Photo Journal – Saturday 02 June 2012

Some Coldplay on a cold day!!!

After an awesome arrival into London yesterday, I will be having another great day. My cousin surprised me with tickets to Coldplay at the Emirates Stadium!! She was so excited about her surprise for me that she could not hold back and told me before I arrived.. LOL!!! I wake up feeling so happy that I was there and I slept so good! I had breakfast, dilly-dallied a bit, then we started getting ready for our day. The concert would be starting at 4pm.. or opening at 4pm.. something like that..

Dressed, coiffed and ready to go.. photos first though… even though I am extremely hungry now..

The sun is out right now… I am happy about this.. the London gloom is not my cup of tea…

We will be going to have a late lunch, then begin our transit to the stadium..

Walking…

We passed through this park/ garden which was breath-taking! So lush, so well taken care of, so beautiful!!

Isn’t this a painter’s dream? I wouldn’t believe this if I didn’t see it for myself! Picturesque and absolutely beautiful… This is a landscape architect and gardener’s dream..

Look at this! My goodness!! Scale, color, texture, shadow, shade, reflection, hard, soft, horizontal, vertical… so many relationships that work…. I need to spend an entire day here on my next visit to London… this is a MUST DO.

Sunlight is such a gift!

I like the little cars in London… this building looks lovely too..

We are having lunch at an Italian restaurant nearby… My cousin saved her first time visit to this restaurant for my visit..

We start with bruschetta  and calamari… and I had a carbonara for my main course.. I realize now that I apparently forgot to take photos of it… Hunger called I guess! I assure you it was good! After our very satisfying meal we took the bus to the train station and headed to Highbury & Islington station… It was a lovely train ride… Soft, clean seats, comfortable ride…

The station was filled more than usual I think with concert-goers.. We meet our friends, and take a bus that would take us there…

At the Stadium…

Numerous people were asking if anyone had spare tickets to sell..

Oh yes!! Coldplay tickets in hand, we’re ready to head in!!!

 Coldplay T shirts anyone?!

Get ya beer and burgers if you like!

After we enter we get these wristbands which are supposed to light up during the show..

It’s still early.. people are still traipsing into the stands.. it’s cold!

Great stage design! This interests me a lot you know.. stage/ set design…aka production design… if you have any advice for me regarding this field, please don’t hesitate to share… The backdrop is like the speakers of a boom-box but are actually screens.. The graffiti artwork, color, and spirit of fun adds to it too…

Oh yes! The Trinidad posse representing!!! Decked, and ready to have fun, and get warm!!

Back inside getting something to eat before the show begins… so that I won’t have to leave during an expected awesome performance…

This bun was really good!! I forget what it was called.. but it intrigued me because it was white unlike the brown buns… but it was good, the dough was chewy like I like it!

My cousin LOVES Pimm’s so I had one.. I can only speak for the one I had here at the concert.. it was good, but it could have been much better.. Maybe it was because the Pimm’s here didn’t have all the assortment of fruits I usually see in the others.. it was good, but I tasted potential to be better in it..Next time Pimm, next time!

Look Ting!!!!!!!! I forgot to mention Rita Ora and Robin opened the show..

Below is my video recording of their entrance onto the stage promptly at 8:45pm..

WOOOHOOO!!!!!

Chris Martin!!!

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Everyone loves a light show! what is it with humans and light shows? We love it!!

Do your thing guys!

Large heart and teardrop shaped balloons aglow…

Those wristbands I showed you earlier…. yup! It’s their time to shine..

After their first set.. they thanked the crowd and left…We were all chanting for more… after approximately 5 minutes, I could be wrong, but applause was heard and spotlights were shining following people.. and there was the band.. This time however, they set up on a stage closer to the back of the stand..closer to us! How cool is that! Chris was in a pink tshirt this time.. after soaking through his blue one I am sure.. Because, it was pouring throughout the show… rain, rain, and more rain! But you could barely tell…

Here he is closer to us… He encouraged us to applaud.. the louder we cheered, the longer they would stay on stage for us.. Chris martin is such a great entertainer!! he really has the respect of the crowd..

Through these lights we were able to see how heavy the downpour was….

Fantastic finish!!!!

After the concert we stuck around a bit hoping the rains would ease… then had left in it anyway, with concert goers chanting Oh Ohhh Ohhhh Ohhhh Oooohhhh Oh…. Oh Ohhh Ohhhh Ohhhh Oooohhhh Oh in the streets! It was a wonderful community of happy people… I even saw one policeman smile… We walked for a bit to get to another train station, as the one closest to us was closed.. How is London going to handle the Olympics, I really don’t know. This was a concert of approx. 60,000 people and the metro was not in the game at all. I hope it is figured out for the summer games…

Metro…

We went to this restaurant that closes really late after.. The food was good. Everything was well seasoned, well cooked, and delicious!

After there we went to a late night Italian bakery/ diner I would say…

I had a nice cup of hot chocolate and a cannoli… both scored high on my Delicious scale… It was now roughly 2 or 2:30am… and still rain was pouring. My cousin really wanted me to see Piccadilly Circus, so we braved the rains and I was glad we did…

Piccadilly Circus..

Piccadilly Circus

As we wait for our bus to head home I took this photo.. the lights and the architecture was attractive…

When we get home it’s time for me to pack, rest, and get ready for another day tomorrow… See you again soon..

Coldplay ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This work by Vernelle Noel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Photo Journal – Friday 01 June 2012 (London)

London, I have arrived!

It’s 7:30am (London time), and I have arrived!! The thought of meeting my cousin gives me the biggest and most uncontrollable grin ever! I’m soo excited! I haven’t seen her since May 2007 when she came to Washington, DC for my graduation… We have both been dwelling in different time zones since then..

Walking through Heathrow going to baggage claims, then exit! (forgive the lack of photos documenting my cousin and I meeting).. Photos were the last thing on my mind! it took FOREVER at immigration. I have no clue what London intends to do for the Olympics.. it was terrible! I think a few flights, maybe 3 or 4 came in simultaneously… it took more than an hour to clear there…

After we meet, hug, laugh, express happiness, excitement, and sheer disbelief that I am there and we are there together, we sort ourselves and head for the train… and so do many other travelers, all with their suitcases in tow.

When I exit the train station at our stop, I had to capture it.. take it all in! The sights, the sounds, the smells…. ahhhh. I feel so happy! it reminds me of that feeling I had in Europe.. Every time I disembarked at another city, my little heart would flutter with happiness… I already love it here! Why? Professor Winston always says, whenever you like something, try to articulate why you like it… The air was crisp and fresh, I felt free, I was with my wonderful cousin, I was traveling, which I really love, I knew I was going to have an adventure in store for me, and I knew I would see new faces, and have another experience and story to tell…

After we get home I had no plans for rest. I unpacked stuff, showered, ate, and we headed back out. This would not be a trip of rest but instead one of pace, like my cousin says.. PACE!

Camera in hand we boarded the bus and came here. We would be doing a bus tour.. the yellow bus.. Original Bus Tour.. I take photos of the Eye behind me.. I am sure I will see it again later..

Map of tour in hand…

Cousin and guide working logistics out…

Photo-op!

The guide for this bus was really good.. I was just excited I was taking photos like crazy.. I can tell from my early photos that it was all excitement and no thought.. LOL.. It’s jubilee weekend so London is bahut busy!

A glimpse of the London Eye and Big Ben

Like I said before… these photos are reminders of pure excitement!! I was shooting left, right, and center!

I think the guide said this was the narrowest pub in London I think.. it’s in the Guinness Book of Records he mentioned…

We came off the bus here so that I could walk around and get up close and personal with St. Paul’s Cathedral.. designed by Christopher Wren…

View from the cathedral back toward the street.. This is a hot tourist spot…

As we were approaching this I wondered what it was.. reminded me of something Libeskind would do… still not sure who did it…

Thanks for the welcome my dear sir…

I got a glimpse of the Tate on our walk and had to get closer… See the tower behind there? You can’t miss it… This organization of steps and ramps in this urban public space is also a beauty…

A look back at St. Paul’s…

The Shard by one of my favorite architects, Renzo Piano… (article on The Shard)… View from the bridge to the Tate.. The 1,016 ft high skyscraper will be the tallest building in Western Europe and will provide amazing views of London…

I liked this building… the detailing and marriage of materials and textures I found nicely done!

Back out on the main road walking London… See the Gherkin ahead?

Bakery along the way that my cousin frequents.. I had a raisin thing.. the pastry was soft, flaky, warm, delicious… Oh how I love food! it is such a treat for the eyes and the palate… Mmm.. The bakery was quite warm and inviting too… great service!

I can’t remember what here was called, but I love arcades and this was a successful one… A well-lit “place” and “path.” There was a pub at the corner and I realized that at most (if not all) of the pubs I passed by people were standing having their drinks…

The Lloyd’s building (also sometimes known as the Inside-Out Building) by Richard Rogers on my left, and the Gherkin straight ahead… (Homepage for Richard Rogers)

Another view of the Lloyd’s Building…

The Gherkin by Foster & Partners, and Arup. I like Wikipedia links because they are often very informative because it gives nice background on the history of the site, the building, etc..

The London Monument by Sir Christopher Wren…

After this we walk to catch the bus again.. it’s a jump on jump off bus… you can get off and get back on anyone you choose along your way..
Cool right?!!

Flags all around!!! Jubilee here they come!

We approach The Shard…

The Shard closer up… and yes those are men working up there.. How awesome!

I think they were waving at the tour buses…

How fantastic is this?! i hope you guys get paid a lot!!! They reminded me of a modern version of this>>>

London City Hall by Foster & Partners, and Arup (Engineers)

Big Ben!!

Big Ben…

Buckingham Palace

Crossing the Thames with Buckingham Palace on the right.. Reminds me of crossing the Charles River… 😉

The temperature continued to drop during the day and a little after this point I needed to close my eyes a bit.. I was going on no sleep for approx. 38 hours… I rest my head on my cousin’s shoulder and closed my eyes for a bit.. We were going to have dinner at a place she likes.. Well we were going to pass through the palace first, but it was closed off in preparation for the Jubilee celebrations..

“Still Water” (horse head) sculpture by Nic Fiddian Green.

Nic was born in Hampshire in 1963. He graduated from Wimbledon School of Art, London with a BA in Sculpture, and went on th attain his MA at St. Martins School of Art, where he also took a Diploma in Advanced Lost Wax Casting.

He is best known as an equestrian sculptor, working primarily in bronze and in beaten lead. He held his first exhibition in 1986, and has sine been in demand by galleries and collectors alike: his work is now shown regularly in London, New York and Australia. In addition he is well-known for carrying ot major site-specific commissions; tow recent monumental pieces have been Turning House for Glyndebourne Opera House in Sussex, and Horses Head in the Wind, for Treasury Holdings in Barrow Street, Dublin.

Like many who have spent a life with horses and know them intimately, Nic took them for granted during his early life; they were simply there. However, his view was changed in 1983 when he first saw the Elgin marbles at the British Museum. He began to see the horse as a spiritual entity, not just a living thing with a beauty and energy particular to itself but a universal vessel for a whole breadth of emotions. A Fiddian Green horse is not an animal sculpture in any traditional sense. It goes beyond the portrait to become a study in energy and quietude, exuberance or wistfulness. (taken from here…)

The Royal Family circa…. I don’t know…

We came off the bus at one point and my cousin decided we would pass through Carnaby… I took photos of this store because I loved the beautifully colored spheres hanging on the interior…

Carnaby Street area

Nicely deconstructed British flag…

We stumbled upon some sort of street party along the way.. We joined, sampled wine, enjoyed songs by Tina “Tea” Turner, and had a ball!!

We then meet another friend and have dinner here at Busaba Eathai… My cousin loves here so she brought me here.. and the food was really good! I must say in London I ate all of my food every time! I think it’s because of the sizes of their portions… I never had leftovers, which is common whenever I eat out..

This drink was DELICIOUS!! It’s name was a guava collins I believe… it had guava, coconut milk, lime, thai lime leaf, and other stuff I guess… So good.. soo sooo good..

I had a pad thai… which was delish!

Calamari.. delish!!

My cousin had this green curry fried rice… delish again!

Our friend Giz had these wings.. They were the smallest things I have ever seen!! Pigeon wings they looked like, BUT, they were succulent, well seasoned, nicely fried, and delicious….

After dinner we went to a bakery and got dessert.. I had red velvet cake – one of my favorites.. but I just love cake on the whole… We went back to the street party, then went home… I could not wait to go to sleep.. tomorrow would be another wonderful day!

Love ya London!

This work by Vernelle Noel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.