A vague recollection

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

There are a couple of things on Portobello Road these days that aren’t real. Across the road from the HSBC ATMs, for example, is a strange and wondrous window display of vintage items with vintage price tags. When Steven and I first saw it, we thought it was some kind of art installation. Turns out, like this corner café (oops, I mean appliance store), it’s just a film set. Today there was a whole fake Portobello Market, and Steven says he saw hippies over the weekend (the movie, starring Sienna Miller, is called “Hippie Hippie Shake” and takes place in the 1960s).
It all reminds me of when they were shooting a movie in TriBeCa and they built something for it that everybody loved and thought should really be there. But I can’t remember the name of the movie, what the thing was, or if it ever made it into reality. Anybody care to offer this senile old man a little reminder?

Another lovely London weekend

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

Properly gray and rainy, yet thought provoking and full of beauty. We had a wonderful dinner at the Fat Badger, were chased by an adorable rat along the Thames, wandered among Henry Moore sculptures and gorgeous foliage at Kew Gardens, went out in Soho - twice, saw the Crack and a Louise Bourgeois retrospective at Tate Modern... We laughed, we cried, it were better than Cats!

Why London doesn’t suck:

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

Reason 437: Steven & I tossed a frisbee around this Hampstead Heath field with our friend Chris yesterday.

‘Til death do us part...

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

Just so’s y’all know... Steven & I have an appointment with the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Superintendent Registrar at 5pm on Thursday, October 25th. The purpose is to file our “notice of intent to form a civil partnership.” Then there’s a sixteen day waiting period (I can’t tell if that means we can do the deed on November 10th, or after November 10th, but I guess we’ll find out on Thursday). At such time as we actually tie the knot, we will require two witnesses. I’m not sure of the qualifications, but any volunteers?

Working for the Man

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

Heya, for the last few days I’ve been working at Lowe (in an office right next to Steven’s). I’m helping put together a presentation he’ll be giving in Helsinki on Monday. We had been saying the whole thing was kinda like a fire drill, when lo and behold, there was an actual fire drill yesterday!
That’s Steven’s colleague, and our friend, Teresa, by the way...

Spritz

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

Just back from a weekend in Venice for the Biennale. We arrived in the early afternoon on Friday and had a wander, checking out some very excellent Irish video art. We stopped for a spritz (pictured), then wandered some more, and went for dinner at a place recommended by a colleague of Steven's whose mom wrote the book on eating in Venice. I had lamb with blueberries - YUM! On Saturday we got up early and did a speed tour of the WHOLE Biennale (both Giardini and Arsenale). Sophie Calle's installations about her mom and her break-up were highlights. Back at our hotel, we enjoyed a bottle of wine on the terrace of our "junior suite" before heading off to dinner at the fish market owner's restaurant. Sunday morning we did a little shopping, then shared a taxi to the airport with Bob & Chris, a couple from White Plains who were on their first overseas trip.