A Grand Day Out & Some Wild Geese

Yesterday we spent the day in London, visiting the National Gallery to see their Fakes, Mistakes & Discoveries exhibit. I took my camera along, but was not very good at getting any photographs as I was too busy looking at everything! We passed through Trafalgar Square as the gallery is at the top - on the 'spare' plinth there is currently a huge ship in a bottle which I thought was pretty cool. The bottle itself must be about 10 ft long and I would love to know how it was made.


Stacie posed in front of the fountains......

Then there is a very large gap between photographs! The exhibit we went to see was very interesting, many paintings that had been discovered to be fakes or even a genuine article that was nearly discarded as a fake. Some lovely paintings had been 'improved' by restorers over the years - one seductive lady had had her nipples painted out and her expression made far more demure by some prudish Victorian! Luckily the present day restorers have managed to bring her back to her original condition.

After that, we took my daughter to see the Van Gogh paintings - she has developed an interest after watching that episode of Dr.Who! I absolutely love the wing where the Van Gogh's are - I'm practically running to and fro inbetween my favourite paintings of all time - Stubbs' Whistlejacket, Monet's Water Lilies, Renoir's The Umbrellas, Delaroche's The Execution of Lady Jane Grey, and so many more. Stacie was transfixed to see the Sunflowers in real life - apparently that was the best part of the day.


I couldn't resist buying a Van Gogh finger puppet.....perhaps if I wear it while painting I'll get some inspiration......he has both his ears here, so obviously Van Gogh from a happier time!


On the way home, walking across Hungerford Bridge, looking down we saw on the South Bank this lady painting on some enormous canvases on the ground. Lovely work - I wonder what she will do with them when they are completed?


Also saw this 'city' made entirely from painted bricks - not too sure what the display was in aid of, something to do with Brazil! It was a lot of fun though.

Since they harvested the barley in the fields behind our house, large flocks of geese have come to graze on the spilled grain.



It's wonderful to walk along and see these big birds in such numbers, honking quietly at our passing.


I've got a bit of a confession though - since seeing a labrador go crashing through these geese last year and making them all fly away in a spectacular fashion, I keep hoping my dog will do the same and I will get a fantastic photo. No such luck - he is totally uninterested.


I just have to wait until they fly away by themselves, which isn't nearly as exciting to watch but still pretty good.