Thursday 2 July 2009

Tate Modern and South Bank mooching

Yesterday Mas had to meet a friend at lunchtime, so Toby and I went on a walkabout in Edgware, spending time looking at the books at the Two Jays bookshop. Toby began to try to sort out my computer, and later Mas made a really nice dinner before Toby went out to meet his pals (aka The Rabbits). Mas and I relaxed at home.

Today, after breakfast Toby and I took the train down to Embankment, and walked along, then over the Thames, to the South Bank.
















































The weather was terribly hot, so it was nice walking under these spotty trees, and then to the coolest place in London, under the bridge, looking at second hand books with a breeze coming off the Thames.
























































Children were bathing in the fountain, and some fully clothed adults too!














We had lunch at Gabriel's Wharf, and I can't remember when water last tasted so good. The windows above the shops are all tromp l'oeil; painted on, but not real.














We went into the Tate Modern and looked at some of the art. We walked into one room where there appeared to be tables strewn with junk, including old tyres; like the inside of an untidy shed or garage. What was surprising was that these very life like things had all been carefully made out of polystyrene (styrofoam), and painted. It took them 8 years to complete, I privately wondered why they would bother to make them, but I guess it was because they could!
Before we left we had a coffee in their cafe, then walked across the Thames and wended our way home again.

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