Photo Pest: Slow Day

Wednesday, October 26, 2022

Slow Day

Thom and I got a late start after Chris left for Berlin to meet with an Afghani attorney about the impact of Taliban rule on the country's leftover judiciary. We took the bus to Kensington Gardens where a water fountain for dogs reminded us of Smokey and Vita.

Victoria's tribute to her husband Albert loomed high across from Royal Albert Hall. It resembled a gilded version of the Sir Walter Scott Monument in Edinburgh.

Each of the four corners represents a continent with indigenous people and an animal.

Asia

Americas

I had hoped to catch Theaster Gates's Black Chapel at the Serpentine Pavilion but it had closed the week before. Instead we checked out the sculpture of Barbara Chase-Riboud, another African American artist having a moment in London.

"La Musica Josephine Red/Black" (2021)

"Cleopatra's Wedding Dress" Close-Up (2003)

"(Joy & Grace)," a 2021-22 wall mural by Atta Kwami, a Ghanian artist, brightened up the space outside the Serpentine Gallery. He died shortly after completing it.

A bridge over the Serpentine separates Kensington Gardens from Hyde Park. We stopped at a busy waterfront cafe on the Hyde Park side. People do love feeding the birds.

The Queen Mother's Gate, which commemorated the 90th birthday of Elizabeth II's mum, colorfully unites two symbols of the United Kingdom: Scotland's unicorn England's lion.

En route to Buckingham Palace, we entered Green Park through the Wellington Arch which celebrates the Duke's defeat of Napoleon.

The positions of the lion and the unicorn are reversed in this enormous medallion decorating the interior of the arch.

The sun was in the wrong position to photograph the palace.

I think that's the same balcony where this picture was taken in 1945: Princess Elizabeth; her mother, Queen Elizabeth; Winston Churchill; her father King George VI and Princess Margaret.

The Victoria Memorial, with Winged Victory on top, sits in front of the palace.

Afterward, we walked to the Churchill War Rooms which, though under illuminated, were a bit much. Heresy, I know, but as someone who didn't live through World War II my attitude about Britain's most famous prime minister, is less hagiographic and more holistic. For example, he hated Gandhi and fought Indian independence tooth and nail. But he did have an arresting silhouette!

After the Churchill OD, Thom deserved a shopping spree at Belstaff. Fabio, the utterly charming store manager, allowed him to exchange a damaged vest he bought in Glasgow AND gave him a discount on some new items.