Tag: London

Liverpool Day 2 Part II: Beatlemania!

Liverpool Day 2 Part II: Beatlemania!

by ericmistry ♥ 1 Comment

After all of the morning activities were finished, I finally got to visit the Beatles Museum!

 

For those who don't know, I'm a bit of a Beatles fanatic, so this was pretty much a dream come true. I was already excited because we were in Liverpool for the 50th anniversary of the release of The Beatles' debut single, Love Me Do. I knew we were on the right track when we saw a Beatles cover band playing one of my favorite songs, I Feel Fine, in a packed courtyard. We proceeded along the path and waited for about twenty minutes to get into the museum. (The wait wasn't bad though! With a steady background of Beatles hits in the background, and with an ecstatic anticipation of getting to see early Beatles artifacts, I was doing awesome.)

Once we were finally in, we walked through the entire museum. It was set up in chronological order, so it felt like we were dropped into a different scene in the band's lifetime with each room. My favorite section was the reconstruction of The Cavern, the club where the Beatles got their start and played at 292 times over their careers. It felt almost sacred, and the collection of iconic instruments on stage were practically treated as relics.

The museum also showed a good deal of insight into the individual members psyches and growth over the years. A wall of quotes showed the range of depth of thought the Beatles gave the world; there were snarky jests, but also deeply insightful philosophies on life and love.

 

A few pieces made me stop and be filled instantly with emotion, and they were both pieces related to the late John Lennon. The first was a pair of his iconic round-rimmed glasses, laid simply and timelessly on piece of dark blue cloth. The second was a recreation of the White Room from his apartment shared with Yoko, complete with the white piano from Imagine. The lyrics to Imagine were inscribed on the wall, and seemed to speak through time to everyone who visited… “I hope someday you join us/ And the world will be as one.”

 

So, enjoy these pictures and video… With Love from Me to You!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the Yellow Submarine

 

 

Quarry Bank Mill

Quarry Bank Mill

by ericmistry ♥ 4 Comments

Today, en route to Liverpool, we stopped into the Quarry Bank Mill. This is a mill that has been standing since the early Industrial Revolution. It specialized in textile production, and had facilities to turn cotton into thread and thread into cloth!

 

We toured the Mill, examining all the various machines. It was so awe-inspiring to see these machines in action. These machines were hundreds of years old and still worked well. As a Technology Studies Concentrator with a History Major, I was pretty much in paradise. These same machines represented so much major progress for the human race! They transformed the way thread and cloth were created and shaped Britain's history. Enjoy the few pictures and video below!

 

 

 

 

 

Fish and Chips at The Fryer’s Delight

Fish and Chips at The Fryer’s Delight

by ericmistry ♥ 2 Comments

Yet another contender has emerged for the crown for London's best fish and chips!

Today, to celebrate Sara's last day here, we went out to the Fryer's Delight. It's a hole-in-the-wall little restaurant that I pass on the bus every day on the way to school. I've been dying to try it. Something about it just screamed authentic, awesome fish and chips. A little research yielded that this little restaurant is a local favorite and often a contender on best fish and chips lists. Needless to say, I was excited to try it!

 

We arrived right as the Fryer's Delight was opening. As soon as we placed our order, we heard the splash and sizzle that meant our fish and chips were being fried. A few minutes later, a plate of hot-from-the-fryer fish and chips were sitting in front of us. I opted to add some mushy peas on the side, as well as some tartar sauce. After thoroughly dousing the fish with malt vinegar and a slight sprinkling of salt, I dug in!

 

The fish was out of this world. The breading was wonderfully crisp and held a deep crunch with a simultaneous light crispness. The fish itself was stark white and flaky. Chips were crisp and seemed extremely fresh, without extra seasoning. Mushy peas were standard, but quite a perfect accompanying dish to the meal.

Overall, the meal was a total delight. The small “hidden-treasure” find was an awesome feeling. The overall fish and chips experience felt perfect and super-local. However, the superb mushy peas and even better fish of the Golden Hind still keep it as the leader of the pack. Stay tuned for more fish and chips adventures!

 

 

 

Touring South Kensington

Touring South Kensington

by ericmistry ♥ 2 Comments

Today, for my History of London class, we toured the area surrounding South Kensington and the Royal Albert Memorial. It was a beautiful day, and the area is filled with amazing museums and fun architecture. We had just studied the Great Exhibition of 1851, so seeing the area that evolved from that space was really incredible. I really enjoyed getting a closer look at the Memorial and we had an interesting conversation about its meaning and about the legacies of Prince Albert.

 

After class, a few of us meandered through some sections of the Natural History Museum. It is an amazing museum filled with incredible exhibits. I loved getting a close look at the rock formation exhibits and some extinct preserved creatures. The visit was too short to see everything, so I will definitely be returning soon!

 

I spent the rest of the day doing readings, cleaning, and general homework. This monotony was broken by a nice long run to the grocery store for dinner supplies and a relaxing bus ride home. I also finished addressing some postcards and sent them off today! More will be written this weekend, as I am riding a bus for five hours to visit Liverpool!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Food

On Food

by ericmistry ♥ 1 Comment

Food is, as should be evident, one of my chief passions in life. I love exploring different flavors and experimenting with common meals or ingredients to create something totally new. Food is an outlandishly fun medium to work with, as it allows immense freedom and expression, yet time constrains its beauty to such a short period. Thrust into England, a new culinary adventure, I have been exploring two amazing paths, restaurant exploration and home cooking. The first will be addressed at a later point (or search for the Fish and Chips Quest in the sidebar), but doing large amounts of cooking was a new experience for me. At home, usually I am either in my beloved Dining Hall, being spoiled by my parents' or grandparents' cooking, or cooking solely for myself.

 

Here, however, I am the Head Chef of our flat. (My flatmates and I worked out a mutually-beneficial deal: I cook the meals, they do the dishes that ensue.) Learning to cook for four people (and the occasional guest) each night has been a great deal of fun. Although our tools are limited, we have an amazing selection of ingredients between the various open-air markets and a large Sainsburys (grocery store) fairly nearby.

 

We take turns doing the shopping, or go in a large group together, but its always an adventure. One thing we noticed quickly was the lack of preservatives, especially in the produce. This means we have to shop close to daily for some produce, but it does mean we are eating amazingly fresh food all the time. I love doing the shopping, seeing all the fresh and varied food all around, and finding new inspiration for dishes. For example, this week, a major promotion dropped the price of Brie and Spanish chorizo a ton, so we picked up some to add to our garlic basil pesto Mac and Cheese. It was a delicious success, as the picture below may show.

 

I've also found it enjoyable to start writing out weekly menus. It helps us ensure variety and also buy just what we need to avoid wasting food. It also brings back memories of the Dining Hall, and my favorite study break of looking up the week's menu to see what foods I would be able to combine. This is one of our menus from a week ago:

Weekly Menu:

Monday: extra cheesy spinach, pesto, and chicken Mac with sliced oranges, strawberries, and avocado

Tuesday: oven pesto chicken spinach sandwiches with pasta salad(?)

Wednesday: Oven baked Parmesan chicken breast with pilaf and caprese salad (tomato, Mozzerella slices, fresh basil) and fresh bread

Thursday: Pizza! (Sausage with assorted veggies), bruschetta (as appetizer), classy cocktails (vodka sunrise- vodka, orange juice, cranberry juice)

Friday: Fried rice with large fried shrimp

 

Cooking is simultaneously exhilarating and relaxing for me. Though the sizzle of the oil and the ending rush to make sure everything is ready at the same time raise the excitement level, there is something so rhythmic and soothing about the various routines that surround my cooking; the reassuring thunk of the knife on the cutting board, the gentle murmuring of the boiling water on the stove, and the swirls of the soup as I stir put me in a relaxed state of mind. The routine clears away my day, and the meal nourishes my tired body. I'm not just learning to cook on this adventure, I'm learning about myself, and what simple things, like cooking, hold great significance in my life.

At the Store, Buying Chorizo

Buying Italian Cheese from a Market Vendor

 

Making Pizzas (P-I-Z-Z-A!)

 

Making the Mac

 

The Fabled Garlic Basil Pesto Spinach Mac & Cheese with Spanish Chorizo, Fresh Mozzarella, and French Brie

 

Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey

by ericmistry ♥ 1 Comment

Today, for my Cultures of Empire Class, we visited Westminster Abbey. It was an amazing experience. The architecture is so grand and impressive, and I spent a great deal of time in awe that this building was built without modern technology. The soaring ceilings and unbelievable stained glass were out of this world.

We went all around the building, touring the memorials and examining the various graves and statues for imperialistic flair. I saw some famous authors’ memorials in Poet’s Corner, including Kipling’s and Dickens’. (Sadly, no photography was allowed in many sections of the church) I am consistently pleasantly surprised by the little things that remind me that London is such an old and important city, and standing above a memorial to Charles Dickens is just one of those things!

Family and Chinatown Lunch

Family and Chinatown Lunch

by ericmistry ♥ 2 Comments

Today was another fun day! I woke up, caught the tube to my Aunt Ruksh's hotel, picked her up, and we made our way to my cousin Alyssa's apartment. She is studying to be a pastry specialist at the Cordon Bleu. (Which sounds absolutely incredible!) She has a wonderful apartment in Notting Hill, which is just a short tube ride away. It will be so much fun to be able to visit often, as usually we are separated by a few oceans! (She being from Mumbai, and me being from Iowa.)

 

In any case, after enjoying Alyssa's apartment a little, we made our way down to the Chinatown area for a lovely lunch with Hufriz, one of Ruksh's and (Uncle) Doj's friends. We ate at a lovely and amazing Chinese restaurant known as Joy King Lau. It was so delicious. We shared some delectable dim sum, superb hot and sour soup, and some stupendous stir-fry dishes with roast duck and pork.

 

It was so enjoyable to get to eat with my family. It felt so nice and relaxed and so much fun. Ruksh and Doj always take such good care of me. I'm looking forward to hanging out with Alyssa in London and enjoying the adventures to come!

(L->R) Hufriz, Me, Aunt Ruksh, Alyssa, Uncle Doj

 

Hot and Sour Soup

Chinatown

 

Kew Gardens

Kew Gardens

by ericmistry ♥ 6 Comments

This morning, we adventured to Kew Gardens, a botanical reserve on the due of London. We took at short walking tour with Professor Guenther, then proceeded to explore and relax for the remainder of the afternoon within the park until we decided to go home. I ventured all around, snapping shots of various flora, some birds, and some amazing scenery that included greenhouses and follies. (small English pleasure structures that served as relaxation spots for the English)

Some highlights form the trip Included an amazing tour around the gardens and the amazing walkway nearby that rose over 40 feet above the ground! I also got to see a phenomenal set of artworks by Robert Nash.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

London Days (And Welcoming Sara to London!)

London Days (And Welcoming Sara to London!)

by ericmistry ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Today was a nice recharging day. I slept in a little, made a breakfast with eggs, smoked salmon (extremely cheap here!!!), Leister Red cheese, a baguette, oranges, yogurt and tea, then read some course readings and cleaned a little while my breakfast settled. I then went to the gym, where I got a wonderful workout in. I then dropped into Primark, which is a fashion-centric yet super frugal English clothing shop, as they just opened a new shop down the street from the gym. I snagged a new sweater and an awesome tie for under ten pounds, which is a total steal. After Primark, I grabbed pittas and tomato sauce from the grocery and some amazing pepperoni from a local Italian foodshop down the street from our flat.

I then came home and made pizzas after I skyped my family. Sara, one of my Grinnell swimming buddies, arrived from Sweden just as I was finishing making the pizzas. We had the delicious little pizzas (pepperoni, basil, spinach, and garlic) and then I took Sara out to her first English Pub! I then came home, skyped Emily, and cleaned a little more. We adventure to Kew Gardens tomorrow!

Cooking!

Sara and Me!

Amazing Drawing Studies At the British Museum

Amazing Drawing Studies At the British Museum

by ericmistry ♥ 2 Comments

Today for art history class, we climbed all the way up to the fourth floor of the British Museum to enter the Print and Drawing Study Room. It houses some amazing materials, and you need to register to enter. After some brief signing-in and rules explanation (including no cameras, which saddened me greatly…) we were ushered into the large room.

 

It was a large room filled with volumes and large folios. Immense wooden desks with easels lay ready for the invaluable drawings and other works to be placed upon them for closer examination. The smell of old ink and paper, better than the best library, permeated the air. The quiet, still air lent an atmosphere of near-reverence to the room. It was almost as if one could feel the weight of the historical treasures that surrounded us.

 

Our course today focused on the evolution of commission drawings. We started with early works, including some stock drawings by Benozzo Gozzoli, which were designed to be placed cookie-cutter-style into commission drawings, creating a fairly standardized picture. The pieces at the end, by artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo were much more fluid and sketchlike, allowing the artist to craft a scene creatively, rather than dropping in stock pieces.

 

It was incredible and surreal to be mere inches from works from the Renaissance masters. This class has been an incredible experience so far. Not only do we get to see magificent works by famous artists all the time, but I am also learning so much about what to look for in art. I am learning so much new information about everything, and I am loving it!

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Gozzoli (c. 1450)

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da Vinci, (c.1470)

ImageMichelangelo (c. 1508-1512)

Reference drawing for Sistine Chapel's Creation of Man