Church Today

Visited St. Marylebone (mar y le bone) church today. Unfortunately, I've been lazy & this is my first service since I've been here. The church is across the street from the Royal Academy of Music & some of the choir are students there. Gorgeous music including Dvorak's Mass in D and Cantique de Jean Racine by Faure. The choir is professional and, although it has only 10 members, it sounds quite full. The service lasted from 11 to after 1:00; it was a special service since the rector was retiring. The rector's wife writes music & quite a lot of her music was sung, including music to "How Do I Love Thee" and "Grow Old Along With Me" by the Brownings who were married in this church. Charles Wesley is buried on the church grounds & the church has connections to many other famous people including Charles Dickens, Lord Byron & Lord Nelson. Here's a link for more information: http://www.stmarylebone.org.uk/history01.htm (7/12/09)

Borough Market & Fireworks

Had a burger (beef, not kangaroo!), sangria & homemade ice cream at Borough Market on the 4th of July. Also bought a carrot cake to take to our 4th of July party that night at a coworkers home. The photo doesn't do justice to the fabulous fireworks display we had. (7/4/09)

Greenwich

Went with friends from work to the village of Greenwich. We took a boat down the Thames to Greenwich & took a train back. Sort of like New Years at Times Square, the large red ball starts its way up (on its way up in the first photo) at 5 minutes until 1:00 daily & drops at exactly 1:00. The stainless steel sculpture points out the line of the prime meridian. Ever indecisive, here I stand with one foot in the Eastern hemisphere & one in the Western! (7/3/09)

Street Scenes

Check out the mirrors on the bus that look like "feelers." Many of the cabs have very cool paint jobs advertising everything! I've seen Jack Daniels, Memphis, Elvis. The one pictured is rather sedate -- I intend to get some more interesting cab pictures.

Gardens at Work

Some of the gardens at work that make me look for excuses to go outside!

Kensington & Gardens

A quick look at Kensington Gardens and outside the palace. Statues are Queen Victoria and William of Orange. There's a very nice restaurant beside the palace called the Orangery where we had lunch. 6/27/09

Covent Garden Market

Fine fun music at Covent Garden Market on a Saturday. The musicians were quite talented, played a number of mostly classical pieces, and were very energetic, especially the bass player who hauled his instrument all through the audience trying to sell CDs. I was amazed at how the cello player never sat to play his instrument. The flute player was lovely and moved very balletically (may not be a word, but you know what I mean) to the music. 6/29/09