Amazing Painted Hall - updated

Went to a very fancy dinner last Thursday night at the Painted Hall at the Naval College in Greenwich. It was an amazing room, luckily my camera is still acting up so I didn't even try and take a picture of its loveliness, so click on the above link to a 360 degree view of the room from BBC.

From a guide book here's a little background - Situated within the Old Royal Naval College, the Painted Hall was designed by Sir Christopher Wren in 1694 and was originally built to serve as the dining hall of Greenwich Hospital. The hospital was established for the relief and support of seamen and their dependants and for the improvement of navigation. It became the Royal Naval College in 1869, and recently the University of Greenwich has moved in.

It was here in January 1806 that the body of Lord Nelson lay in state after the Battle of Trafalgar as thousands came to pay their last respects to one of England’s finest Seamen. The paintings on the wall all represent a story or an event that happened, and took Sir James Thornhill 19 years to complete.

Dinner was to hear speakers from the British Antarctic Society, they have just design and will soon start building the next version of their research station called Halley VI. Full disclosure, a sister company of my employer did th engineering, which is why I was invited. The speakers were excellent and th eroom really was lovely.

Walking in Florida

So far behind, I haven't even posted the scary gator picture from my too-short visit to the 'rents in FLA. Picture was taken by my male parental unit while Mum and I were safely up on the overlook high up thing. To be honest, he was all the way across the lake-ette when he took the picture - but still brave.

I swear I'll go back to blogging about the UK and London soon.

Driving with Mum and Sis

My sister (who turned 40 this week! haha) lives in a little beach town near to St. Petersburg, Florida. The town is called Gulfport and its sort of an art/beach/sleepy/small town. Lots of colorful painted houses and its cool. This is a picture of the dragon of Gulfport, protecting one of the apartment houses. It has a sign which says, "Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons; for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup."

Who would buy this?

How's this for being out of touch; on this trip I discovered that one of my alma maters - the University of Florida (go gators) - has won the national football championship. Now, even I would have know this had I been in the country but it didn't cross my radar screen in the UK. Imagine my shock at the closing dinner for the conference on Wednesday night when the conversation turned to football (and here I am required to say American football) and what school did you go to and national champions. I'm shocked I didn't even have a clue they were in the running; especially since I only left the US in November.

But this entry is really about this commemorative Waterford crystal football, advertised at the Macy's in Tyrone Square Mall. I hope I am not offending any gentle readers - but who would buy this!? and why is it in crystal? there are really so many questions that this brings up, what are your questions?

Moms and babies

Completely off topic--just to remind you the topic is me moving to London and the delights I find there--I was in San Francisco visiting Henry and his parents and another new baby joined in the party, the one NOT in blue is the newest addition to my ever-growing cadre of under-one friends, Riley.

As you can see San Francisco was bright and sunny. Now I am in Phoenix headed to Florida; where it is completely possible I will get too much sun and begin to look forward to grey London. Oh, and the camera batteries died so no pictures of this portion of the trip - so imagine the lovely Arizona Biltmore Hotel in all its FLW-inspired beauty on gorgeous winter days in the 70s during the day and 40s at night. Then imagine me writhing in pain from some sort of food poisoning. Shout outs to friend BF who decided to call a doctor and get those so important drugs! Sigh, you would think I would be a good traveler by now.

House of Booze

This is a shop near my tube station on Finchley Road. One thing I love about the UK is how they name things. As my friend Marcia just said their Environment Protection Agency is called British Nature; it just is what it is. So this shop; which sells all sorts of liquor is called "House of Booze." They just call it what it is.