The finer things in life

Date Night this week was a trip to the newest bar on the block, 54 Benjamin. They do great food, but they are mainly known for their cocktails.

Mr Miyagi cocktail (rum, ginger, cinnamon and yuzu sour)

Sicilian Hit cocktail (vodka, limoncello, rosemary and pineapple)

Jalapeno corn fritters with poached egg and cumin yoghurt

Twice-cooked pork belly with soba noodles in brocollini and soya broth

The winter sunrises this week have been stunning.

More good, warming winter food - this time from Chinese Kitchen Dumpling House...

 

...followed by an evening of culture at the National Gallery, where there is Monet exhibition, and we went to a special showing 'after dark'. It was a fine night of blobby paint and bubbly wine with friends, Mr and Mrs Lovely Bonkers. Tres chic; tres bon. We were allowed to wander about examining the paintings with a glass in hand. How is that insurable?

This first painting is not even by Monet, but it is by Eugene Boudin, who was considered a mentor and a member of the 'French School' of art. Inspired by the work of British landscape specialists, a new generation of French artists abandoned the strictures of the Academy and its ideals; they left their studios, models and props behind to paint France as they saw it. Monet was influenced by this movement. 

La Plage (The Beach) by Eugene Boudin,1864

This is one of my favourite Monet paintings - there is so much energy vibrating from the canvas; I can practically hear and smell that engine. 

Le Train dans la neige. La Locomotive (The train in the snow. The locomotive), 1875

Le Pont de l'Europe. Gare Saint-Lazare, 1877

Effet de neige, soleil couchant (Snow effect, sunset), 1875

Les Tuileries, 1876

Le Voilier, effet du soir (The sailing boat, evening effect), 1885

Meules, milieu du jour (Haystacks, midday) 1890

Charing Cross Bridge, fumees dans le brouillard, impression (Charing Cross Bridge, smoke in fog, impression), 1902

Like many, I love the waterlily paintings which become increasingly indistinct as Claude Monet's eyesight began to fail. They become increasingly about colour and texture and less about shape and form; perhaps a metaphor for ageing in general.

La Barque (The rowing boat), 1887

Nympheas (Waterlilies), 1903

Nympheas (The waterlilies) 1914-1917

Le Bassin aux nympheas (The waterlily pond), 1917-1919

Le Pont japonais (The Japanese bridge), 1918-1919

This is the signature painting after which the exhibition is named. 

Impression, soleil levant (Impression sunrise), 1872

While there are still three days left, we had a 'Christmas in July' dinner party with friends. It was fun and fabulous, as was to be expected. 

We went to the zoo!

Puzzling continues - the patterns in the giraffes were tough enough; the brown background is even more so, but the task is assisted by an excellent bottle of Chardonnay. 

I have bought some new tights. Okay, so this may not be earth-shattering news to you, but they fit; they come in bright colours; they are comfortable, and they keep my legs warm, so I can wear dresses with boots in winter. I think that's pretty big news; thanks, Snag Tights!

Continuing a previous theme of making the most of our weekends by visiting local institutions  rather than sitting around the house, we went to the National Zoo and Aquarium. It was fun and instructional. 

I know some people don't like zoos as they keep animals in captivity (are these the same people who argue that cats should be contained indoors, I wonder) and I understand this sentiment. Animals should be allowed to roam and act as animals do, not perform for our entertainment. However, if we can instruct humans (particularly children) in their behaviours and habitats, then perhaps we might be able to preserve and protect rather than wiping them out, as we seem to be doing at the moment. 

Education and knowledge breeds respect and hopefully co-existence. Many animals in zoos are critically endangered and if we learn to understand them (and even, in some cases help them to procreate), we may still have tigers and tree kangaroos in our future. I saw several young folk taking an interest in these animals and asking questions of the zoo-keepers, which could potentially lead to conservation. This would be a good thing. 

Ring-tail lemurs

Black-and-white-ruffed lemur

Little penguin

Goodfellow's tree kangaroo

Malaysian Sun Bear

Asian small-clawed otter

Sumatran Tiger

Tawny Frogmouth

Tawny lion

White lion

I have a confession to make: I don't really like the monkeys. 

Black and white Colobus

Cotton-top Tamarin

Slender-tailed meerkat

Siamang

Red panda

Common marmoset

Starfish

Spotted puffer fish (I think he spotted me too)

Rock lobster (and yes, we were singing that for the rest of the day)

Iguana - flat out like a lizard

Reticulated python

America alligator (see ya later!)

Ostrich

Pains zebra (Equus quagga)

Cheetah

Spotted hyena (It didn't spot me because it was asleep)

White rhino (in sepia)

Alpaca

This was the main event for me - big fan of giraffes, and this is a baby one who is a brand new arrival. 

 

Nzuri, the baby giraffe

Close up giraffe

Humberkhali (Hummer), the bachelor giraffe

Mzungu, the mummy giraffe

Shaba, the daddy giraffe

Mzungu and Shaba

And we finished our zoo tribute, with further assistance from an antipasti platter.