weekend | Postcards From Here and There

Chihuly at Kew Gardens

Dale Chihuly is an American sculptor known for his large scale glass installations. His work can be seen in museums around the world and his current exhibition, entitled Reflections on Nature, can be found in the grounds of Kew Gardens until the 27th of October. There are twelve locations around the gardens where his work can be seen and a map provided along with entrance to the gardens gives you a route to follow to ensure that you don’t miss anything.

The sculptures are a perfect complement to the formal structure of the gardens, adding colour, contrast and a sense of scale. The first sculpture on the trail, just to the left of the entrance gate, is Sapphire Star, it gives a real idea of what is to come. The intensity of colour in the blown glass is amazing.

Sapphire Star

The second location features smaller pieces inside the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art. Once again it is the colour that strikes you immediately and the lighting in the gallery has been set to ensure they show at their best.

The Lime Crystal Tower is almost camouflaged against the surrounding vegetation.

The beauty of the placements of many the sculptures is that you don’t really see then until you are almost on them so well have they been blended in to the landscape.

The Temperate House at Kew is one of the most iconic and popular places to visit. Opened in 1862 it is Grade 1 listed and has recently undergone a major renovation. Chihuly has placed several pieces in here including Persian Column which is suspended from the roof and was specially created for this exhibition.

Persian Column

Just outside the Temperate House on either side of the central entrance are two Opal and Amber Towers.

Cherry Walk leads from the Temperate House to King William’s Temple. Here Chihuly has placed Cattails and Copper Birch Reeds. The grass has been allowed to flower here with no mowing giving height from which the blown glass emerges. it is a wonderful explosion of colour against the flower heads.

The area below King William’s Temple is perhaps one of my favourite sections of the exhibition. The setting is perfect and the choice of colour stunning.

While some of the pieces emerge from the surrounding vegetation others are statement, stand alone pieces that are almost in complete contrast to their surroundings. This is perhaps best illustrated by the Scarlet and Yellow Icicle Tower.

From the tower a short walk through the Rose Garden brings you to the Water Lily House. Red Reeds can be found outside, growing straight and tall and in such a vibrant red colour.

Inside the Water Lily House is another of the absolutely stunning installations entitled Ethereal White Persian Pond. Numbers entering are controlled so that it doesn’t get over crowded, giving you space to move around and enjoy the work from a variety of different viewpoints. I took so many photographs here I could probably do a post on this area alone.

Paintbrushes are a fantastic impact piece with sharp contrast between the red and green.

Finally Summer Sun can be found in front of the Palm House on the edge of the lake. Reminiscent of a setting sun it is a perfect end to what is a wonderful trail through these beautiful gardens.

Kew Gardens open at 10am every day however closing times do vary a little so it is worth checking if you prefer entry later in the day. I arrived shortly after 10 and the queue to get in was very short and the gardens themselves very quiet. By the time I left three hours later it was considerably busier and the queue stretched out and along the main road. That said it was a Saturday and the weather very pleasantly warm. If you visit mid week outside school holidays you may well find it quieter.

Kew Gardens are perhaps best reached from central London by taking the Richmond branch of the District Line. It is only a short 5 minute walk from Kew Gardens station down Lichfield Road to the Victoria Gate entrance.

Covent Garden

Covent Garden ranks among the top tourist destinations in London. It actually covers quite a large area but many visitors don’t ever go far beyond the famous piazza. Once the home of a fruit, vegetable and flower market the square is now bustling with shops, bars, restaurants and street performers. It can get very busy, especially at weekends, so not surprisingly the best time to visit if you don’t like the crowds is early morning while most people are still tucking in to the hotel buffet breakfast. This gives the best opportunity to savour the area and its buildings which include the Royal Opera House and St Pauls Church which is also known locally as the Actors Church.

Beyond the piazza there is so much more to enjoy, especially in the narrow streets in and around Seven Dials. It is such a lovely area to wander around with its eclectic mix of independent retailers, restaurants, coffee shops and bars. Here are some of my personal favourites in and around the Covent Garden area.

Timberyard (7 Upper St Martins Lane). Proudly providing workspaces for remote workers and digital nomads this is so much more than a café. The window area is consequently always busy with customers working away on laptops but the central area, with its multi coloured seating, is designated as laptop free for those that want to indulge in the art of conversation. Not only is the coffee here excellent, with beans from East End Coffee, there is also a very good range of food and snacks. Oh and the service here is superb.

Monmouth Coffee (27 Monmouth Street). An institution in Seven Dials having opened as long ago as 1978 when they roasted beans in the basement and brewed coffee in the shop above. The roasting is now undertaken elsewhere but the coffee in the shop remains as good as ever. They take pride here in sourcing coffee from small independent growers around the world so there is always something new on offer. The only downside is that the shop is small with only a limited amount of seating but the coffee is so good no one really minds.

Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels (Neal’s Yard). This delightful courtyard, named after seventeenth century developer Thomas Neale, is picture perfect complete with climbing plants, hanging baskets and planters. This makes it a popular haunt and it is well worth a visit. Home to numerous cafés, and health food outlets it also houses Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels wine bar and restaurant. The menu here is largely French as is the excellent wine list. It is ideal for a quick glass at the end of a busy day seeing the sights. They have a great selection of champagnes here if you feel like celebrating or just fancy some bubbles.

Neals Yard Dairy ( 17 Short’s Gardens). London has some great cheese shops and this is one of them. Specialising in mainly British and Irish cheeses it is a great place to come if you want to discover more about local products. They also offer courses but for those you will have to travel to their other outlet in Borough Market.

The Cross Keys (31 Endell Street). The demise of the great British pub has been well documented in recent years. If you want to a see an example of why they should be wholeheartedly supported and preserved look no further than the Cross Keys. The exterior is enticing enough in itself with its lush vegetation and floral hanging baskets. You could almost be excused for not being able to locate the door. Inside it has real character with plenty of pictures, instruments, mirrors and bric a brac. A real feast for the eyes. The beer is pretty good too.

10 Cases (16 Endell Street). Restaurant, shop, wine bar, there is something for everyone here. For me though its all about the wine. Not content to serve the same wines all the time the philosophy here is one variety and exploration. The wines change frequently, are always excellent and prices are reasonable compared to many similar establishments in central London. It does get quite busy as people leave work so getting in can sometimes be a challenge but it is well worth it.

Hawksmoor (11 Langley Street). Located in there basement of the former Watney-Combe brewery this is probably my favourite steak restaurant in the capital and is one that I return to time and again. Prices are not cheap but the quality is high and the cocktails excellent. They also have a very reasonable, if limited, pre and post theatre menu. Always advisable to book ahead here.

Stanfords (7 Mercer Walk). A presence in Covent Garden since 1853, and having recently moved from premises on Long Acre to its current location, this is the number one place for travellers. They have an incredible selection of travel, guides and maps downstairs that you will never be stuck for ideas for where your next destination should be. I love it in here and they also serve a nice line in coffee if you feel you need a little caffeine to help with the browsing and decision making.

Dishoom (12 Upper St Martins Lane). Always popular and busy at any time of day and it is easy to see why. A Bombay styled café in the heart of London serving delicious Indian food that you won’t find on more traditional restaurant menus. The no reservation policy except for parties of ten or more means you may have to wait for a table but its well worth it. Go for breakfast/brunch, it makes for a great start to the day.

Margot (45 Great Queen Street). I went here for an early dinner one evening recently and was very impressed. From the minute you walk in the door the welcome and service are excellent. This is a restaurant that I know I shall be visiting again. The Italian menu has such a good range of dishes that I found making a choice difficult, in the end I went with pasta and wasn’t disappointed as it was perfectly cooked. The wine list offers a good range of wines by the glass.

Rules (34-35 Maiden Lane). Rules can lay claim to be London’s oldest restaurant dating back to 1798. It specialises in traditional British food including a good selection of game. Upstairs is the cocktail bar which to me is one of London’s hidden gems. Unquestionably traditional it is a great place to start an evening even if not eating in the restaurant. The cocktails are wonderful and prepared and presented as they should be. Not cheap but well worth if for a special treat.

Polpo (6 Maiden Lane). Following a delightful negroni at Rules head across the street to Polpo for a selection of Venetian small plates of well crafted Italian food. The atmosphere here is casual, relaxed and informal and the food is always good and the bill won’t break the bank.

Champagne + Fromage (22 Wellington Street). An excellent selection of grower champagnes together with a menu that includes cheese and charcuterie boards, salads and baked cheeses. Buy by the glass or bottle you can’t go wrong here if you are a fan of champagne and who isn’t?

5 Alternative Things to do in Berlin

Back in Berlin which is rapidly becoming my new favourite city. Having done many of the regular touristy sights back in September I thought that for this visit I’d concentrate on maybe some of the less well known.

Street Art

There is so much fantastic street art in Berlin its difficult to know where to start. Many first time visitors to the city will take in the magnificent East Side Gallery, a collection of murals painted on a preserved section of The Berlin Wall. You can read about my visit here. If that has whet your appetite for more there is plenty to choose from. From the eastern end of the gallery you can head up Warschauer Straße to the junction with Revaler Straße. There are old, disused railway sheds just off Revaler Straße which have now been converted into bars, cafés, artist spaces and even one of Europe’s largest indoor skateboard parks. The walls of these buildings are awash with art of all descriptions.

Alternatively you can cross the river Spree into Kreuzberg where the art is not as concentrated but you will find some significant works covering the whole sides of buildings.

There are numerous walking tours of Berlin’s street art some of which are guided by street artists themselves. They can save you a lot of time researching where the best and most interesting art actually is and give excellent insights into the artists themselves and their works. If you are unsure but want to check out the street art I would definitely recommend looking out for a suitable tour.

The Stasi Museum.

The site of the former Stasi headquarters is located close to Magdalenenstraße U-Bahn station, a short trip from Alexanderplatz on the U5, and is accessed by a short passageway. There are over 50 buildings which accommodated over 7000 Stasi employees giving you a sense of the scale of the place. The buildings themselves are a time capsule of 1960s functional architecture with few ornamental features. As you enter the main courtyard it is like stepping back in time and does feel slightly nervy and unsettling.

The Stasi were the East German Secret Police that were responsible for state security following World War II until the reunification of Germany. They conducted mass surveillance and actively encouraged people to inform on their family, friends and neighbours. The former head quarters in Lichtenberg are now a museum which gives a fascinating insight into these dark times. The main building, House 1, was built in the early sixties as the official residence of Erich Mielke, who was head of state security for 32 years until November 1989. His offices on the second floor have been preserved exactly how they were found and look that they were never updated since first built. There is much to see in the museum and it is well worth a visit. There is also an open air exhibition to the right of the museum entrance which examines the roles of those that helped bring down the East German communist regime.

Haus Schwarzenberg.

Located off Rosenthaler Straße near to Hackescher Markt station you could easily walk by and miss it and it would be a great shame indeed because this is a gem. The courtyard is a top destination for street art with works by many notable artists, it’s is awash with colour and you find yourself not knowing what to look at next, a real workout for the senses. The courtyard is home to more than street art, Otto Weidt’s Workshop for the Blind is a small museum in the former factory where between 1940 and 1943 Otto offered a refuge for blind and disabled Jews. Anne Frank Zentrum tells the story of this remarkable teenager. A portrait of her by street artist JimmyC adorns the wall by the entrance.

There are also studios, a gallery, bar and a club called Monster Kabinett which features robots and other mechanical automata in a show set to loud music.

Urban Nation.

A museum dedicated to urban contemporary art at Bülowstraße 7. It is in the district of Schöneberg which is well worth a visit for its cafés and independent shops. Urban Nation can be accessed on the U1 or U3 with the closest station being Nollendorfplatz. The museum features art both on the inside and outside with ever changing external murals. Entry is free and I can not recommend this enough. It doesn’t appear in many guide books and I found out about it from. a tour guide. Some of the work here is quite extraordinary and a highlight of this visit to Berlin.

Also in Schöneberg and about a 15/20 minute walk from Urban Nation is the building where David Bowie and Iggy Pop lived in the 1970s (Hauptstraße 155). There is a comparative plaque on the wall.

Explore the neighbourhoods.

Berlin’s neighbourhoods are like small towns towns within the city each with its own distinct feel. It is worth spending some time exploring some of these neighbourhoods, there is no better way than strolling the streets and a walking tour with a local guide is an excellent way to do this. Where you choose will depend on your own particular interests but I particularly enjoyed discovering a little of Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg and Schöneberg. With vibrant café and bar scenes which often offer great value for money and there are plenty of independent retailers with small interesting shops a plenty.