Weekend in London

London bridges, en route to Tate Modern

This past weekend Robin and I ventured down to London. There were a number of reasons for the journey including:

-to celebrate Robin's birthday 

-to visit Robin's brother Matt and his flatmate Josh

-to visit my Uncle John who has lived in Britain for years

-to see contemporary galleries and museums in UK's art hub

Miroslaw Balka piece @ Tate Modern, where you essentially walk into a long, dark tunnel until the end. People with cell phones and cameras ruined the experience, unfortunately. 

Highlights were many, in no particular order:

-Catching up with my friend Mikey from undergrad 

Me & Mikey by the canals that neither of us knew about

-Whisky tasting compliments of Matt and Josh - there were 9 different kinds in their flat (Impressive, I know) and we compared them all, immediately after the Best Mexican Food I've Had in the UK, enchiladas prepared by Matt. The crowd pleasing whisky was by far a Very Rare Irish Middleton.

-Exhibition of French artist Sophie Calle, who took a break-up letter and had it interpreted by dozens of women, from anthropologist to teenager to professional dancer. Genius. Whitechapel Gallery is an excellent space.

-Monday afternoon americanos and cheese plate @ Pan Quotidien cafe, where you all sit at a big community table and almost feel like you can chat with the people next to you

-Dinner with John and his girlfriend Judy - delicious and fun

-Roaming around picturesque neighborhoods like Primrose Hill and Hampstead Heath, absorbing the pace of the city, which is much more bustling than our little burgh.

Sunday morning walk up Primrose Hill

-Eating in the dark. Pitch pitch dark. I can't say I really enjoyed the experience and actually felt kind of ill afterward, but heck I'll put it on the highlights list. The waiters were blind, the food was par, and mysterious, and we all kept grabbing hold of one another's shoulders to make sure we existed (no photos available).