Friday 14 January 2011

The week that was

The first week of January 2011 was wonderful. Time spent back in London, with friends, with M. There were a couple of days at work, but mostly I had time off, coming back down to earth with a bump this Monday when I was back in the office, and on a late shift to boot, having kissed a hurried, tears-threatening-to-spill-over goodbye to M on the Green Park Jubilee line platform as he headed off to Heathrow and I to my desk.

But back to my almost-week off, the week that started 2011. There was a Sunday trip to Columbia Road, to buy the first bulb flowers of the season, blue hyacinths, white tulips. A visit to The Natural History Museum to see The Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award, which I loved, as ever, a brightly lit carousel as we left, lights in trees. Cocktails on Wednesday night for C's birthday, fairy lights, bare wooden floors, discarded shoes, sweet potato chips, a walk home through the drizzle. Thursday saw heavy rain and a trip to Borough Market, side-stepping puddles, clutching hot apple cider in our hands, eating Raclette melted over new potatoes and cornichons from paper plates. Heading then along the river to Southbank, a hot chocolate and a cappuccino whilst we dried off in the BFI bar, sinking into deep velvety sofas, then on to the Landscape Photographer of the Year Award at the National Theatre. Relishing these midweek days off. Friday was pizza at the Italian Coffee Company, strings of molten cheese, a dusting of oregano, and a brief trip to The British Museum, to say hello to the mummies. Another birthday drinks, squashed into a crowded bar behind Waterloo, windows steamed up with drying umbrellas. Saturday we braved the packed V&A, to catch the last weekend of the Diaghilev and visit the Shadow Catchers: Camera-less Photography exhibition. A walk round the cold, deserted, central courtyard as we killed time between entry slots, a stroll to upstairs, to less visited galleries, flattened brass instruments suspended from the ceiling. Sunday we lunch at Polpo, somewhere I have longed to go for ages, drink Aperol Spritzes, eat small plates of delicious Italian food, enjoy this final day in London, together. In the evening we go to the Tate Modern to see the Gauguin, transported for an hour or so to the vivid colours of the Tahiti of the artist's mind. Then we walk along the river, London's lights reflected on the dark water, to The Royal Festival Hall. M takes me to up Skylon, where we slowly sip two of their exquisitely crafted cocktails, talk and talk, try not to think about the morning.














13 comments:

  1. Looks like you have really made the most of your precious time together. Happy new year xx

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  2. Sounds an amazing week. And like you, I buy spring flowers in the first week of January.

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  3. aw it sounds lovely my dear one! what a fitting tribute to london as well!

    i think those are definitely some of the places i would take someone that wanted to know london a bit better!

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  4. I just love the way you describe what you have been up to! Beautiful! Sounds like you fitted so much in. I really need to go back to Borough market as it's been a while.. and pop into the Shadow catchers exhibition before it ends!

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  5. Looks like you spent the first week of the year wisely! Also; you will see M soon! keep thinking that!

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  6. Those shoes are amazing! Your week off sounds pretty amazing too. Hope you're not too sad x

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  7. You paint a picture with words and photos of the kind of London I would love to see/visit/experience.

    I was warmed inside this week to see Spring blooms available in the shops too.

    xx

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  8. Lovely description! You're making me want to travel again.

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  9. It sounds like a great week! And I can't get my eyes of those purple fingerless mittens. Did you knit them?

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  10. Beautiful pics Becky, happy new year to you!xx

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  11. @ Ida, they are hand knitted yes, but by my Mum not me! She copied a pair I already had that were falling apart, no pattern to follow or anything! But think she has now written it down somewhere if you are interested?

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  12. Oh those flowers! They're just gorgeous! A sure sign of spring around the corner. And once it's spring, it will be Easter and you'll be on your way back to M again.

    I wish I could spend the first week of the year at all those museums. We visited a few this past summer, but there's never enough time.

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