Sunday 26 April 2009

What I Did On My Holidays

Trips up the river on a boat in glorious sunshine: 1
Hugs and kisses from friends and relatives: 34
Work meetings, good, also involving hugs and kisses from lovely clients: 2
Fabulous art exhibitions (one hats, one Constructivists, one Picasso): 3
Sumptuous meals out (one V&A lunch, one Gordon Ramsay gastro-pub, one gourmet vegetarian, one Thai): 4
Delicious dinners in: 4
Glasses of wine: errr, lost count
Beers: 2
Large Calvadoses (or should that be Calvadii): 2
Hangovers: 1 (oops - I think it was the Calvadoses, or possibly the Calvadii, or maybe there is no plural because you're only supposed to drink them in ones, hmmm)

Highlights: all of it, really, except for the hangover. Let's try for one per day.

Monday: sitting in the V&A cafe with my laptop, working on the plot of my novel, feeling like a proper writer. (And the exhibitions - I saw the hats before lunch, then after lunch I looked at the frocks and the shoes. Now that's what I call a real museum.)

Tuesday: the boat trip, riverside walk and pub lunch with my lovely auntie who retired from her job as a special school teacher last summer. We've been promising ourselves some weekday fun since then and it couldn't have been better.

Wednesday: the Constructivists. I knew very little about them and it was fascinating. I particularly liked Popova's work, and was sorry she had such a sad short life - she married, had a son, then the following year her husband died of typhoid, then four years later her son died of scarlet fever and soon afterwards she did too. She was only 35 and I think she had a lot of work still to do.

Thursday: Picasso. It's a themed exhibition, rather than simply chronological, so there was a room for self-portraits, another for nudes, another for still-lifes, etc, with the paintings displayed chronologically within each room. I really liked the way this helped me to think about his work differently. The gourmet veggie lunch was pretty damn good too.

Friday: coming home after a terrific work meeting. I landed a great project last week, a writing assignment with some research but it's mostly about using language creatively to explain complicated stuff to people who need help to understand it, and I like doing that.

And the weather was perfect! I think London looks at its best in the sunshine.

I'm still glad I don't live there any more, though. It's exhausting - I'm knackered now - and although I had a wonderful time, I'm very glad to be home.

12 comments:

HelenMWalters said...

What an ace week! Naughty Calvadii for sneaking up on you like that.

Lane Mathias said...

What a wonderful week!

I'm glad I don't live in London any more but I do miss easy access to all the wonderful exhibitions etc.

Some come on - how many glasses of wine?:-)

Queenie said...

Hahahaha Helen yes indeed!!!
Lane, I really would own up if I could remember! It must have been at least 13 plus one spritzer, but it could be more than that. This week my liver is having a rest.

Jumbly Girl said...

Sounds fab. Haven't been to the V&A for ages, its one of my favourites. Mmm calvados, singular or plural, tis luvverly stuff.
Good luck with new work project, it sounds ace

Beleaguered Squirrel said...

Yay, sounds lovely!

Debi said...

Oh we London types lead such exciting lives, dwahling ... xxx

Queenie said...

JG: it is!
BA: it was!
DA: you do!

Carol said...

Now THAT is what I call a holiday!!! Glad you had a lovely time :-)

C x

Pat said...

Calvadosses. Trust me.
You realise that all sympathy has now evaporated and if I could choose which day to be there (and why not) it would be Tuesday and the Picasso day - Thursday?
Any change of horses - I find - brings on a dose of fatigue but it's so worth it.
'to explain complicated stuff to people who need help to understand it, and I like doing that.'
Funny you should say that. I'm thinking of the thing I told you about. Do they mean a total of 5000 words in all or just for preliminary approach.
Sorry I shouldn't ask you.

Karen said...

Sounds wonderful, I'm most envious :o) I don't live far from London but rarely venture in these days. Must sort that out!

Queenie said...

Carol: thank you!
PI: Calvadosses - of course! You would have been most welcome. If still in doubt (and it wouldn't surprise me, given how complicated the T&Cs were) can you email them and ask?
Karen: I think it's harder when you're nearer; my auntie was saying about how she so rarely takes advantage of the fun that London offers even though she lives there, and I know when I lived in London I often didn't go near the West End from one year to another.

Kate said...

That sounds lovely - I am jealous

Kate x