Postcard From London: Hampstead, The Heath, and Feeling Guilty

For the past several weeks I've been settling in and exploring the area--along with caring for a very sweet dog named Chilli. After my first whirlwind week in London it has been nice to slow down a bit. And with a backyard like this, who can blame me? 

Luckily, Hampstead Heath is close by so I've been taking Chilli on some good long walks nearly every day, though more recently those walks haven't been quite as long. I strained my hip muscle at some point during the last few weeks because my lazy American body isn't used to all this walking. Though in fairness, before I left I was doing this squatting workout from something I saw on Pinterest, which was probably just setting me up for this injury. Lesson learned: do not engage in an exercise regime that is superimposed over a picture of someone's butt.   

To make things more complicated, Hampstead itself sits on a hilly area above London. However, the amazing views manage to make up for the pain:

What I like most about this area is that if you squint a bit, and ignore the cars and the McDonald's, you can almost trick yourself into thinking you'd gone back in time. Last Saturday I did a wonderful walking tour of Hampstead with London Walks and learned all about its history. Not surprisingly, it has long been a popular neighborhood for writers, artists, and actor types. H.G. Wells, John Keats, Daphne Du Maurier, and John Constable all lived here. More recent residents include Ridley Scott, Ricky Gervais, Judi Dench, Jeremy Irons, and Liz Taylor (among many others). With a history like that it's hard not to feel inspired just by walking around. 

The Romantic poet John Keats spent the last years of his life in Hampstead and here is where he wrote some of his best known poems, often inspired by his walks on the heath nearby.

Here is a replica of Keats' death mask, because I'm creepy. Apparently the original disappeared shortly after he died in Rome.

And this the Admiral's house which served as the inspiration for Admiral Boom in Hampstead resident P.L. Travers' Mary Poppins.

Get a peak at that sky--Constable painted it numerous times and I can see why. Every sunset has caught my eye and I'm not even at the top of the hill. 

And yet, as lovely as this all is I can't wait for James to be by my side so we can experience it together. He will love Hampstead and I'm looking forward to showing him around. Traveling alone definitely has its perks and I'm really glad I'm doing this, but there are some things that are just better with another person. 

I've also been struggling a bit with feeling guilty since I haven't gotten much work done. But, my time here is limited. If I end up spending the day wandering around the heath instead of inside writing, so be it. As Annie Dillard wrote: "How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." A chapter of my life spent wandering around London is much more fulfilling than writing inside a house in London. I can get back to my usual routine when I'm home. But for now, this is what I want my days to look like:

Literary London: Barrie, Dickens, and The Bloomsbury Group

Long before I came to London, I had an idea of what it was like thanks to writers like Charles Dickens and J.M. Barrie, whose vivid descriptions have long held a place in our collective imagination. It was a foggy place filled with cobblestoned roads and row houses where colorful characters lived while fairies flew through the night sky and unseen terrors lurked in the shadows. Of course, no real place can ever live up to our imagined expectations, but even still there's a magical quality to the city, perhaps in part enhanced by its rich literary history, which can be found on seemingly every street corner. This is, after all, a place that has dedicated a whole tube station to a fictional character:

The Sherlock Holmes Museum (notably, not the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle museum) is located at 221 Baker Street, naturally:

Even still, there are plenty of real life literary heros who walked these streets. In fact, writers like Dickens, Barrie, and Woolf are so well-known and beloved that they have become characters themselves. I love visiting the places where larger than life authors lived and worked. It's fun and educational but also inspirational. And who couldn't benefit from a little inspiration now and then?

First up was the Dickens Museum. I'm not a huge Dickens fan (a bit wordy for my taste), but his influence on Western literature is undeniable. Even if you've never read a word, you can still probably name at least a few characters: Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim, Miss Havisham, Oliver Twist. To me, Dickens' greatest legacy is the characters he created. Therefore, the museum, housed in a townhouse he rented for a few years during the beginning of his career, is a real treat for both the casual fan and fervent admirer. Here he wrote Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby, among others, and it is also a great example of how an upper middle class family lived during the mid-19th century. 

Charles Dickens' kitchen. He was not the only writer in his family, as his wife Catherine wrote a cookbook: What Shall We Have For Dinner?

Um, best wall designs ever?

There's a lovely terrace out back where you can relax with a cup of tea and reflect on the house.

A few blocks and several decades removed is Bloomsbury, where the Bloomsbury group, made up of 20th century artists, intellectuals, and writers, got their name. I didn't know much about them until I took a course on Virginia Woolf in grad school. Though I admire her, Woolf's fiction isn't my cup of tea. However, her diaries are fun, witty, and a fascinating window into the era. 

Gordon Square was home to several prominent members, the economist John Maynard Keynes and sisters Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell all lived at number 46, though at different times. Hey, it's an important distinction to make. This is the Bloomsbury group after all.

Nearby is Tavistock Square, where Virginia Woolf lived with her husband Leonard.

This memorial to Virginia Woolf stands near where they lived.

Interestingly, Dickens also lived in Tavistock square at one time. Ev'rybody wants to be in the stock!

Tavistock Square is also home to this famous statue of Ghandi as well as other memorials to those who have championed peace.

But closest to my heart is Peter Pan, the catalyst for my lifelong obsession with London. When I was a kid I loved Peter Pan so much that I begged my mom to change my name to Wendy. (This is a good example of why children should not be able to name themselves.) Thankfully she said no, but my love affair with the story of The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up and the Darling children continued. 

I decided to track down author J.M. Barrie's house near the northern part of Kensington Gardens he met the Llewelyn Davies boys who inspired his greatest creation. In fact, the character of Peter Pan first appears in a section of Barrie's novel The Little White Bird called "Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens". 

100 Bayswater Road at Leinster Corner is a private home.   

The only sign is the tell-tale blue plaque that marks many historically significant buildings throughout the city.

Kensington Gardens from 100 Bayswater Road. Perhaps this was where Barrie first encountered George, Jack, and Peter Llewelyn Davies while walking his Saint Bernard dog Porthos.

Dispatch from London: Week One

 "What was I doing here alone in great London? What should I do on the morrow? What prospects had I in life? What friends had I on earth? Whence did I come? Whither should I go? What should I do?"~Villette

That quote may be a bit dramatic, but I've identified with it more than once this week. A three month trip abroad is all well and good  in theory until one day you're at the airport saying goodbye to people you won't see for weeks on end. I know though that the beginning is the hardest part, but that is also what makes it an adventure. 

I've only been here a few days but have already learned some new things about myself, namely that I cannot sleep in a room with 14 other people. I know, I know, I have nothing to complain about. But still, between the jetlag, a cold that I think was brought on by pre-trip stress, and four hours of sleep a night max, I've been pretty worn out. Nonetheless, I've still managed to log  a decent amount of sightseeing in each day. Of course, at the end of it I'm ready for bed (not that anyone around here let's me sleep). Tomorrow I'll stay in the housesitting  house which is lovely and hopefully I'll be back to normal by Sunday. In the meantime, here are some thoughts and photos:

~Oh last week's Emily, there is so much I want to tell you, so many things you need to be warned of, like B.O. so strong that it can be smelt from across a hostel dorm room--even through the privacy curtains. And you think you're tired now? Just wait...

~I started the week with a visit to the Museum of London, which was very interesting and free. I learnt all about the origins of London, the fall of the Roman empire, the devastation wrought by the Black Death and the fire of 1666, and I saw this amazing hat from an exhibit on the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens:

Screw the 90s, this is the kind of fashion that needs to make a comeback!

~Imagine cooking in this ancient Roman kitchen. Or rather, imagine your indentured servant doing the cooking.

~The museum is right around the remains of the old Londinium wall built by the Romans. There's something to be said here about the intersection of modern life and antiquity by someone much more clever than myself.

~London smells the same, not in a bad way and it wasn't something I remembered until I started walking around, but it definitely has a distinctive scent all it's own. Like they say, scent is the strongest link to memory.

~I've been walking far too much, but I can't help it. There is something to see seemingly on every street. Just one more block, I'll tell myself. Ok, now just one more. One more. My feet and hips will be happy for a day or two of rest. Of course, when I get shots like these of Saint Paul's, it's all worth it:

~This city is still shockingly expensive. I've probably spent 30 GBP on the tube alone and I've only used it twice a day. That's also without going to any of the expensive touristy places, i.e. The Tower, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, etc. Instead, I've mostly stuck to free things like Regent's Park and walking along the Thames. Even still, the great travelcard vs oyster card debate seems to have been settled. Once James comes and we hit all the sites in central London, we'll both have to get travelcards.  

~There really is nothing like an English cuppa. I don't know if it's the water or the tea bags, but either way I can't replicate it back home so I'll have to enjoy it while I'm here. 

~I've been telling James about the Brit's obsession with sandwiches for weeks now ("And the sandwiches, so many different kinds! Ones you've never even dreamed of!") But really, I think this picture says more than I ever could: 

~On that note, I'm very much looking forward to having a kitchen to cook in. The food at the hostel wasn't half bad and pretty cheap but the menu was limited. I went to the corner store yesterday and got some snacks to mix things up a bit:

I demand to know why Kit Kat is keeping Chunky peanut butter out of the states!

Reliving London

July 2nd, 2006

"I already know I'm going to miss this city. I can feel it in my stomach..."

On Monday at approximately 9 am I will touch down in London seven years after leaving. Far too much time has passed, but life got in the way--as it always does. I've spent the better part of a year planning this trip, this escape, and yet I've been filled with anxiety about all the what ifs: What if my luggage gets lost? What if my credit cards don't work? What if someone steals my computer? What if I want to come home?

While looking for my combination lock this afternoon, I found the diary I kept while I was in London: 

 July 26th, 2006

"I believe one must always be curious, seeking out new experiences to live a full life. Never allow yourself to get bored or get stuck in a rut. There is too much out there to explore." 

In all honesty, I'm pretty sure the Emily of then would be disappointed with the Emily of today and how scared she is right now--to say nothing of the rut I've found myself in for the past couple of years.  Reading this reminded me of how happy I was, how fulfilled I felt while living in London. Of course, it's only natural to feel nervous before taking a big leap but I don't want it to color my time there. I want to be past all that. 

Perhaps all adventurers feel this way beforehand. Even the idea that this time next week I'll be writing from London seems unreal. Sometimes when we are separated from someone or something we care about it exists only in our memory for so long that it is no longer a part of reality. Instead, it becomes the fantastic,  the untouchable living only in our imagination.  To be able to go back to this place is a gift. 

July 2nd, 2006

"I want my life to always be like this, filled with music, culture, writing, excitement...leafy trees and wide sidewalks."

I want to be this person again. I've tried to be, but the day to day work of getting by can muddle things. Hopefully this time away will help me sort things out.

Tour de New England: A Photo Essay

As kind of a last hurrah before I head off to Europe James and I traveled to my family's house (aka Camp) in Maine for a few days. It turned into a little tour of New England since we then made our way to Boston and Rhode Island, managing to hit every New England state except Vermont. I swear it was an unintentional slight! 

After hitting the road late, we stopped for lunch in Portsmouth, NH which has become something of a tradition for us. If you've never been, Portsmouth is a wonderful seaside town with a ton of delicious restaurants. It reminds me of a smaller Portland. After walking around we decided to hit up an old favorite, The Friendly Toast. It kind of reminds me of the description of Uncle Moe's Family Feedbag because there's a bunch of crazy retro stuff everywhere. James was particularly enamored of a KFC bucket table light. Funnily enough, they have a location in Cambridge that I've never been to. That will be a question on Emily Jepordy.

That sign says Beer and Lunch, btw.

The Gentleman Scramble with cheddar-cayenne toast. When I see avocado as an ingredient, 9 times out of ten I order it. A week later and I am still dreaming of that toast. No, really. 

Finally made it to Maine! 

This is what adults do without cable or internet.

When I was a teenager I went to a giant barn of books somewhere in Maine. It was awesome. I couldn't remember where it was, so when I googled "Book Barn Maine" this place came up. It wasn't the same one, but just as good. 

I mean, come on.

Guess which ones are mine and which ones are James'! That's sexist! My love of Larry Bird rivals Leslie Knope's! (Just kidding about the sexist part. You were totally right.)

Even as I was taking this photo this song was running through my head. I am a walking cliche on so many levels. 

Shore dinner from The Portland Lobster Co.

Next stop: Beantown for a Sox game!

On the way home our cab driver talked about how our hotel was haunted. Subsequently, I woke up in the middle of the night convinced that a ghost was looking at me. It turned out to be the giant mirror in our room. 

I couldn't come to the city without stopping by to say hello!

On to Charlestown, Rhode Island for the 4th!

 My uncle roasted a whole pig, which was delicious but even still....I think I'm off meat for a while.

Aaaaand because I am the best house guest ever I brought Flour's famous sticky buns for breakfast!