It has been a while since I last posted. I've been away for the last three weeks, enjoying very hot weather (between 35 and 38 degrees every day) and finally I am back in grey London.
First few days I hardly ventured outside, however once I did, I had one of the best days I have had in a long time.
Firstly, I met a very good friend for breakfast at Rosie's in Brixton. We have been friends for exactly 10 years and we love spending time together. We never manage to just have a quick coffee. No matter how little time we have or how busy we are, once we meet, we stay talking for at least 3 hours. And the talks we have are always inspiring. We usually cover a range of things. Theatre is always on the agenda. Then books, writing and reading, relationships, what we are up to, make up, clothes, people we know, ... the list is endless and very varied.
So this morning we met at 9am for breakfast and coffee. We ordered cheese on toast with chutney. It was delicious and I felt it was quite a treat for me as I never, ever eat cheese on toast (delicious, but not exactly healthy, is it?). The last one I had was probably 15 years ago.
Delicious, don't you think?
I haven't written about Rosie's before, but it is one of my favourite cafes in London. It has been open for a few years now and the food is fresh and made on the spot in the cafe. The decor is funky as you will see from the pictures below and they usually serve food and drinks in odd crockery (although we did get our food and coffees in the matching ones today).
We were first and only ones in, this morning and the place was unusually quiet. Very often you can't find a seat.
Here is the website:
http://rosielovell.co.uk/index.html
and Rosie's blog which I have just discovered:
http://rosiesdelicafe.blogspot.com/
The food this morning was made and brought to us by a lovely girl from Slovakia called Tanya.
So, after a very long breakfast I treated myself to an afternoon movie by my favourite director, the very talented and beautiful Pedro Almodovar. I rarely go to the cinema these days, but I always make sure that I see his work on the big screen. His latest offering is an absurd, strange, beautiful, funny and chilling film The Skin I Live In.
I am not a fan of Antonio Banderas, but he is quite perfect in this film. His performance is so precise, measured and confident, I have to admit I was somewhat mesmerised by him. And that's a first!!
I won't say what the film is about as I don't want to spoil it for those of you who want to see it. However, the film stayed with me for quite some time after I came out of the cinema. I do think it is beautiful and strange and funny, but I am still arguing with myself (and him) about the issues he is dealing with. Anyone else directing it, I would have said that it borders on being misogynistic but taking into account his previous films (in particular Women On the Verge of Nervous Breakdown and All About My Mother), I don't think it is. Sexuality and gender are dealt with in a very ambiguous way in the film and so I am not still sure what I think about it. I think I will need a few more days to decide what he did with women in this film as they play a central part but are either gagged, mentally unstable or incapable to act of their own free will. Two friends are going to see it too, so talking to them will help me come to more conclusions as to what Almodovar did here.
(As an aside, my absolute favourites of his are All About My Mother and Bad Education. If you haven't seen them, I urge you to.)
In his film Talk To Her Almodovar pays homage to the wonderful Pina Bausch. In fact she performs a part of her Cafe Muller at the beginning of the film. In this new film, the work of the amazing Louise Bourgeois is everywhere. Just in that respect, this film is a feast for the eyes.
As you can see, my day indeed was perfect. I also saw someone very special on my way back home, but that person deserves a post of their own, so watch this space.
I hope your Thursday was as good as mine. Did you see anything or anyone inspiring in the last few weeks/ days? Has anything you've experienced made you think for longer than a few minutes?
Work starts on Monday, so this is quite a good way to finish the summer holidays and welcome autumn back in style.
See you all soon.
Red xx
16 comments:
Hello Red:
You write about your Thursday in such a vivid and engaging manner that it is as if we, your readers, are walking beside you, enjoying the time spent in Rosie's [of which we have not previously known], sharing the lively and interesting talk and then, finally, enjoying the film. 'Bad Education' impressed us hugely when we saw it at the cinema, and we know have it on DVD. We shall most certainly look out for 'The Skin I Live In', which sounds fascinating, although we suspect it may be a while before it is shown in Budapest.
Here we continue to have very high temperatures, but rather less than the 35C - 40C of the past couple of weeks. But around 30C is rather nice for the start of September.
Dear Jane and Lance,
thank you for your very kind comments. I suppose as I had such a lovely day it was reflected in the writing too.
Glad to find fellow admirers of Bad Education. Just like you, I saw it in the cinema, loved it and now have it on DVD!
I am envious of the weather you are having. I love hot weather. Although I like winter, in fact I like all seasons, I must say, I am a summer baby. 30 degrees is perfect.
We have some sunshine here today, but it will not last. By the end of the weekend, it will be gone.
Thank you for stopping by and make sure you see "The Skin I Live In" once it arrives in Budapest.
I really loved it, I kept forgetting that he was an absolute psychopath to have done what he did - trying to be vague so as not to spoil it for others!
I know what you mean Tabitha. He was a total psychpath but oh, so charming! Almodovar knows how to make a good character and a great film!
That breakfast looks like heaven and I am dying to see this film! We have all be discussing it here for the past month and maybe if I can find it playing nearby can see it--haha, the suspense is killing me!
xo Mary Jo
Love this post. You cannot always eat 100% healthy it is good to have a break from time to time. Toast cheese and chutney sound wonderful to me :-) Diane
Hello Mary Jo,
Thank you for stopping by. Make sure you go and see the movie, when it comes near you. It is beautiful and there is a lot of art pieces i am sure you'll find inspiring.
Red xx
Hello Diane,
You are absolutely right, you have to treat yourself sometimes. And i really do. I try to eat healthy but sometimes fat chips or toast on cheese is just what the doctor ordered :-)
Oh, gosh! Yum, yum, yum, yum. Rosie's looks like a dream café to me, haha - not too busy and quite cosy on the inside but still colourful. The food looks totally delicious, too. I miss London! Will have to search for this place when I eventually go back there.
x Michelle | thefeatherden.net
Hello Michelle,
You definitely should come to Brixton and Rosie's when you come down here again.
When i leave London for more than 3 weeks, i miss it too.
If it is any consolation, the weather is not the best, so at least you are not missing grey clouds :-)
Thanks for stopping by.
Red
Mm that looks so good! So very glad you had a perfect day :) xo
Thank you Katie. Itwas quite lovely.
Thank you for stopping by.
Xx
Definitely sounds like a wonderful way to spend a day. The cafe looks absolutely cosy!
Wishing you a wonderful week!
x
Oooh cheese on toast - i think it has been forever - massive dairy allergy now - still savour the memory - sounds like a fab way to spend a day x
http://fashionandfrank.blogspot.com/
Fashion and Frank
I know, right? Cheese on toast - total treat, and although i don't have dairy allergy, i still don't eat eat often. In fact, once every 15 years :-)
Fashion and Frank
I know, right? Cheese on toast - total treat, and although i don't have dairy allergy, i still don't eat eat often. In fact, once every 15 years :-)
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