My walk with the yogis this morning: rain soaked leaves on the ground — huge leaves — and rain-soaked buildings — ornate pre-war buildings interspersed with rebuilt sections. All of it documenting what was destroyed in the Blitz — you can’t help looking at it and being impressed by the history of this city — and all of it bookended (and, frighteningly, encroached upon) by huge new glass towers surrounded by cranes and evidence of more shiny newness underway.
Suddenly Prince Charles’ campaign against modern architecture, which I’d always assumed was just stodgy ignorance or maybe political disingenuousness, becomes a good (actually, a desperately necessary) idea. Altering the facade of this city would be a tragedy, and I can’t imagine developers will have any consciousness of what they’re destroying.
What I will always think of when I think of London is Susan forging ahead, leading us along, the fairy-like diaphanous hem of her gray blouse and low wedge-heeled boots weaving happily among pedestrians and wares and cars. Angeline and Kevin kept an eye on me as I followed along, conscious of the signs painted at my feet at each curb: “Look right.” It didn’t really help, the instructions — I am programmed since childhood to look left for oncoming cars. Forget about the traffic circles and intersections where the signs were reeling off directions “look right,” “look left,” “look left,” “look right,” faster than I could compute. If I’d been wandering by myself, jet-lagged and mesmerized by the city, I imagine I’d have managed to get hit.
Cars are, duh, mostly European. I’m not car-curious, but D loves ‘em, so I made note. Lots of Volkswagens and BMWs and Mercedes. Also cars with a brand mark that’s a griffin or a lion, and what I think were Peugeots, with a brand mark that’s a chevron. And in the midst of it, surprising and homely (perhaps because of its nondescript branding at home, as compared to the exotic luxury branding of Mercedes and Beemers), a few Fords.
Okay, it’s 2 AM, I’ve been up for an hour after sleeping for four. Back to bed now that I’ve downloaded a few of the day’s impressions…
Thank you for remembering my fairy-like dress. I would like to be a fairy I think… but a STRONG one