Tea Time in Wonderland

Archive for the ‘Un brin de folie / a little craziness’ Category

What an amazing art installation in the Saatchi basement.

I had read the presentation, knew what to expect -  but still your mind tricks you. You step closer and you brain is so confused for a second. How to limit the ceiling, ground, walls? How deep is the place? You’ll find yourself trying to analyse sunshine rays…

Only in a second time will you get back to reality -  a smell tickling your nose.

Yep, this room is filled with a sump oil sea. Not a line on the surface, not a movement – you even have a crazy thought that it looks like one could walk on it. The camera will be the best traitor here.

It will keep you mesmerized for a good ten minutes. Another kind of art sulpture!

Richard Wilson 20:50 installation
Saatchi Gallery
Chelsea
London, SW3 4SQ
Metro: Sloane square

Free! Until May 07, 2010

There’s spring in the air, get your snickers ready!

- Go and enjoy the East London Festival – so rich in music festivities, world culture, architecture, guided tours…

- Play with words @ the London Word Festival

- Add a splash of colour with this Hindu festival

- take the kids to a different week-end @ Barbican – poetry, Indian lanterns, bollywood dances…

- Since you’re @ Barbican, try a little alternative music. Yep, those are real birds. And it’s free!

- Fancy a little Alice in your week-end? Here a Mad Hatter Ball, here a little bit more about Lewis Caroll’s talents, and there a colourful tea-time…

- Oh, don’t forget, it’s National Pie Week! A few tips here and there…

I’m planning an easy week-end – cinema! Spoilt with both the new Tim Burton and Banksy’s first film, Exit through the gift shop. Which by the way plays @ Barbican, in case you feel like a whole day there. Oh, and maybe I’ll go and try those Asian sweets too…

Selfridge’s surfs on the new Tim Burton’s marketing wave and redesigns its wonder room.. or its wonder boutique, really.

Not very big, but a cute range of Alice themed items (if you cannot go to London, try the online Alice shop) as well as a yummy mad hatter tea party range of jewellry. You’ll find anything there from T shirts to crochetted cakes… Swarovsky also launched a new range of charme like jewels for the release.

My favourite items remain these crazy glass covers – really what I would expect in Wonderland:

Gaze at the extraordinary hats created by Colleen Atwood – you already know her work through Sleepy Hollow, Edward Scissorhands, Chicago…:

Will you resist Tom Binn’s necklaces?

Don’t forget the exterior window shops -  Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter’s costume and crazy tables…

Another Alice pop-up to try…

Alice fan? Why not plan a day @ Antony in Cornwall? The gardens were used for Tim Burton’s movie!

Wonder room – Alice Pop-Up
Selfridge’s
400 Oxford St
London W1A 1AB

Until March 21, 2010

A cute and funny exhibition @ Selfridge’s – this one plays on tiny details and big artistic effects. a maze of discoveries, a splash of colour, a dash of crazyness and smiles…

Take your time. Each work is in two stages. First a general visual effect. A smile. You look closer and discover what it really is made of. Like these letters made of jelly, this wall out of paper flowers, this winged nest, in fact a hat…

An ideal pause between two intensive shopping sprees. Your lover or/and your kids will be very grateful!

Now. Shopping done. Cultural card played. Surely you deserve a macaron from Pierre Herme?

The Museum of small things
Selfridge’s
400 Oxford Street
London W1A 1A
Jusqu’au 07 mars 2010
Until March 07, 2010

Once upon time, London was a much smaller place. Each borough increased in size until meeting the city. Can you imagine Lambeth as a muddy countryside?

The simple life became a town one. In 1800 -  a million people were living in the capital. In 1850 – 2.3 millions, what a jump!

Faced with this ever increasing populations, the graveyards around little churches just cannot cope. Bodies are buried a metre from the ground, with basic decorum: ideal for body snatchers.

That explains why cemeteries often look, well, crowded… How do you get from one grave without stepping on another one?

In 1832, the government finally decides to move and settles for a ring of cemeteries around London, also known as the Magnificent Seven: Kensal Green, West Norwood, Highgate (a real jewel, I hear), Nunhead, Brompton, Abney Park, Tower Hamlets will open between 1837 and 1841.

Some see is as a real opportunity. A protected, kept, green place: middle class decide to bury their beloved in style and show the social status of their family through elaborate graves. Marble, sculptures…

These days, it is not so much used as a cemetery than a lovely place for a walk. Large alleys sheletered by trees. In spring, bluebells and daffodils.In fact, you’ll be suprised to meet quite a few football fans: the Chelsea stadium is right behind. Do visit the place on amatch day. The atmosphere is surreal! One minute, you’re enjoying the quietness, listeming to a robin chirp happily. The next, a goal has been marked and you hear the loud clamour of the stadium as if you were in it. quite a new dimension!

Another amazing detail -  Beatrix Potter used to live nearby and loved strolling around. She actually used names on the graves for her book characters: you’ll find here a Mr Nutkins, a Mr McGregor, a Jeremiah Fisher, and even… a Peter Rabbett. It is even said that the enclose wall inspired her for the one in McGregor’s garden.

Of course, you’ll find plenty of crosses around, some celtic, other greeks. Angels too…

And many symbols the Victorians loved.

A few:
A rosebud wuld be for a child – half opened for a teenager – fully bloomed, someone in their twenties. Several and you can calculate their age.
Urns usually meant an ossuary, garlands redemption.
Dog symbolised loyalty.
A wreath, eternal memory. Laurel was kept for the elitehaving received a distinction in arts, litterature…

Birds symbolised the winged spirit, flying to heaven. A dove with an olive branch would mean hope.

See those three intricate letters, almost a symbol: IHS? Those were for Jesis Our Saviour in Greek. So much smarter to add little touches of your faith in mysterious ways…
My favourite are those hands. Look closely @ the first picture. A handshake is easy -  a goodbye. But the sleeves are different, you see? A frilly one would be a woman’s, buttons a man’s – obviously a couple. The person who died first clasps the living’s hand, which remained open. Here, the gentlemane died first. A finger gesturing downward mean a sudden death.

There also are plenty of marine symbols. My first thought was a seaman… But look at the last one – poor little Rose, 18 months… An anchor with a cut chained meant the interrupted life too.

Many graves look completely abandonned. There has been talks of cleaning them. Quite a polemic as they shelter a fascinating collection of insects and birds. Migrating ones love to stop here too. Even families of foxes live in the catacombs!

Oh, and you rarely will be on your own. The squirrels are used to visitors and will quickly make their way to you (or any food you might have)….

Brompton Cemetery

The friends of Brompton Cemetery propose a guided tour every second and fourth Sunday of the month – only £4!
Finborough Road
London, SW10

Love fair!

- Gasp in amazement at the Wildlife photographs @ the Natural History Museum. This takes place every year and is a real marvel.

- Learn about forgery in art @ the V&A…

- Get to know the designer stars of the future…

- Into kinetic and robotic? The Kinetica art fair is for you….

- Don’t forget Valentine’s day is coming up! Find a vintage treasure @ this jumble and pearl sale or at this glassblown objects sale… Even more finds at this love fair!

- Or arrange to tour London in a mini-Cooper!

- Fancy a walk and some fresh air? Why not discover the Jewish quarters? Or an Indian food walk?

- Enjoy a day @ Kew Gardens -  as lovely in winter as in summer – and get some exotism in the conservatory presenting collections of colourful orchids and tropical flowers…

- Have teenagers dreaming of making movies? Take them to the BFI Future Film Festival!

- Have a look at the possible sculptures for the Spittafield Market and vote for your favourite…

- Try a restaurant with a difference – dinner and circus show!

You’ll find me wandering through the Russian festival, having a lovely Chelsea Chai @ Yumchaa and enjoying French electro music with Anne B’s concert (thanks to Le Petit Journal). How about you?

Oh, and if you have the time, go and check out this giant ice cube in front of the Tate next week. 3 days only!

I recently discussed the concept with colleagues. This was completely unknown to them, the idea felt kinf of obscure. They visualised a kind of crypt, dimmed lights, a gothic theme maybe?

This trend is fascinating. Forget formal restaurants. People like you and me, passionate about cooking decide to take it a step further. A restaurant is a big risk, a huge responsability and they’d rather have the fun of it while still having a financial security. Do it wheneever they feel like it, whenever they’re inspired. But also share the experience with the fans rather than being locked in the kitchen all the time, slaving over dishes. They’re breaking away from the cold business side of it, injecting fun back into it.

Curiosity already took me to the Hidden tearoom for the most wonderful afternoon tea. I still can taste the cheddar biscuits… I spent three hours chatting happily with strangers.

I’m taking Celine along with me this time to test the most famous London one: the Underground restaurant. MsMarmite Lover loves to juggle with ideas and recipes so check dates and themes on the website. Be quick! She’s full in not time.

Tonight’s based on the Realm of Senses. I must admit I always feel a bit shy before ringing the bell. An evening with strangers could be boringly long. I have always been proved wrong: the only fact that you’re there proves we all have a sense of curiousity, adventure, a love for London and good food and that is enough for hours of conversation on end. You’ll find a great mix of people. around our table, we chatted over travels, blogs, books, cinema, cookin, we laughed and compared and commented and shared.

What was on the menu? Ceviche to start with with seashore background noises. I am used to the Tahition way of using raw fish – in a sweet coconut milk sauce. This is surprisingly refreshing, vary fragrant with yuzu and ginger. As for the music? I’m afraid we were chatting way too much in our enthusiasms to notice it…

Follows a selection of Indian dishes – coconut dahlt, indian salad with cucumbers and pomegranate (could have eaten bowls of this), creamy curry with aubergines and a delicious but intriguing vegetable that kept us wondering for a while (a tinda, an exotic kind of squash), fragrant rice… We are to eat with our fingers as you would in India. laughs explode – we’re obviously not that gifted… It is true that you savour the food more, think about it more, notice the colours. With a fork, it’s easy to separate easily abit of rice with that sauce or that one. Eating with your fingers forces you to mix more ingredients together, some you would not have mixed usually. It’s a success. we’re hooked. And the greatness of it all? You can have seconds!

Guests now hold their breath – here comes the smell experience. A huge slice of durian, which smell is almost pleasant and lemony but which will be faithful to its reputation. We all happily try, plunginh our fork in the white flesh and are unanimous: vade retro satanas! Interesting though as we all wanted to try, never would have bought the fruit (huge and expensive – £30 for one!) but really were curious about it. another thing to tick on “to do before I die list”. Also comes a huge Stinking Bishop. very mature, actually running and escaping on our table. The smell is strong but any cheese lover woul fall for it. The taste is cremy, a bit nutty and… well, it didn’t last long on our table. Nice touche to have served it with almonds too!

The desert is welcomed enthusiastically. We are blindfolded for this dish. Not easy to find your ramequin, oops, that was the table, the neignour’s hand, ah, here it is! Always easy to find a taste when you’ve seen it written down before. Here you have to think. Rich chocolate for sure… A different layer on top – I’m a creme fraiche addict, and recognise it immediately, creme fraiche ice-cream, elegant and fresh on the heavier chocolate cream. But the base? Ah, a complete mystery. It’s caramel like, and crunchy, and popping? A clever mix of peacn nuts and popping candy… Not knowing how much is left you really make the pleasure last…

This is more than just dinner, it’s an evening, an entertainment, a fun taste adventure. All thanks to the amazing MsMarmiteLover who reminds me of th fairies in Disney’s version of Sleeping Beauty: cheeks pink with pleasure, sparkling with happiness and joie de vivre, almost flying from one table to another, interested in everything and everyone, happy to sit down and chat and share with you. She’s so contagious! Add to this that she has lived 7 years in France and speaks perfect froggie. I can only take pride in that.

An occasion to be renewed as often as possible!

MsMarmiteLover’s blog: http://marmitelover.blogspot.com/
This way for tickets!

Snow, icy rain, a ray of sunshine? Just get a hazelnut hot chocolate at the nearest Starbucks and off you go!

- Play the culture card with the latest Van Gogh exhibition…

- Knit yourself a scraf while enjoying a lovely cup of tea…

- dream of a long gone Covent Garden…

- try an afternoon tea – new style…

- Hunt for art deco @ the decorative antique fair…

- Take a garden fan to the potato fair!

- Get your 70ies outfit for the projection of Mamma Mia on a giant screen @ the O2…

- Toast the famous Scottish poet Burns…

- sprinkle with some alternative art…

You’ll find me @ the Underground restaurant Friday evening for curious experiences… What are your plans?

Tottenham Court Road is certainly my favourite Tube station. Busy for sure, but hey, it also shelter 1000 square meters of crazy and colourful mosaics. I never get tired of fixing the geometric shapes, discover a new object each time… Butterflies, masks (many references to the British Museum), saxophons, a heron, a cow, a chicken, a satellite…

This work of art by the Scottish artist Paolozzi (the pioneer of pop art in England) however proves very tricky: how to renovate and modernise the station without destroying them? It took years of work in the early 1980ies and will take as much to take the tiles down…

Had never heard of the guy? You probably already know another of is sculptures though – the giant holding a compass at the entry of the British Library. Why not hunt his other treasures with this Londonist list?

Climb the narrow wooden stairs to discover this previous annex of St Thomas Hospital. The first part presents medicinal plants used for treatments and the way they were prepared.

But what a strange place – this is the roof of the english baroque church!

At the time though it proved logical. The hospital was built around the church and the women ward almost touched this side of the building. Before 1822, the patients were operated in their own bed, surrounded but the medical student gathering to learn a new process. No phonic insulation – imagine how high the morale was! It was therefore practical to extend to the church and build a separate operating theatre.

Placed under the roof, it offered natural light. Surprisingly small and basic, this is the oldest in Europe.

Picture it. At the time, there were no anesthaetics. Alcool and opiate were used instead. Chloroform only appeared in 1947… Any surgery had to be pretty quick. No comfort -  single plank of wood. Wood saw on the floor to absorb blood. No heating in winter. Did you know that Keats practised as a surgeon here before dedicating himself to arts and poetry?

Short life though – St Thomas slowly moved towards Lambeth and closes the theatre in 1862. It stays completely forgotten and intact! until 1956… A visit in a long gone London. You will bless modern medicine after this.

St Thomas’ hospital is on the other side of the street. Walk under its arches and say hello to Keat’s statue there. Admirers like to leave a few flowers in his memory. A couple of streets away is the lovely Borough Market with its extraordinary stalls of cheese, pickles, pastries…

The old operating theatre
9a St. Thomas’s St.
London SE1 9RY

£5.80/adult
Tube: London Bridge