So, London

[gothwalk]

London is big. London is, in fact, unfeasably big. I am aware that there are larger cities, but they're more spread out, less dense, and generally less London-y.

We had a great weekend. We visited more museums than we should have, and got museumed out sometime on Sunday, just after the visit to the Victoria & Albert. I will actually pronounce mild sacrilige here and say that I think I prefer the V&A to the British Museum. The V&A, however, does not have the Reading Room, which is a temple to books.

I'm not going to attempt a blow by blow account; there was too much. Let me detail high points and loot.

High Points:
Being able to check in as soon as we arrived at the hotel, and getting a really nice room
British Museum Reading Room
Lord of the Rings exhibition in the Science Museum.
The Tube
Accidentally finding Coco de Mer
Being served breakfast by a girl called Achmayax, which is such a draconic name
Foyles Bookshop
Meeting bluedevi for coffee, pintage, etc.
People from a re-enactment group in the V&A
Baroque Music in St. Martin-in-the-Fields
London at night from the Jubilee footbridges

Loot:
Draconomicon
Midnight
Magic cards (I know, I know)
A book on Moorish military gear, for research for Sula, radegund's character in Kingfisher's Way
Some cigars
A very nice little leatherbound notebook



I'd forgotten how good bluedevi is at conversation. You have to come back to Dublin more often, dammit. A lot more often.

Comments

[ailbhe]

I still haven't seen the V&A but most people I know seem to prefer it to the big one.

[gothwalk.livejournal.com]

I'm not even that convinced that the BM is the big one. I think the V&A might be bigger. It certainly has more small artifacts, and the textiles rooms are just intimidating in sheer quantity.

[radegund.livejournal.com]

Oh, the V&A is to fall down and worship. I want to go and live there for a year. I want to study the embroidery and lace collections - pull out all those shallow little drawers and stock up on designs (must-craft-soon-must-craft-soon). Last time I was there the William Morris exhibition was on, and they had a live demonstration of tapestry weaving. I put my name and address down to receive further information, but I never got any. Boo.

The textiles, the furniture, the costumes, the carpets, the musical instruments ... you know, I'm fine with High Art and Sacred Objects and all that jazz, but what really fascinates me is the small-a art that you find on ordinary (or, let's face it, not exactly ordinary, but still domestic) things.

Rocks.