Today - ironically, the most expensive thing I booked - I headed with London European Club to an Albrecht Durer exhibition at the National Gallery. I could have booked for free if I'd taken out membership, but I don't think I'd get the value of it. We finally got access to the free audio guide that comes with the booking, accessible through our smartphones, yesterday, and of course I'd picked up my headphones. Anyway, we were to meet beforehand at Notes Coffee.
I was up late last night - and it was seriously hard to get myself out of bed this morning, when I was damning myself for having booked this. Ah well, I managed it - and again, the bus blessed me by arriving just as I did! I was early anyway - and just as well, because we were detoured. But I still arrived plenty early - and was, in fact, the first of us to get there. The organiser had asked us to grab the communal table at the back - an elderly chap was reading the paper at the far end, so I sat myself at the opposite end. And it was lovely and cosy, on what proved to be a miserable day! Also nice is that there's table service - and of the 10 or so of us that ultimately arrived, several had a variation on brunch. (Our organiser had two, as it happened, thinking that one was a side order!)
Oh, and all the hot drinks came with a nice pattern!
A lovely - and varied - chat was had with people I had seen recently, those I hadn't seen in ages, and some I'd never seen before! Anyway, apart from one who headed off early to get her ticket, as she couldn't get her phone to work, we all headed off just before 1 - and I followed someone who knew where exactly we were headed! (To the left of the main building, as you face the gallery.)
Have to say, for the historical period concerned, that's a fair amount of travelling, that Durer got up to! Anyway, I connected to the gallery's free WiFi, and got the audio guide set up without too much trouble. We had seven rooms to examine, and the guide picked two or three items per room to discuss. Several of the pieces, mind, were on similar themes, and many were sketches that were used to form larger pieces, also on display. Most of the art on display was more realistic than, perhaps, might be expected from the time..
I would always have loved to have been able to produce something like this engraving..
(though, mind you, I wasn't really convinced by the faces of the lions!) Oh, and a few royal faces appeared - some of which were familiar to me! I've seen so many historical portraits..
As someone remarked afterwards, what were missing were exterior pictures! Anyway, despite the last rooms being over-warm, I think we all agreed it was an excellent exhibition. Our organiser, before we went in, told us, if we had time, to head afterwards to Ole + Steen on Haymarket, which we did - again, I think I was first there. I headed to the upstairs seating, where most space was available at the time.. spotted a few of our group coming in, but meantime others took tables right under where I was sat, where I couldn't see them! Never fear, a couple came upstairs to tell me, and I headed back down - and had what I must say was the most delicious ham & cheese toastie! Highly recommended. And there we cosily passed most of the rest of the afternoon, with rain pouring down outside - and a most intense and enduring discussion was had about the best places for hot chocolate. Indeed, had it not been for the weather, I think a field trip would have been proposed!
And so, home for them, and off for food in my case. After a good experience last time, again I headed to Prezzo - where the waiters are unfailingly charming, and apparently all Italian. The guy rolled his eyes when I said I didn't have a reservation, but squeezed me in, right beside the service area. Now, having recently had a toastie, I decided not to have a starter - and this time, not feeling too starving, I decided to skip pasta and, as I said to the waiter, try the grilled chicken and mushroom in marsala sauce. "No!" he exclaimed. "You must not try - you must enjoy!!" Eh, all right then. Well, the sauce was gorgeous, the accompanying chips were gorgeous.. sadly, the chicken was a little tough. Besides that, I was now stuffed, and couldn't quite finish it. I mightn't have had dessert, except that I had time to kill - I finally decided to forego both chocolate cakes, and just go for some chocolate ice cream - which went down a treat. And given the hordes of people arriving towards evening, they might have done better to give me my bill faster! But as I say, I was killing time anyway.
Later this evening, that organiser from London Classical Music and Theatre Group (LCMTG) was headed to Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, in Charing Cross Theatre. Only just down the road. Now, this was a funny one, because the organiser and I both booked with TAC - but when someone else wanted to book, he went to the theatre website, where it said today's performances were cancelled! Much to-ing and fro-ing eventually clarified that actually, the performances were going ahead, but only for an invited audience - including TAC. Well, don't we feel privileged! Mind you, they were taking no new bookings - so although this had been advertised as a Meetup event, it didn't ultimately make sense to do that, as nobody else could have joined!
It was quite early when I left the restaurant, but I decided to mosey along to the theatre and see whether it was open - it was a bit cold to be hanging around on the street! Happily, it was open, and I got my ticket and took myself to the bar, got myself a drink, and messaged the people who were to join me - who arrived after a bit, and we had a nice chat until it was time to go in.
And handily, we were all sat together! It actually started quite late, as the lady beside me was remarking to her companion - it was at least 10 minutes before it got going! Anyway. Someone from today's first group had asked me whether this was by Chekhov, given the names - no, but you couldn't miss that it was inspired by him, both from the general theme, and the constant namedropping of his plays! The only thing they really missed was (ahem) having three sisters..
So. As per Chekhov, this was set in a rural house, housing two elderly siblings, whose sister - an actress - arrived to sell the place, despite them trying to make her nostalgic for the cherry orchard. Masha was involved with someone who himself was flirting with Nina. And the other guy in the story - Vanya, nicknamed "Uncle Vanya" - wrote a play that wasn't appreciated, and had a meltdown after constant audience interruptions. Every single one of those things a Chekhov plot point, and probably others I've missed.
Frankly, they laid that on so thick I was sick of it. And Vanya - like his sister and companion - started out annoyingly repressed. At least he got to have his say in the second half, with what I must say was an extremely well-written and powerful monologue. Didn't really redeem the play for me overall, though - in particular, the maid, Cassandra, I found way OTT. (Yes, she has prophetic visions that no-one listens to, which is another point that is laboured.) Comedy is subjective, is all I can say. Wouldn't be bothered with it again. But hey, it was good to see the others!
We spent some minutes chatting outside before going our separate ways - and when we did, I saw my bus parked to the side, just down from the stop! I approached dubiously, sure it'd move off at any moment, wondering why it hadn't yet. It transpired that a fellow in a wheelchair was trying to get on - and by the looks of it, the driver couldn't figure out the ramp! He tried a few times, couldn't get it quite right - and wouldn't let us on in the meantime. Finally, he pulled up to the stop proper (of course, when he'd arrived, there'd been another bus there, as the wheelchair passenger explained), and the pavement level was different there, and seemed to suit the ramp. So we got away eventually!
Tomorrow, I'm with Discover London - History Walks and Events for a walk entitled Bawdy Borough: Poverty, Prostitutes and Playhouses. Cash on the day, annoyingly - I just about have it, as long as she doesn't mind a bit of change! And yes, I'm going to sleep far too late.. another short night, nuts! Anyway, it's close enough to walk there - if quite cold.
And on Monday, back with LCMTG, for a Gabrieli Consort & Players concert at Wigmore Hall. And wouldn't you know it, the organiser gave his seat number - so, when I saw the seat beside him was free, I booked it! Well, I know him now..
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