4 DAYS IN LONDON ….

Edwart and me spent 4 days in London last week. We choose  a central hotel , 5-star: the Langham at Portland Place, close to Regent street. It’s the first luxury hotel that opened in London in 1865 but they refurbished it into a luxury design hotel, with a very nice asian spa (Chuan Spa). The people working there were ALL kind and nice, ready to answer our request and prompt to please us. The indian and thai food was amazingly good at the restaurant (the unformal one), without speaking of the Moka creme brûlée !

The bar called the Artesian is rated n°3 in the world ! We invited friends to taste and share fabulous cocktails ! My favorite : Aromatic rendez-vous with cardamome and tarragon + flowers, a real water garden in a glass ! And try Diamond life with diamond dust on mint leaves ! Tha bar is neo-Shangai style with amazing lamps.

              

We had the day after a light lunch at Selfridge’s restaurant , in a nice veranda atmosphere. Loved the design and the food was good, guess what  : we had mussels and fries !

Exclusive pictures of the Ritz bar where we had Pim’s and a plate of english cheeses. I love Rivoli Bar, I feel like beeing on an art deco cruiser, such a warm and elegant place where to rest after a whole afternoon visiting museums !  I’m crazy of their pop-corn sprayed with trufflle oil they serve with cocktails !

        

The third day we had to go to South Kensington to Christie’s, and we found a marvellous little exotic restaurant : Madsen. It’s scandinavian food ! So it’s means very healthy and tasty. I recommend the brunch on sunday.
   

We visited the exhibition of a brazilan artist, Lygia Pape (1927- 2004) at the Serpentine Gallery. 3 years ago I discovered her work at the Biennale in Venice, it opened the Arsenal show with the same installation : gold threads playing with light in a dark space and creating volumes. Depending the place you observe the work some part are invisble and revealed little by little as you move around, meanwhile other part are disappearing… it ‘s magical , ethereal, almost  immaterial !

I enjoyed the V&A show about Postmodernism, especially the part devoted to movie (with Blade Runner) and music with Klaus Nomi (video and costumes), Kraftwerk (1st pic  below) , Leigh Bowery (we won’t never say enough that Lady Gaga had stolen so much from that 80’s genius !!). Below a picture from a video by Charles Atlas showing choreography by Michael Clarke on Velvet Underground music (Venus in fur), the dancers costumes were made by Leigh Bowery, who was himself an incredible performer.  You can even admire the turntable that belonged to Grand Master Flash !!

           

One of my favorite artist is Robert longo and I didn’t realize that he made the famous video for New Order Bizarre love triangle, so obvious when you see that image :

We saw of course Leonardo’s show at the Natioanl Gallery. I really wanted to see the Lady with ermine who is today in Kracow.

4 days are short, already time to take Eurostar  back to Paris… but before, a last british ritual : a high tea at the Duke’s !

(By the way, let me whisper you a secret : the BEST PIM’S in the world is at the Duke’s ! they serve it in a silver glass and there is a jungle of  leaves and fruits topping the liquid , just AMAZZZZING  and perfect, sorry no picture this time)