Go Know!

A family of collectors

London, England Every collector collects differently. At John Soane’s house, things seemed to be placed where there happened to be a bit of space.

Not so at the Wallace Collection, which I visited today. It is a national museum housing masterpieces of painting, sculpture, furniture, arms and armour, and porcelain.

Just not the same

London, England I usually work a visit to Covent Garden into my London plans. It’s consistently entertaining and full of things that sparkle and catch the eye.

I always start by seeing what’s new at the Transport Museum. Several years ago they started merchandising the patterns from old tube seat fabrics, which were distinguished by underground line. There were multitudes of pillows, sofas, tote bags and socks. I did invest in a collection of the socks, which wore quite nicely.

Our man in Asia, Part 2

Southeast Asia Don is currently in Singapore, but had some time to catch us up on his travels:

My last missive had some issues with matching my remarks with the appropriate photos. It doesn’t matter. You get the idea. Plus, my photos are scanty. I find it difficult to juggle photo-taking with trying to pay attention to the guide. They say that travel is not creative. You only need to be attentive. So, attentive I am. Being attentive to me means not being quick on the trigger with a camera. Plus, it seems I can never get a decent photo without being part of someone else’s selfie. I wish I could collect a penny for every selfie taken.

Best of Britain

London, England And where would you find that? If your search involved art, then you would head to Tate Britain, the home of British art from 1500 to today, which is housed in a traditional building with classics like Turner and Millais.

An embarrassment of riches

London, England If ever there was a person who should have had a yard sale, Sir John Soane might be at the top of the list.

Sir John was a visionary Regency architect whose house has been a national museum since the early 19th century. Preserved just as Soane left it in 1837, the Museum showcases his extraordinary collection of paintings, sculptures, casts, artifacts, books, and models from around the world.

Art is everywhere

London, England It’s been a few days of this and that. Yesterday I spent some time working on a group of photos from Don. We’ve finally got it down to a system of how he transmits them and labels them. I’ve finally figured out how and where to download them for future access. Don’t ask.

Then, thanks to a very well-equipped kitchen in my rental flat, I was able to have June and Alan come for dinner last evening. (And a big thanks to the Marks & Spencer Food Hall around the corner.)

Ladies who lunch

London, England Today has to be noted as the first day of spring in London. The sun was blazing, the sky was blue and flowers were popping out all over.

We had no particular commitments, but June and I were planning to see a few historical and cultural sights in order to earn ourselves a nice luncheon break.

When is the yard sale?

London, England Who among us hasn’t at some time or other craved more storage space, or maybe just one more shelf?

Well, imagine being the Victoria and Albert Museum with loads of goodies that just can’t all be shown at once. Plus, more things just keep getting donated or acquired. Where to put them all?

Some new experiences

London, England I’ve been MIA for a few days, but not without seeing some new parts of London.

This is Monday. On Saturday, I had a wonderful day out with June, Alan, and their family. We met in the interesting community of Peckham, home of Montview, one of the UK’s top drama schools. It is especially notable for featuring June as a faculty member. Her specialty is improvisation. (Brits call it impro; we know it as improv.)

Our man in Asia

Cambodia Here is a long-awaited report directly from Don, currently deep in Southeast Asia:

I’ve been traveling throughout Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and now Cambodia for over a month. Yet, this seems to be the first chance I’ve had to put together a rudimentary record of my adventures. The Wifi access has been intermittent, as has the electricity on occasion. Plus, I don’t have my crack photographer at my side (aka Jo) capturing some amazing sights that I’ve seen. You’ll have to do with what I have been able to catch on my cell phone camera. It seems that whenever I spot something of interest it takes so much time to turn on the phone and get the camera open that the moment has passed. Still, you’ll get the idea.

I’m on an escorted tour (via GAdventures) and they keep you moving. They have it effciently organized, but at a breakneck speed — usually starting at 7:30 in the morning, and running (and I do mean RUNNING) until late evening. Plus, all these excursions, tours, temple visits, cruises, and overnight train rides put you in close proxmity to others on the tour, which demands a certain amount of group agreeableness. This, as you might know, can be exhausting unto itself. Generally, however, the other people are very pleasant and everyone tries hard to get along.

I’m traveling with my friend Willy the Rolfer. Not the Roofer. The Rolfer, as in massage technique. I met Willy about 30 years ago when he Rolfed me. I was looking to get straightened out. He was going through a divorce at the time. I tried to provide sympathetic counsel. My counsel didn’t work. The marriage ended, but I got straightened out and we’ve kept in touch ever since.

Let’s start at the beginning, if I can remember that far back.

Bangkok: Yes, it’s what you imagine. Teeming with activity and energy. Now, mostly a modern city with a few remnants of what “old” Bangkok was like. A futuristic transit system. Not as futuristic (or as clean) as Tokyo, but it still makes New York City look like an old-fashioned back-water.

Bangkok has its share of spectacular Bhuddist temples, one seemingly more beautiful than the last. None allow photos inside, but the exteriors are endlessly fascinating interpretations of the Bhudda story and myth.

Other sights included fun street scenes and a trip to a Thai boxing match. Those boys (and girls) mean business. When blood was drawn, it was considered a knockout and the fight was ended. I saw two knockouts; one with men and one with women. The crowd was rowdy. The crowd was less rowdy at the circus, which featured amazing acrobats and trained animals, including household cats, water buffalo and even a pig.

Chiang Mai, Thailand: Noted for its canals, this city (reached by overnight train) is quieter than Bangkok. Again, lots of temples. Also a trip to Jim Thompson’s house. Thompson was an American who developed the Thai silk trade in the 1950s and then mysteriously disappeared in the late ’60s. His beautiful home, just across the river from the sweatshops where the silk workers toiled to produce his highly profitable silk export business, is filled with Thai antiques he collected along the way. Chiang Mai is also home to the Grand Palace of Thailand and the country’s massive national museum, featuring buildings moved to the site from around the country.

(Note from Jo: I will try hard to coordinate the text with the numerous photos Don has been sending me, mostly at 2:00 AM UK time. But if you know better about what goes where…keep it to yourself.)

Mekong River: A “slow boat” excursion down the Mekong River took us into Laos. The river scene is surprisingly unspoiled, including a sighting of a group of wild elephants bathing in the river. Water buffalo were abundant as were the local fishermen.

The tour included an overnight “home stay” in a village of an indigenous tribe. The villlage had no electricity, and we had to sleep on concrete or wooden floors without the benefit of any type of bathroom facilities. But the people seemed extremely happy to host us. The food was prepared like a banquet and there was some dance entertainment. The kids were adorable. But this was a Communist “showcase” village, so we could only imagine the poverty of other less fortunate villages.

(Lost those photos somewhere. Will post if I find them again.)

Laos generally is a very poor country. It was also the target of the largest number of bombs dropped anywhere in history during the Vietnam war, here called the American War. The landscape is still littered with unexploded and hidden bombs, killing and maiming thousands every year.

And here, my friends, I will draw the curtain on Don’s travels for a while. He needs additional time, Wifi and energy to share more. And maybe, just maybe, I can get the photos under control.

Stay tuned!