DAM – German Architectural Museum
The Deutsches Architektur Museum was recommended in my guide book.
It cost me nine euros to enter to see a presentation of photographs of the main modern buildings of Frankfurt with descriptions.
There is no directly similar museum in London, although Crossrail have recently put on some excellent free displays of both their archaeology and architecture.
I wouldn’t return to this museum, unless I was travelling with an architect, who thought it a must-see!
The Icelandic National Museum
The Icelandic National Museum was worth a visit. It is a modern building above the city and the displays are well laid out and highly informative with copious notes.
Note the picture of the curious three-seater seat, which could be mistaken for a luxury three-hole commode. There were several like these and the slots in the sides hold descriptions of the exhibits around you. This was a clever idea, that other galleries and museums could borrow.
There is also an excellent cafe with free wi-fi and perhaps more importantly for some, proper teapots.
A Day Out In Portsmouth
I’ve been to the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard before, but as my yearly ticket can be used as many times as I like for £24.25, I thought I had better go again. I chose today, as the weather looked it might by sunny in the afternoon. I got the weather wrong, as it was sunny from when I arrived in Portsmouth Harbour station at about 12:30, courtesy of South West Trains for £23.30 in ninety minutes.
I walked to Carluccio’s in the Gunwharf Quays shopping centre by the station so I could have some lunch. But it would be much nicer if there was a direct connection between the station and the shopping centre.
Every time I visit Portsmouth there seems to be more to see, especially in the Dockyard.
A Fabulous Building! Shame About The Art!
These pictures show the quality of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.
Unfortunately, it had a collection of the most indulgent and useless art I’ve ever seen.
Except of course for the marvellous Puppy. But you don’t need to go in to see that.
That was the only art with any colour, except grey and brown.
One whole floor was given over to enormous curved steel structures. They would have been so much better in a public space, rather than hidden in a museum.
But the worst piece, was a slide carousel showing continuous images on the wall. All of the slides were blank. If that’s art, I’m a Chinaman!
I would advise visiting the museum on a fine, sunny Monday, as I did.As then, the museum is closed and you can just enjoy the building, the Puppy and their setting.
My Exhibition List
This is a list of exhibitions, that I might want to go to or I have gone and enjoyed. Most are in London.
British Museum – The Mostyn Tompion Clock – Ends 2nd February 2014
British Museum – Vikings – Ends 22nd June 2014
London Museum – Cheapside Hoard – Ends 27th April 2014
National Maritime Museum – Turner & The Sea – Ends 24th April 2014
PayneShurvill – Circulation – Peter Newman – Ends 18th January 2014
Royal Academy – Australia – Ends 8th December 2013
Royal Academy – Daumier – Ends 26th January 2014
Science Museum – Collider – Ends 6th May 2014
The Cheapside Hoard
This exhibition of the Cheapside Hoard at the Museum of London, is one of the most amazing I’ve ever seen. Here’s the first paragraph from their web site.
This October, the Museum of London will open a major new exhibition investigating the secrets of the Cheapside Hoard. This extraordinary and priceless treasure of late 16th and early 17th century jewels and gemstones – displayed in its entirety for the first time in over a century – was discovered in 1912, buried in a cellar on Cheapside in the City of London.
Not only are the jewels and other exhibits fabulous, the display is wonderful and it really gives the period a very different perspective.
I became a friend of the museum for just thirty pounds a year, but even if you queue up, you wouldn’t have to have waited long.
Anybody who visits London until the 27th April next year, should give the exhibition a visit.
Notes On The Louvre
At places in the museum, there are a series of notes, giving details of the museum itself.
Notes On The Louvre
It is a good idea, that some museums in the UK could copy.
A Good Way To Show Small Paintings
I’ve never seen this done before, but it showed the small painting well.
A Good Way To Show Small Paintings
I’m sure many art galleries have lots of small paintings that are never shown and could benefit from a version of this technique.
Queues At The Louvre
There were long queues at the Louvre.
You can buy advance tickets and the details are here.
I queued for about an hour and a half to get in. But it was worth it!
The Milan Science Museum
This science museum, made ours in South Kensington seem particularly narrow in scope, very small and boring.
They also had no objections to the taking of pictures, providing you switched the flash off.
It was very busy with families and lots of kids.
One of the great things about a lot of Italian museums, is they seem to open early, unlike in some countries like Denmark.
The Anonymous Widower 