London

To London!

 

Benny boy

The classic trademarks - 

 

The markets, oh how I loved them.

Betcha can't guess this beauty?

A play was a must while in London so we treated our "student" selves to none other than...

You bet!

Love. Love. Loved.

 Buckingham Palace

 HYDE PARK

Bird Woman Kacey

Crumpets and Tea at Vanessa's!

In London we stayed with sweet Vanessa and her children. I've mentioned so many times how the people I've met along this journey are the ones that have made it possible and taught me about the kind of life I'd like to live. Vanessa and her family are prime example. They were beyond generous to give up their own bed & bedroom to house 3 travelers for 3 nights, unbelievably kind family. Thank you, thank you, thank you, you'll forever hold a spot in my heart. Lots of love!!!

Portobello Road 

(Never-ending market street featuring antiques/food/music/etc)

 

And finally one of my all time favorites of the trip, the

Tate Museum of Modern Art

This museum was unlike anything I've seen with so many varying forms of modern art within it's walls. One favorite, Light Music, by Lis Rhodes, was SO entertaining. Basically I got to play between two flashing lights that projected onto opposite walls creating all the viewers' shadows. Talk about live version of hand-shadow pac-man or sweet body contortions of statue poses. I could've been entertained for hours...

Check out the link to see more!

http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern-tanks/display/lis-rhodes-light-music

A second favorite was a movement piece conducted by about 30 volunteers.

Yes, I'm going to copy and paste this description but only because - well I'm lazy. Here's a good summation.

 Tate Modern has unveiled the first live commission in The Unilever Series - These associations, created by Anglo-German artist Tino Sehgal. Tino Sehgal has risen to prominence for his innovative works which consist purely of live encounters between people, including work at the 2005 Venice Biennale and solo shows at the Guggenheim and London’s ICA. Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall is inhabited by an assembly of participants whose choreographed actions use movement, sound, and conversation. The Turbine Hall is occupied by the physical and vocal energy of the participants and visitors. 

Basically there was this big open room that seemed like it was just a transition room between different wings of the building BUT if you stuck around long enough to notice what was going on around, you noticed a little something extra. About 30 or so people were involved in a synchronized piece in which the moves changed at least every 10 minutes or so. The group went from walking extremely abnormally slow in one big mass from one end of the football field-sized room, then to walking in a circle, then to power walking from end to end etc. Throughout the minutes, occasional single persons would break off from the group and begin a story-telling to a group of viewers. We experienced this when a woman walked over and just began talking in what seemed like conversational form but she didn't really leave room for actual conversation. She told a story that displayed a time when she felt like she was the black sheep of the group (Without actually spelling it out so clearly). The viewers were the black sheep of the group in this exhibit, unaware of the exactly purpose and meaning of what the people were doing.