me here for I cannot for the life of me remember the pattern name...   
And lunch took rather a long time, ahem, the champagne had nothing, I say nothing to do with it... heh. but I had to take a cab to meet Christopher back at the hotel where his business meetings took place.  On my way down the street I spied one of those lovely absurdities of English life borne of their obsession with all things avian.  Mind you this was on a side street surrounded by large concrete buildings.  Humped Pelicans? Alrighty.

Tomorrow maybe West Sussex in all it's early spring glory. 

 

Comments

[kris]

looks like i missed you with just a couple of weeks! i am going to london next week and plan to meet up with mary & co.

sounds like you had a brill time!

[Jayne]

There must be something in the air . . . too bad we couldn't have met up in London! Looks like you had as lovely a time as I did, though. Welcome back!

[Mary]

Good to see at least one of us remembered the camera to document the day! Lovely to meet you, especially over such a delicious lunch. The top is Tubey from the Winter Knitty, but with no stripes. Look forward to seeing your spring pictures of West Sussex. Next time you come we can go on a tour of the West Country...