Joe and Lou's Travel Blog

Art tours
As Rachel, Theresa, Charlotte and Cameron headed off to Eurodisney Dad and I had nice quality time to hang out in the beginning of this week. We visited the National Gallery and went on a tour. It was one hour however that was only enough time to see three paintings! This was because the guide gave us an interesting talk on the periods and breakthroughs in the art world. We learnt about the basic concept of perspective and the 'vanishing point', which were both revolutionary at the time they were highlighted. We also learnt about how the purpose/focus of art changed over the centuries. Orginally the sponsors were the Church so the subject matter was restricted, then the Classical style of the Greeks was revived and celebrated in the Renaissance. Nymphs, Gods and other mythical creatures were depicted. Artists in the old, old days thought it was their role to paint scenes that enhance and improve on reality. Constable cobbled together elements of a scene in the studio to create a beautiful, but not realistic, landscape. Later the Impressionists believed that it was ok to paint what they saw. This was made easier by the availability of paint in tubes which you could take outside. I could have listened to our guide for much longer as she was very informative. I find the huge art history books a bit daunting.

The Mousetrap and Curry
As a hang over from our Torquay visit I booked Dad, Joseph and I into a performance of Agatha Christie's show 'The Mousetrap'. Christie is a native of Torquay. The Mousetrap is the longest running show on the West End as it has been on a continuous run for over 50 years. It is a murder mystery with an excellent twist at the end. I've read a few of Christie's books and never been able to guess the culprit. The same was true for the play. We had fun guessing though. The next day we went to the Victoria & Albert Museum. This is full of beauiful pieces (e.g. furniture, decorative ceramics/porcelain, clothing and jewellery) from mostly Asia, Europe and Britain. It's all a bit too much though. I'm afaid Dad and I got a little weary wandering around aimlessly. One highlight was the magnificent chandelier in the foyer (see image). It started to rain, and the cafe in the Victoria and Albert Museum was too expensive so we went across the road to the Science Museum for a baguette and crisps. We didn't want to eat too much as we were cultivating a healthy appetite for a dinner on Brick Lane. This is the famous street full of Banglideshi curry houses. Yum! Seeing as Dad likes curry we thought it a fitting place to go for a meal. After being hassled by waiters inviting us to dine at their restaurants We settled on one and fully enjoyed what they served us. The curries served in restaurants are different to the ones Dad grew up eating in Fiji which were hot, not so runny and full of potatoes and chickpeas.

Theatre and shopping
Dad, Theresa and Juliette managed to get cheap tickets to 'One flew over the cuckoos nest' on Thursday. This production is starring 90's bad boy Christian Slater who was very good in the role Jack Nicholson played in the movie. They enjoyed the performance (although there was a little too much swearing for Dad's liking). Julie and I enjoyed shopping in Covent Garden and both came away happy with our purchases. We also had a lovely meal together at a local gastro pub, the North London Tavern. Yum!

Saying goodbye
On the last day of the visit Cameron wasn't feeling well and had to go to hospital. Luckily he got seen quickly and came away with a puffer to help subdue his cold and help him on the plane. We had a family photo session which was great fun. Then we all went to Paddington to see them off. It was very sad to say good bye and I felt the most homesick that I've been since I got here. Home is really where family is.

Movie time
That night Joseph and I went to see the Chinese movie Hero. It was a visual feast, the story was interesting and the martial arts scenes were balletic. A must to see on the big screen. On the subject of movies I saw Bride & Prejudice on Friday. It was great! That's because I love the colour and jollyness of Bollywood and there were two Kiwi male actors in it. They were Martin Henderson and Daniel Gilles, and scrubbed up very well. He he. A lot of Kiwi make actors seem to be making it in the entertainment business. Karl Urban and Martin Csokas have had major roles lately. And the Flight of the Conchords duo (Brett and Jermaine) may have bagged a NBC comedy series. Crazy baby! I can count Dad amongst this success as he has just secured a part in a new Kiwi comedy series! Well done Dad!

Back at work
I'm into my second back at work and have settled in ok. I have to start looking for a new role now as my time at English Partnerships is most likely to finish by the end of the year. I really want to secure something new by the end of the year. November would be ideal. I've updated my CV so that's a first step. Joseph and I had drinks and dinner with Laurence last Thursday which was great. We are looking forward to his Halloween party this weekend.