On Sunday I bid farewell to Staffordshire and Lees Farm and my kind and generous hosts and friends, Keith and Lynn. I loved seeing the north central area of England — the impossible shades of green, rolling hills and dales, dry stone fences and rock escarpments, all features of the incomparable Peak District. Next on my itinerary: Hampshire and the southwest of England. A train from Macclesfield took me to London Euston station from where the underground took me to Waterloo station, and a train bound for Winchester. I’m pretty sure I’ve got the train and tube system figured out in London. But why there are so many national rail line stations throughout the city I don’t understand. NYC just has Penn and Grand Central; London seems to have ten.
In Winchester I’m staying with my old friend, Lucy, and her partner Paul. I met Lucy while she was living in Brooklyn Heights for a few years and our daughters became fast friends in grade school. The girls have grown up and moved on but Lucy and I have remained great mates. It’s wonderful to have some time with her. The day slipped away without any activity. I declined a long walk in the rain (can’t imagine why!) so there wasn’t much to report other than some lovely conversation and a wonderful dinner demonstrating Paul’s culinary skills.
Today there was no rain, just the constant gray sky and chilly English summer air. We went for a very long walk along the South Downs Way, just out the back door and one of England’s Great Walks. The path weaved through wheat fields and along the river and past a golf course and an ancient church. St Andrews was built in 1060 is very early Norman with distinct traces of Saxon influence, as seen in such features of the height of the building relative to the width, and the two openings in the Eastern wall near the nave suggesting a Sanctus bell as well as a larger bell. The surrounding churchyard held graves dating to the 1700’s, with many tilting headstones and old crosses. Billy the springer spaniel was with us and the sheer joy he showed in “springjng” through the fields and along the path almost made the gray skies blue! And scenes along the river were of bucolic small town life.
My evening took me to London. I’ve wanted to visit the exhibit at the British Museum called “Hokusai–After the Great Wave” ever since visiting the Hokusai Museum in Obuse, Japan outside of Nagano in May. I didn’t realize that it would be so popular that I was unable to secure a ticket for the days I was in London. Never one to be deterred, I discovered that if I became a member of the museum I could attend a members-only viewing tonight. So ticket and membership card in hand I caught a ride to the outskirts of London with Paul, hopped a train and a tube and made it to the Museum in time for my appointed slot.
Hokusai is a master in the ukiyo-e or floating world school of art, and is likely best known for his series “36 Views of Mt Fuji”. His sketches and wood cut color prints have been reproduced thousands of times in the 150 years since his death at age 90. He began drawing in his teens and worked right up until his death, and in a postscript to “36 Views” at 80, he noted: “…but until the age of 70, nothing I drew was worthy of notice. At 73, I was somewhat able to fathom the growth of plants and treees, and the structure of animals, insects and fish.” It was a wonderful exhibit with pieces on loan from many museums around the world. Between the originals in Obuse and in this exhibit, and in the Japanese collection also at the British Museum, as well as the few pieces at the Japanese embassy I feel fulfilled in my exploration of this prolific, talented and diverse artist. Lucky me.
One last thing. Over the many decades of his life and artistic career Hokusai changed his name many times. with each reflecting a significant life event, artistic goal or spiritual belief. At age 61 he began signing his work as “Iitsu” which means “one again”, because there’s an East Asian belief that at age 61 a person’s lifecycle begins again.
I’ve decided I’m subscribing to that idea so don’t be surprised if next year my Facebook profile name changes.
A walk and a tube ride brought me to Waterloo and a train back to Winchester and the countryside. And that was Sunday and Monday.
That cow shot may be the best picture you’ve ever taken. Not kidding.