Only London, No Venice

 

THB and DB are off to London and Venice. For the first time in a long time, THB is not planning to live-stream the trip. He'll save up the pics, make a few notes, and in his usual cheerful and slightly abnormal self send out a few post-trip posts. So, this post is being compiled after we have returned (early) to E-ville.

Kosmic Karma is gonna getcha!

(ed. note: DB supplied this description) Donna experienced an unpleasant bout of dizziness and nausea in London. We had it checked out and while doctors in the US and UK assured us it was safe to travel we decided to return home  (Oct 13) rather than than continue on to Venice.

THB manages to take some pics from around London-town:

There's a half-marathon going on Sunday morning

selfie being taken in front of The Eye Ferris wheel

After-visit shot, tourists have to pay for meds, $10 for anti-nausea pills

hospital public art

Big Ben; side note: London-town is chock-full of tourists...really full!!

Now at the V&A Museum: the museum is free except for a contemporary Asian art exhibit and today is 2 for 1 entry. The exhibit is very small (and the V&A is very large)

no access to contemporary Japanese ceramics

DB and THB's wedding china

THB's parent's china set

Max Jacquard: stitched glass mummy

Jun Kaneko

Toots Zynsky

Ervin Eisch

Time for some recreational shopping: Marfa had a trunk show recently a few blocks from the Loft and on the way to another Ottolenghi café we ran into a just-opened shop and DB purchased a high-fashion vest  

we reach the café 

flat white

Book Review - Highly Recommended

The Breakup, Kurt Andersen (novel, read by cast of 6): set in 2045, a highly accomplished couple (she's 46, he's 49) are in the midst of a separation and the US is 9 years into another civil war, this time resulting in the separation into two countries with many intersecting borders. The couple is wicked-smart, their 17 year-old younger child is unbelievably empathetic, the grandparents are super eccentric, and the plot is not exactly believable. THB was on the borderline in recommending this audiobook...

In The Something Else Category: is it a thing?

Pluribus, Season 1 (2025), 9 episodes streaming on Apple TV. 13 people are immune to a world-wide virus that has overtaken humans. One of the 13 falls in love with one of the "aliens" in a human body only to come to the realization that this is not normal.

In Break-Up, the separation is partly caused by the male having sex (twice) with a bot in a human-like body in a Helsinki brothel (and the wife sees the charges on their credit card).