Tag Archives: Barnes

October 12, 2024 · 1:42 pm

Philly post reposted —-Barnes Foundation, city center, Reading Terminal market, kalaya Thai in Fishtown – Philadelphia

Somehow this post didn’t land on my blog site so reposting it for posterity!

March 12

It’s not everyday that you get to vacation with three of your closest friends who live far away and far from each other but here we are in Philly. How great is that?!

We’re staying in a very old red brick row on a narrow one-block lane in center city, mid-1800s we think. Charming, centrally located Airbnb. With narrow planked wood floors, a tight twisting, low ceiling wood staircase, small pretty rooms, a tiny back yard with a flowering tree of some unknown sort with pink blossoms.

A 25 minute walk in a blustery cold and blindingly bright sunny morning took us through graceful old Rittenhouse Square to the fantastic Barnes Foundation. Fascinating place. I feel like returning today.

The museum is in a very contemporary building with a Japanese feel. The art is uniquely displayed, as prescribed by the original collector. Each room has a mishmash of work carefully arranged (Renoir, cezanne, Monet, among the heavy hitters and lots of unfamiliar names and some no name folk art plus textiles, African sculptures, a micro rug…) symmetry and all, plus interesting metal utilitarian objects that when hung on the wall call attention to their decorative features. Old Pennsylvania Dutch hand painted chests and other antiques are also displayed in each room, just so.

It may sound precious but it’s more ingenious and mysterious. After awhile I gave up trying to see everything or trying to figure out the thinking behind the odd juxtapositions and just let my eye wander to whatever caught my eye. Literally. Apparently I am a Rousseau and Modigliani fan. And folk art, which is no surprise.

To each their own. Myra’s eye for example was caught by completely different work. It was fun to watch docents and teachers in action with young school kids. Oh and there are no informational labels. You can take a photo of a work on your cellphone and a description will pop up. The app also lets you keep a record of the work that most grabbed you. Cool!

Lunch was at very busy Reading terminal food hall. Tons of stalls and a bit overwhelming at first but a great local scene. We planted ourselves at a central food cart table and took turns foraging. The beef brisket sandwich was even better than the sliced pork with broccolini sandwich that was recommended to me by a local. Excellent German sweet chocolate cake.

Dinner was at Kalaya, a lively fun scene-y place in fishtown that is well regarded nationally. I found the Thai food a bit too complicated (and pricey.) I should have learned by now that the NYTimes annual list of innovative American restaurants plucked is not always a sure thing.

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Bonnard show at Tate Modern, Zizzi Italian, Oliveira Brazilian vegan food, Cote for brunch — London

I met another friend of 39 years, Jemima, who came all the way from her home in the northern town of Ludlow to meet up, for the first time in about four years. What a treat! She suggested an exhibit of work by Pierre Bonnard at the Tate Modern, one of my favorite London “it” spots. The exhibit itself turned out to be stunning (Go! Go!)

South Bank was packed with people, many speaking languages other than English, strolling along the Thames on a sunny day with a brisk wind. Such a buzzy place. London seems so vibrant, healthier than ever and yet Brexit looms, creating an odd sense of doom.

We had a good lunch at Zizzi, a chain Italian restaurant with surprisingly good food that, even more surprisingly, arrived at our table very quickly and still tasted good. (We shared pizza and a salad.) We also had a really nice view of the Thames and all the hubbub along the South Bank.

on Saturday night, Francine, Russ and I had highly unusual vegan and veggie Brazilian food at Oliveira in East Sheen. We are now back on Shalstone road where Russ is engrossed in a chess channel on YouTube that he swears by (Power Play Chess, should you be so inclined.)

On my last day in London, Francine, Russ and I had a nice brunch (English breakfast for Francine and I) at Cote restaurant in the pretty Richmond village of Barnes and then were blown by an intense wind along the Thames path, back to Mortlake.

Iowa girl done good in London! Pickle & Rye American sandwich shop

Met a talented young American couple at their cheerful sandwich shop in the London neighborhood of Mortlake yesterday. Val Miller grew up in Grinnell, Iowa, went to school at Central College in Pella, Iowa, fell in love with London during a semester abroad here (I did the same decades before.) While traveling around Europe, she met Alex Minor who grew up in Delaware, went to culinary school in San Francisco, worked in a restaurant in Italy. Three years ago, They opened their smart upscale shop called Pickle & Rye, serving large, well built, yummy sandwiches and are doing so well they are opening a second larger one nearby. The shop is decorated with U.S. tchotkes including mugs from Iowa and Des Moines on the tables. What a kick for Iowans in particular, and for my English friends who have visited us several times in Iowa. Did I mention the sandwiches are delicious? It is easy to see why they are doing well, given the quality of the food and their friendly Yank personalities. They are getting married soon in Grinnell and are determined to ride Ragbrai next summer, which I have been trying to convince my English friends to do for years. Word has it Richmond is home to the most Americans in London, but the customers I saw there were Brits.

On a crisp sunny day, we walked along narrow lanes lined with hearty flowers spilling over old brick walls to Barnes, which feels very much like a country village at times. we bought spelt flour, duck eggs, homemade hummus, crumpets and Florentines at the small outdoor Saturday market, then walked back up along the Thames to Mortlake Common where the local school was putting on a little fair. Then I feel asleep on a chair in my friends’ peaceful garden.

Later we went to an excellent Nepalese restaurant with an amusing name, The Greedy Buddha, in my old stomping ground of Fulham with my former neighbors from 34 years ago on Sullivan Road in Parsons Green, providing a little reminder of who I once was.