Dickens Impressions

Thursday, September 11, 2014

My day started with a trip to the Courtauld Gallery.  However, since via Google, I found a promising book shop near Piccadilly Circus, Henry Sotheran Ltd, I alighted from the tube there and as occurred yesterday, I found nothing affordable that I could afford.  The pleasant Englishman I talked to there told me that affordable books of the Victorian era printed around the turn of the 20th century are just not in demand.  Hence the fact that I am finding next to none of them.  Let me just say that some changes are not for the better.  So sad.

Piccadilly Circus

Depressed, I again boarded the tube and proceeded on to Charing Cross.  From there it is a relatively short walk along the Strand to Somerset house where the Courtauld awaited.  First, however, I had what now seems to be my traditional lunch in Trafalgar Square.  Admiral Nelson smiled upon me.

The Courtauld holds many great pieces.  Probably the most famous, and for good reason, is Manet's "A Bar at the Folies-Bergere".

A Bar at the Folies-Bergere

It is an interesting painting.  Read all about it.

I also especially liked these:

Renoir - Woman Tying Her Shoes

Degas - Two Dancers On a Stage

The Courtauld is relatively small so, after an hour and a half or so, I continued on to the Charles Dickens Museum,  

I saw his writing desk (his own design), and chairs, a sideboard, and other furniture owned by him.  I saw my reflection in a mirror that presumably once reflected Charles Dickens himself.  The museum is in a London row house that Dickens lived in for a couple of years as a young, newly married man.  I stood in his study where he wrote Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby among others.

One thing that impressed me about the exhibit was Dickens' compassion, commitment to social justice, and humanitarianism.  His difficult childhood affected him and his writings for the rest of his life.  I also learned that his father was an intelligent man who could not handle money and ended up in debtors prison.  There is speculation that Dickens' father was the inspiration for Mr. Micawber in David Copperfield.

After a short rest in Russell Square where an Englishman with a guitar gave a horribly insipid performance of the great Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", I headed back to the posh accommodations.

We decided this was the night we should all go out to dinner with the money generously contributed by CJ's father, Neal. We went to what turned out to be a good Italian restaurant nearby, called Raul's.  The food was delicious!

At Raoul's- Thank you Neal!

Coming up tomorrow: British Museum once again.

And now I am finally up to date on my blogging!