A really fun weekend in November

Our friend Sandie and her boys Erik and Miguel came to visit for a few days.  The afternoon after they had come, I went to spend an evening at the Victoria and Albert Museum with Dad.  First we went to visit the silver and gold things--very precious and cool stuff!  We also saw "metalwork" "paintings and drawings"--including the original drawings from Beatrix Potter's "Peter Rabbit":  so awesome!--and "theater and performance."  Then we went to Gourmet Burger Kitchen, a kind of bistro.  We got burgers, which were spectacular, and we also got an Oreo milkshake!  It was a very memorable night

The next day, we walked with Sandie and her boys to the Tower of London; we saw a parade on the way.  At the Tower we saw jewels and crowns and precious silverware (which the Tower of London is most famous for); and I got to feel the materials of Edward I's bed and to try on all the armor they wore.

Isabel wearing chain mail in the Tower of London

Sir Walter Ralegh's digs in the Tower of London (not bad!)

Guy Fawkes and Gallery Night

Guy Fawkes fireworks

Sorry I haven't written in a while.  I just had so many other things I was doing. But now I will tell you about three events, starting with Guy Fawkes Day.

Guy Fawkes Day
 
It was on November 5th, also known as Bonfire Night.  Perhaps I should tell you why the holiday is celebrated.  Guys Fawkes was part of plot called the Gunpowder Plot to blow up Parliament and bring down the English government in 1605.  He was caught and executed and drawn and quartered.

We went to a park in the evening and saw people doing fire tricks, swallowing fire, and running it along their arms and juggling with it.  We also saw a HUGE bonfire on top of which were paper effigies of Guy Fawkes which burned.  There also was a guy who attached himself to a wheel that spun around and set off sparks and fireworks.  Then there was a fireworks show.

At home, we went to the top of our building to watch the fireworks going off all over London.  It was a great view.

Bonfire Night

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gallery Night

This night we went to visit some galleries of East Asian art.  The first gallery had a lecture on Buddhist Art.  There were suits of armour there too.  It was very colorful but didn't look that protective.

We went on to a few other galleries, including Sotheby's, a famous gallery.  They were filled with beautiful art like Ming Vases and stone carvings. 

Qing vase, sold at Sotheby's for $83,000,000

But the best part came next.  The last gallery we went to had Indian art.  In it we met a dog named Otto.  He is a deerhound, very thin, belonging to the art gallery owner's girlfriend Kerry.  He is still a puppy but already very big.  About 3 weeks later we went over to Kerry's house to visit and play with Otto.

This is what Otto the Deerhound puppy looks like

Visit from Tina and Dick

Dick Samaha and Isabel at the Royal Hospital Chelsea

Tina, a friend of my Mom's from her old publishing job and her husband, a doctor, "Dicky," came to London for a visit. They came to dinner one evening and we had some butternut squash soup.  We had some very nice conversations.

Later on the weekend we came to where they were staying, "The Sloane Club" in Chelsea, for lunch.  The Sloane Club had pictures all around it.  My favorite was of a piece of blue cheese and a bottle of wine.  The club also had a lot of framed cartoon pictures along the corridors.  Tina and Dick stay at this club whenever they are in London.

Isabel in front of the Royal Chelsea Hospital

After lunch we walked to the Royal Hospital Chelsea where the old soldiers live.

Ben and Isabel yuck it up with a veteran at the Royal Hospital Chelsea

Days in Madrid!!!

Our flight from Lisbon to Madrid was only an hour.  We immediately went to the Thyssen Bornemisza Museum and there was so much to see there!   Then we went to my parents' friend Sandie's house and I met her sons Erik and Miguel.  We had dinner at 9:00!  Then we went to friend Richard's flat where we were to stay.  It was quite nice.

Today Pai ("Father" in Portuguese) and I went to get breakfast.  Then we toured the streets of Madrid.  We saw the Foundacion Grassy where there was a museum which had beautiful old precious clocks.  We also saw a big square called the Plaza Mayor where we saw a still ghoul who jumped out at me, a sparkly goat type animal, a headless man, Spiderman and Mickey Mouse.  Then my mom left to go to Sandie's and Dad and I did more touring and then went to the Thyssen again!  There we saw some abstract art.

Then we went to meet Ricardo, Zoe, and their 11-year old son, Santiago.  We saw some artwork at the Museum called The Prado.  Then we went out for Tapas and had chorizo with potatoes, fried calamari, chicken with French fries, sardines, and bread!  It was EXCELLENTE!

Ben, Louise, Isabel, Zoe, Santiago, and Ricardo in front of the Madrid Bear in the Plaza del Sol

 

 

 

 

Churros and chocolate!  Mmmm!

The next day was a very well planned day.  We met Ricardo and his family again for churros (a long fried dough) which we dipped into melted hot chocolate.  We ate at their flat.  Then we went to the museum of the Americas which I think might be my favorite museum of Madrid.  There was a lot of interesting stuff like masks, weapons, and cool patterns.  Then we went over to Sandie's house and had lunch.  Chicken!

Today we went to the Reina Sofia Museum where there was stuff by Picasso and other modern masters.  Then we went to the Prado and saw some old masters.  Then we took the bus to a Halloween party on the outskirts of Madrid.  I was dressed as a farmer with overalls and an axe in my head and with blood dripping down my forehead.  We played fusball and I got to know people better.  Then we put on plays and my costume was a big hit!  I went to bed at midnight!

Halloween in Madrid with Erik and Miguel (Edward Scissorhands meets Kiss)!

The next day we went to Segovia by train.  We saw a beautiful water tunnel above the ground built by the Romans which they called an aquaduct. 

Original Roman aqueduct in Segovia

Then we saw all sorts of beautiful churches and the city's castle, Alcasa.  Segovia is considered an old place in Spain.  Then we went out to each lunch at a very good restaurant.   We ate beans with all different kinds of pork meat -- chorizo, blood sausage, a chunk of some other kind of pig meat, and a pig's ear which was soft, rubbery, and salty!  We also ate a whole pig.  I got the leg of the pig and kept the hoof.  For dessert we had fried milk in a square with cinnamon and some doughnut something.

Afternoon dinner at a famous roast pig restaurant, Segovia

Castle in Segovia

On our last day we went to the National Museum of Decorative Arts.  In it we saw cool art from a school project and other things. 

 A typical 18th century Spanish tiled kitchen.   There's the hot chocolate, but where are the churros?

Then we visited the lobbies of two expensive fancy hotels, the Ritz and the Westin Palace.  In the Ritz, the piano player smiled at me.  Then we walked home an interesting.  At a pond we saw black swans which my Aunt Sylvia says are very rare.  Also we saw turtles all bunched up together sunning.  One did a back flip into the water and another pushed another turtle back into the water as it struggled to climb out of the water and into the sunshine.  The had beautiful speckled heads which went in and out of their shells.  A while later we took the plane back to London.

Isabel and turtles in the Buen Retiro Park, Madrid

Two Days in Lisbon, Portugal!!!!

Hi Guys,

I'm sorry I haven't written in such a long time, it's just that I was away on a trip for half-term (a one week holiday from my school).

On the first day we woke up in our London flat at 5:00 am!  Then we took a run/walk to the bus and took the bus to the airport.  We were going to Lisbon, Portugal.

When we got to Lisbon, we visited a grand square that led out onto a rocky beach.  On the beach I found two stranded Portuguese Man o'wars.  It was fascinating!  Then we walked to our hotel, which was called Pensao Ninho das Aguias which means the Eagle's Nest in Portuguese -- called that because it is so high up.  After climbing up two spiral staircases, I saw two blue small parrots in a cage who made a large amount of noise as they greeted us.

Then we went to see a castle that was near our hotel.  It was HUGE!  We walked up and down and up and down stairs to explore it.

Isabel and Ben on the Castello Sao Jorge, Lisbon

When we were done we walked to the tile museum.  There we saw loads and loads of tiles.  We also saw how tiles were made.

Portuguese Azuelejo, 15th century

Then we went out to eat.  We got a lot of fish and some sausage.  With it we also had french fries and boiled potatoes.  For dessert I had a chocolate mousse.  It was delicious!


The next day we went to several pastry shops and got rolls and pastries for breakfast.  Then we went to a famous square -- Rossio -- with an interesting wavy pattern of cobblestones.  My mom says to add that this kind of design is characteristic of Lisbon streets.  At the time she said it looked like an earthquake which is kind of interesting since Lisbon famously had an earthquake in 1750.

Ben and Isabel in Lisbon's square, Rossio

Then we took a walk to some church ruins from that famous earthquake and saw a great view of the city from the top of a funicular.  Later on we went to a museum and looked at some paintings.

Isabel in front of Monastery de Sao Jerolamo in Belem (a fine example of Manueline architecture)

We continued on to the town of Belem where there was a monks monastery and a castle nearby and a beach. We also saw a monument to famous sailors who sailed in the discovery age. Finally we took the tram home (a type of transportation that goes on tracks). And we had dinner out on a high deck at our hotel.  We had bread with sardines and salami. For dessert we had chocolate salami! It was EXCELLENT!!   That day we went to11 shops!

Isabel at the Sea Fortress in the Tagus River, Belem Portugal