Yet another tourist guide to London – some modern (?) architecture

Some yawns, some quite nice views of London as it is, Summer 2003. Just a bunch of pictures with some text inbetween.

We arrived Friday evening, after a day's work, at our hotel at Grosvenor Square. What medicre quarters, can I stumble over something different than Ferraris and Porsches, please. Had dinner at the what's it's name, at the corner of Covent Garden and a side street. The waitress knew all the interesting words in French.

A wheel. A hooligans' asylum. Art. ... (!?). City Hall. And its interior. Next door's offices (almost ready). The area.

Saturday
Did some shopping and touring; Selfridges, along St. James Street down to Picadilly, Pall Mall, up to Old Bond Street, Savile Row, onto Fortnum&Mason, along Jermyn Street and Horseguard Parade down to the river, with a boat to Tower Bridge, climbed it to take some pictures, climbed City Hall for the same, had lunch at Le Pont de la Tour (cheapish quality), a taxi to wherever, ended up in Shoreditch (read: shure-ditched), quickly back to Bishopsgate to take pics of the Gurkin, then with a taxi to RIBA, taxi to Serpentine Gallery, and back to the hotel. In the evening, walked to Covert Garden. Had dinner a Chez Gérard; though the staff did their best on a French accent, refused to understand it properly – no, didn't even try to play the French way of not understanding...

Click to enlarge part of a panorama

Click to enlarge a view on Oscar Niemeyer's pavilion at Serpentine (2003)

A panorama in pieces. And another. And a ship, and a bridge. A Gurkin, from afar, from close by, and a NatWest classic (now anonymised...). And a series of views on Oscar Niemeyer's 2003 pavilion at Serpentine gallery. Plus a classic greenhouse (at Kew) plus a modern one.

Sunday: had a late start, partly due to a hangover, partly due to sunstroke (actually yes, in England, this is possible). Took a taxi to Saatchi's Gallery; nice but not on a weak stomach and too much Damien Hirst is not a good thing. Liked only some of his works, and of Chris Ofiri and Dexter Dalwood. The Mini on the stairs is overrated.
Walked along South Bank to Tate Modern, had some snacks and bits that slowly made me feel somewhat better. TM wasn't too interesting. Walked across Y2k bridge, to Blackfriars and took the tube from there mind the gap to Kew Gardens.
Pics of the greenhouses (pl.), of course, and some strolling around. No American Black Oak, not even a Ginko Bilobia at the Japanase pavilion (..!) but Cedar Avenue is nice and after a short heavy rainfall, smells are refreshing.
Some healthy baguette, and off back we mind the gap went. Walked mind the gap from Tottenham Hale, through Conduit street, Savile Row, into Green Park, up Park Lane (strange, McLaren, RR, Mini - do they really need sales outlets there?), back to the hotel, rested a little, off to Hard Rock Caf� on Picadilly just a stroll down.
The place was full but a smile does miracles. A hamburger and a pint too much later, to the hotel I went. On the way back, I saw in the passing that as it looks too much like an ordinary S 600, one shouldn't take the short Maybach.

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