16.5.11
london: lc-a+
I arrived in London on May 4, Geoff's birthday, and spent the day wandering around on my own, basking in the sunshine. A highlight of that day was a quiet tea at the Assouline bookshop in Liberty. Just like Kate, I was immediately struck by all the well-dressed people I saw on the streets: far more topknots and flower crowns and men in button-down shirts (thank you!) than I'm used to seeing (of course, I see that regularly here in Toronto, just not in such high concentrations). I did try to note little cultural differences so that I could tell Geoff about them. Just things such as how much better dairy tastes, how ordering a coffee usually results in blurting out "latte," how jaywalking is a bit terrifying when you forget which way to look, how the English are blessed with a beautiful vocabulary even when expressing the most banal thoughts (no wonder so many of the people we met were writers). Everything was strangely familiar, though, and at times I had to remind myself that I wasn't at home. I had visited once before, but I was 17 and anxious to leave London to get to Paris. I didn't enjoy it much then -- I loved it this time, as I knew I would.
Above are pictures from Liberty, the green wall inside St Ali, where we had one of our most memorable breakfasts, the V&A, and one of the canal where we had delicious meals at Towpath. I took these with the LC-A+, which doesn't take pictures that are quite as pretty as the ones from some of my other film cameras, but which I've decided is the perfect film camera for traveling.
I'll have a few more pictures to share next week, but tomorrow we'll be frantically preparing at the last minute to head to Hamilton for Field Trip!
REPLIES
If Jane: I agree!
bferry: Thanks, Brian! It was nice to meet you too. Sunday evening was one of my favourite parts of the trip.
K.: Oh! Did you arrive pretty close to 6 o'clock? There was a lovely couple that came in to look at the photos but left before we could work up the nerve to say hello.
EvaForeva, stephanie renee, Wayside Violet: I agree! Vic did a great job.
Cat: I hope you'll enjoy it!
elle :: everything reminds me of you: Thanks so much! Always so nice to put a face and a real human being to an online friend. That video was incredible! Thank you for the link.
Hopscotch: I hope that "toast" is code for "ladybrunch!"
erica-knits: Thanks, lady! Glad you like the tote, too! Pretty pleased with that one.
amy: So sweet, thank you!
vic: Aw, girl! TAKE A BOW.
Darcy: You should! I just kind of fell into this but it was a really thrilling experience all around.
bawkbawk: Yes! I loved your photos!
Michelle: I agree 100%. I often wonder what I'm doing posting all these silly things on the internet but I've had so many great experiences because of it that I can't stop. And that's funny because I always think of your blog as one of the least pointless/narcissistic, etc. around, and I'm so happy you keep it.
Agata Melnyk: Thank you!
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Beautiful & soft photos. It looks/sounds like you had a lovely time. I miss England & my English gentleman friend. I think London would be a great place to live.
ReplyDeleteYou're pics are lovely! The Commercial Tavern! The canal! It makes me miss London, but as a visitor, not a resident.
ReplyDeleteDarling, i must disagree on you last comment... I LOVE vacation photos! I'll happily live vicariously through more of your london shots. I'd love to go back to London, even if it's momentarily through my computer :)
ReplyDeleteHaha, AB, I took out my comment about other people maybe not caring for vacation photos because I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings unintentionally!
ReplyDeletebeautiful pictures!!
ReplyDeletei love LCA!
-Lele
*lelelerele.blogspot.com
Lovely photos! I really want an LCA, especially after looking at these. It seems like you had a great time in London. Will we be able to see all of the photographs from the exhibition online? x
ReplyDeletefunny, the girl in the picture by the canal looks like it could be erin....
ReplyDeleteyour thoughts are so perfectly expressed here.
ReplyDeleteanabela, these photos are SO beautiful. i need to visit london, clearly.
ReplyDeleteLondon stole my heart. Every time I go, I discover tons of new and exciting places. Love these photos!
ReplyDeleteX
Ohhhhh, what a lovely re-cap!
ReplyDeleteGood luck and much success with the Field Trip, you busy girl! ;D
xoxo
p.s That brunch can't come soon enough, I say! ;)
Love these photos! I got my LC-A+ in NYC, so I took so many photos there and on my trip back - it was wonderful for the journey. Unfortunately mine broke, but now I'm tempted to splurge on another :p
ReplyDeletei could spend days in liberty...your trip looks so lovely!
ReplyDeleteLove the pics! Glad you enjoyed your time in London.
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful photos of London! What's that place with lots of windows and mobiles? I'm intrigued. :)
ReplyDeleteYour photos are beautiful ... I particularly like the black and white images (that may be because I seem to have a particular soft spot for B&W, as all your photos are lovely).
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you had a wonderful trip ... I'm making travel plans to go somewhere later this year, so I like hearing of other people's adventures.
:)
such lovely photos!
ReplyDeleteOoooo you went on your trip! Lovely! And doesn't the girl on the boat the 4th photo from the bottom remind you of Erin? London Erin :)
ReplyDeleteJuli from Kitka
the b&w photos are really good.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous! These make me want to go somewhere!
ReplyDeleteGreat photos! Looks like a wonderful and inspiring trip.
ReplyDeleteSad to have missed you at Field Trip. I would have waited around for you to return but I had my whole family tagging along and they were spent... as was the baby! So happy to have chatted briefly with Geoff though... what a sweet guy. Manfred loves the tie we picked up.
Hope you had a great weekend!
all these photos are just so beautiful! I love London.
ReplyDelete-Mandy
http://prettier-world.com
your photos are timeless.
ReplyDeletei've fallen in love <3
ohmygoodness, i can't believe you noticed the dairy difference too! when i was in london back in 2008 i managed to finally gain my 'freshman 15' from the yummy yoghurt they have over there. i really wish our dairy wasn't so bland!
ReplyDeleteaaaanyway. love these shots! that green wall must have been amazing in person. and that shot of kate+vic is just awesome. :)
these pictures are so lovely! it looks/sounds like you & kate had a magical time!
ReplyDeletethese are incredible, especially that one of the girl holding the flowers and traipsing through the london street... so perfect! it makes me want to go back as well.
ReplyDeleteand you're right, british dairy tastes SO much better.
As stated before, what lovely pictures! They looks as if they are from another time!
ReplyDeleteanabela, can you come travel with me and take pictures - gosh, these are lovely. I felt a bit inferior in london clothes-wise, it's just filled with uber-fashionable folk. Mind you, when I travelled a few years ago, I was a poor PhD student who had to substitute clothes for books and photocopying money in archives :)
ReplyDeletenice...you've made me miss london...
ReplyDeletegotta love the camera trifecta!
ReplyDeletewhat a beautiful time! your photographs are always so nice, really captures a mood. very nice blog!
ReplyDeleteohhh, I would love to wander around London with an LC-A :) the black and white ones are amazing
ReplyDelete