Talking statues!

Personally, I have always found statues a bit boring.

I mean, between trying to remember whether a horse with its legs in the air means the rider was killed in battle and wondering whether the bust actually looked like the patron saint or was just an actor, the whole experience is just a little dull. But then, this. Statues speak!                     Sing London, a UK nonprofit focused on art appreciation, commissioned 35 talking statutes across London and Manchester. The project is called, appropriately, Talking Statues.  And they're funny too.

Famed writers and actors scripted and recorded their interpretations of what they thought the characters would say . . . if only those statues could talk. Visitors can access the recordings on a smartphone.

Personally I am dying to eavesdrop on Sherlock Holmes statue on Baker Street, Isaac Newton at the British Library and Queen Victoria at Blackfriar's Bridge.

Last weekend, my four year-old and I ventured to Hyde Park to see Peter Pan ('how did they get an image of me? I’m invisible to all adults.'). Achilles was close by, but we opted for the Solar Powered boat instead, which offered a slow row down the lake toward the southeastern corner of the park.  And then, of course, to the ice cream with flake, which has become our adventure mainstay.

Fancy yourself a Gepetto? Go ahead animate your own sculpture. Talking Statues is sponsoring a contest to create monologues for four statues in London and Manchester. Try the Leaping Hare on Crescent and Bell.

What great imagination inspiration. Fun started August 19th, runs until the same date, 2015. Happy weekend!

Written by Susan.  Susan is an adventurer, former lawyer, current 'trailing' spouse and constant mother of two daughters. She writes on her blog www.SmartlyMomming.com

For more information please visit www.focus-info.org

A love affair with great apres ski...

Imagine the scene: we are having a great get-together in an Austrian après-ski farm house, enjoying cheese fondue and cocktails served in ski boot vessels. You might think that we have just returned from a great day skiing in the Tyrolean Alps and are relaxing after a fun day on the slopes?

Yes, I can confirm to you – that’s exactly how it feels in Bodo’s Schloss*. But Bodo’s Schloss is not in a top Austrian ski resort such as Zillertal, Kitzbuehel or Soelden. But instead, this authentic ski lodge is in the middle of London, and is just a 5 minute walk from Kensington Palace and Hyde Park.

It is a place where you can enjoy traditional Austrian/Swiss food, where cocktails are served by waiters and waitresses in Lederhosen and Dirndl, where you can dance and drink in a relaxed atmosphere. And, of course, meet some VIPs.

Being half German – half Austrian by origin, this place comes as a nice surprise to me. You can actually enjoy authentic Austrian cuisine and atmosphere whilst being in the heart of London. And last but not least, if you are feeling homesick, you can have a taste of home…..or enjoy a completely new experience if you come from a different culture!

Again, this is what makes London so special. You enjoy all the different cultures and cuisines of the world in the most original way you can imagine. What a great city where you can have it all!

*Bodo’s Schloss: 2A Kensington High Street, London, W8 4PT
  http://www.bodosschloss.com/


Written by Veronika Kamplade.Veronika is FOCUS Director of Marketing.

For more information about FOCUS visit:  www.focus-info.org

Museum Like A Kid at The Tate Modern

Has the fear of tantrums or sticky fingers ever precluded a museum trip or other cultural adventure in your family? Have you ever thought, if only I had a babysitter I would love to check out the Italian Fashion exhibit at the V&A.

Rarely do parents intend to let their adventurous streak lapse. But little ones really should not get in the way, at least as far as museums are concerned. Here’s why: Museums are enclosed parks with life-size picture book pages plastered to walls. And there is space to run! The perfect park for rainy days, if you museum like a kid.

Of course, this starts with a good story. Before every adventure with our daughters, I distill what we will be seeing into a really good story. If you have older children, the tawdrier the better! Affairs, illegitimate families, bare bums on the Sistine Chapel. My girls are 18 months and 4, respectively, so it’s more “look at the crazy colours!”, “that guy cut his ear off!” and “can you believe Seurat painted only with teeny tiny dots? How long do you think it took him to finish a painting?!”.

In a genius move, most museums offer audio guides, a/k/a iPhones on necklaces. Little people look cute enough in headsets that the bigger art enthusiasts are more apt to ignore the first three or four auditory disturbances.

Recently, my 18 month-old daughter and I visited Matisse: The Cut Outs at the Tate Modern. If you see one exhibit in
London this year, this should be it. Here is the story. In Matisse’s seventh and eighth decades, with his health failing, he began cutting shapes out of painted or printed materials for some of his commissions. Yes, cutting out shapes, just like kids do. Matisse then arranged these shapes on giant canvases to make something not entirely unlike the masterpieces our older daughter brings home from school. Some are wall-sized (“bigger than our house!” exclaimed our four year-old).

The Cut Outs exhibit takes you through a tour of the psychological and physiological conditions giving rise to the last great artistic push in Henri Matisse’s long life. The exhibit is laid out over fourteen largely open rooms. All save a few paintings are hanging unprotected from the walls. The unadorned concrete walls and floors encourage ambling. Which is precisely what my 18 month-old did.

Victory for all. I enjoyed my history and culture, the little one saw some bright colours and patterns and perhaps picked up a bit up from my recounting the artist’s rivalry with Picasso, the role of war and social disruption on his paintings and how he worked through illness to paint some of the most breathtaking works in his ninth decade.

'Matisse: The Cut Outs' at Tate Modern,  closed on 7th September.  Watch out for more child friendly exhibitions at the Tate Gallery...

Written by Susan.  Susan is an adventurer, former lawyer, current 'trailing' spouse and constant mother of two daughters. She writes on her blog www.SmartlyMomming.com

For more information please visit www.focus-info.org

Devon!

Do you holiday in Britain? When I first moved to London from the States I used all my holiday time to either visit family and friends back ‘home’ or explore Europe which I could not believe was on my doorstep. However, it was not long after I married a Brit who had grown up taking holidays in South West Devon that I experienced my first English holiday. Since my initial visit, nearly 20 years ago, I have been captivated. We return to Devon nearly every year for what we have now adopted as a family tradition of our own.

Parts of Devon are simply stunning. The county is known for its natural beauty including rolling green hills, beautiful beaches, rustic towns and above all plenty of open space. Devon is simply stunning.

Each year we return to a small town on the Southwest coast called Salcombe (about 4 hours by car from London). Colourfully painted houses dot the hill that leads down to the quaint and lively harbour. Although we spend much of the day sailing there is plenty to do for tourists of all ages.

Various companies run ferries to the small local beaches as well as up the estuary to the nearest large town, Kingsbridge.  One of
the shortest ferry rides runs on the half hour between Salcombe and South Sands Beach near the mouth of the estuary.  When the ferry pulls up to South Sands a sea tractor comes and meets the ferry which itself is like a quintessential bath tub toy- too adorable for words! Once at South Sands one can easily spend the day on the water renting lasers, paddle boards and kayaks. Several years ago a new contemporary boutique hotel opened on the waterfront. While I have not stayed there I have enjoyed delicious lunches while watching the activity on the beach below.

Those feeling more energetic can walk half mile up the hill to the stunning National Trust property and gardens called Overbecks. This property is really a hidden treasure. The subtropical gardens took me by total surprise on my first visit, an unexpected treat. Walking through the gardens viewing Salcombe in the distance through the leaves of the palm trees made me wonder if I was really still in England. Of course the delicious cream teas are also not to be missed!

Once you have refuelled yourself you will be ready for the further challenge of the coastal walk to Bolt Head. Get out your hiking boots and be prepared for a stunning coastal walk. The journey takes you up the cliffs and to the jagged rocks known as Bolt Head.

After an active day I suggest returning to one of the many pubs or restaurants back in the village of Salcombe.  If you have teens they may opt to hang out at  The Bakery where crepes are sold throughout the evening. The pub life is lively in the evening and the small street that runs though town is mostly pedestrian with hardly a car to be seen after dark.

Many holiday cottages are rented out by the week from the most basic to the most luxurious but if you are looking for a spa experience you may want to check out the Sacombe Harbour Hotel and Spa, recently renovated and certainly worth a visit for a cocktail to take in the view of the harbour.

While I am biased, I do encourage you to book a very English holiday; you can not go wrong with a week or weekend in  Salcombe!

Written by Nancy Dickinson.  Nancy is Deputy Executive Director at FOCUS.

For more information please visit www.focus-info.org