Maria bids Adieu

(Pre-script: I wrote the below a full 5 days ago - I am getting bad about these posts.)

Hard to believe it's been a week since my last post! It's been a whirlwind for sure.

Tuesday of last week, Maria & I went to the National Gallery, but on our way we stopped at TKTS in Leicester Square to see what they had. (I believe NYC has a TKTS for discount Broadway shows tickets as well.) We were able to get great tickets for a show that evening (details will follow.) Then it was on to the National Gallery just to peruse through a few rooms that Maria selected (you could peruse rooms for an entire week there and still not see it all) then it was a late lunch in the cafe and back home for a rest - all the travel & touring was beginning to wear on poor Pi. So, we went home to regroup, collected Kyle, and headed to the Prince Edward Theatre to see "Jersey Boys". We had fantastic seats for an absolutely fantastic show! With the exception of one chap who just couldn't seem to lose the Welsh accent, you would never know that these actors weren't from Hoboken. During the intermission, I got chatting with the bartender telling her how much I enjoyed the show, and I observed that I couldn't imagine how it could be any better in NY. She told me that she actually hears from a lot of Americans who have seen both versions that the West End version is better... what a compliment. And a challenge for the actually Joisy Boys who might take it to heart.

Afterwards, we decided to see if we could pull another DHP moment, and sought out the stage door. While doing so we met a wonderful couple from Los Angeles, Stu & Karen, who were doing the same thing and we had a lovely time chatting with them. It was through Karen's tenacity that we were able to figure out that we were in the wrong place, and scooted back to the front of the theatre just in time to see 3 of the 4 main actors come out. Extremely sweet guys - and so young! Maria & I laughed later that it probably makes their night when 2 middle aged American women gush about how fabulous they are and how brilliant their accents were. "Tee hee hee..." You can hear us now, can't you? That was certainly the one moment of the evening when Kyle wishes he'd stayed behind to use the loo or something. The lovely guy who played Franki Valli recommended a nearby Italian restaurant for dinner after the show and it was a great find - one I would definitely return to when going to see another show (Almalfi on Old Compton St. - Cannelloni almost as good as Old Ebbit's, and that is high praise, believe me.) As the Four Seasons themselves sang earlier in the evening, "Oh what a night!"

Maria's last day came much too quickly. We headed back to Covent Garden so that she could pick up a few things she'd spied earlier, then Jenny met up with us for lunch. Then we all headed to Knightsbridge and walked up to Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. The day turned out rather well for a walk in the park. I got my first glimpse up close of the Royal Albert Hall; across from it in the park is the Albert Memorial - good Lord, the woman spared no expense in tribute to her late husband! Before getting back on the tube, we did a quick walk through Harrod's - you can't be so close and not go in - and then it was time to head home. Kyle made a lovely Asian stir fry for us for dinner which was delish.

Early Thursday, I rode on the tube with Maria as far as Victoria Station, where she got on board the Gatwick Express headed for the airport. It was only 7:45 am when I got back to the flat, so it was back to bed for me, to sleep off all the excitement of the last several days. Maria says she had a good time, but no better time than I had having her here. I think she's already making plans for what she wants to see next summer... :-) That's one sister down, 5 to go. Come on girls! You'll have a blast! (Yes, Mart - you can come too...)

http://picasaweb.google.com/swronsky/MariaVisitIIIJerseyBoysAlbertMemorial#

Maria's Visit, Part 2 - London Tours

Sunday, as promised, Maria, Kyle & I had brunch at Belsize Kitchen, where Kyle had the luxury of eating food that he didn't have to prepare himself. Maria & Kyle had the "Full Belsize" which translates as the traditional "full English"; I opted for the eggs benedict and we all left full & happy.

Then it was on to the St. Paul's tube station to meet the tour - which we almost didn't, as "scheduled works" on our branch of the Northern Line delayed our trip. But we made it just in the nick of time and were so glad we did. Our tour guide for "Shakespeare & Dickens' London" was an American from the midwest named David. He's clearly been in the UK for awhile and he was terrific. The tour lasted a bit over 2 hours and stayed pretty much in the vicinity of St. Paul's. We saw several buildings that pre-dated the famous London fire of 1666, as well as spots that Shakespeare & Dickens would've either themselves frequented, or referenced in their writing during their respective times in London. Since none of the three of us can remotely call ourselves any sort of authority on either Mr. Shakespeare or Dickens, we didn't get as much from the tour as perhaps we could have, but it was enjoyable nonetheless and David (who also teaches Shakespeare to American college students) kept us very entertained. Also featured during the tour were surviving sections of the "London Wall", the defensive structure that the Romans had built around "Londinium" in the 2nd or 3rd century.

Following the tour, after stopping for a tea & coffee break, we visited briefly the spectacular interior of St. Paul's Cathedral, then walked across the Millenium Bridge and popped into the Tate Modern before it closed. The Tate Modern displays the works of international artists from 1900 and beyond and we did see a few Picassos and a Jackson Pollack among others. I must say I prefer the less contemporary art for the most part but you know, it's in the eye of the beholder and all that. We then continued walking along the South Bank of the Thames as it had turned into a very nice, albeit cool afternoon. (Sitting on the patio of the Anchor Bar was mandatory as it overlooked the river and the sun was out, and you can't sit on the patio unless you buy something, so... you know the rest.) It was another good, full day.

As I write this, it's Monday evening and Maria & I are chilling after another event-filled day. We met another London Tour group at 10:45 this morning, this time for a tour of Westminster Abbey, which I've been by myself many times but hadn't yet toured. Once again, the interior of this magnificent church really took our breath away - by the end of Maria's visit she & I will both be pulling around oxygen tanks at this rate. Not only is it HUGE but it's so darn ancient and beautiful. Today's tour guide was Chris, and although she didn't have the entertainment value of David, she clearly knows her stuff and gave us more information than I fear we can hold in our brains. The site of coronations and royal weddings, the Abbey is also the burial place for many well known Brits (and not), royal and not, including: Elizabeth I, her half-sister Queen Mary and her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots, Charles Dickens, George Handel, Sir Lawrence Olivier, Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin, just to name a few, and in absolutely no particular order. Also entombed there is the "Unknown Warrior" who was an anonymous soldier killed during World War I and who gets the highest honor and respect of any others buried there. It was a really great tour.

Following it, we grabbed a bite and walked around Westminster in order for Maria to take the cumpulsatory photos of Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, and 10 Downing Street. We also timed our walk past the Horse Guard nearly perfectly and were able to catch the hourly changing of the "mounted boxmen" guards (in this case, 4 out of 5 participants were women) which was kind of cool. Then it was up to Trafalgar Square, a peek into Saint Martin-in-the-Field church and back to the tube. We are tired!

http://picasaweb.google.com/swronsky/MariaVisitIIStPaulSWestminsterAbbey#

I Just Met a Girl Named Maria... (actually, I've known her for awhile.)

Maria arrived safely from Syracuse by way of Philadelphia last Wednesday, and it's been a whirlwind ever since.

After breakfast and a little nap (Maria took one too), we stayed around Hampstead seeing the sights and of course, stopping in the pub. We all had dinner at our favorite Hampstead restaurant, Villa Bianca to officially welcome her to London. Thursday, Maria & I met up with my friends Jenny & Joyce for our "Royal Day Out" at Buckingham Palace.

The Palace State Rooms are only open to the public during August & September while the Royal Family vacations at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. The Royal Day Out ticket included the State Rooms, and also the Royal Mews where the carriages & horses are housed, and the Queen's Gallery which is currently running an exhibit about Victoria & Albert (the Queen & her Prince) which includes loads of paintings of the two of them and their six children at various life stages, and also samples of art that they gave to each other as gifts over the years. They apparently had quite a love story; if anyone has ever seen the movie "Mrs. Brown" (highly recommended if you haven't), you'll recall it's the story of how a man named Mr. Brown, played by Billy Connelly, was brought in to sort of bring the Queen (Dame Judy Dench) out of her many years of depression after Albert died. As the story goes, he remained her dear friend and companion for many years, much to the chagrin of her children and her advisors. (Needless to say, this story isn't highlighted at the exhibit.)

The Royal Mews & the State Rooms were in a word, spectacular. At the Mews, we saw and took photos of the carriage that Diana rode in to meet her own Prince Charming on her wedding day (the Queen and Princess Anne had both used it as well), as well as the over-the-top Royal State Coach, among others. The State Rooms themselves were just unbelievably beautiful and so regal. From the original fine works of art to the Grand Staircase to the Throne Room, it all sort of just took your breath away. Of course, no photos allowed inside, so just trust me when I say it was truly exquisite. It was a long day out but a really good one.

Friday took us to Borough Market and Covent Garden for shopping & lunch & more shopping and it was a lot of fun. Saturday, Chris left early for a looooonnnng plane ride to Sydney for a week of business meetings (he'll actually be in Camberra, the official "capital" of Australia) - he'll also get a chance to visit with our London friend Andrew which will be good. Kyle worked a full day, so Maria and I were on our own again, and this day got a bit of a late start and headed to the British Museum. Maria will be teaching her 6th-graders ancient cultures this coming year, including Greece & Rome, and she was really excited about all there was to see at the British Museum. We spent a good few hours there, then it was on to the Audley Pub in Mayfair for proper pub food (and a few pints) then back home.

This brings us up to date and through the first half of Maria's visit. Today, Kyle wants us to have brunch at the restaurant where he works, then we'll head downtown for a "London Walks" tour of "Shakespeare & Dickens London" which should be pretty neat. Reports to follow...

http://picasaweb.google.com/swronsky/MariaVisitIBuckinghamPalace#

Beer, the Bard, and David Hyde Pierce

A few weeks ago, my friend Jenny & I went to see a Wednesday matinee of the show "La Bête" starring the American David Hyde Pierce and Brits Mark Rylance and Joanna Lumley at the West End's Comedy Theatre. It's a story set in 17th century France about a royal acting troupe. It was a great show (Mark Rylance is brilliant), and anyone who's able should try to catch it when the entire cast moves with it to Broadway in mid-September. The most exciting part was afterwards: as Jenny & I were leaving the theatre, we saw a small group gathered near what we assumed was the stage door. iPhone cameras in hand, we joined them, and sure enough, after not much of a wait, the cast made its way out. How wonderful & gracious they all were, taking the time to sign autographs & pose for pictures (keep in mind they had to return to the theatre in just a few hours for the evening show.) Best of all was having the second opportunity of my not-yet-too-terribly-long life to meet and chat with David Hyde Pierce. David's grandfather and subsequently his father both suffered from and succumbed to the affects of Alzheimer's Disease, and David has worked tirelessly over the years as a spokesperson and true advocate of the Alzheimer's Association in the US. I had a chance to meet him several years ago at a Candlelight Vigil in Washington D.C. and he was just as lovely and personable this time around. Most of you know that I lost my mom to this awful disease and I told David quite truthfully that as much as I enjoyed and admired his acting work (I watch Niles go head to head with Frasier daily over here) I will always love him best for his work on behalf of the Alzheimer's Association.

Last Saturday, Chris & I went to see Shakespeare's comedy "A Comedy of Errors" at the Open Air Theatre at Regents Park. It was a lot of fun, despite the fact that the first 15 minutes or so were a bit over our heads - ya know - it was Shakespeare and all. But the second half more than made up for it and we really enjoyed it. And the theatre was beautiful - especially since the weather cooperated. This past Monday I was with Jenny again, this time for a visit to the Victoria & Albert Museum. We went for the wonderful "Grace Kelly: Stlye Icon" exhibit, and it certainly was aptly named! Not only did they have many of the outfits from her wedding trousseau, but also dresses from several of her movies (best were from "High Society") as well as her more "funky" looks from the 70's and early 80's.

Finally, yesterday, Chris & I visited the Great British Beer Festival in Earl's Court. Lots of beer and lots of fun. You pay an admission fee, then a few quid for a souvenir glass (that you can return for a refund before leaving if you want; we didn't) and then you can go up to one of hundreds of different taps for an inexpensive taste of either 1/3, 1/2 or a full pint. They had bottled beer available as well. The event was sponsored by a group called CAMRA, which stands for "Campaign for Real Ale" and they are very big on promoting what they consider to be "real ale" made from traditional ingredients by a very specific process. It's all greek to me, but Chris was happy and I tasted some beer that I wouldn't have thought I liked, but I did. So it was a successful day. In case you're interested, earlier in the week of the festival, Castle Rock's Harvest Pale, Nottingham was voted Britain's Champion Beer (we tasted it and liked it) and winner of the Michael Jackson Award, which is given annually to the best American Cask Real Ale went to the Smuttynose Brewery's Big A IPA, from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. (Anyone heard of it...?)

In between all this "culture", I've been thoroughly enjoying fitness walks 2 or 3 times a week with a walking group based out of the Hampstead Garden Suburb Institute. They are guided walks/hikes through parts of Hampstead Heath & the Heath Extension so I never have to worry about getting lost (not that I ever was lost) and they are also silent, so no mobile phones and no chatting. Even tho' this is meant to be meditative, I can't say that I'm always thinking on a higher level than what I'll be picking up from the grocery store when I'm finished, but many times I am concentrating on the beautiful surroundings and thinking of my family and my friends and it's a good thing.

And Kyle got a job! He's been in it for a few weeks now and so far so good. He's sort of a "chef-in-training" at a local family owned, newly opened restaurant. Although they are getting progressively busier and he stays quite busy while he's working, he is rising to the challenge and I'm sure learning a lot, not only about cooking, but about the way a restaurant works. What more could an aspiring chef hope for?

My sister Maria arrives this week for an 8-day visit and I am quite excited! Maybe I should ask her to be "guest blogger" while she's here!

http://picasaweb.google.com/swronsky/CulturalFun#