London in the Winter

In mid-December, I started writing a post about London in the winter. Overflowing with flowery phrases like "the mercury has dropped","winter wonderland", and "Christmas shopping frenzy", it's probably a good thing I never got around to finishing it. I was distracted from my blogging duties by the most unlikely of reasons: the festive season. Years of Australian heat and humidity, and cynically-charged last-minute mad-dashes through the Myer Centre, have waned my interest in Christmas. But here in London, in wintertime, I've rediscovered its joy.

In a recent e-mail, Kevin mentioned how beautiful London is in the wintertime. He's right, and I'm almost ashamed to admit that I caught myself "walking in a winter wonderland" on more than one occasion. I have tagged all the photos under Christmas Decorations. Curious why has it taken eight weeks to post these photos? I blame a schedule of festive season festivities, that started early-December, lasted two months, and would scare Kate Moss, or even Johnny Depp in his day.

The only thing missing from my London photos is snow. It's only snowed once during this entire winter, partly because January was so dry (we're in the middle of a drought), and partly because it doesn't really snow that often in London. Especially in Central London where I live. The day it snowed was December 27. I missed the early-morning snowfall as I was sleeping off the night before. But later that day, when I was shopping with Mum and Dad in Carnaby Street, I looked up, to be delighted with the site of snowflakes flying towards me. It snowed heavily that evening as we battled the Christmas sale shoppers in Regent Street. As brief as it was, the snow combined with the twinkling Christmas lights, and our arms laden with heavy bags, it truly felt like Christmas. And it was wonderful.

Mum and Dad arrived in London on 22nd December, and we took the Eurostar over to Paris for a few days there before Christmas. Paris was wonderful. I took a heap of photos which can be viewed in my Paris photo set. We visited the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Père Lachaise cemetery, the Louvre, and even managed a few brief hours walking around La Marais (“the marsh”) shopping district and gay heart of Paris.

On Christmas Day, Mum, Dad, and I had lunch at the Butler's Wharf Chop House, a Conran restaurant next to (and with spectacular views of) the Tower Bridge. After lunch, we walked over the bridge, through the City, and all the way back to Covent Garden.

Christmas night was spent with friends at Mark B's house. I also went out the next night to Salvation, which sadly was the last time it will be held at the beautiful Café de Paris. Too may G casualties have forced the promoters to lose their license at that venue. It's a shame, and I'm not happy about it!

A few days after Christmas, we caught a performance of As You Desire Me at the Playhouse Theatre. This new production of an old Pirandello play starred Bob Hoskins and Kristin Scott Thomas. We had front-row seats, and I've never been more grateful for the opportunity. All the performances were outstanding, but the two leads were exceptional. Scott Thomas played an amnesiac nightclub singer (opening the show with a song) who flaunts her lovers in the face of her crime boss boyfriend (Hoskins, of course). The tension was palpable from the very first scene, and barely let up even after Hoskins' character shoots himself in the head in the shocking blood-soaked conclusion to the first act. The whole audience jumped, we included, at this sensational theatrical showmanship.

The rest of my week with Mum and Dad was spent shopping at the post-Christmas sales (which are wonderful here, with real reductions), riding the London Eye, and visiting the Royal Naval College and Royal Observatory (home of the Prime Meridian) at Greenwich. The Chapel at the Royal Naval College is absolutely stunning. If it looks familiar, it was used for the location of the second wedding in Four Weddings and a Funeral.

On their last day in London, I surprised Mum and Dad with afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason, which was delicious. Even the £91 bill was exquisitely presented. I really enjoyed our time together, and was sad to see Mum and Dad go. I later worked out that the last time I spent that length of time with them was in December 1996... nine years ago!

My New Year's Eve was fairly quiet. Not wanting to brave the zero-degree temperature, Mark B wisely offered to host a house party at his place. It was nice to see in the new year in with friends, though it did feel strange not being with Paul.

As for the last five weeks, I have little more to report without going into unnecessary detail concerning the cycle of violence that is work, gym, and weekend festivities. Last week's visit to the Tate Modern is worthy of mention. I went to see a Rousseau exhibition (I like his style, but I thought the exhibition rather average), and the EMBANKMENT installation, comprising 14,000 box casts that make the Turbine Hall look like a sugar bowl. I also snapped some great photos of the city (including the new blog banner above).

On a separate occasion, also of note, I returned to Greenwich to visit the Cutty Sark (a tea clipper permanently on display in a dry dock). From Greenwich I walked back to Canary Whaf, via the Greenwich foot tunnel. Only in London will you find a community farm, complete with sheep herd, within a kilometre of the skyscraper district.