There and Back Again

So… this post is a little late, as I forgot to post it. Mind its tongue-in-cheek demeanour.

While we partied in town on some nights it was also nice to chill out and not be in a rush to get to another destination right away. It’s hard to say very much about London since so many people(much more important than I) have already said a lot about it. Of course here’s my view of London. But I guess here’s mine, and on my visit I have learnt many things.

Realisation number one; when in London… one has very little time to blog.

Number two; If you love museums and history, you love London. London has a lot of museums. A lot. We went to the British Museum and the sheer magnitude of both the buildings and their collection was incredible. The other thing is that there is a museum for almost anything, from Natural history to science. You could honestly spend a year museum hopping.

Number three; the great English influences in Australia. But I guess that makes sense. When you come to Britain I think you really understand how much influence Australia received as a colony. From little things like how roads are put together to some of the demeanour of people. It was surreal to see the parts of Oz that had been nicked from this place. Although in general aussies are far more laid back than Londoners, many possess a spark for nonsense as is perhaps reflected in the writings of my favourite English author.

Number four; the English are suicidal. When it comes to crossing the road they really don’t care. It’s a run for it free for all, and although I’ve never seen the chaotic streets of India— people rushing to work weaving amongst double-decker busses seems a little absurd. To think that I just left some German towns that see jaywalking as one of the worst sins you could possibly commit. Absurd.

Number five; once upon a time this place was the centre of the world, at least in theory. Everything from Prime Meridian to the cultures of the world seem to intersect at London. That’s no lie either. The cultures of Europe and beyond have decided that London seems to be an amicable meeting point and their artefacts have been placed in museums. I was told that in some emergency wards they need far more translators than actual doctors. On an almost gloriously fine day I sped towards Greenwich on a Thames ferry to see the Royal Observatory and stand at 0 degrees longitude.

Number six; it always rains in London. Yes the weather in London is rainy… and it showed. During the two weeks I think I only managed to see 2 days of sunshine. The umbrella could pretty much be on the coat of arms.

Number seven; I love Camden. I think my favourite part of London was Camden. Everything from the street markets to the night life was fun, getting to see young new bands trying to make a mark on one of the most famous cities on the planet and I’m pretty sure you could buy any novelty t-shirt that has ever been made on the planet. The punk, the eccentricities… all awesome.

Number eight; big brother lives here. I heard about London being the most surveillance place on the planet but I don’t think it really hit me until spending a little bit more time there. There are cameras every. When I mean everywhere— I mean everywhere… even the bathrooms (excluding the cubicles that I know of). But its not only the fact that I felt I was being watched all the time.. Riding the tube everyday I really began to think I stepped into Huxley’s Brave New World. For some reason Even all the machinery the public interacts with seems to tell you what to do. Not to obstruct lift doors, to reminding you that everything is running on time… if you’re writing a science-fiction piece you have to come to London.

Number nine; the theatre in London is amazing. I also managed to grab a seat at the Apollo Victoria for a performance of Wicked with Caitlin. ZOMG! — Absotively amazing. I still can’t believe that all this can happen in one city while we scrounge of limited acting jobs in Oz.

Number ten; you must always come back to London. While it has its quirks, London is simply too big to only see once. And like all the big capitals of the world it changes incessantly throughout time.

Travels aside it was very sad to have to say good-bye to my London friends. So long Cat and Glen— till next time.I just hope that Avie doesn’t get mad at me because of my failed kidnap attempt. So for now its back to Paris for a stopover then Germany and finally Vienna.  

London

I woke up and suddenly I was hurtling towards London across the English country-side. The watch went back an hour and before I knew it we were navigating the tunnels of the tube and I suddenly realised why this place inspired works such as Brave New World.

The first thing that struck me about London is that it all seems so surreal. Old style buildings are seamlessly eclipsed by modern road traffic, nevertheless the same English rainy weather seems to be persistent through time and all representations of the country.

I was relieved when I reached the streets and discovered that everything was in English. The first time on the trip I’m actually in a place where English is the first official language of the country. 

I lost the girl’s in Hamley’s toyshop round Oxford Circus while they shopped for Harry Potter merchandise. Turned around and there was my long missed globetrotting friends Caitlin and Glen XD 

Hot chocolate, coffee, lunch and beers later I was happy that nothing had changed. Glen still finds things, and Caitlin is as colourful as she’s always been. I even got to see a little bit of Surry on the outskirts of London or perhaps what you would call suburbia. The buildings are stuck to each other and all very similar, while the distance breaths sights of green hills.

However what is most ludicrous here is what hits the thespian in me deep in the heart. Reaching West End you realise how big a thing theatre is here. Discount booths on every corner trying to sell you theatre tickets as the well oiled machine that is West End churns out sell-out after sell-out. To think that actors don’t even get Equity back in Australia.

Naturally, we booked tickets to see Chicago. The girls are leaving back for Oz soon so time to figure out what to do in London over the next week! 

3…2…1 ! … Happy New Year?

Gathered right on the middle of the Champs Elysees with people swarming on every side and filling it end to end, the champagne having already gone right through me, the entire crowd hovered on the edge of jittering excitement as the clock swung to 11:59pm and we bid 2010 Adieu. Then suddenly…
nothing.

No official count down, no fireworks… and the disjointed utterance of ‘Happy New Year’ in French and various other languages. The crowds yell abit, walk around aimlessly and within  15 minutes start to disperse through the metro system incapable of digesting the masses.

Unfortunately when you come from Sydney you simply have to realise that when it comes to New Years Eve you are, by very nature, absolutely spoiled rotten… and although I think the story may have been a little bit different if we had chosen the base of the Eiffel Tower instead… the sore fact remains that no city goes as nuts over New Years as Sydney does.

Nevertheless, recovery from the turn of the New Year asside, the 1st of January brought some wonders of its own. Walking through the Montemartre district we brushed through the locations captured in my favourite ever french film Amelie without even knowing it. Visiting Basilica of the Sacré Cœur , we descended the side streets to pop into a Piano bar where we received delicious Hot chocolate and crepes while the pianist casually impro-ed jazz while flicking through the daily newspaper. Kill me now and let this be my heaven.

Passing the Moulin Rouge for a couple of happy  snaps, we escaped back to our hotel for wine, bread and cheese.

Perhaps the New Year will show that even having to take a somewhat apprehensive side track at first can lead to something wonderfully unexpected.

Bonjour Paris

Somewhere …past the cascading landscape of the country side,

approaching the ever present noise of screaming metro trains that spring, ding, fart and jiggle and are forever poised in the never ending soundscape of buskers and bands echoing down the tunnels, while opera singers and puppet performers spring into action between stations…

Somewhere… where the streets bustle with activity only ducking in to tantelise the tastes and aromas of coffee, crepes, hot chocolate, pastries and liquors of every flavour, seducing you from flavour before beconing you towards fashion and blinding you with the beauty of the old boulevards and buildings…

Somewhere… where every conversation becomes a song with its language and its people need to credit nothing else for their vigilance, liberation and (of course) passion for love.

Somewhere here we had gotten lost….
and realised we had arrived in Paris.

We managed to successfully rendezvous with our wonderful lovely Claire and enjoyed our first two days following the Sane down to Notre Dame Cathedral. Crepes, hot chocolate and weaving in and out of cafes where on the menu amongst alot of walking. By this time the snow had melted even though the weather had been somewhat overcast but we nevertheless succeeded in enjoying the very fact that French was being uttered all around us.

By day two a trip down the Champs Elysees was a must and we had to take a few happy snaps from the top of the world famous Arc de Triomphe . Many stairs later we proved that sometimes travels don’t go to plan as we were greeted by the sight of a decapitated Eiffel Tower— on account of the cloudy/foggy weather. Nevertheless, we looked out on the vast stretches of Paris that made us quite small.

The thing you quickly realise is that the Parisians hate tourists for an exceptionally good reason. I think even I started to become annoyed at them and I was adding to the problem. The picture taking is incessant, the queues reach the horizon, and sometimes you honestly wonder if there’s any room for French people at all at some of the tourist hot spots. That of course wouldn’t stop us, until of course on a beautiful day like today—sunny and all— we reach the pièce de résistance of tourist destinations (perhaps not for the French though) — the Eiffel Tower itself!

and… the summit is closed due to congestion. Hmm—- no matter, there’s always next year I guess. Speaking of which its also going to be packed! But who cares if you’re attending the biggest party of the year in Paris :-P

Our ventures led us to the Louvre. There’s not that much to say when it comes to describing the Louvre. It’s lavish… and it’s huge. Housing the Mona Lisa herself, our feet were crippled trying to make it through merely the classic paintings yet alone having a proper look at Egyptian antiquities, Greek and Roman sculptures along with what was surely the repository of the rest of Europe’s artifacts and the entire story of the Da Vinci Code.

So we reclined to our Chocolat Chaud, and returned to our hotel just to figure out for a moment… when you’re in Paris just before New Years Eve…where should you buy the perfect bottle of Champagne? :-P

Sooo greetings for all of you from a land far overseas ;-) 2011 is fast approaching and I hope you all have an epic New Year.