The National Gallery

When traveling, one must seize the opportunity to take a gander at some art. We had secured reservations at the National Gallery for Saturday morning. Again, we got on the train! I love the train system in London! On this train we noticed that there were people wearing light blue and white vertical striped sports jerseys. Not baseball jerseys, not basketball jerseys, not American football jerseys, but soccer jerseys! Or rather, football jerseys. Jim and I tried to figure out the team, and it took a bit of looking around (while trying not to stare or look like we're clueless, neither of which probably worked). Finally we were able to piece together the letters on the jerseys and scarves--football scarves are a thing here--Sunderland! Never heard of the team. I wondered who the other team was and I think Jim looked up the event and it was Sunderland vs. Wyckham. I saw just a few Wyckham shirts. Most of the people seemed to support Sunderland. While we were sitting in Trafalgar square in front of the gallery, we saw scarf salespeople wandering around, peddling the teams' gear. 

going to see some art!

pretending to lick pretentious art

I did lick this--my breakfast. Another Brit thing: Muesli.

This is why I wanted to visit the National Gallery--the Monty Python foot. Fellow Minnesotan, Terry Gilliam, was fascinated (inspired?) by this foot and used it in the Monty Python opening credits. Visiting this painting satisfies my bucket list item of seeing something Monty-Pythony in person.

Must take a selfie with the foot. The foot is part of a larger painting full of nude people in various acts of who-knows-what, and it amazes me that Mr. Gilliam was fascinated with a foot. 

I liked the gloomy atmosphere of this painting

up close of an impressionist painting

and far away of same 

up close

and far away

My new favorite painting! I love the blues/greens/white combo and I do love me some yellow. I love the swirly clouds. It reminds me of going on long drives in rural areas and staring out the window on extremely pleasant days. I just stare at the colors of the landscape and sky. 

I was surprised at my awe of seeing this in person, and it's not even my favorite Van Gogh painting. I just could not believe I was seeing it in person. I could have stared at it for hours, thinking, I'm seeing this in person!

Reminds me of boating on Lake Minnetonka and Lake Minnewashta and even on Bde Maka Ska.

a Water Lilies by Monet in person! This was a large painting.

I liked looking down the galleries. There weren't hordes of people, but it wasn't empty. 

up close it looked like regular brushstrokes

but far away it actually looks like taffeta

This object in the lower part of this painting puzzled me. What was it? I stared at it for a few minutes and it never resolved into anything recognizable. Jim said he thought it was a skull. 

It is a skull! But the observer must stand in just the right place for it to look like a skull. It's magic!

After our art adventures, we found a gift shop where I wanted to buy all the Van Gogh-y things. I settled for many postcards, one of which was of a very ugly old woman. Sadly, the painting is not currently on display at the gallery. I sent that postcard to Mike, as well as one of the Monty Python foot painting. 

When we left the gallery, Trafalgar square was buzzing with people, it being a Saturday in tourist season with a high-profile match at Wembley Stadium and all.