Snow woe woe woe

Obligatory snow outside the window shot.

It's the snow equivalent of a comb-over. Plus bonus frozen dock shot.

It was only about 60% frozen when I went past, but then it wasn't until about 10.30. Because i am on holiday. Did I mention before that I was on holiday this week? Well I am, and a very stupid time I am having. Largely going on nonsensical trips to places that are closed when I get there. Another one this morning - to the egyptian consulate to apply for my visa. It is the coptic christmas day today and so it was closed. Who saw that one coming? So I went off to the V&A to see the Magnificence of the Tsars. It was really good - even though there was a group of posturing art students draped all over the place. I had a great time wondering around and saw a lot of parts I had never seen before. Partly because I went up to the Members Room for the first time. This is it.

It was very sophsiticated, refined, demure and.... FREEZING. The woman staffing the cafe bit was wearing a hat, a huuuge scarf, gloves and what looked like several jumpers under a coat. I sat there for about half an hour reading the Kaffe Fassett Pattern Book, which they had in their eclectic library, before giving in and going elsewhere for warmth. The Members' Room is through the glass and Archiecture galleries, both of which were stunning. The door is like an optical illusion at one end.

Check me out in my knitted hat, knitted jumper and knitted cuffs (and knitted socks, incidentally). My knitted scarf was in the cloakroom - yes, it's the season of the knit.

'Glass' struck me as the next logical place for an upgrade. This is one of the cabinets - it reminds me of the cases at Stratford Stations full of local resident's collections of objects.

There was a lot crammed in but a few particularly stood out. A gorgeous Lalique vase:

I did a project on lalique at art college and will always have a soft spot for his stuff. I also spotted this gorgeous one. No idea who it is by, but is lovely.

Then also, hanging from the ceiling, was this.

I don;t know what it is. I do know it was horrendous to photograph. There are more photos here. I intend to find out more about it another time.

My last discovery was this enormous church screen, which formed part of the Great Exhibition. It was transferred to the V&A in 2001 and has been completely renovated. It is something like 10x11m in size and is just astonishing. I loved the shadows it cast on the wall almost as much as the screen itself.

Sooooo, tomorrow promises a return visit to the egyptian consulate and then a massage in the afternoon ( well, I am on holiday) but I am not sure of what do in between. One of my abortive visits on monday was to Loop to have a look at the Norah Gaugain books but it was closed (so much for spontinaity) so could go back there again. Or maybe another museum? Who knows...