A Fun Day at the V&A (…And Natural History Museum)

A Fun Day at the V&A (…And Natural History Museum)

by ericmistry ♥ 3 Comments

Today was a massive museum day!

 

I started with the Victoria and Albert Museum. It is such a vast, amazing space filled with countless treasures. I explored various rooms for a few hours, marveling at all of the incredible handiwork. It always astounds me to realize how much incredible stuff was made before the advent of modern technologies like computers or even electricity. I just see so much potential in the human race by looking at our past and seeing the marvels we could make in the old past, and dreaming of the incredible, unimaginably awesome things the future will hold.

 

After the V&A, I traveled to the nearby Natural History Museum. Its imposing exterior is matched by the majestic interior, filled to the brim with scientific treasures. I went through a special exhibit on the museum's most valuable acquisitions (including a Neanderthal skull and a first edition of On The Origin of the Species), an exhibit on evolution, and the museum's giant collection of minerals. The collection was housed in a massive hall lined with rows on rows of display cases. It was a geology enthusiast's dream, and totally ROCKED! (Okay… awful pun, I apologize.)

 

After all of the museum walking, I was hungry, so I swung into Chinatown to grab a cheap Baozi (steam bun), then headed off to the gym. After the gym, I made a supper that used up almost the last of our food stocks! The end is near! All in all, a good day!

 

 

Buddha From the V&A

Another Buddha

…And Yet Another Buddha.

 

Exquisite Arabian Carpet

 

Bronze Statue

 

Ivory Framed in Wood

V&A Courtyard

 

Entrance to the Natural History Museum

 

Darwin

FIRST EDITION!!!

 

Gibbon

The Rock Hall

 

Malachite

 

 

Topaz (Mom's Favorite)

 

Agate

 

Magnificent Opals!

 

Bricklane & Family Dinner

Bricklane & Family Dinner

by ericmistry ♥ 2 Comments

Today was quite a fun day! I enjoyed going to my final Sunday market at Bricklane, and also got to have my cousin and her friends over to my flat for supper.

I began the day at Bricklane, browsing the stands and enjoying lots of delicious food! My favorite treat of the day was a s'mores whooping pie from a bakery stand. It was amazing. The cake was perfect and dipped in dark chocolate, with a tasty toasted marshmallow center. YUM!

Treats!

 

Classic London

After eating a bunch, I made my way to the gym, enjoyed a good workout, hit up the grocery store, and set about making a dinner! I made a caprese salad and a pasta with roasted chorizo and tomatoes in a creamy tomato pesto sauce. It had to be good, because we were having guests tonight!

My cousin Alyssa came over for supper with her boyfriend, Toony Goghavala, and her friend, Maya Tata. It was wonderful. We enjoyed a great dinner and conversation together, as well as the wonderful wine and great little cookies that Alyssa baked for us. (Let's put it this way… That pastry education is WORKING! They were gone in mere minutes!) All in all, a good day, and a great FINAL Sunday.

 

The Whole Group

 

Our Guests and Me

 

Cousins!

 

Alyssa and Maya

Toony and Alyssa

 

Successful Saturday!

Successful Saturday!

by ericmistry ♥ 1 Comment

Today was quite a busy day! The big highlights? I went to the Design Museum and also saw a play today.

I began my day by traveling to the Design Museum. It is a really cool building based in a converted warehouse. The main exhibitions of the day were an awesome jewelry design exhibit, and another level that contained a plethora of installations involving crystal and lights. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the descriptions and just examining the beautiful and well-designed objects.

After the museum, I ventured via tube to the Tricycle Theatre to see an adaptation of The Arabian Nights. It was a very interesting and creative adaptation of the classic tale of Scheherazade and the 1001 nights of stories. It was beautiful to watch, and ran the gamut of emotions, from funny to sad to nostalgic. All in all, a wonderful play.

The rest of my day involved an extremely long workout at the gym and then enjoying an evening of hanging out with my fellow Grinnellians. In the end, it was a superb way to spend my last Saturday in London! Pictures below!

 

Jewelry!

Awesome Projector Lamp/Kaleidoscope

Thousands of Crystals

 

Detail

Creative Crystals

 

Awesome Embroidered Poster

 

The Best Fish and Chips in London

The Best Fish and Chips in London

by ericmistry ♥ 2 Comments

The contest is over. Today's combatant blew away the rest of the field. The best overall fish and chips experience in London (by my criteria) is Poppies, an establishment just off of Bricklane. I visited Poppies for lunch today as a study break from writing my paper. Definitely a great decision.

Let's break down the criteria.

1. The Fish: Perfectly fried, brought hot and fresh to the table. Crispy but light breading covers a massive hunk of beautifully white cod. The fish was flaky, and utterly delicious. Also, the homemade tartar sauce was perfect.

2. The Chips: The best traditional chips in London. (Exmouth Arms was a close contender, but Poppies keeps it closer to the traditional steak-cut fry, giving it the edge it needed.) Crisp on the outside, and totally fresh, these fries were a great complement to the fish. They tasted good without vinegar and salt and absolutely phenomenal with the classic two toppers.

3. Mushy peas: Poppies advertised its mushy peas as “homemade.” They certainly taste like it, and it makes a huge difference! The sweet, fresh peas complemented the heaviness of the fried fish and chips nicely. Best mushy peas in London.

4. The atmosphere/overall experience: Poppies is an old-fashioned chippy, and it shows in the best possible way. From the waitstaff wearing 50s era white short sleeve button-ups with a black tie to serving the takeaway fish and chips in newspaper, Poppies captures a lost era. Huge lines and friendly staff, coupled with a cohesively fantastic and classic fish and chips meal, make this one London experience you absolutely cannot miss.

 

It's been an amazing adventure trying the various fish and chips restaurants all around town. Each one had its own twists on the classic meal, so my favorite fish and chips may not be your choice. Either way, with a good batch of fish and chips, everyone's a winner!

 

In any case, even though Poppies won, many restaurants deserve acclaim for a delectable meal as well. I can highly recommend any of the following fish and chips restaurants in London.

1. The Golden Hind

2. The Fryer's Delight

3. Fish!Kitchen

4. Exmouth Arms

 

Check out the winner below:

 

Poppies' Fish and Chips

 

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

by ericmistry ♥ 3 Comments

As the days left in London shrink rapidly, I've been finishing off a few “must-see” sights and events around London. Today, I visited the Hyde Park Winter Wonderland.

 

It was a beautiful evening outside, and after walking down a dark park path for a few minutes, my eyes and ears were met with the sights and sounds of a full-blown festival! The whole section of Hyde Park was filled with festive wooden booths selling food and holiday gifts, as well as full selection of carnival rides and games. It was fun to walk around and see all of the sights and people enjoying themselves. I enjoyed a delicious pork sandwich with stuffing and walked around the whole park. It made me even more excited that I get to be home for the holidays. It's just around the corner! Pictures below!

 

 

Long Exposure of the Ferris Wheel

 

The Tower Of London!

The Tower Of London!

by ericmistry ♥ 3 Comments

Today, I visited the Tower of London. It was magnificent: I explored the history of the tower, saw the Crown Jewels, and snagged some amazing shots of tower bridge!

I began my day with a wonderfully long workout at the YMCA, and then came home, had brunch, and went off to the Tower with my friend and classmate, Deb Tillman. We adventured around the tower complex with our guide named Barney, saw the Crown Jewels, and walked the the tower ramparts. It was awesome. I was amazed by the vast amount of history and historical figures attached to the tower. I also enjoyed taking a bunch of pictures of the Tower Bridge. Check them out below.

Also, amazingly, I have fewer than ten days left in London. It's been an incredible journey, but I'm really excited for home. I feel like I have seen and done so much over this abroad experience. It is exciting to see what I can fit int the next few days, but I feel content with all I have accomplished thus far.

 

Pictures below, per usual! (Enjoy the pictures of Tower Bridge at various times of the day!)

 

 

 

Our Guide, Yeoman Barney

 

 

 

 

 

Wicked!

Wicked!

by ericmistry ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Tonight, I went to a performance of Wicked.

It was absolutely phenomenal! I was really excited yesterday after I managed to snag a ticket for a really good price from the Leicester Square. I had seen Wicked before in Des Moines, so I was excited to see how it differed in London.

There wasn't much of a difference in the show set-up, which I think is pretty standardized, but the venue was incredible. From the moment I stepped into the theatre, I felt like I was in a different place. Everywhere shimmered with emerald light, and all of the facilities had been Oz-ified. The Art Deco style of the building just added to the effect. I felt like I was immersed in Oz.

The show was amazing, with a very talented cast. It was fun to hear a few tweaks (school was referred to as “Uni”) that made it uniquely British. As always, the story and its unique twist on the world of the Wizard was… Wonderful.

Outside the Venue

 

Just Before the Entrance

 

Poster Inside

 

The Set

The Emerald Bar

 

Big Ben Strikes Again!

Big Ben Strikes Again!

by ericmistry ♥ 3 Comments

Today was a very photo-tastic day!

I ventured over to Trafalgar Square today, hoping for some pictures of the square and of Nelson's column before I visited the National Gallery to see the paintings. However, as soon as I got to Trafalgar Square, I could see the beautiful light illuminating Big Ben and Parliament and knew I had to get some pictures. I hurried down Whitehall towards them and got to the area near Westminster as the clock struck three.

The light was absolutely perfect and I managed to snag some phenomenal shots. Check them out below. After the photoshoot, I headed back to the National Gallery and got to see some amazing paintings by Van Gogh, Monet, and more! Post-art-viewing, I headed to Leicester Square to check out the discount tickets for shows. I lucked out and managed to snag a seat for Wicked at an awesome price. After that, I hit the gym for a massive workout and then went to the grocery. All in all, a good day!

 

Nelson's Column

 

Down Whitehall

 

 

Big Ben

Parliament

Ben and Skies

Sepia-Toned

London Icons

I See the Eye

Perfect Light

The National Gallery

 

Big Ben Strikes Again!

Big Ben Strikes Again!

by ericmistry ♥ 1 Comment

Today was a very photo-tastic day!

I ventured over to Trafalgar Square today, hoping for some pictures of the square and of Nelson's column before I visited the National Gallery to see the paintings. However, as soon as I got to Trafalgar Square, I could see the beautiful light illuminating Big Ben and Parliament and knew I had to get some pictures. I hurried down Whitehall towards them and got to the area near Westminster as the clock struck three.

The light was absolutely perfect and I managed to snag some phenomenal shots. Check them out below. After the photoshoot, I headed back to the National Gallery and got to see some amazing paintings by Van Gogh, Monet, and more! Post-art-viewing, I headed to Leicester Square to check out the discount tickets for shows. I lucked out and managed to snag a seat for Wicked at an awesome price. After that, I hit the gym for a massive workout and then went to the grocery. All in all, a good day!

 

Nelson's Column

 

Down Whitehall

 

 

Big Ben

Parliament

Ben and Skies

Sepia-Toned

London Icons

I See the Eye

Perfect Light

The National Gallery

 

Hello Harrods!

Hello Harrods!

by ericmistry ♥ 1 Comment

Today, I adventured around Harrods, London's famous department store.

It was impressive and slightly insane. Four floors of shopping, filled with luxury items in every category. I began at the bottom, starting at the food hall, which was really cool. I saw all sorts of amazing food items and the quality was amazing, particularly for the chocolate craftsmanship. Although it was outside my price range, it was still really enjoyable to see what amazing food a large budget can create. I ventured through the various floors, flitting between being astounded by products and then being astounded by their prices. (This was particularly prevalent in the watches department. They were beautiful masterpieces, but I also saw one that cost £38,785.)

The crowds were also massive, as this is one of the last Sundays before the holidays. I had to sometimes just ride the flow of the crowd to get from room to room. It was a fun way to spend part of the day, and an amazing store to just enjoy the people-watching in. All in all, a good day.

All Lit Up

 

Harry Potter Wands!

Underwater Sea Scooter. Not Even Joking.