London Calling

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This is actually a belated blog from our travels to the UK earlier in the year. When I returned to Melbourne I was so busy painting my next exhibition, that I didn't get around to posting them until now!

So just briefly... after travelling in Italy, we arrived in London for Christmas.

Everything is still heightened by our experiences of living in AD and missing the culture & way of life we are used to. So we ran around soaking up the sites, streetscapes, shops, food and having the novelty of wearing winter clothes!

Although being close to Christmas, I still managed to visit the National Gallery, Sainsbury Wing, with their beautiful Rennaissance collection, as well as the Courtauld Institute at Somerset House, with ther Early Rennaissnce & Impressionist collections. The courtyard there is turned into an ice-skating rink in winter, nice to watch in the sunshine of a winter day.

We treated ourselves to stay at The Waldorf,(Hilton), to celebrate the near end of Pauls long work project and the festive time of year! Very nice indeed and just up the road from St Pauls Cathedral where we celebrated Christmas day. We were lucky to be seated directly under the dome of St Pauls to enjoy the sung eucharist, hearing the choir in that expansive space was beautiful. The mass was said by the Bishop of London.

We also spent time running around the other places of worship.... Harrods, Fortnum & Mason, and Harvey Nichols. A great night was spent at Shakespeares Globe where they performed 'Footsbarn Christmas Cracker', we had great seats up high in the stalls, very cold and there was even light snowfall, but all magical!

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