Live life

A friend made a good point saying something like that: it is easy to forget that we work to live and live to work instead. What do you think?
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This week will provide me with a variety of locations, work-wise. Nothing new. Today I'm taking two buses that will get me to the posh and picture-postcard Richmond with its beautiful architecture and bridges.
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Well, leaving Ealing today meant a half-hour wait at the bus stop. The crowd waiting could easily fill two double-deckers. Hence, the school children had to wait for the next one. I must admit that on this occasion my crutch proved instrumental in securing me a place aboard. It was serious. The orderly queue once praised by George Mikes wasn't to be seen...

 St Mary, South Ealing:

View from Kew Bridge:

 In Kew:

At Richmond Octavia:

Enjoying a break at an Italian cafe in Richmond:

Pagoda at Kew Gardens:

A view from Kew Bridge; the tower of The Steam Museum to the right of the crane:

Sunday began for me

Small hours of a Sunday morning... It's not the right time to be awake. But as I am, I may as well write a few words here, and before that, add some pictures to the previous days posts. If you'd like to see some snaps from my hike in the Soho area, go to the Friday post, as they belong to that day.
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OK, so I've added the ones of the fantastic fish & chipper of an unusual name: 'Rock & Sole Plaice'. Those of you learning English, can you see the spelling joke? How many soles have you got? And if you are wearing shoes, how many soles have you got then? ;-) The first one to answer in the comments section  qualifies for a very special prize!

Here is a bit of history from The Rock & Sole Plaice menu:

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There is still so much to tell you about last Friday: the little bookshop and art gallery near the British Museum, the pubs around there, and The Seven Dials Club and more...
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Then, there is also yesterday: a visit to POSK to meet Professor Andrzej Busza and explore the famous Polish Library there on an exclusive tour with the wonderful lady who manages it. My guests from Poland also introduced me to Ms Alina Siomkajlo, an interesting person on the Polish literary stage here in London.
But now, off to my pending duties.

Have a great Sunday!
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It's getting dark here in London. I managed to leave work for a few minutes and get myself some lunch. What a nuisance: having to work on a sunny and warm Sunday! Anyway, I met a nice Sikh family with a little daughter. The father is a chef at an Indian restaurant in Covent Garden. He bought a Gordon Ramsay's cookery book, in search of new inspirations, I suppose. Don't you find it heart-warming to see a complete family doing things together, even be it mere shopping?
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Having promised it to my friend in Basel, I'm pasting in the press release on the upcoming project of his art collective:

'The Basel Pataphysical Institute (PIB) invites to the work exhibition „Pataphysical Topologies“.

Uncommon places for exceptional views of life.

An international artist collective comes up with solutions for imaginary problems, freely adapted from the French author Alfred Jarry (1873-1907, Ubu Roi). The artists rearrange the world according to their own views, mapping the universe and inviting the visitor to live moments reminiscent of fantastic dreams. There are no rules except for the pursuit of joint activities and the verve to discover and disclose the autonomously and collectively explored environment.

In one of the last standing old backyards of the St. Johann neighborhood on the brink of demolition, we use the opportunity to bring art and culture alive outside of museum walls:

Large-sized Finnish Winterlaplandscapes of the pataphysical photographer Ursle Schneider, a 3D cartoon movie by Kresimir Popovic from Malmö, an exterristical train by Uli Beetschen a.k.a. Hans Hirsch, the Golden Thing of the Hungarian duet Waschmaschinengruppe, the wondrous machinery of Benjamin Schmid a.k.a. Hotan, drawings and pictures by the Turu Väri gang from Finland, the Jura Quadrophony by Steph Montavon, and, as an opening, the arousing sounds of Mireille&Mathieu from Berlin, and for “finissage” the singer and songwriter Marco Näf (Navel). Further guests and performances are present during the exhibition hours, and contents are modified or expanded collectively with and by the visitors.

The exhibition lasts from 5 to 26 October.

There will be daily varying activities – for details see flyer/website.

Place of exhibition: Vogesenstrasse 23, backyard, 4056 Basel

web: http://pataphysical.net

... People are so creative!

My perfect Friday evening in London and equally great Saturday here and there!

Friday evening turned out to be as good as it could. I headed for Tottenham Court Road Station to brush up on my memories of the area. It was amazing. From the moment I got off the train, it was such great fun. If I had the time and talent for it, I could probably transform my memories into a book which would be a cheerful version of Mr Leopold Bloom's day in Dublin. Every 16th of June fans of James Joyce and his book meet to follow in the footsteps of the main character. Emerging to the surface through one of the exits I was energised by the drummer busking in one of the tunnels. I wish I had a coin handy as would then stop and film him for my new YOUTUBE thingy. He looked a friendly, cheerful and easygoing young chap. I've always had fondness for the drum music.
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Two hours to midnight this Saturday. I'm home after another satisfying day, in London and by the sea.
When will I write about it? Not now, as I want to paste in an invite from my Swiss friend, Beni. I've mentioned it earlier. Well, not tonight either, cannot paste it from the attachment he sent for an unknown to me reason.... Let me try to add it as a link here. Looks like it works when you right-click it. Do have a look!
The website for the project is: http://pataphysical.net/main.

YouTube joined! Best Soho fish!

Lovely day this Friday! Getting rid of a headache would allow me to enjoy it.
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Well, it's lunchtime, head slightly improved, but far from perfect. I forced myself to cook a proper lunch: roasted chicken thighs with plenty of herbs and garlic, boiled potatoes and carrots, had some salad for a start. Then put my food on a tray and headed downstairs. And guess what! I couldn't open the gate. The code wouldn't work. So I had to make my way upstairs. You know? I suspect the clever ginger puss messed about with the padlock to have the garden to herself. Just behold:

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On the topic of cats! Cats with a difference, musical cats can be spotted and heard in London. Click here to see The StreetCats Band in Hammersmith, as I did last Wednesday. I've added a one-minute little video on... YouTube just now. Here are some pictures of them playing by the station entrance/exit:

That was a great distraction after a busy working day. Thank you, StreetCats! :-)
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I've returned here to tell you about my evening hike in the Tottenham Court Road area that day. So many interesting places and people. I went to into pubs in the area to see how they compare. The atmosphere was great in each of them. You know, Friday evening, people after work, in readiness for the weekend, chatty and friendly. I made some lovely discoveries and met amazing people as well as one very grumpy woman.
You see, when guests come to visit London, they often need advice on what to do, where to go. After my walk I can wholeheartedly recommend a perfect venue to eat proper, freshly cooked and responsibly sourced fish with homemade chips and many other dishes in Soho. I dined there having been shown around the whole place by a most friendly member of the staff, known to everyone as Baba. He showed me the amazingly decorated additional dining space downstairs, the kitchen area, , fresh fish in the fridges  as well as the works on the extension to open soon as fishmongers'. I could choose to eat al fresco, but preferred a cozy little table in the corner which allowed me to watch the staff work smoothly.

 I was so energised after the feast that I left my crutch behind and only realised it having left a pub further on in the company of a young man named.... Peter. Believe it or not, he was most keen to pose for my pictures. (I sought permission with the staff in each and every venue, mind you!) He asked me to take pictures of him and left the pub with me.  However, on hearing about the object I had left behind, he must have left his interest behind and kept trying to convince me to forget about the crutch crying something like: 'You allow our relationship to finish just as it has began! Don't go back! You don't need it. I cured you!', he stayed behind....  Or maybe something else influenced his decision not to join in  the pursuit of my crutch... Oh! I remember! On hearing that I had a son, he wanted to know my age, rude boy. Hence he stopped me by some light and looked in my face, underestimating the number, as they think they should (which always is nice, isn't it?;-) ). Maybe seeing my unaltered by city-war paint skin put him off?  Maybe he was hurt when I remarked sweetly that not only he was younger than me, but also slightly shorter... ;-) or maybe the fresh air had its impact on his 'beerified' head.... Anyway, the fun and funny companion vanished in the thin air and I continued my exploration. Thank you, Peter! I know you enjoyed it too, although you may not remember it, and most likely won't venture to my blog either! ;-)))) I didn't manage to tell you about it.