Surprised by the Victoria and Albert Museum

Amid all of London's amazing (and free!) museums, it may be easy to overlook the Victoria and Albert Museum - in fact we almost did. Luckily, we decided to pop in for an hour, as it was free and close to our hotel, and we were completely surprised by it's ability to offer something unique and different when compared to many of the more traditional and famous museums in the area. 

The facade of the V&A (via)

The beautiful glass sculpture in the lobby

A grand piano in the paintings hall

A great example of Chinese sculpture

Walking in, we only knew that the museum's displays are focused on art and design. But this only begins to describe the treasures it holds, and from the moment we entered the beautiful Victorian building to the moment we left, we were surprised and impressed with what uncovered around every corner. 

A screen from a home in the ancient Middle East

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Victoria and Albert Museum lies in it's laid out. Pieces are grouped into categories (Fashion, Art, Metalwork, Sculpture, Architecture, Painting...) and then displayed by period, which allows visitors the unique opportunity to compare similar trends within an era of time. This provided a stark contrast to the many museums we visited prior that display their items by civilization or origin (Egyptian, Roman, Middle Eastern...). This layout also allowed us to compare and contrast many of the different trends in far reaching areas of the world at a single time in history. As a result, delicate hand-sewn shoes worn in Europe reside next to two-toed socks worn with sandals in Asia dating to the same time period, while a nearby case holds an arrangement of glistening jewels showcasing some of Marie Antoinette's incredible rings and pendants, as well as those worn by her counterparts during the same period in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

Medieval wooden sculpture

Beautiful stained glass

The Victoria and Albert Museum houses a permanent display of over 4.5 million pieces and is sure to offer something for everyone in your party. While we thoroughly enjoyed many of the displays, Calli was particularly fond of the costume collection featuring designer outfits and accessories from the 1600s to present day. It was amazing to see the many layers of undergarments and petticoats that went into the outfits of the 17th century and see how drastically the styles changed as we circled the room. To demonstrate the fashion trends, the displays incorporate many runway pieces from famous design houses including Chanel, Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Vivienne Westwood, and Valentino.

1960s style

Sex Pistols-inspired punk style

Some articles from Christian Dior

Another section of the museum we found fascinating was the architecture displays. Containing building elements such as the two top stories of the facade of the Sir Paul Pindar house, a survivor of the Great Fire of London that dates to the 1600s, and an almost intact Renaissance chapel from Santa Chiara, Florence, it's impossible to not be impressed. 

The top two stories of the Paul Pindar House (via)

For those that love art, a wonderful collection of paintings from the  likes of Constable, Turner, and even Raphael await. Like sculpture instead - you're in luck as works from Bernini, Canova, Rodin, and many others await. And best of all, you can enjoy them in relative peace (when compared to the National Gallery or TATE) as the V&A is much less busy than many of London's other museums. 

Whatever you like in museums, you are sure to find something that you like in the Victoria and Albert Museum - and probably something you didn't even know you like as well.

As with the majority of the free museums in London, you do have to pay for some of the temporary exhibits if you want to see them. To check out what's on when you are there, you can visit their website here.

By Unknown with No comments

Victoria's Secret Hits London

Glossy black, lacquered fuchsia, and sparkling chandeliers - Victoria Secret epitomizes everything girly (positive body images excluded). However, their new European flagship store in London kicks everything up a hundred thousand notches or so. With floor to ceiling damask wallpaper in a velvet texture, faceted glass-pained banisters, leopard print rugs, four story spiral staircase, and private rooftop suite reserved for A-listers needing a glass of champagne to go along with their private fitting, the store redefines the word glamorous.

The stunning staircase (via)

However, as beautiful as it is inside, the store is equally stunning outside with large window displays featuring the nearly-there runway costumes donned by the Angels in the brand's annual runway show. Getting up close to these costumes you can easily see the hundreds of tiny gemstones, delicate lace, silky satin fabric, and tiny bow embellishments that make up these intricate costumes, as well as an accompanying photo from the runway show and short description. 

Doutzen Kroes on the runway...    (via)

...and her outfit on display in the store.

Another outfit

And one more!

Hate the lingerie mogul if you will, this store is definitely worth a walk-by when in London, as is the whole of Bond Street where it's located.

By Unknown with No comments

London Walking Tour - Along the Thames

Following our successful walk through Westminister with a guide from London Walks, we decided to tighten our purse strings and tackle the banks of the River Thames the next day with only the help of our trusty tourist map.

The iconic Tower Bridge

Starting at the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, we happily snapped photos and meandered along the river bank before making our way up to St. Paul's Cathedral, the Millennium Bridge, and Tate Modern.

Is that Richard Petty Blue?

Crest on the Tower Bridge

The modern shoreline

One of the things I really enjoyed about this part of London is the contrast between the historic stone fortress, rows of traditional narrow shops, and modern glass skyscrapers. It's quite a sight to see the Gherkin peak out from behind the fortress walls of the Tower of London, or the curvacious City Hall nestled on the river bank next to the Tower Bridge.

The Gherkin making an appearance...

... and again.

Classic English pub and name

St. Paul's Cathedral

I spy with my little eye, St Paul's Cathedral in the background

Although we had our map, it stayed tucked away most the day as the city has put in small area maps along the major streets every two or three blocks - tourists seem to still be benefiting from the 2012 Olympic Games. As it turns out, all we needed for a great day out was a quick stop at lunch to warm up with some fresh Vietnamese Pho. 

The Millennium Bridge and St. Paul's

Millennium Bridge

A surprise find

Mmmm warm Pho!

By Unknown with No comments

2 Million Years of History at The British Museum

Returning to London at the end of our trip was something we were really looking forward to. As we were a bit preoccupied with the Reading Music Festival back in August, we were unable to see anything other than the Natural History Museum and a little glimpse of the city's major sights. Picking up where we left off, our first stop was the British Museum, which, like many of the amazing museums we've been to, really requires multiple visits to see everything. 

The Greek Revival facade of the museum

The amazingly designed Great Court

With a focus on human history and culture, the British Museum is home to a huge collection of about 8 million artifacts from every continent. As we wandered among huge Egyptian sculptures, fully intact Greek temples, intricate hieroglyphic tablets, and primitive human tools, we were immediately impressed with the wide range of civilizations and time periods on display. However it was also hard to grasp the immense period of time covered by the museum's artifacts. The oldest man-made piece in their collection, a stone chopping tool found in Tanzania, dates back 1.8 to 2 million years, a time frame impossible to comprehend, and I regularly found myself trying to fathom how these items had survived for so many years and in such good condition. 
 

Paleolithic hand-axe - 1.2 million years old

Collosal granite statue of Amenhotep III

After our trip to Athens, one of our favorite displays was the Parthenon Gallery, which houses much of the marble sculptures and friezes from the Ancient Acropolis. Although highly controversial, with the Greeks calling for their return to the new Acropolis Museum in Athens, this display helped pull together a lot of the information we gathered in Greece at the beginning of our trip and made our visit to the Acropolis feel more complete. 

Mesopotamian wall relief

Canada is represented too with a totem from Haida Gwaii

One of the best things about London, for both locals and tourists, is that entry into many of the major museums is completely free. Not only do these free attractions help make London a bit more affordable, especially for the always budget-conscious backpacker, but a visit to any of these museums, even the few you aren't quite sure you will enjoy, is completely risk free. Pop in to see one painting, or wander a couple halls, or use the bathroom, without feeling obligated to "get your money's worth". 

The Grenville Library houses many interesting books and items

*Although entry to the museum is free, there is often a fee to visit any temporary exhibits. Check the museum's website to confirm free entry or any applicable admission fees.

By Unknown with 1 comment

London Walking Tour - Westminister & the West End

Having thoroughly enjoyed our two walking tours in Berlin and our photo tour in Brugge, we decided to give guided tours another chance in London. Turning to London Walks and their "London Tour" we set out to explore all of the city's iconic sites in Westminster and the West End.

Statue of Richard the Lionheart outside the Palace of Westminster

Elizabeth Tower (with Big Ben inside)

Arriving at the Westminster tube station, our tour meeting place, we emerged from underground at the base of the Elizabeth Tower, renamed this year for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. Often confused for Big Ben, which is actually the nickname for the bell within the clock tower, this tower is likely London's most recognizable landmark. It felt incredible to be so close to such an iconic symbol, as though we were finally experiencing the "real" London, and our guide Tom had lots of fun facts to share about the tower as well as the Houses of Parliament overall.

Westminster Abbey

Sting's house

Prying our group away from Big Ben, Tom led us through Westminster to the famous Westminster Abbey, St. James' Park, and Buckingham Palace, including numerous stops of interest in between - we even saw Sting's House.

The view towards Horse Guards - No beach volleyball this time of year

The view towards Buckingham Palace

As we made our way toward Buckingham Palace, Tom pulled us aside to point out something quite unique. It seemed that luck was on our side as we were just in time to see guests arriving for an audience with the Queen. At first this didn't make much sense, however we were quickly informed that guests of the Queen do not simply drive up to the front gates of Buckingham Palace. Instead, they are transported via horse drawn carriage from St. James' Palace to Buckingham Palace entrance one block away, complete with police escort and a trumpeter to announce their arrival. As we stood along the sidewalk, we saw not one but two processions pass by followed by the changing of the Horse Guard.

A special guest gets to meet the Queen

Changing of the Horse Guard

Although the weather was a bit cold at times, we really enjoyed our tour and the new information we left with. London Walks offers an astounding number of tours, making it next to impossible to choose just one and ensuring there is something there for everyone. 

Buckingham Palace - voted ugliest building in London

A member of the Queen's Guard in their winter uniforms

By Unknown with No comments

Happy Halloween from Florence

We interrupt our regularly scheduled posts on Andalucia to bring you a special Halloween themed update today.

Happy Halloween!

It's October 31st and I'm having some costume withdrawal here in Florence. I'm normally "that" person who spends weeks coming up with a costume idea and then tediously constructs the entire thing by hand hoping it turns out, while Travis couldn't care less if Halloween was banned for eternity and loathes dressing up. Besides "helping" to eat any left over candy his Halloween participation is zero. 

Without any special plans we decided to take shelter from the rain and hit some of Florence's world class museums today. Perhaps not in the top 100, but intriguing to us was La Specola, or the Museum of Natural History. The museum's 34 rooms feature zoological specimens and a collection of anatomical waxes, surprisingly it's also (possibly) the absolute best way to celebrate Halloween in Florence.

We'd read that the museum was a bit odd but were not prepared for the collection which resembles the content of a taxidermist's garage, who also happens to be a hoarder, and not very good at his job. Each room opens into floor to ceiling antique display cases stuffed with hundreds of species - mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, insects... it seems never ending. 

Better specimen jars than anything DIY by Martha Stewart

Butterflies, only creepy when in large numbers

As close as I was willing to get to this case

Is that a dog or a bat? We still aren't quite sure.

Family pet turned museum display (via)

He obviously hasn't seen any Alfred Hitchcock films

The collection dates back hundreds of years with many specimens donated by the Medici family - the museum itself was first founded in 1771. As a result, the hides and furs are a bit tattered on many of the animals and some of the taxidermy work is a bit suspect - partially due to aging of the collection as well as an unfamiliarity with the animals they were preserving. Legend has it that the hippopotamus specimen currently on display was originally a Medici family pet in the 17th century. After a natural death, the hide was taken to the taxidermist for preservation however, never having seen a hippopotamus before, he did his best to preserve the specimen and decided to finish the feet as he would for a dog.  

Although higher quality specimens can be found on display at other Natural History Museums, including the one we visited while in London, the presentation, atmosphere, and sheer size make this collection unique, and a bit bizarre. And the weird-level was only about to go up because once we made our way through the zoological collection we entered the area displaying anatomical waxes, something you won't see anywhere else. 

Creepy right?

The grey curls add a certain je ne sais quoi

Museum that moonlights as a haunted house

Quite the provocative pose

Multiple rooms of cases, waxes, and drawings

The displays oddly resemble caskets

Try creating that for your haunted house decor

An art developed in Florence in the 17th century for the purpose of teaching medicine, the anatomical waxes originally acted in place of cadavers. The collection is actually quite famous, with Napoleon ordering a set for medical schools in France, however the wax molds of organs, arteries and veins, and peeled back skin are also quite creepy and eerily lifelike. I imagine the constant stare from those true to life eyes was quite distracting to students trying to learn!

Very strange, a bit disturbing, and completely geeky, La Specola is a wonderfully different museum to anything in Florence. We really enjoyed our visit and unfortunately (or fortunately depending how you look at it) we were only two of a handful of visitors in the place. For the 6 Euro entry fee you really can't go wrong with a visit, especially if it coincides with one of the most haunted days of the year!

Note: I apologize as we are still writing about Andalucia although technically in Italy now and promise to get caught up as quickly as possible. Also, if you're freaking out because the posts are no longer in a linear order now that we've jumped ahead to Florence in celebration of Halloween, please take comfort in the fact that I too am having a hard time with this and you're not alone.

By Unknown with 2 comments