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Monthly Archives: June 2014

Road trips: The American West vs. The UK

30 Monday Jun 2014

Posted by pat in Travel, Uncategorized, United Kingdom

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Glacier National Park, Lake McDonald, long car trip, travel, Yellowstone

My Beloved Brit and I love a good road trip. This summer it was America rather than England.  It’s made me think about the many differences, and similarities, in traveling in the two countries.

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Checking out our transportation on our trip out west through South Dakota.

The Distances

At least from a road trip standpoint, Great Britain is the size of a postage stamp compared to the United States. In the UK, we can cover a great part of the country, east to west, north to south, in a relatively short period of time. The land mass of Great Britain almost covers the state of Florida with a bit of Georgia thrown in. England fits in New York State. Of course, this is a good thing, because the cost of English petrol compared to gas in the U.S. is more than twice as much (Bloomberg put the average American price per gallon at $3.69 compared to $8.25 per gallon UK in the second quarter of 2014)

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On the road in Wales

This summer we drove across the Great Plains in the United Sates on our way west.  The vastness of the grasslands driving for hours and hours is amazing. Not that we haven’t driven great distances through England, Scotland and Wales.

The Plains, grasslands of the midwest United States

The Plains, grasslands of the midwest United States

I have seen these open vistas in the Yorkshire Dales in England and on our way to Balmoral in Scotland, but never have I seen it go on for days and days like in the center of the United States.

Scotland on the way to Balmoral

Scotland on our way to Balmoral

Jet lag or car lag

The jet lag from the red-eye overnight to London from the U.S. is worse, I think, than the car-lag of driving through 3 time zones in 4 days. Although the car-lag is slower and more drawn out (and totally confusing on figuring out TV schedules each evening in a hotel room), I still prefer it to flying overnight in a seat the size of a high chair and waking up from an hour of sleep to start a new day.

Cambridge, our first stop after flying all night with very little sleep in the summer of 2013.

Cambridge, our first stop after flying all night with very little sleep in the summer of 2013.

But, still, it is pretty exciting coming in to Heathrow Airport as dawn breaks. It’s staying awake for the next 12 hours that’s the problem.

Hotels, pub rooms and inns

The many hotels we stay in while traveling in the United States tend to be of the chain variety.  They are clean and predictable, if not a bit boring. My Beloved Brit likes it predictable with TV, internet and coffee maker in the room. And, of course, air-conditioning.  Every once in a while I throw in a special, one of a kind hotel into our travel itinerary.

The lobby of the Lake McDonald Lodge at Glacier National Park.

The lobby of the Lake McDonald Lodge at Glacier National Park.

It’s always a risk. At Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park and Yellowstone at the Lake Inn it was a success.  The Prince of Wales over the border in the Canada side of Glacier National Park, not so much.  Although it was spectacular, the rooms were small and noisy with no amenities. Still, we saw a fox and a bear after dinner during our walk on the lawn, something you don’t often see at a Hampton Inn.

The Prince of Wales Hotel on the Canadian side of Glacier National Park. Spectacular on the outside. Way too noisy and basic inside.

The Prince of Wales Hotel on the Canadian side of Glacier National Park. Spectacular on the outside. Way too noisy and basic inside.

The view from our room at The Prince of Wales. It beats looking out over a parking lot.

The view from our room at The Prince of Wales. It beats looking out over a parking lot.

England is starting to catch up with this idea of predictable function, but the choices of standardized chains are less prevalent, so we tend to stay mostly at country inns and pubs when abroad.

Our cozy attic room in Southwold

Our cozy attic room in Southwold, England

Even in London, where you can now find some of the major American chains, they seem to have more of their own local neighborhood personality. And of course, as soon as we shy away from the metro areas in the UK, we are back to pubs and country inns.

An Inn on the east coast of England.

An inn on the east coast of England.

Monumental vs. intimate

The trip this summer was all about the great sites of the northwest that we had never seen before…Mount Rushmore, the Black Hills, the Badlands, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park.

The Grand Tetons in Wyoming.

The Grand Tetons in Wyoming.

The view from our hotel window at Yellowstone, on the lake.

The view from our hotel window at Yellowstone, on the lake.

Yellowstone National Park.

Yellowstone National Park.

Glacier National Park Montana

MBB at Glacier National Park in Montana

Mount Rushmore, South Dakota

Mount Rushmore, South Dakota

The England we usually visit is more intimate in nature.  Maybe it is just a size thing again, or what we tend to choose when we travel over there.  But there seems to be a different sensibility.

In the Cotswolds, England

In the Cotswolds, England

Where the U.S. has rolling hills, massive mountains and sky that goes forever…

Cutting across the mountains to Jackson Hole Wyoming

Cutting across the mountains to Jackson Hole Wyoming

…I tend to think of England with winding paths, narrow roads edged by hedgerows and cozy cottages (once outside of London, of course).

Driving across Wales in the UK

Driving across Wales in the UK

In the Peak District, England, 2008

A bridge in the Peak District, England, 2008

But both countries seem to have large animals lazing in fields…

Cows in Norfolk England could be sisters to our midwestern stock

Cows in Norfolk, England could be sisters to our midwestern stock

A deerpark in Norfolk England

A deer park in Norfolk England

Buffalo in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.

Buffalo in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.

Watching out for bears in Glacier National Park. We finally saw a momma and her two cubs on the Canadian side…at a safe distance.

Watching out for bears in Glacier National Park. We finally saw a momma and her two cubs on the Canadian side…at a safe distance.

…and enough glorious scenery so that we never get bored with another road trip, no matter which country.

The weather

My Beloved Brit doesn’t call England “The Grey Country” for nothing.

England is known for its grey skies.

England is known for its grey skies. This is Norfolk on the East coast.

In the United States, out west is known as Big Sky Country.  The skies are HUGE and bright blue for the most part, at least on our trip.

Heading in to Montana from Wyoming.

Heading in to Montana from Wyoming.

Sometimes, but not often, those American skies were grey…

Near Lake McDonald at Glacier National Park in Montana.

Near Lake McDonald at Glacier National Park in Montana.

…but they soon brightened again.

Of course, the weather is always perfect to be out on the water, grey skies or not. My Beloved Brit can always find a boat for a swing around the pond whichever country we are in.

Celebrating my birthday on a boat on Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park, Montana.

Celebrating my birthday on a boat on Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park, Montana.

Getting ready for a sail in Burnham-on-Crouch, England.

MBB getting ready for a sail in Burnham-on-Crouch, England.

The Practical Points

Rest stops in America (except on the northeast corridor) all tend to follow a pattern with a state theme.  In South Dakota it was teepees.  In Wyoming, covered wagons.

The state welcome center in Wyoming. Not quite as commercial as many we stop at in England.

The state welcome center in Wyoming. Not quite as commercial as many we stop at in England.

And, at least out west, there were very few commercial rest stops like we see all the time in England.

A shop near our hotel in Glacier National Park, which had mostly camping supplies, postcards and t-shirts.

A shop near our hotel in Glacier National Park, which had mostly camping supplies, postcards and t-shirts.

The motor stops in England remind me more of what I used to see on the Northeast corridor of I-95 in the United States.

Laundry

In either country, clothes get dirty, and there is no way you can pack enough for 4 weeks without doing wash.  In the United States we are lucky enough to find coin operated laundry facilities in the chain hotels we stay at often enough that we don’t need to go out and hunt for a laundrette like we do in England.  But laundry still gets done on the road. And in England, finding a laundrette in the village means getting to meet the residents and get a better sense of what the local culture is like.

A laundrette in England

A laundrette in England

Petrol

As I mentioned before, the price of gas, although rising in the U.S., cannot compare to the high cost of petrol in England.  Maybe it is because they don’t need to drive so far!

The people

In both countries, something we notice over and over again, is that although there are cultural and regional idiosyncrasies peculiar to each local area…people are people. Certain areas do seem to have a population with their own personality traits that predominate and at times confound us. But really, we love meeting a variety of people on the road. And we are continually astounded by the diversity.

We were two among many waiting for Old Faithful to erupt in Yellowstone

We were two among many waiting for Old Faithful to erupt in Yellowstone

Old Faithful…I can't imagine how crowded it would be in high season. We went late spring, and the crowds were very manageable.

Old Faithful…I can’t imagine how crowded it would be in high season. We went late spring, and the crowds were very manageable

We still love traveling, and although at times, changing hotels every night and repacking luggage each morning can get tiresome,  the positives still outweigh the negatives. And I am very happy that we can continue to explore both countries.  It would be too hard to choose between the two.

So, happy summer and happy travels!  I will take a brief holiday from the blog for the summer while I catch up on my painting in the studio.

Enjoy your holidays!

 

 

The Art Institute of Chicago

14 Saturday Jun 2014

Posted by pat in Art, Art Museums & Exhibitions, paintings

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Art Institute of Chicago

I’ve decided I am most definitely an urban animal.

After weeks of glorious nature as we travelled west through the most spectacular scenery known to man, I am in Chicago and in love with this big city. I go to a large Metropolis, and I feel like I am home again.

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Even though I have not been back in Chicago in decades, I felt comfortable and right at home.

We’ve done all the traditional tourist things, but yesterday I left My Beloved Brit to fend for himself walking along the lakeside marinas and spent literally an entire day at the stellar Art Institute of Chicago.

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Looking out from the Modern Wing of The Art Institute of Chicago

Not only is it a magnificent setting along the shores of Lake Michigan on the edge of Millennium Park…

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surrounded by beautiful gardens, architecture and monumental sculptures…

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But inside, it is grand and intimate at the same time.

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There are two sections to the museum.  I attacked the Modern Wing first and spent most of the morning observing the art, and of course with my interest in my own recent museum series of paintings, also observing the art lovers observing the art.

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This Modern Wing is not huge by New York standards, but the contemporary collection is wonderful.

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Pablo Picasso, Mother and Child

I saw works of Matisse that I was not even familiar with…and some that had been favorites of mine for my entire art-conscious life.

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Henri Matisse, Bathers by a River

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Henri Matisse, The Geranium

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Henri Matisse, Lorette with Cup of Coffee

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Henri Matisse, Woman before an Aquarium

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Henri Matisse, Apples

I stood before a David Hockney piece that I always thought was of modest size.  It is 83 7/8 x 120 inches and dominates the gallery. The detail that disappears in reproductions was exquisite.

David Hockney, American Collectors (Fred and Marcia Weisman)

David Hockney, American Collectors (Fred and Marcia Weisman)

detail

detail

There were so many favorites, from Alex Katz to Cy Twombly to Richter …

Alex Katz, Vincent and Tony

Alex Katz, Vincent and Tony

Gerhard Richter

Gerhard Richter, Mrs. Wolleh with children

I took the time to visit an exhibit of the Lower Level that a friend and Chicago resident mentioned to me as a must see.  The Thorne Miniature Rooms by Mrs. James Ward Thorne (of Montgomery Ward fame) were amazing in their scope.  There were dozens of them, each done with the most exquisite attention to detail.  Such variety of period and social order.  They were truly enchanting.  You could spend a day just viewing these.

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Finally after a short lunch break back on the streets of Chicago with MBB, I re-entered to the older classical wing, and headed for the Impressionist section.  I had recently read in the newspaper that they had just finished cleaning this striking canvas.

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Caillebotte, Paris Street; Rainy Day

It was bright and stunning, well worth the six month restoration effort. Turning a corner and going through a few more galleries I was in awe once again.

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Georges Seurat, A Sunday on La Grande Jatte

There were smaller gems I was not even aware of, like a Munch painting that was delicate and ethereal.  It almost looked like pastels, but it was done in oils.

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Edvard Munch, The Girl by the Window

That is the beauty of a museum you are not familiar with.  Around every corner is a stunning surprise.  Hopefully I will be back again to meet up with them as old friends.

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John Philip Simpson, The Captive Slave

Greenwich and the Meridian Line

10 Tuesday Jun 2014

Posted by pat in entertainment, History, London, Travel, Uncategorized, United Kingdom

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Greenwich, Maritime Museum, The Greenwich Observatory, The Meridian Line, The Old Royal Naval College

On our first day staying in London together last year, My Beloved Brit and I decided to explore Greenwich where the Naval College, The Observatory, The National Maritime Museum and the Meridian Line are.

Kate, The Duchess of Cambridge, attended a breakfast reception there this morning at the National Maritime Museum to meet a number of people supporting the bid to launch a British team in the America’s Cup. I thought this made it an appropriate time to revisit our visit to this incredible site.

As we came off the train and in to Greenwich, we saw bustling town on the edge of the Thames. Photo by me.

As we came off the train and in to Greenwich, we saw bustling town on the edge of the Thames. Photo by me.

Walking down the street towards the Thames, we saw the masts of the Cutty Sark rising above the shoreline.

The masts of the Cutty Sark now on dry land on the edge of Greenwich. Photo by me.

The masts of the Cutty Sark now on dry land on the edge of Greenwich. Photo by me.

We bypassed the ship tour and headed over to The Old Royal Naval College. Very impressive.  It is across the Thames from London and Canary Wharf.

The Old Royal Naval College. Photo by me.

The Old Royal Naval College. Photo by me.

We went through the chapel on the grounds of the college, designed by Sir Christopher Wren. The chapel is dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul, both of whom have connections to the sea. The chapel is filled with naval symbols.

The Chapel at The Old Royal Naval College. Photo by me.

The Chapel at The Old Royal Naval College. Photo by me.

Then walked through the portico…

Photo by me.

Photo by me.

…to the Painted Hall.  Incredibly beautiful. It is often described as the finest dining hall in Europe, and was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and Nicholas Hawksmoor.  It was originally intended for the naval veterans who lived here at the Royal Hospital for Seamen, but was later used for the National Gallery of Naval Art. As of 1939, it was used for dining by the officers of the Royal Naval College, and many grand banquets. The paintings by Sir James Thornhill pay tribute to British maritime power.

The Painted Hall. Photo by me.

The Painted Hall. Photo by me.

Lord Nelson was very attached to the College, and you can see references to him everywhere.

Lord Nelson Photo by me.

Lord Nelson Photo by me.

We cut back through the edge of Greenwich to head over to the Maritime Museum.

Photo by me.

Photo by me.

I knew this was something My Beloved Brit would love.  The whole complex at Greenwich Park was wonderful.

The Maritime Museum in Greenwich. Photo by me

The Maritime Museum in Greenwich. Photo by me

The entrance just screamed boating, naval tradition, and the sea.

Photo by me.

Photo by me.

Photo by me.

Photo by me.

When we saw this information, we knew it was going to be a good morning.

Photo by me.

Photo by me.

We spent time looking at exhibits on Nelson, arctic convoys during WWII, and all sorts of seafaring memorabilia and displays.

Figure Heads in the museum. Photo by me.

Figure Heads in the museum. Photo by me.

After a time, we went outside and sat down trying to decide whether or not to hike the hill to the Royal Observatory and the Meridian Line.

The Naval College and the Thames behind us. Photo by me.

The Naval College and the Thames behind us. Photo by me.

The Observatory at the top of the hill in front of us. Photo by me.

The Observatory at the top of the hill in front of us. Photo by me.

The views were worth the climb.

The view from The Observatory. Photo by me.

The view from The Observatory. That’s the Royal Naval College down the hill. Photo by me.

The Royal Observatory Greenwich is home of Greenwich Mean Time and the Prime Meridian of the World–Longitude 0. On one side is the Eastern Hemisphere, and on the other the West, just as the equator divides the northern and southern hemispheres. Every place on earth is measured in terms of its distance east or west from the Greenwich Meridian. The Observatory is also home to London’s only planetarium, the Harrison timekeepers and the UK’s largest refracting telescope.

The City of London in the distance. Photo by me.

The City of London in the distance. Photo by me.

After a full morning we decided to head back to London on the Thames by boat.

We take off from the Greenwich dock. Photo by me.

We take off from the Greenwich dock with The Naval College behind us. Photo by me.

It was about a forty-five minute ride back to the Embankment in London Center.

Past Canary Wharf and East London. Photo by me.

Past Canary Wharf and East London. Photo by me.

under the Tower Bridge. Photo by me.

Under the Tower Bridge. Photo by me.

Photo by me.

Leaving The Tower on London behind. Photo by me.

Photo by me.

St. Paul’s in the background. Photo by me.

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The new Shard on the South Bank. Photo by me.

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Another way to see the river. Our ferry was not nearly so flash. Photo by me.

Photo by me.

Leaving the east end of the Thames River behind. Photo by me.

Photo by me.

Finally. Docking at the Embankment stop. Photo by me.

What a great morning.  The weather was gorgeous, the company entertaining…it couldn’t have been a better day.  After a trip on The Underground back to our room, we decided it was a full day. And a wonderful one.

Heading back to the hotel from the Picadilly underground. Photo by me.

Heading back to the hotel from the Piccadilly underground. Photo by me.

Our biggest challenge of the late afternoon was to decide where to eat.  I love London.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ansel Adams, The Grand Tetons and Lake McDonald

05 Thursday Jun 2014

Posted by pat in Art, Uncategorized

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Ansel Adams, Glacier National Park, Grand Teton, Lake McDonald, Snake River

We’ve been driving cross-country for weeks now. The lack of posts has been due to this grand adventure.

We spent several days driving from the flat plains of South Dakota and Wyoming, covered with antelope and prairie dogs, to the edge of Grand Tetons National Park. The Grand Tetons are just south of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and they are incredible.

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Me at the Snake River and Grand Tetons. Photo by My Beloved Brit.

I had remembered seeing a photograph by Ansel Adams years ago. The Tetons and the Snake River (1942) was taken at almost this exact same spot before I was born by the famous photographer I had always admired.

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Ansel Adams, Grand Tetons and the Snake River

I realized that not only was I following in the footsteps of nature lovers and tourists of past generations, but also that I was following the same path of one of the most famous photographers of all times…Ansel Adams.

Days later, as we drive in to Glacier National Park on our way to Lake McDonald, I realized Adams had probably driven this same road over 50 years before.

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Evening McDonald Lake, Glacier National Park

We will be staying in one of the historic National Park properties on Lake McDonald to celebrate my birthday. There is no TV (usually a deal breaker for My Beloved Brit). But we hope to see what Adams saw.

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Evening McDonald Lake, Glacier National Park

Adams shot Lake McDonald many times.  Each time it was so different, and yet in many ways it never changes.

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Ansel Adams, Lake McDonald, Glacier National Park

And for all Glacier National Park’s panoramic renown, Adams still understood the glory in the details. A fern seemed to have a comparable presence.

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Ansel Adams, In Glacier National Park

I can’t wait to explore his famous scenes for myself.

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