A Man After My Own Heart

I started out this morning intending to go to Kew Gardens. However, once I got to the tube station I needed, I learned that all the trains had been diverted to Wimbledon for the day, so I went to Sir John Soane's House Museum. His lordship was a wealthy architect who evidently traveled the world collecting statues, artwork, architectural models, and other interesting items, most of which are on display in his house -- which rivals the Study Center for having lots of twisting corridors and stairs. Here, I thought, is a man after my own heart, who loved to collect things and show them off around his house. Indeed, there were so many interesting things that it was hard to take them all in. Just like my house! Only he had enough money to get away with it. I felt right at home.
There were even two sets of Hogarth paintings. The first was entitled "The Rake," and was about a young lad who wandered into certain troubles with drink and gambling and was forced to marry a one-eyed older woman to bail him out financially. Yet he soon returned to his wastrel ways and eventually ended up first in jail and then at Bedlam, the madhouse. The second set, entitled "An Election," was about the corruption of the politicians of the day and how they attempted to press the feeble and blind into service as voters or sway the women of the town by bribing them with trinkets, undoubtedly so they would then influence their husbands. It was quite interesting walking around in a house that had become a museum.


We took a leisurely stroll through a nearby park so French Frog could do some tree climbing. He's not really a tree frog, but his true love (on Laurie's bag) is a red-eyed tree frog, so maybe he's practicing.



Sir John Soane's Museum

Later in the day I visited the Highgate Cemetery, which is located at the top of Highgate Hill. And when they say a hill, they are serious. It's not quite as steep as the one in Greenwich, but it's a good deal steeper than anything we have in South Florida (except Mount Trashmore, of course). The only way to see the cemetery is with a guide, and ours was very knowledgeable. He explained that the cemetery is Victorian in style, and all of the symbols on the vaults and tombstones mean something.


For example, this cemetery plot belonged to a naval man, and the cannons used as fenceposts symbolize his occupation.

This beautiful lion monument rests atop the remains of a menagerie keeper. The lion's name was Nero, and he was tame enough to let children ride on his back.

We also learned that a number of horror films were shot on location here, including many of the Hammer films. When our guide took us off the main path, it was easy to see why this made such a good place to shoot, as many of the headstones were overgrown and leaning and appropriately spooky. Now it's back to work to try to figure out how to download my podcast.