La Tour Eiffel

Paris Opera House

Paris opera house

Northern violist in Paris for vacation

May tourist photos now

Roofs of Paris

Entering the Chunnel on the Eurotrain

Still life in a British kitchen cupboard in morning

They don't do box springs here

...instead they do "slats"

Standing still

So the guards at Buckingham palace are actually pretty far back. I always imagined them studiously trying to ignore people who'd come up and make faces at them, and rigidly standing in place. The reality is that they slowly scan the area around them and change the side they're holding their gun with every five minutes or so. They also get to march every once in awhile.

I had always imagined maybe going up to one and asking about the weight of their big hats, congratulating then on their posture, and then delivering a rather long soliloquy about the state of the world.

In other news, I can credibly tell you that the Queen's ride is a black Range Rover.

Now all they need to do is grow food!

Day trip to Dorking

My quest for gigs and professional contacts have taken me today to the scenic town of Dorking. This is where the headquarters of the Musicians Answering Service can be found. I have come to have a chat about making contacts.

To get here, I took two trains and then found myself on a beautiful walking path. For the hundredth time since arriving in England, I thought, "I'm not in New York anymore".

Coronation chicken!

Chicken a la King?

Bleak British buildings

Getting a strong bow

...No, not for my viola, but for my fridge! Two litre bottles of alcoholic cider!!!! It's like this place was made for me!

If you want instant coffee, you'll have to wait

Is it only called "expresso" when it's terrible?

Also, if you look at the contents of these shelves closely enough, the reason why England is known for drinking tea becomes apparent. These are all horrible, horrible choices.