East London: Trail of the Hipsters (another Alpha-tour specialty? Omega: *cringe*, but survives so long as cider involved)

14 September 2013, part II

The rain stopped pouring. Slowly, gently, Omega, Alpha and parents set out for the day.

 Two conditions guided the day:
1. avoid transportation (ie. walking distances only)
2. 1pm: Man U v. Crystal Palace.

    With these conditions in mind, the day began with hipster lattes at Broadway Market

spot the hipster? :-) 

Regents Canal towards Angel

BAR was spotted ... BAR with Football = happy father. BAR with football + lunch = happy Omega

(To be fair = four  very happy people)

Success! Both with the game and with a delicious pub lunch!

Continued onwards along the canal to Angel/Islington

Figs in Chapel Market, window shopping around Camden Passage and ended up ...

Earl of Essex Brew Pub: ... Lilley's cider, Titanic Stout, Stone and Wood stone beer, and Hardkott Code Black ... 'when in Rome' 

And finally, a walk back along Regents Canal, to end up where the day began: Broadway Market. Turkish food. Warm, satisfying, and a moon-lit walk back to Bethnal Green.

***

people like you, people like me, people need to be free! there's a place in the sun where there is love for everyone

14 September 2013

Alpha and Omega awoke in the morn, and nestled onto the sofa with Jungle Book and thoughts of snoozing a bit more, but instead reflected on some thoughts from the past few days:

There are so many different ways to live.

Not all people are in pairs. Why not? Where is the pair? 

There are many people that live without a partner, without one person that they share a home with, a living space and life with.

Or they share for a bit. Then they don't, they split up, they move apart -- friends, lovers, families.

Why are people single?

Are they really single? They aren't really single, are they? When you live with family, or friends, even when you live alone, is that 'single'?

Why do we say, single? I don't know.

Some people choose not to be in a 'pair', other people try and it doesn't work. Some people are happy with that, some people aren't. But it's not as if there are only two options -- single or pairs -- to be an adult, or to be happy. 

Funny. We think being in a pair is the ideal.

Is it?

No. I am happy. Sometimes lonely. 

But you know, even when there is a 'pair', people still feel lonely. 

But people are then adults.

But it doesn't have to be that way -- we are adults, aren't we? We need different things for sure, but everyone needs love and friendship, communication and care. And living with flatmates, parents, family ... does not mean that you are not an adult. 

So much difference in London. 

***

"I could never love anyone as I love my sisters" (little women)

September 13, 2013

The time is flying! After a relatively good night (only two midnight episodes of Doctor Who, well, one and a quarter for Omega, while Alpha kept up to find out what happened to the Ice Warrior on the Russian submarine ...)

And then the day began: Alpha and Omega braved the rain to catch the tube at Whitechapel to head west, to South Kensington and the Natural History Museum. Their very good friend, Foxtrot, was with them for the day and after a boost of caffeine, they examined Martian meteorite samples and gold nuggets, the Medusa emerald from a Zambian mine (!), skeleton of a Dodo bird, plant samples of now extinct species (alla James Cook's expedition to Australia, 1768), and many other skeletons and fossiles ... including a piece of the moon rock ... yes, we do not settle for any less than the Vault and the Treasures!

Central hall - Natural History Museum

Following the Museum, Omega's wandering shoes led them through the pristine neighbourhoods of South Kensington and Chelsea, into the madness of Knightsbridge.

And then, some calm, some lunch, and catching up with the parents who were back in London from Liverpool ...

.

 By this time, the rain had no intention of letting up -- rain. rain. rain. rain. 100% precipitation all afternoon/evening/night according to Yahoo weather!

But we continued walking, wandered through the side streets of Soho, as Alpha tried to give some historical tidbits yet failed miserably (regressing to 'Alpha's tour of Alpha's London' ... oh my! Omega was deep into Great Big Sea at that point...), Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square, warm-up tea in the National Gallery, and then (epic fail for Alpha's planning skills) walk in the pouring to rain to dinner at Barrica (epic redemption for Alpha's skills, and thanks to the recommendation of M., via Malawi).

Barrica - memories of Spain and celebrating our being together
(while missing M., so so very much!!!!)

Dining/conversation bliss! Amidst the wine and the tapas (caramelised fig and manchego salad/grilled cod with tomato and something jelly/broccoli with walnuts and sweet butter/braised veal cheeks with pedro ximenez/manchego, basque sheep's cheese and other cheese... among others...), Omega listened, laughed, ate and drank together with Alpha, Foxtrot and parents who talked their way through politics, philosophy, teaching pedagogy, travel, religion/faith/tradition, the current state of higher education and academia, publishing, learning/teaching history ... and of course, how to affect change in the world?? ... and ultimately, the question of the question (ah! the beauty of these conversations with good warming red wine and deliciously prepared food after a day of walking) Dry and contented, we left into the dark rain filled to the brim with feeling so fortunate at sharing such an evening together, to relax, to celebrate and enjoy ...

 

In the 100% rain, Omega, Alpha and parents were taxied home, where conversations (always mixed with hilarious laughter and plenty of teasing!) of faith, future, living in London, family and life, continued in the warmth of the flat -- joined by friend and flatmate, Lima. 

Omega was soon sound asleep in warm blankets, thankfully not too disturbed by the constant rumbling of London trains and traffic.

In honour of the 'plans' to end up in Barcelona to walk and walk and eat and be together 

WITHOUT so much rain!:

and I would walk 500 more ...

... and Omega and Alpha did walk. and walk. and walk.

But with plenty of breaks and stops throughout the day:

at home preparing - seemed the rain clouds were here to stay... 

There was a morning fresh juice at Broadway Market to start us off, then Regent's Canal tow-path to take us to Angel.

At Angel, there was a calming visit with our dear friend, India, than Omega and Alpha set off again for Camden ... 

between Regents canal and Camden link

Late lunch in a Camden pub, where the kitchen was re-opened especially for Omega (she charmed them with her ... ahem ... protests against being told the kitchen was closed. Alpha was not in her good books at that moment ...). Settled into a sunlit corner, Alpha read out loud from the 'Walks of London' (read about Old Kensington village and Soho pubs) as Omega enjoyed some cider and waited for her posh-gastro pub burger!

Then, onwards!

Regent's Park

 The sun came out from behind the clouds!!

But all this walking did mean that, unlike what Alpha had promised the day before, Omega was for a second unhappy time, in the midst of 6pm Central London traffic, aching to be home ... 

There was calm, until around the corner...
Oxford St. chaos!!

Thank goodness for emergency funds -- after a few failed attempts at being on a bus (tooooo crowded and noisy! phew!!) A very friendly black cab delivered us to our doorstep :-)



Omega and Alpha have been sharing thoughts about a few things. Stay tuned for some more serious reflections soon ... But in the meantime:

and I was so much older then, when I was young

Time flies. Or at least it passes with us through moves, seasons, transitions of people coming and going into our lives. A little older, a little lonelier but a little more settled, we are in September of 2013.

We began this blog in 2011, when Omega first visited the Mowlem St. flat where Alpha and M., had made their London home.

Malawi - M.,'s African skies

These days, M., continues to work under African skies in Malawi. In spite of Alpha's multiple permutations of London homes, there is nevertheless a home for Omega's wandering shoes to settle, for a few precious holiday days ...

And so the London discoveries continue!

Omega arriving at Alpha's London flat

The first day in London, a plane trip and cab ride and Omega was at Euston station, where Alpha picked up the weary traveller and they set off for East London ... walking, watching, wondering at the world passing by.

By 20:30, Omega was fast asleep and awoke 13 hours later to begin the next London day:

Omega and Alpha chose people watching and walking over museums and galleries, and set off on Regent's canal tow-path ... 

Cappuccino at the Narrowboat Pub, 

a wander through Angel, 

a bus south to Soho/Covent Garden

Lunch at Wahaca

The weather was typically London, but that did not stop these wanderers -- Soho, Carnaby Street, Regent's St., Oxford St., Bond St., Mayfair, Picadilly, Westminster, Victoria Embankment, Blackfriars -- Omega and Alpha took these in their stride, Omega armed with smiles and laughter at the opulence, gazing a glitzy galleries, glittered with glamourous fashion houses, architecture emitting the cool pretense of colonial nostalgia 

Hours of walking and people watching led to a sleepy, looooong bus ride through traffic, back to Bethnal Green where a hot bath, Hertfordshire cider and cosy clothes where waiting. Omega and Alpha were joined by a lovely visit from Sierra. And dinner, was complete with a Mary Poppins screening to ease the jet lag ... and slllleeeepppp ....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdPV4yO7LKQ

love and joy come to you!

Christmas-time, Solstice-time, the holiday season of snow and fireplaces and fir trees

and spice... and the three sisters return to celebrate together

in Canada... WITH SNOW!!!!!

ah yes, few holidays would be complete without Hollywood, and our evenings so far have been welcome events of Muppet Christmas Carol; It's a Wonderful Life ... and a
perfect night-time snowfall:

'And I sing a borderless country I sing the sea, the earth, my fado'

A weekend in November, Alpha stole away from the hectic hum of London to meet a sun-kissed, sea-weathered Senegalese traveller in on an early Lisbon morn... such is the stuff of stories, and yet somehow, it become our weekend! 

Our 'second lunch' at a classic grill restaurant
Vino verdo, qeijo, bacalaou, grilled steak...

on hike up to the Moorish castle in Sintra, Portugal

at the Quinta da Regaleria, Sintra... fantastic exploring
through caves and underground waterways....!

port of Lisbon... visited after port drinking
and purchasing

Fantastic free walking tour of Lisbon

Lisbon, a still undiscovered city that gave us an 'in-between' space before braving the London-grey... and yet, not so 'grey'!!

catch up sister-date, not without nostalgia for
Central America, dinner

not-so-grey day walk to Tate Modern

and even a wonderful evening at Sadler Wells, an incredible
performance of Paco Pena, a fusion of flamenco and West
African dance told through a story of migration