During a visit to Copenhagen, I enjoyed a visit to Uldstedet on Fiolstræde, where I got this beautiful yarn created by a Danish fiber artist Karen Noe. The yarn is Rustik Naturgarn, Kobber. It’s composed of a gray and white noil silk single plied with mercerized cotton thread in copper brown and moss green. I knitted this up into a scarf that I gave to my sister-in-law. I later used the swiss darning technique to decorate a black stocking cap with the same yarn so my sister-in-law would have a coordinated set. The feel of this yarn made it a pleasure to work with, and the colors reminded me of Copenhagen.
Travel from central London to Hampton Court can be accomplished in 3-4 hours via boat or in 30-40 minutes via train. While the boat trip would have been scenic, as well as the method of travel used when the first palace was built by Cardinal Wolsey (chief minister to Henry VIII) around 1514, we always opt for the shorter train trip. This gives us a full day to enjoy the large palace and extensive grounds. If you are visiting Hampton Court Palace for the first time, I heartily recommend planning to spend a full day, including a lunch or dinner at one of the on-site venues.
The palace comprises the original Tudor structure, enlarged by Henry VIII after the property passed to him, and extensive additions in the Baroque style commissioned by William III of Orange.
Starting with the grounds, we strolled through the formal gardens which date from the time of William and Mary, visited the maze and wilderness garden, enjoyed watching the swans with their new goslings on the lake, walked through the hornbeam bower, admired the pond gardens near Banqueting House, and checked out the Great Vine — a remarkable grape vine planted in the 1700’s which now yields over 500 lbs of grapes each year.
Within the palace walls, we visited the Great Hall (where Shakespeare’s company performed), the richly appointed Chapel Royal, the Clock Courtyard, the Tudor-style garden in Chapel Court, the ancient oak spiral staircases, the royal apartments in both the Tudor and Baroque sections of the palace, and William’s Guard Hall and Dining Rooms. We also enjoyed viewing artwork from the Royal Collection, which included ceramics and furniture, as well as tapestries and paintings. In particular, the portraits of Henry VIII and his family painted by Hans Holbein and others, were interesting both historically and artistically.
The highlight of the interior palace for us was Henry’s Kitchens, replete with engaging actors in costume and food historians happy to share their knowledge. In these rooms, meals were prepared for banquets seating up to 600 in the Great Hall and for the approximately 1200 people who lived in the palace during the time of Henry VIII.
I was at Kew Gardens during the Summer Festival that was held May 29 – September 5, 2010. During this time, there was a Butterfly House located in the Princess of Wales Conservatory. This provided an excellent opportunity to observe and photograph a variety of butterflies.
You can see more photos from this visit in my Kew Gardens slideshow.
During our 2010 visit to London, as we were walking across St. James Park, we saw several large, colorful statues of elephants. These were part of Elephant Parade London, an event designed to raise funds and increase awareness of the endangered status of Asian elephants, whose numbers have declined by 90% over the past 100 years. The 2010 London Elephant Parade comprised 260 elephant statues that were on display for two months in various locations around London. The parade ended with an auction of the top 30 elephants held on the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea. Additional elephants were sold via an online auction. In the process, approximately 3 million pounds were raised for Elephant Family, a British charity dedicated to saving the Asian elephant from extinction. Above to the left is Kingdom by artist Rebecca Campbell. We spotted this elephant at Sloane Square in Chelsea. To the right below is Gaia Elephant, who we found nearby on King’s Road. Gaia is the creation of artists Carolyn MacLeod, Kevin Darke, and Carlamaria Jackson.
Gaia Elephant by C. Macleod, K. Darke, C. Jackson
After spotting various elephant statues around London, we found small replicas from past Elephant Parades for sale in Selfridges. We became the fond owners of a miniature “Tomato” by artist Kongchan Thanom, which appeared in the Amsterdam 2009 Elephant Parade.
You can visit the Elephant Parade website to learn more about past, present, and future Elephant Parades. There’s also a webshop where you can purchase miniature replicas from past Elephant Parades.
Have your ever had a tune running through your head and not been able to remember what it was, who wrote it, or where you may have heard it? When this happens to me, the tune seems to dig itself into my brain. I can suppress the rogue engram by listening to other music I find compelling, but that’s not always convenient. In many cases, the better alternative for mental housekeeping is to identify the tune and tuck it away into a larger memory. But how does one identify a tune with no clues other than the tune itself?
Ecco! Musipedia is a solution to my little conundrum — and much more. Musipedia describes itself as “a searchable, editable, and expandable collection of tunes, melodies, and musical themes” that is being grown and maintained by a community of volunteers. Musipedia lets you search for music in various ways. If your computer has a working microphone, you can simply whistle or hum a part of what you’re looking for. I was able to find the Tannhäuser Overture using this method. A flash keyboard lets you listen while you peck out your tune, which worked for finding Yellow Submarine (by the Beatles) . A JavaScript piano can be used to create a musical score, which allowed me to find Frère Jacques even with botched timing. Another option, tapping the rhythm using any key on the computer (I used the spacebar), mostly didn’t work for me, though I was able to find Hark, the Herald Angels Sing by using the keyword “Christmas” in combination with tapping. There’s also an option to use the mouse to create a musical grid, but I couldn’t get this to work for anything.
Finally, you can enter a melodic contour using a Parsons code. This is a simple notation that’s easy to learn and use. You start by entering the character * for the first note, then enter U if the next note goes up, D if it goes down, and R if it stays the same. For example, the Parsons code for Amazing Grace is *UUDUDDDDRUUDUDUDUDUDDDUURDDRUUDUDD, which can be visualized as follows:
Of course a tune will only be found if it’s in the Musipedia database, which is not comprehensive. At present, the database seems to be most complete for classical music. Another thing to keep in mind is that you don’t always know whether something that sounds like a repeated note (especially when there are sung lyrics) may be a held note in the score, and vice versa. This can make it difficult to find a tune, even though you think you’ve reproduced it perfectly.
If you can’t identify your tune with the tools Musipedia provides, you can try posting it in website’s the forum to see if another person can help you out.
1 can (10.5 oz) garbanzo beans 1 lemon, zest and juice 1/3 c. olive oil 1 T. sesame oil 1/2 t. garlic paste 1/8 t. cayenne 1/8 t. salt chicken stock ( as needed)
Drain the garbanzo beans and place in the blender container. Process, adding chicken stock in small amounts, as needed, to get a smooth mixture. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, sesame oi, garlic paste, salt, and cayenne. Process to combine. While blending, add the olive oil in a slow stream, and continue blending until you have a smooth, even mixture. Serve immediately. Also can be kept in the refrigerator for several days.
A savory cheese-flavored cracker with the texture of shortbread.
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, warmed to room temperature 6 oz. shredded hard cheese (e.g. cheddar, parmesan) 1 c. flour 1/8 t. salt 1/8 t. cayenne
Combine the dry ingredients and set aside. Place the butter and cheese in a mixing bowl. Mix at medium speed until well-blended. Add the dry ingredients gradually and mix until blended. Wrap the dough, forming it into a cylinder, and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Unwrap the dough and slice into rounds. Place these about 1″ apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and, if desired, sprinkle the tops with chopped nuts, sesame seeds or freshly ground pepper. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned, then cool on a rack. Enjoy!
Statens Museum for Kunst Exterior – Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons
The SMK (Statens Museum for Kunst) is the National Gallery of Denmark. It has an interesting collection of works from various times and places. The interior space of the museum, giving a wonderful sense of space and light, is in itself an aesthetic experience. In addition to paintings and graphic arts, the SMK provides dimensional variety with displays of sculpture. The thoughtful layout of rooms also provides ample opportunities to sit and contemplate, something I find sadly lacking in many major art museums.
Statens Museum for Kunst Interior Room – Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons
The SMK is a particularly good place to learn about the history of Danish painting, and to see works from the period referred to as the Golden Age of Danish Painting. In particular, one can see paintings by Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg, “the Father of Danish Painting,” and of the artists he worked with and taught. It’s interesting to compare Eckersberg’s work with that of the English painters Sir Joshua Reynolds, Thomas Gainsborough, J. M. W. Turner, and John Constable.
The painting to the left is Det russiske linieskib “Asow” og en fregat til ankers på Helsingørs red ( The Russian Ship of the Line “Asow” and a Frigate at Anchor in the Roads of Elsinore), painted by Eckersberg in 1828.
The Amaliehaven (Amalie Garden) is a long and narrow park that runs parallel to the Inderhaven (Inner Harbor) between Larsens Plads and Toldbodegade. At each end of the long axis is a water feature sculpted by Arnaldo Pomodoro. These are connected by paths with a large fountain and four pillars (also sculpted by Pomodoro) at their center. From this center, where Frederiksgade intersects the park paths, there is a great view of the Operahus (Opera House) across the water to the east and of the Amalienborg Palace and Marmorkirken (Marble Church) to the west. The strict geometrical design of the Amaliahaven is complemented by the softer shapes and textures of trees and other plantings, which have been arranged to create a peaceful, enclosed space. The Amaliehaven is said to be most beautiful in the spring when the cherry trees are in bloom. However, we found the this little park also attractive in November, with dry fountains allowing us to examine their sculptural details, and with autumn leaves, bare branches, and bright berries set against evergreens and a restless sky in the slanting light of the approaching solstice.
If you walk along Nyhavn to the Inderhaven (Inner Harbor) and look to the north, you will see a modern brick and glass building known as Skuespilhuset, which is now the main venue for drama performances by the Royal Danish Theater. Skuespilhuset, which was designed by Lundgaard & Tranberg, is stunning to look at — from the outside with its juxtapositions of earthy brown brick, smooth green glass, and copper cladding — and from the inside where exposed steel trusses, long fiber optic lights, metal railings, and bright red chairs exist in visual harmony with the brick and glass walls. You can reach the building via a wooden walkway, and, even when no performance is scheduled, enjoy the food and the view from the café and restaurant (Ofelia) inside. At this café, during my first hours in Copenhagen in 2008, I was served a potato-onion soup which lingers in my memory as being transcendent. My appreciation for this soup may have been enhanced by having had little food or sleep during the preceding 24 hours, though I will note that the cafe was filled with people who also seemed to be well-pleased. You can learn more about the architecture of Skuespilhuset at the Architonic – The New Royal Playhouse and Copenhagen Architecture – Royal Playhouse webpages. There’s also a Wikipedia page for the Royal Danish Playhouse.
