Week 23

The Museum of London invested over £20 million to the new Galleries of Modern London, which I visited this rainy weekend. Anyone in love with London would love this museum, as it documents the life in the city from pre-history until our days. However, I find the Museum of London too Disneylandish. Hundreds of interactive displays, videos with actors dressed in period costume, etc. are great for children, but for adults the depth of information is missing and genuine objects put in pretend display cases loose their authenticity. The biggest mistake is to visit on Sunday – way too many families and lost tourists.

One of the most amazing concert venues in London – 1901 Arts Club – is a house in Waterloo, beautifully restored and kept to the period standard. Inspired by Europe's Salon culture, the Club is perfect for chamber music performances. Before the show you can enjoy a drink on the roof terrace spotting the trains zooming past you to Waterloo. In the season opening concert the Spanish mezzo soprano Nerea Berraondo and pianist Juan Urdániz presented a recital of Spanish and Argentinian songs. The mixture of subjects (love, humour, animals) in these folk songs allowed Berraondo to show not only her voice but also her performing skills.

This week I also read a humorous short novel by David Lodge. The British Museum is Falling is a story set in one day about a research student, who spends his day thinking about his numerous problems (3 children, a possible fourth on the way, his Catholic beliefs and unfinished thesis) and encountering many adventures. The book feels slightly dated as it was written in 1960s and many issues are not important for the present day reader. Nevertheless, it's a great test on one's literature knowledge as each chapter is an allusion to various writers' styles and motifs.