My dear friend from Germany (the one who's 50th I celebrated with a couple of years ago by being a surprise guest at her party) surprised me with her unexpected flying UK visit. Me coughing and spluttering at the tail end of my cold but how could I stay at home. So I wrapped up; found an empty carriage on the train to sit in and zoomed into London.
It was the first time both of us saw the Meeting Place statue in St Pancras International. I had been looking forward to seeing it for ages but have to say I was slightly dampened by it. We didn't like the eyes in typical blank carved format, which together with the greco looking heads and noses gave an out of worldly look .... almost sci-fi alien like! And then the other main thing is that there is just not enough space around the statue. With a brick wall facade right behind it and glass wall about equidistant in front of it, the meeting area around becomes an almost narrow walkway hemmed in front and back. I want to see the whole statue ... the couple embrace ... from a comfortable distance but that is just not possible. And then there is the cricked neck one gets from looking up so high. Moan! Moan! Moan! But I don't mean to!
The weather was glorious and we went down to Richmond for the day. After walking along the Thames we went up into some public gardens and a little tea rooms where, in the wintry sunshine, wrapped up in our coincidentally identical coats and scarves, we sat on the balcony on iron chairs with old cushions and partook of tea and cake and shared old times and new.
12 comments:
What a lovely surprise, sounds like you had a good day. Nothing quite like an English cup of tea.
Sounds a good day.
Excellent to go for a meeting like this and fun to be in Richmond too.
The Richmond view has a slightly chilly look about it, although the tea has a reassuringly brisk appearance.
"there is still movement and a zest for life in me yet."
I never doubted it for a second!
I wonder how many little boys can resist trying to look up the skirt...
Love the teapot and background.
Your description of a perfect day with a friend really brightened my outlook on a cold and rainy evening.
MrsDoF
Anji
:-) Indeed it is lovely.
Thursday
It was! :-)
Steg
You smooth talker you! But sometimes I do doubt it. Sometimes it feels like my get up and has got up and gone but that reassured me.
Cheryl
LOL It is solid so no chance .... very easy to see that is the case without peering because almost the only way to see this statue close-up is to look up. Anyway, anyone with half a mind on the scene will notice more the incredibly large feet of the woman .... very long if they weren't in the high heels
Diane
Awwwww I am so pleased! It was a truly wonderful day for us and one to share :-)
Oh gosh, I LOVE that photo. Is that really your table & the view? If so, I'm hugely jealous! Heck, even if it's not, I'm hugely jealous.
How wonderful to visit with your girlfriend.
ps... how did Cheryl know I was peekin' up that skirt?
Mmm, sounds like a glorious day. I do like the statue (from what you can see in the photo) but your photo also illustrates wonderfully how one cannot get a proper sense of the statue - what a pity and waste of what could be a wonderful piece of art for the people.
Aw, how nice! I wish people flew into Seattle occasionally for an afternoon pot of tea! :-)
Richmond is beautiful, too. I had a great aunt that lived there, I loved the park.
Funny that you're both wearing the same coat and scarf, I have friends that do that. Robert and I do it a lot, too, same colours, same day.
What brilliant photos you do take!!
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