For those of you who don't yet haunt Katiefornia, please allow me to introduce the smartest, funniest, coolest and most truly beautiful person in the San Francisco Bay area, the delightful Katie.Katie's been staying with her wonderful friend Eric in Paris (not PDP Eric) and has just spent a spectacular few days in Tuscany before heading up here to rainy London to bring sunshine and happiness to Old Dive.
Here's what we got up to … (cue swirly effect and tinkly, time-travel music).
4:40 AM, Tuesday morning, I am dashing round the house like a mad thing, making sure I have camera batteries, changeable layers of clothing (the weather forecast says storm force winds and torrential, horizontal rain but when have they ever been right?), my "big boys' brolly"; the storm-proof one that's hefty enough for me to use as a walking stick in case my back goes again, and loads more crap.
It turns out my bag for the day is as big as Katie's for her entire stay in London; she is a seasoned planet-hopper and knows how to travel light.
Hokay … Drive into Norwich and get on the stupid train.
I leave an hour early which is just as well because my train is an hour late (I am a seasoned commuter and I know how these things happen).
So … I get to London before Katie's train is due in.Rather than meet her at her hotel I hie me to the glory that is St.Pancras railway station, home of jolly Sir John Betjeman, here standing near the famous clock and gazing at the quite beautifully restored Victorian roof that now houses the terminal for Eurostar trains coming in from Paris and Brussels.
Unlike my own trains, these sleek beauties run on time.The middle one has just pulled in to platform 7 at 09:52 on the dot, having hauled its precious cargo all the way from Paris Gard du Nord.
Downstairs at the ARRIVALS gate I scan the hundreds of faces and am beginning to wonder whether Katie has missed her train when suddenly she is there, not looking for me in the crowd as we're due to meet at the hotel.I grab a hasty and blurred photo and chase after her.
There is much squealing and hugging.
I love it when blogs collide.
St.Pancras station is currently being restored. It is my favourite station; an architectural gem.
Just along Euston Road and around the corner we enter Bloomsbury - Virginia Woolf country - where we find Katie's hotel nestled in a beautiful, tree-lined crescent with a little park. It's a haven from the traffic noise and bustle just a hundred yards away.That's Katie's room, arrowed; a quaint, Dickensian garret room with a view over the park and the massive old plane trees and the tennis courts below.
It is only a couple of streets away from the mutant Las Vegas monstrosity that Mme and MB stayed at a few weeks ago and which gave MB and I such a fit of architects' giggles.
Katie and I pass it on our way into the city and decide she has made the right choice. I am so impressed with the little hotel that the next time I'm stuck in London with crap trains it's the first place I'll be heading to look for a room.
So anyhoo …No sooner is Katie booked in than we are heading out across the city, aiming in a generally meandering way for the utterly breathtaking Rothko Show at Tate Modern; the first in a marathon series of cultural highlights we gleefully devour over the coming days.
Just around the corner from the hotel Katie screeches to a halt and photographs this cool mosaic entrance to one of the houses.This sets the tone for the entire trip. For anyone who doesn't remember this fabulous creation, Katie is - amongst a myriad of other talents - a great mosaicist and hunting them down becomes our quest.
But a whole lot happens before we hit the mosaic trail …
Tune in tomorrow for the first part of our epic two day trek.
35 comments:
Nice to meet you Katie... looking forward to the journey of two days in London with you both....
Oh, Dive, I almost cried reading your description of Katie (my niece). Didn't we tell you that Katie would improve your mood. She always brings sunshine. I'm hanging on your blog now, (have been only a lurker till now), especially since yours are the first photos of Katie since she and the other PDPers got together. You are eloquent and funny. Thank you for sharing her.
Mum, you'd have hated it. We walked several thousand miles at speed and looked at lots of the modern art that makes you start yelling in the middle of a quiet gallery.
Good morning, Lupine Lady!
I had to edit that description down a little so that Katie wouldn't think "Oh, crap; the old creep has fallen in love with me." Hee hee.
She is such great company. As soon as we met I felt comfortable like we were already old friends (which I hope we will come to be).
She did indeed make the sun come out as you'll see over the coming days.
I am already eagerly awaiting her next foray on to this side of the pond.
She had some lovely things to say about you, too.
Love those tiles!!!! So you guys won't be doing the London thing tomorrow :( waaaaaaaaaaaah!
Everytime I see 'Katiefornia' I think of 'Californication' for some reason! :p
Glad to know you're back!
You read that wrong young man... I did not mean I wanted to actually be in London ....just to see the photo's
tee hee, nice to know you are not always right!!!!!!
Joy: MUCH more mosaic stuff to come, some of which is truly mind-blowing.
I'm glad to be back, too.
Mum: Have I ever been right?
Hey ho.
Lots and lots of photos to come. I still can't believe we got so much done.
I knew I'd seen that mosaic before ! - Bloomsbury mosaic
If Katie loves mosaics, she might want to search Ham's site for them - he's spotted loads!
Well isn't it great to see these photos Dive. I especially love the hastily shot one as she arrived. What fun! I bet she's lovely, we've emailed a few times and she's charming. The hotel looks gorgeous - just my type of hotel in London. The next few days will be very exciting; to come here and check out the produce of your camera. Laughed at the size of your bag, Dive! I'm a light packer like Katie, but my daily bag is always HUGE! I know, I don't get it either.
Well spotted, Lynn.
Hoorah for Ham! I must disagree with him about his description of the place though; the owner who stepped indoors to allow us to photograph his mosaic gave us a lovely smile as we left; he had been carefully cleaning it as we approached.
Katie is even lovelier in person than she is online.
The hotel is gorgeous; all original inside and luckily I could leave my bag in Katie's room as I didn't need anything more than my camera and brolly.
delicious! xoxo ;)
You certainly are, Savannah!
Hee hee.
xoxox
Dive, I woke up especially early this morning just so I could access your blog and read about your adventures with my darling Katie. I'm so glad she brought sunshine to your life and pulled you out of the doldrums. She never fails to make me laugh. I can hardly wait to read about the rest of your adventures, and thanks for the pictures!
Good morning, Cynthia!
And happy birthday once again for yesterday. We did have fun raising a glass to you in the restaurant and sending you birthday wishes.
And we did indeed have adventures! Gosh, what a busy couple of days. there will be lots more (and much sunnier) pictures to come.
Dive, I love the statue in the Eurostar station and was wondering if you could tell me what the lovely calligraphy says.
Betjeman was a wonderful old codger, Lupine Lady, as well as a glorious poet.
The lines around him were supposed to read:
"Here where the cliffs alone prevail
I stand exultant, neutral, free,
And from the cushion of the gale
Behold a huge consoling sea."
… but somehow these got changed for another stanza from his poem Cornish Cliffs:
"And in the shadowless, unclouded glare
Deep blue above us fades to whiteness where
A misty sea-line meets the wash of air."
There are many more quotes scattered around the station. Here is a great link to the sculptor and calligraphist's site with a feature on it:
http://www.martinjennings.com/betjeman.html
Zippity doo dah - Katie in London with my darling Dive checking out the mosaics. How wonderful for you both.
I love those first lines of Betjeman's poem.
Hello, Mme! You'll see some familiar sights over the next few days.
As I write this, Katie is riding on the Eye with Rose before heading back to Paris this afternoon and we also wandered through the parks and bought tea in Fortnums just like you did!
Hee hee.
I love it Dive! Thanks for reporting in. Can't wait to hear more. I'm home with a horrible migraine this morning but have come out of my cave to see about your trip and now must hurry away from the brightness of this monitor before something busts in my nog. Those are wonderful pics of Katie. So glad you two have met in person. You seem to have so much in common. If I could just remove my head I'd feel so warm and fuzzy all over. :D
Oh, Shan, no! You poor girl. Migraines are hateful. I do hope you feel better soon.
Katie and I do have so much in common. Meeting her was like meeting a dear, lifelong friend. Yesterday we spent from breakfast time until long into the evening talking and talking (and walking and walking, too). Hee hee.
Hello Dive, another lurker commenting for the first time.
This is a lovely piece of writing. You've captured the essence of Katie in photos and words.
Just so you know, not all CA girls are like her. I should know, I also happen to be from CA!
Hi, Cali, and welcome!
Not all California girls are like Katie?
Rats!
I was thinking of moving there.
Hee hee.
Looks like you and Katie had a full, fun-packed day. Sounds like one of those days that settles into your mind and never leaves. I love days and memories like that. A great, great post, Dive. I will wager there are very few people on the planet like Katie. She appears to be a real peach.
Dive I'm totally blushing! Well, maybe that's the wine I had at lunch with Rose. Anyway, too fun to read this, especially all the stuff at the train station. You were THE BEST host ever, and I totally agree that it was like spending a wonderful few days with a long lost friend. I'm bummed I can't post photos now like you can, but when I get back to CA, our time in London will definitely warrant several posts! Thank you again for everything; I had a fabulous brilliant time with you!!
Mark, she certainly is!
Hi, Katie!
I'm so glad you managed to meet up with Rose. How was the Eye?
You must be about to head back to Paris; I'm about to head off to college but I'd far rather have spent another day with you in London.
I had a fabulous and brilliant time with you, too. I can't believe how much we got done in two days (especially as we spent most of the first day staring at Rothko paintings).
I can't wait for this time next year and the opportunity of more great times with you.
And no blushing; you are awesome and you know it! Hee hee.
Dive
You are right, Katie is just
A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E
And you know what?
I think this is one of those rare blogs where you were not sarcastic and dry...
;)
Rose, you are so right!
I just know that you had a marvellous day with Katie; how could anyone not?
I'll pop over to your blog later for a full report!
You should move to CA just to experience it for yourself. The state is beautiful. Katie represents the best of CA, most of us don't quite measure up to her. I'm not just talking height here, Katie!
It looks like you got off to a good start on your London tour. How fun.
I have been to that train station—how did I miss the incredible statue of the man looking up?
Hi From Cali and Rose! Good to see you here. xx Isn't our Katie lovely?
Hi Katie - what a hoot - can just imagine the fun you would have had!!!!
Cali: If I could transfer my job to San Francisco I would move there today.
Robyn: Next time you are here, Betjeman's statue is at the top of the stairs by the Eurostar arrivals gate. There is also a horrid, tacky statue of two sappy lovers underneath the clock (a famous trysting place).
Lynn: She sure is.
Jules: It's horrid here now she's gone. I want more fun!!!!
Dive,
It is so nice to see you back in the saddle. See, we all love you! I am dying to come to visit you for a tour. Could you handle a couple of teenagers?
Neetzy, come on over.
You may well have to sit, twiddling your thumbs with boredom while the girls and I talk nothing but manga, cosplay and gothic Lolita style and head for the comic shops and the Japanese quarter. Hee hee.
The light on Katie's face in the first photo is quite lovely.
I was particularly pleased with that one, T.
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