More pretty things in London

Day 68

I stopped by the Victoria and Albert Museum recently. It's a really cool museum, very conducive to wandering, with everything from portraits, to ironworking, to fashion, to photography, to period artifacts. Also, a few very cool contemporary artworks.

November 11 is Remembrance Day. It's a day to remember all those who have laid down their lives for their country and their cause since the Great War. People on the streets are wearing poppies, as well as everyone on television. Poppies became a symbol of remembrance during the first world war because poppies grow on disturbed ground, such as what you found in the trenches. There was also a very famous poem called "In Flanders Fields" by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

The grounds of Westminster Abbey were filled with small wooden crosses with red poppies attached, were people came to pay their respects.


Me, in London

This is just a couple blocks from where I live. Isn't it pretty? And you all thought London was dismal, wet, and dreary!


These tiny one bedroom houses where you live over your garage are actually worth over a million dollars. They're quite cute though. And those little doors are actually where you keep your trash.

I went to Holland Park today, which has a really cool giant sundial with turtles.
It's a much wilder park than most of them, and fairly empty of people.
The Kyoto Gardens.
The Kyoto Garden is a Japanese Peace Garden. It's very small, but immaculately kept, and very beautiful.


I'm pretty sure this is where Van Gogh got his inspiration.
That's actually a statue. In case you were confused.
More pretty gardens.




This building has a cool mural painted all the way along the side under the arches
And what park is complete without a playground?

The British are very concerned with keeping things clean.
I still like the leaf sweepers.
I have absolutely no idea what this field of poles is for, but it was cool.
In the evening we went to see Aida. It's a pretty famous opera. Opera's not really my thing, but I did enjoy it. Especially as we got into it and the plot got interesting.