Let's Meet in the UK, or Mlini or Dubrovnik
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I am going on a "painting holday" led by one of my favourite watercolour artists, Joe Francis Dowden, of the UK. He is conducting it in Croatia for a week starting Oct 27. It originates from London so I probably spend about 1 week in the Uk before the painting trip.
Anyone available for coffee?
I am sooooo excited. Haven't done anything for myself in so long. It's been all about the kids.This artist, BTW, throws one of his very realistic looking paintings together in a very short period of time and he uses a lot of "spatter" to achieve very convincing looking foliage.
take a look at his work here: http://www.joedowden.net find the "Croatia" trip link here http://www.joedowden.net/Croatia_2009.htm so that you can all envy me. -
Oh, wow... Those are paintings? Amazing.
Hope you have a great "working" holiday. Wish I could go to Dubrovnik again, that was a great place to see.
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Hi Susan,
I will definitely be up for a coffee and chat when you arrive in the UK.
You sound very excited about your trip and so you should be!
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Wow, I have NEVER seen such photorealism in watercolour!
The light, reflections and refractions in the "Boats at Littlehampton" are absolutely stunning.
http://www.joedowden.net/Black%20Gallery/Boats_Full.jpgSadly, both Croatia and London are a little too far from Malmö to meet up, but I hope you have a great time in both! I've heard Croatia is beautiful, especially for sailing- we've talked about taking a holiday there for years. Just let me know if you want London tips.
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Jackson, when did you move to Malmo? Do I remeber seeing something about that here on the forum? Prickle prickle in the brain. I may have.
Yes I need many tips abouot London and surrounds. Although I hate the idea, I may end up doing one of those "if it's Tuesday, this must be Belgium" type trips. I just hate the idea of not seeing something on a once in a lifetime kind of trip.
I would just love to get up to Edinborough for a day as well.As for the artist. His work just floors me. I you coulc watch one of his painting demos, I think there may be one his site, you would see how quickly and easily he does one of these. He is using loose brush strokes and spatter and it looks like he has spent hours with small deliberate strokes. He is a talent for sure.
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Dylan, I am sorry, I wasn't ignoring your post. I just took it for granted that we are meeting for coffee.
put it in on your calendear. Somewhere in the week before Oct 27 you must be available.
I will give you more details when I have them.Any chance to make it a real SketchUp get-together. I know there are lots of you in the UK.
Is Allan hanging around here any more? -
No, he's keeping his head down.
Missed our annual get together, as you and the Piranesi boys never made it to SF for the AIA. I'm not sure what I'm doing around then, Susan. I may be down in London for one of my daughters concerts, but not sure of the dates yet. If I am, coffee's on me. -
Who knows, Susan, the UK is just a stone's throw from here, maybe even I will get you some headaches again (although it will never be the same again as when I saw Todd Butch' face when we started to talk in Hungarian
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I remember that, at the Hotel bar in California, I too was taken for a moment.
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Actually we were talking in Clingon then.
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Gai,
Isn't Dubrovnik a little closer to you? Maybe there?
It would be great!
I speak the Hungarian of a 2 year old. That is when we left Hungary. My second language was Spanish: we lived in Santiago Chile for 4 years. I have forgotten all my Spanish. I did not learn English till I was almost 7.( a second time actually, we lived in MOntreal for a 6 month period when I was 4 and I forgot all my Spanish, spoke fluent English, had to relearn Spanish back in Santiago and forgot all my English, Thank God for Hungarian or I never would have been able to converse with my parents)Alan I do expect to be travelling some so maybe I can make it to your neck of the woods> We shall have to see as the dates approach, but I am putting all takers into my "Date Book" Now!
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Susan,
Ill be happy to meet with you in Dubrovnik since this is where I live.I think we can throw in something more than the coffee. I could show you around and organize some great events for you guys while you are in town. Just give me a call.
Cheers,
Mateo -
mateo that is just wonderful. I expect we will have limited free time since it is a "learning holiday" there will be some sight seeing attached as well.
I have been to Dubrovnik, but that was, are you ready, 37 years ago on a school organized trip. I will be very curious to see how it compares.I would love to meet with you for more than coffee that is for sure. I hope nothing comes up during that week for you that will prevent it.
I have a "sort of" itinerary I can send to you. I have your e-mail so I pop it off.I am really really looking forward to meeting you in person.
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Hi Susan,
Seems like you are already packing.
Looking forward to meeting you.
Cheers,
Mateo -
Yes Mateo, I am really very excited. I am really looking forward to meeting with you.
My one regret is that I just couldn't get it together enough to be a new skinny me for Europe. I just couldn't stick to my diet and I'm still a wide little person. I wish I could still be the skinny me. See here.
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Ok, I have all my dates now so I am looking to fill my dance card with you folks here:
I arrive at London Gatwick at 10AM Oct 20.
With the exception of 3 nights ( OCT 24,OCT 26 and OCT 27) I will be staying at the following hotel until Oct 29 when I leave for Croatia.contact me for hotel details
I am sure I will spend a disoriented and exhausting day in London on the first day OCT 20 so any takers for an early dinner?
I will be too tired from touring on OCt 21, 24, 25 and I will be in Edinburgh Oct Tues Oct 27. Anybody in Edinburgh???
I'm taking the sleeper train there and back.I'm in Cambridge Thursday OCT 27 and I hope to meet with Piranesi folk. Anybody else in Cambridge???
So London dates: Oct 20,23,26,28
Cambridge: OCT 22
Edinburgh: OCt 27
Croatia OCT 29-Nov 5
Hotel in Croatia:contact me for hotel details
I arrive fairly early afternoon from Croatia at Gatwick and will be staying one last night before heading home the next AM. Last hotel and opportunity fo coffee or a meal and chat is: contact me for hotel details
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Jackson, thanks soooooo much for taking all that time to give me Edinburgh pointers.
Really helpful. My one day is going to have to fit around my already paid-for visit to the Real Mary Kings Close.
I saw a special on the seamy side of old Edinburgh and that just really intrigued me so I have made sure to include that.Thanks for the security warning. I had fleetingly considered that it may not be a good idea but I am far from a famous personage and if someone just wanted to knock off someone at random, all hotels have people staying in them all the time so the fact that I am staying at one shouldn't increase the likelihood that I am the one chosen.
However, I have changed the post so if no evil person has yet noted the information,I should be somewhat safe. Gulp.Thanks again Jackson and it is such a shame I won't get to meet you in person.
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Any of the first half (the Old Town part) of my one-day guide would fit around your visit to Mary King's Close as it's under the foundations of the City Chambers (City Hall) smack bang in the middle of the Royal Mile, just a hundred yards from Deacon Brodie's pub. I didn't realise it was the seamy side of Edinburgh you were interested in; I would've posted my X-rated guide.
I hope you have a great time, don't forget your umbrella!
Jackson
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Hi Susan,
Such a shame I won't be in Edinburgh until next year as I would have loved to meet up. Hope you have a fantastic time. I wrote a quick 2 day Edinburgh guide a while back for someone, a slightly edited copy of it is below.
One thing concerns me though though- having your full name and precise itinerary including hotel addresses and dates on a public forum is a hell of a security risk. Surely just having cities and dates is sufficient for any SCF members you know who earnestly want to meet up? They can PM you to exchange contact details.
If you only have 1 day in Edinburgh I'd actually advise against visiting Edinburgh Castle- the queues this time of year can be 2 hours long, it's expensive (about $22CAD each) and to be honest the sheer number of tourists packed into it can pretty much ruin the experience.
Instead I'd suggest walking up to the castle
(which is in the highest oldest part of Edinburgh universally known as the Old Town), but rather than go in just take a few photos from the outside and turn around and walk down the Royal Mile
- keep visits to the plethora of tourist shops to a bare minimum (they all sell almost exactly the same stuff anyway so if you been in one, you've been in them all) and spend your money on some good Scottish beer (or whisky) in some of the unique old pubs instead! "Deacon Brodie's" pub is excellent and on the exterior is the interesting story behind it's namesake: the real-life figure who became the inspiration behind Robert Louis Stephenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Take a right onto George IV Bridge and walk straight ahead to the Museum of Scotland
(free)- two museums in one: a fantastic 150-yr-old building with a very impressive cast iron and timber glazed roofed atrium which is brighter than you would ever expect of the Victorians and a wonderful extension built about 10 years ago by Benson & Forsyth Architects- easily my favourite modern building in Edinburgh. The view from the roof terrace is spectacular- especially back towards the castle. Both buildings house fantastic collections of both Scottish and imported artifacts.Walk back up George IV bridge and meander down the Royal Mile ending up at the Queen's home when she's in town: Holyrood Palace and Enric Miralles' Scottish Parliament
... the jury's out on the latter, I love parts of it and really dislike others- it's a very complex design. I've never met an Edinburgh taxi driver yet who liked any of it. All in all that should take you a long morning depending on how much time you like to spend in museums, if any.In the afternoon I'd strongly recommend the National Gallery of Scotland (free) on the Mound (road that twists up from the grid-plan 250-yr-old New Town to the Royal Mile- aside from a good restaurant which would take care of lunch it has an excellent collection of Impressionist paintings displayed in very bright homely galleries above the more imposing blood red velvet walled main galleries on the ground floor. A free bus leaves every 15 mins between all the national galleries in Edinburgh so you could jump on that and head down to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (free) and check out a few Picassos, Warhols, etc and a small, but very good surrealist collection or take a taxi down to the Botanical Gardens
(free)- which are amongst the best in the world.For a quiet, but perfect Edinburgh night out any day of the week Kay's Bar (39 Jamaica Street) in the New Town is one of my favourite pubs in the world:, absolutely tiny, great beers and whiskies, real coal fire, no food in the evenings (lots of excellent restaurants nearby), well off the tourist trail, no music, just a genuine mix of older regulars leaning against the bar and younger Edinburghers who know where to go to get away from it all and get a good pint.
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Hi Susan,
Just noticed you are coming to Cambridge. I live about 20mins drive away, so if I can get some time off on that day I will meet up with you!
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