This is the London Eye. It is on the South Bank of the Thames River and you see all sorts of lovely things up there like Big Ben and the Parliament Building. It's not scary at all, sadly, a bit like a slow moving glass room.
This is award winning writer Vanessa Gebbie who I ate THE most fantastic burritos with.
Here is poet, novelist, stage writer Sue Guiney and short story writer extraordinaire (as well as poet) Tania Hershman in front of The Tintin Shop. Yes- everything inside is Tintin, hard to believe but I saw it with my own eyes, in Central London. I doubt Micky Mouse could do the same.
This is South Bank and the Thames River.
A seahorse at the aquarium at South Bank.
This is a very blurry photo (I wasn't sure I was allowed to take photos) of a panel discussion with Lionel Shriver (she's at the end) about new technologies and writers. I was a bit disappointed by her comment about free things, saying that free condoms were given away in Africa (the mythical country) and no one used them. Which, of course, is not true in Botswana, which is part of Africa. But otherwise an interesting discussion.
A juggler in Covent Garden.
A cool jelly fish at the aquarium.
This is the road on which my hotel, the Fielding Hotel, is located. If you look carefully it's on the right with a brown sign. I had a lovely little room on the third floor.
The Charles Dickens Coffee House, sadly I never got a chance to eat here but passed it numerous times as it was near my hotel
Welcome back, Laurie! How did you manage to get all this in and still talk at a conference? London is just such a buzzing city!
ReplyDeleteHere is a link to Neil Gaiman talking about giving away books for free on the web (hope it works - it's interesting; Lionel Shriver might be surprised!)
Okay the comment frame wouldn't accept the link so search you tube for Neil on Copyright Piracy and the Web - the video is about 4:21. Makes for interesting viewing.
Judy (South Africa)
Great pics! No pictures of the famous pennies??! Come back again soon... And I hope your workshop went really really well. xx
ReplyDeleteLovely piccies - I especially love the one of the juggler. very surreal if you don't know the context!
ReplyDeleteLauri, it was great to meet. Some terrific conversations...and terrific burritos - thanks for suggesting that one - I'll be visiting again. This is making me hungry....
It was great to find out how very very different the publishing processes are in our two countries - and wonderful to hear how spectacularly you are doing with the results of your books now circulating in the educational world out there. Congratulations - a serious income - something that really is the Holy Grail over here, and comes to very few.
Look forward to coming over (I wish...)- warn those rhinos - they'll need laptops, paper, pens... (!!)
.
great photos. It was fun to play tourist with you (clearly being a tourist to me means constant eating). Only wish we could make it an annual event....next time in Botswana?
ReplyDeletehmmm.... loving the pictures especially. Oh... and I've never seen the jelly fish! something to add to my "to see list" for my April break!
ReplyDelete:)
Jackie*
Yes Jackline, the aquarium was very nice.
ReplyDeleteWe did sort of go from eating to eating didn't we Sue? But actually it was talking to talking.
Wow this is really cool. If I ever go to London one day, hopefully I should run in to Ainsley Harriot or Nigella Lawson. hehe :)
ReplyDeleteLooks like you had a great time. It was lovely to see London through your eyes. One of my favourite cities!
ReplyDeleteAh, lovely. I took myself out to dinner at "Chapter One" the restaurant at the Dublin Writers' Museum when I was in Dublin. Very posh. And the waiters didn't know what to do with me; a young woman dining alone, watching all the other diners. Fun.
ReplyDeleteDaoine
What is it about women going out to eat alone? I don't mind it, it's part of travelling alone and that's something I love doing.
ReplyDeleteI was going to ask if you'd been to Covent Garden during your visit. That's my favourite part of London. I didn't know until recently but the street performers actually have to pass an audition before they can perform there. Makes sense though, I don't think I'd be as keen on the place if just anyone was allowed to turn up with a set of juggling balls.
ReplyDeleteI love the South Bank too and Shakespeare's Globe in particular. A few years back, some friends and I booked into serviced apartments London for a few days and went to the Globe. One of my friends wasn't particularly keen on Shakespeare, bless her, but she enjoyed the meal afterwards.
Fantastic picture of the juggler at Covent Garden, by the way.
Hi Jess! I'm not much of a city lover having been raised in the country and I now live in a village, but I adore London!! I was there the first time on this trip in this post and luckily again in July. If I ever have money I'd like to live there for a month so I can do everything. I'd love to go to the Globe and see Shakespeare. In July I was there for the Caine Prize stuff, but it was also my husband's and mines 20th wedding anniversary so we splurged and went to the Lyceum for the Lion King. It was fabulous. Having all of those theaters and wonderful museums within walking distance or public transport is really quite wonderful. Another place I really love is the Portrait Gallery. And this last time I had just a short visit to the Tate, need more time there too.
ReplyDeleteThe Lion King is one thing that's always worth splurging on! It's one of those that I could see again and again and never get bored. I love the way the animals come down the aisles in the beginning. It really does hold you transfixed from the word go.
ReplyDelete