Travels with Debi: Let's see even more of London!

Back to London!  After a few months, things have gotten murky for me, especially since it wasn't all clear what I did when I was there!  

Saturday and Sunday were devoted to getting around to more parts of the city.  I actually am having to consult my phone photos to remind myself where I had gone, since the phone puts location tags on the pictures.  After a nice little breakfast each day, we packed a little food (or bought a little when out) and went on our way around the city.  Seriously, I know we went on the Tube, I know we ended up seeing many things including a big protest against Brexit, I got to another museum and other amazing things, but it is such a blur.  I will try to tidy this  post up into 2 separate days, instead of mashing it all into one incoherent mess.  Incoherent seems to be my mode of operation these days.

My view from the Thames (whilst on the ferry)

In front of the National Gallery

Street Artist

Saturday:  This was really fun because we got to walk through all sorts of places, walked through Picadilly Circus, saw so many double decker busses and arrived the National Gallery, and there are some FABULOUS things at that museum as well.  We were all over the place, I know I saw Big Ben from afar, which is covered for the most part with scaffolding, but meh.  Whatever.  That didn't faze me in the least.  We went shopping at a really cool department store  (Liberty) and I was wowed by some really amazing items for sale.  Mark and I were poring over all the beautiful Persian rugs and of course we both honed in on this GORGEOUS one that was so finely woven with silk and it was some crazy amount of money like 12,000 pounds....  and it was divine and it was of course the most expensive one we saw....  what can I say? We have excellent taste.  In many areas of life!  ;)

Lovely fabrics 

This was a fun little display!

A nice alley we walked through

I loved seeing odd little vignettes like this

Beatles- of course

Picadilly circus

Double decker!

The National Gallery had some stunning paintings - from works by Vermeer to Van Gogh and Rubens to Cezanne.  And the building itself was breathtakingly beautiful. The architecture in this city is generally amazing.  So different from the US, so much character and history in much of it, with sprinkling of more modern and shiny/glassy sorts.

Inside the National Gallery

The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein the Younger

Van Gogh's Chair

Degas pastel

Hillside in Provence, Cezanne- one of my favorite artists

LOVE all the marble

After shopping and walking and museum-touring we headed back to the apartment, after a stop at their grocery store called Waitrose.  This place was pretty fun- interesting to see the foods there.  I was told it was sort of like Whole Foods.  The evening was then spent have "nibbles" and Sangria in the exquisite company of Mark, Jonny and Lucia.  Lucia is a friend of theirs who I met on their last journey to the US last year.  Lucia and I hit it off really fast and we had SO much fun catching up.  That was truly a magical evening that I don't think will be matched for a while.  Maybe next summer.

I packed these bad boys all the way home

Marksie taking pictures of us taking a pic of him. :)

All the sangria and such.

SUCH good food

What a great night

We had a great night

Add caption

Here we are!

Taking pictures of Mark taking pictures

The drinks were so good and the appetizers she brought were just divine.  I had the most wonderful time in that beautiful little garden with the most delightful company.

Sunday:  

Sunday The Mad Art teacher got more training in the Tube travel and we headed on down to start at Canary Wharf.

Dingos at the station :)

Tower Hamlets

So this Conservatory, for lack of a better word, was somewhere down by Canary Wharf.  It is getting too late in the day to pester Jonny and Mark to find out where it was.  It was very lovely, but according to our resident horticulturist, some parts were not properly taken care of.....  But it was nice to see.

Sunday was the day we went down to Canary Wharf (where we saw a really nice garden/greenhouse in Tower Hamlets)  and then took the Thames Clipper down to a place called the Embankment.  While traveling down the Thames I got to see all those buildings with the creative names, plus old places, and even London Bridge.  

Looking down the Thames

Marksie!  <3

We also then got to see Cleopatra's Needle along with a host of other things that I can't even begin to recall.  But I have photos of a lot of it.  :)  

Cleopatra's Needle

Sunday evening I took my dear hosts out for dinner at a super nice little Italian restaurant- Carluccios.    It is apparently a small chain there and it was good!  A few of us had wine, some really delightful food and then some of the best desserts that I have ever had in my life.  Good, well-made, dessert, not the nasty overly sweet ick that passes for dessert here.  We each ordered something different and then shared.  It was just heavenly.

Pretty little place

See the photo below for my meal here- which was delish 

OMG!

Monday gets it's own post as we spent the day at Kew Gardens....  another spectacular way to spend a day.  I wanted an art and gardens visit and I got that and more during that 5 days.  I can't begin to tell all the stories and places we stopped at and looked into or little alleys we walked through or streets we crossed and at one point almost got run over!  OY!  Lol.

Down the Thames

The pictures help, but really it is an overall feeling of warmth and smiling and joy that I remember the most.  And of course  that is all because of my two favorite people who live in the center of London.  On to the next post.

Another school year begins

We have had the inservice, the open house, put away the supplies, fired up the coffee pot and prepared our rooms..... so we have no choice but to acknowledge that another school year is underway.

As always, it is a bittersweet event.  The summer is gone, the travels have been completed.  The photos are for the most part edited and the memories  have begun to fade a little.  The seniors have gone on to other things, the new freshmen are worried and there are new students who are going to try to find a place to fit in and be.

A few new teachers, who are also trying to figure out how they are going to fit into our crazy world, have begun their tenure at CHS.  As well as a new superintendent and high school receptionist, there will be new babies coming for some staff and retirements for others at the end of the year.

Myself, I have none of these milestones on the horizon- just the brand new schedule, the brand new students, even bigger classes in the elementary school and at least a little more time down there to prepare for them.  Not a lot but slightly more.  I will desperately miss a few of my missing kids, and am so eternally grateful for some who go over and above for me.  

It will be different in the winter when I no longer am an active team member of the musical.  I will give guidance if necessary, but I just can't do it again.  It makes me so sad in some ways and is a giant relief in others.  There are lots of other things to keep me occupied.

This year though, I have decided to embrace the changing instead of fighting it- I have a big evaluation year coming for my teaching that will hopefully be my last eval.  Those are no fun, people.  I want to stay a step ahead of all that paper work instead of playing catchup all the time.  That sort of data keeping sucks my soul dry; it is not me, it makes me panic and shuts me down.  I may be rolling my eyes and clenching my jaw, but with a little preparation and meditation I will get through it.  Along with the help of a couple of my friends. 

So here comes fall- BRING IT ON. Winter is next, come on- I'm ready.  The insanity of spring in the schools- I've done it before and I will do it again, and it won't kill me.  I have too much to do when it becomes summer again.

 Summer is for photography and kayaking and travels and joy.  And it will be here before I know it.

Travels with Debi: HELLLLOOOOO, London!

 I want it known that "Hello, London" should be read to yourself in a raucous, enthusiastic way, not sweet and polite.  And perhaps the tune to "tower of London" should be in the background as you say it.....  I am not asking too much I think!   London was amazing!

*** SO. MANY. LINKS contained in this post.....  have fun!

Many people have asked me what part of my trip I liked the best, and that is impossible to answer.  This was 2 different trips in one.  Departing from the countryside in Germany to  arriving in the literal center of London was quite a change.  I loved both parts so much, it would be like choosing your favorite child or, for me, deciding on my favorite season.  So much good in all!

Tower bridge

King's Cross Railway station

After my semi-traumatic trip by train, (I do plan to go and visit Paris properly, soon, YAY) I emerged from the halls and underbelly of that lovely train station to be greeted by a sight for sore eyes- Mr. Jonny Atter!  I may have to apologize to him for a truly overly enthusiastic greeting- some may say slightly hysterical- but that is my way.  There were big hugs all around for all of the people who met me after my various modes of transportation- I was so grateful to see all of them!

A very tired Debi in the garden at last

One corner of beauty

Mark and Jonathan's flat is a short walk from the train station, and it was so so lovely to finally sit in their beautiful little garden that is behind their basement apartment- all walled in and surrounded and protected. They have done so much with very little room.  It is just a joy to be ensconced in that little space.  We sat in the garden every day into the evening, what a wonderful delight.

I got to sit here and you should all be jealous

Water feature and Japanese maple- perfect 

A brief sketch of how I know Mark and Jonny enough to come and foist my presence on them for 5 days-  Mark was one of my art students back in the day.  It has been a hot minute or two since he has graduated, but that just doesn't matter.  We were pretty close when he was in school, but after he left to go to Chicago and then eventually back to Park Falls and then to merry old England, we became good good friends. Mark used to come visit me in the art room, sometimes do some art at night when I was working in my room, helped paint some scenery for the play (a wonderful redux) ....  eventually we were gardening friends and rumor has it that we may have bonded over sangria at one point before he moved across the proverbial pond.  I have spent time with Mark and  his Jonny every time that my favorite Pengie (that would be Jonny)  has come to see Wisconsin- every single time, I am honored to say.  I am always happy to have them here when they can enjoy our space and my gardens and all the things that they find special here.  Anyway, my biggest regret is that I did not go to their wedding, but hopefully this was almost as good.

Parthenon frieze portion

WHY no more pictures of this?? 

Interior of the British Museum

So Mark had to work on Thursday when I arrived, as well as the next day, so I got a quite expert tour of the central part of the city by my favorite English person ever.  I didn't even take my camera on the first afternoon as I was so over toting heavy things around that I just needed to be free.  We walked all over and saw so many buildings and parks and points of interest.  And the last stop we made for the afternoon was at the British Museum- which I had intended to get back to, but only saw it the one time.  And it was about 3 or 4 blocks away from their flat!  YOU GUYS I SAW THE ROSETTA STONE AND THE PARTHENON FRIEZES!!!!  I had a moment.  I actually had several.  We got there only about 45 minutes before the museum closed, so didn't have a ton of time.  I saw lots of Greek and Egyptian sculpture and it was just glorious.  Obviously I have to get back and see more. In case you are not an art person, this was a really REALLY big deal.

Covent Gardens

Covent gardens

The weather was just glorious there.  It was warm during the day but always cooled down nicely at night.  To protect their privacy I won't show any photos of the front side of their flat, or divulge details of where they live, but I will show you the garden!

This was the best view - wine glass in hand

No deer to eat all the plants either

The next day, Friday, we did a nice walking tour that included a ride on The Tube.  I hadn't been on an actual subway since I was in New York when I was in college.  This one was a whole lot nicer, let me tell you.  Where exactly we went I don't recall this moment, but I know that we ended up down by St. Paul's Cathedral and hopped on an old style double decker bus!  So fun!  We ended up over by the Tower of London and I found out some cool stuff about the River Thames.  Like it is a tidal river and I found out how the docks rise and fall with the water....  Really interesting.  We walked through some docks areas and ended up at a location called the Barbican Complex.  (The Barbs! :) )  I am highly disappointed I didn't take more pictures there,  but I was so busy gawking I guess I just didn't think of it.

And on the double decker bus with Jonny!

I believe this was the Dickens Inn

I don't even remember what this was....

I was just looking at a map of London and it is so fun to see the names of so many places that I was. Including the Subway stops!  I am really murky on what was when but the names like Russell Square, King's Cross, Charles Dickens highlights, etc.  I saw just so much in 5 short days that it is a jumble I hope to sort out when I start adding photos.  I may have to edit portions if Mark or Jonny have something to add or change.

I love wrought iron gates

One of the things I found interesting was how actually I wanted to know about history in Europe.  In school history was a massive snooze.  ugh.  But here I was constantly questioning- this is some remnants of the bombings in London.

I love the symmetry of this old Justice building

I can't quite remember this - but obviously it is an old part of the city that has been excavated and preserved

Tower of London

Tower of London (had no desire to go in, but loved seeing the outside)

Tower of London - such interesting stories of this place

I like to note that I manage to see some big-ass boats when I am out and about on holiday.  And this one was no different.  It is hard to differentiate, but there was a cruise ship, a couple yachts and then a few other things in this melange.

I LOVED how so many of the big buildings had colorful names- like the Shard!  

The Thames is a tidal river, and this dock rises and falls with the tides- who knew??

Another view of the Tower of London

Tower Bridge (not London Bridge, which is actually quite boring)

This is sort of a hard to find passage way to the Barbicon properties....

I wish I could say with more confidence what all of these things were and the stories and all.  I was very much overwhelmed at this point on the trip, but by the end I was beginning to become familiar with the landmarks I saw over and over again.  What a stunning city this is, and what wonderful hosts I had for my stay.  There is definitely more joys to come!