Last day...

So this was our last day...we bussed over to the louvre...i couldnt believe how big it was!!!...I remember the  davinci movies...but..we only saw a few things..were there a couple hours...mostly to see the mona  Lisa...unfortunately we couldnt get closer than about twenty feet...and then we had to bust our way through the throngs of people trying to take selfies in front of her... We split off from the group and walked to the musee d'dorsay...all the impressionists..plus they were having a bonnard exhibition...i have much more to tell you but we have to hit the hay..it's 11:30 and we leave for the airport at 6:50... I will finish up tomorrow...we had the best time and met the most wonderful folks...stay tuned...

So ...today...

So we ventured to versailles today...i mean, really?????.... Did anyone have to live like this?...no wonder the folks stormed the palace...but I have to say the gardens were gorgous!! And we had a delightful  lunch at petit venice...a restaurant on the grounds... Then on to a bus tour of mont martre...oh my mercy..I was in heaven!!...i took so many photos, my ipad lost all its juice!..i cant wait to get home to see what kind of fodder I have for painting... We tried to get into the restaurant where they filmed as good as it gets...the were booked but we did get to see where they sat...then happened to fall into a great local restaurant for dinner...walked back to our hotel...looking forward to tomorrow..le louvre and le musee d'orsey......if davey hangs in there with me, that is....

On to paris....

So we hopped the bus at 8:30 this morning..departed the pancras train station at 10:25... We got there early enough to get some lunch for later and to change our lefty pounds into euros...and we still almost didnt make the train..or so davey thought...we were frantically trying to get though customs,etc, had totally lost our group..of course it was all my fault...☺️...but we made the train with plenty of time to spare!!!!...And it was really very painless..we went through several tunnels..always thinking..."is this the chunnel???"... We'd been served a continental breakfast..after loading up on our usual hotel breakfast in london...a very dry roll...didnt eat it...and some yogurt muesli..didnt eat it..coffee..already had enough...and a croissant...started with a pinch off the side...just a taste...ended up eating the whole damn thing!!!...so i ended up eating the lunch i bought at about three paris time...thank heavens we choose the late dinner time...so whilst we went thru the chunnel, davey managed to go to the loo..get some bloodies..and missed the whole thing...then on to paris..traveling at upwards of 180 mph...the first photo is self-explanatory...the second...not so much...this is one of the first sites we saw on the bus from the train station to our hotel...it's called "tent city" and its rather a slum..these pople live here..along the rails..in tents the city afforded them..one of the most depressing sites you could imagine..i snapped a photo and this fellow kept flipping off our bus..over and over..i imagine he's used to being caught on camera...possibly could be good incentive to get OUT of that hell hole!!..we, on the other hand, are safely ensconced in the intercontinental hotel...the place even smells wonderful..possibly all the fresh orchids in the lobby..we took a tour of the city earlier and are having a drink  in our room...but there's a very strange noise happening when we turn on the water...and it's taking forever to get hot..... Stay tuned....

A day at the british...continued....

Ok...so i finally found my photos from today...it was like gravy..all of a sudden..there they were!!!...so you can see that my husband passed up lots of learning opportunities...in favor of trying to make me laugh...(he says I'm easy!!)...and stalking the hundreds of japanese people who kept barging their way through everyone else!..we had some nice fish and chips and at the moment we are out in our own private smoking area finishing off our red wine..looking forward to paris...stay tuned...

A day (two hours) at the museum..apologies to ben stiller and robin williams...and all the others...

I hate this... I left my ipad on the bus and so all the photos i took in the british are on my phone...if you know my hubby you can imagine what they were like...we saw the rosetta stone..very cool...some wonderful statuary and a chess set and a bunch of mummies...sounds strange but it if you took twenty seconds at every artifact it would take you two years to go thru the museum instead of two hours...we can always come back...and when you see the pics of davey you'll get the idea of theoverwhelming size   and scope...then on to high tea at i cant remember where..actually not high tea..that was creAted basically by a bored artistocrat..ill find out and fll you in later..heading out for a local pub dinner on our own..or with whomever we run into ...off thru the chunnel and on to paris tomorrow... Im posting a photo of Davey giving some serious advice to winston whilst frank looks on...

Tonight..

So here's a photo of our host..winston churchill..we are staying at the hyatt churchill and they are celebrating the 70th anny of the end of the big war...here sits winston..in the little courtyard of the churchill bar at the hotel...after four p.m., there's a 25 pound minimum...PER PERSON... In the churchill bar...needless to say we find other places to have a night cap but it is a sweet little place with sheepskin  in the chairs... We had a big breakfast and an early dinner so we snuck in there...before four...to have a beer and a snack...then on the bus to ride to simpsons..a restaurant started in 1826...we got there fashionably early so we had time to pop over to the savoy for a drink in the bar..they had a L5000 brandy available...only four shots of it left in the world...learning so much about ..just things...the best part of the savoy bar were the black and white photos on the walls..great dinner and got to know  more new people...we are forty in the tour and they really try to switch us all up so we meet different folks...fun...then we went to the theatre for an amazing...absolutely a..ma..zing production of warhorse!!!...i bawled my eyes out..but what's new??...we are all enzausted from two days but we get to sleep in tomorrow...not leaving til 9:30... British museum and high tea and then the rest of the day to wander and get packed for france...stay tuned!

Quick update...

Just a quick note aboit our morning...the first photo is of some of the ravens at the tower of london...they guard the premises and they always have to have six..superstition...we saw the crown jewels...huge hoo-hah!!!!..again...who needs that much excess?.. But they do take their monarchy very seriously...then on to a cruise on the thames and then up on the london eye...its truly huge and colossal..couldnt get the whole thing in a single photo...wasnt sure i could do it but it was surprisingly ok!.. We saw a lot of london today on the bus..this is an absolutely amazing city..went down to the old london town...the original square mile that used to be surrounded by a wall..i love all the curving streets altho i'm sure it must make it hard to navigate..theres about to be a huge tie up in the city..the taxi drivers are holding a protest of the soon-to-be-arriving uber ta i service...and who could blame them!!...we'll be lucky to get out of our hotel today...early dinner at simpsons and then to see the play WARHORSE...they are truly running us ragged....but we've met some wonderful people and we're having a ball!!!!

Y

Day two...

Heres davey.. Outside the national gallery on sunday..this fellow he's with is floating in midair!..or so it seemed...sitting at breakfast and depart for the tower of london at eight...then a ride on the london eye...not sure ill be able to do it!!!...still dizzy after all these years.....

Day two

So here's davey..patiently waiting for me to browse around the  national gallery sunday..i saw an amazing sargeant show at the portrait gallery but couldnt take any pics.. Today we are the first ones at breakfast..of course..and head out to the tower of london and a trip on the eye...i may not be able to do it with my dizziness...

first day in london..officially...

 

So this morning we hopped the bus at eight..early breakfast..drove a while to windsor castle..one of the  guards, possibly running late for the "changing", came flying down the cobbled path..shoes clomping...our guide said to give him a wide berth..we were able to see the famous doll house and some of the quarters...i can honestly say i have never seen such gaudy excess in my life!!!..the queen wasn't in residence but we saw far off where she would have been staying...i cant imagine HOW anyone could actually LIVE in a place like that!!!!...meanwhile davey pointed out that if it hadn't been for the americans...all this lavish wealth would have belonged to the germans and/or the japanese....many of whom were storming their way round the grounds....but I digress...another bus ride pointing out some sights and then on to westminster abbey...which i did love!!..especially poets corner...no pics allowed inside either place...tonight we are getting treated to a talk by winston churchill's   grand daughter before dinner at gordon ramsey's...another full day tomorrow..having such fun but this is going to be grueling!!!!!..stay tuned!

Ok so i was wrong...

today we go to windsor castle and westminster abby!

Heading out..

today we hop a bus and visit kensington and a few other places.. Dinner tonight at gordon ramsey's...i hope he doesnt scream at me....we found out we have free wifi at the hotel so more later...still cant figure out how to do pics..we have some young folks on the tour..be picking their brains the whole way...stay tuned!

The out of towners......

So we arrived in london a day early to get acclimated.... They are five hours ahead over here...so we've done a bit of napping...hit two different pubs in the first two days...davey took me to the national gallery and the portrait gallery today... I thought he might do a chevy chase from vacation... Check it out... But he was very patient and i loved every minute!!!!...i spent the last 30-45 minutes in the special john singer sargeant show...no photographs allowed... I could have spent the whole afternoon in there!!!!!.. Took lots of pics earlier in the day but can't figure out how to post them... We're still figuring out wifi over here..the tour officially started tonight... We are going to be up early and very busy... Eating well and having such fun..i may have to wait to post pics til we return!!

Home from Church

12x9

oil on board

 

I had a wonderful experience Saturday night...my gallery in Bloomington, the Venue, owned by David, Gabe and Michelle Martin Coleman, hosted an event!  the idea was to choose 10 artists and 10 poets..the most creative people they could find (their words) and pair them up.  the artists brought in two paintings apiece..then the poets selected one painting each.  they were then to write a poem inspired by the painting at hand... last Saturday we had five collaborations and next Saturday the remaining five will be read...my poet was the most delightful woman and one of the first poets they contacted.  she said my painting really spoke to her and after hearing her poem I will never look at this painting in the same way again!.. below is Tonia Matthew's poem, "Home from Church":

 

At first

loneliness:

the single figure,

the sky spilling into the street,

the blue shadow on the roof

a single bell toll,

the street moving from sunlight

into the dense shade

of overhanging trees.

 

But then

through a break in the fence

along the path,

sunlight slides,

soaks into a clump

of orange flowers,

sets them on fire.

 

The small woman

dressed in black,

white kerchief over her head

pauses     there,

leans on her cane.

She has come home from church

where she lit a candle,

sat in the cool dimness

alone.

Now, she is on her way home

to that small, silent room

 

But, see      she has stopped,

warmed by the glow of the orange flowers.

Waiting, perhaps, for them to speak.

 

 

here we are at the Venue last Saturday night!!

 

Poppies

24x30 oil on panel

 

 

this is one of my faves..and I absolutely love the frame!!..it's on display at the Hoosier Salon Gallery on Rangeline Rd. in the Carmel Arts district through the month of may..i have been so busy in the last weeks..haven't had a lot of time to post here..but i'm hoping that will change ..my hubby is taking me to london and paris!!!!..i'm taking along his new ipad and can take photos and post right from there!..so excited!!

newest derby painting..

40x30

oil on gallery wrap canvas

 

ok..so it's been a while...we've been to georgia and back..thought we had the house sold..and didn't..all the while painting and painting..delivered nearly 20 pieces to simon's on the island....needed to get the house ready for when we DO sell..which will be soon...and getting ready for my show at the hoosier salon..opening may 9th and continuing through the month...but FIRST..i delivered three derby paintings to Harrison Lake Country Club for their annual derby party tomorrow night...Saturday will be a long day for us..delivery of paintings to carmel, watching our grandson joe's baseball game, back in time to get organized and out to the club..i want to get there in time for mint julips...Davey..not so much...stay tuned...