Bakary Cafe

Ah. That was fun.

Some satire. Some comedy. Some serious journalism.

I’m not really sure I understand it… but hey I like it.

The Unilever Series: Tacita Dean is on at Tate Modern until 11 March 2012. Admission free.

Here goes.

I admit it.

I’d never heard of Gerhard Richter until I read about him on the Tate Modern website: ”Lovers of the epic beauty of Rothko, Twombly and Hodgkin will have much to enjoy, as will those who appreciate striking portraiture or the crystal-clear precision of photorealism.”

What an amazing discovery. Stunning. Simply stunning.

(Photo painting: Iceberg in Mist, 1982 - Gerhard Richter)

“Haunting beauty of  the Arctic landscape.” I love that description which accompanied this superb photo painting.

Gerhard Richter: Panorama was on at Tate Modern from 6 October 2011 to 8 January 2012. Admission fee.

Will January ever end?

I know it will. But I’ve had enough.

I should have hibernated this month. I started sorting through my photos instead.

This makes me smile. I came across it just before Christmas.

Urban love.

I looked out of the window this morning and noticed that the snowdrops are out.

Not long now.

The RSPB is conducting its annual Big Garden Birdwatch this weekend. We are encouraged to watch our garden for an hour to help map out the bird population.

I hear a lot of birds. I see no birds!

Red velvet cupcake from the Hummingbird Bakery.

I was tipped to the opening of the latest branch of the Hummingbird Bakery in Angel today.

Yesterday, a friend of mine pointed me to the direction of Londonist and to the new Hummingbird Bakery story in particular: ”Another Hummingbird Bakery Opens, With Free Cupcakes For The First 1,000 Customers.”

And so today… I went. I queued. I got my free cupcake.

Delicious.

Oh alright then.

It’s one of these silly things…

I cannot walk past this ‘Visit Finland’ advert in the DLR without smiling. I know. But what can I say? I smile and go ‘Oh alright. I shall. Soon.’

Not long to go now. My trip to Finland is on the horizon.

London to myself.

Unthinkable I hear you say… Hmmm.

I got Quiet London for Christmas. Amazing gift. It’s full of new places to explore and a few known ones. All of them little treasures of quietness.

I can’t wait to get exploring.

Now… don’t you go and think that I’m so keen on my 2012 resolutions that I’ve already gone out there and done loads. A friend of mine mentioned this gig to me way before 1 January!

This was my second venture to The Slaughtered Lamb and I’m beginning to think that it doesn’t matter when you go or what’s on, you’ll have a great time. Although having said that, the event was, once again, promoted by Pull Up The Roots… so may be that’s the winning combination.

I had made a point of listening to a few tracks before getting the tickets… but that was a long time ago and I couldn’t remember much about it. By the time Jonny and Lucy took to the stage, I didn’t really know what to expect.

Endearing. Funny. Sweet and melancholic. Lullabies with a slight dark undertone. Amiable. Cruel.

Great evening. The wine was decent and reasonably priced. The food tasty. The Slaughtered Lamb is a kind of busy but comfy and friendly pub. You don’t quite feel at home there… but almost.

The last few days have been gloomy. Slight damp in the air. Everything taking a grey outlook… a bit like looking at life through a grey filter.

Days when you feel someone forgot to switch the light on.

The sun is desperately trying to break through. Please keep trying.