The Parasol Protectorate's Must Do List When Visiting London
By special request* I give you some of my favorite things to do when visiting London. (I'll be there this April, details to follow, I promise. There will be many events and opportunities to see me and I may make it up to the Midlands as well.)
First off I must say, to my shame Gentle Reader, that it's been over 10 years (!!!) since I visited London-town. For me, the must do list is rather short and not very modern, but I have made the attempt. I have broken the list down by Character, thus demonstrating how much each invented Parasol Protectorate character was a part of my own psyche.
Day One ~ Physical Improvements
Felicity & Evelyn ~ Wander down Oxford Street and look at shops, perhaps buy shoes, perhaps buy more than just shoes. Preferably use someone else's money.
Alexia ~ Go to swanky bra place and get properly fitted, spend too much on bras.
Lord Akeldama ~ a pilgrimage to Liberty of London, coo over the amazing fabric. Investigate the scraps for brightly colored scarves.
Everyone ~ Pay court to the Twining's tea shop. Oldest shop in London that is still in the same place.
Day Two ~ Intellectual Improvements
Templars ~ Visit the Etruscan section of the British Museum.
Lyall ~ spend a quiet moment sitting the in amazing crystal library of the British Museum.
Floote ~ eat at the cafe at the top of the Tate in ever unlikely hope that they will have the amazing celeriac soup back on the menu from the week they opened.
Biffy ~ visit the costumes in the Victorian & Albert Museum, avoid pigeons.
Day Three ~ Emotional Improvements
Ivy & Alexia ~ Walk through Hyde Park. Preferably with a parasol.
Everyone ~ afternoon tea at Browns.
Located just two minutes away from Hyde Park, Brown's is well known for its afternoon tea. Since tables cannot be reserved, customers begin lining up at three o'clock to make sure of obtaining one of the flowery chintz armchairs in the dark-paneled salon.
GAIL'S DAILY DOSE
Your Moment of Parasol . . .
1950s ultra modern umbrellas
Your Infusion of Cute . . .
Your Tisane of Smart . . .
Your Writerly Tinctures . . .
B & N's last stand, banning Amazon's books.
PROJECT ROUND UP
Deportment & Deceit ~ The Finishing School Book the Second:
I'm struggling here, struggling.
Etiquette & Espionage ~ The Finishing School Book the First:
Manga ~ Soulless Vol. 1: Printed volume releases March 1. Have seen cover sketch for Soulless Vol. 2 (AKA Changeless) and it is beyond fabulous!
Timeless ~ Parasol Protectorate Book the Last: In production. Releases March 1. Preorder now if you wish.
Prudence ~ The Parasol Protectorate Abroad Book the First:
BIG FAT SPOILER ALERT! Really, DON'T READ THE BLURB ON AMAZON if you haven't read the other books first!
Book News:
- For those of you who have got a delay message from Amazon over Timeless here's the 411: According to my publisher, "It is normal for Amazon to send these notices. The Amazon official pub date is March 2, 2011 so they are adding a few days of shipping time to that. However, copies will get to Amazon mid to late Feb from the warehouse, so this issue should disappear and Amazon will ship to customers earlier. Amazon often under promises and over delivers – so it's not unusual for them to say that books might be late."
- In the large friendly immortal words of Douglas Adams, "Don't Panic!"
- Heartless made Locus's Recommended Reading List!
"Coffee (n.): The person upon whom one coughs."
~ Unknown
* Please feel free to request blog posts via my website's calling card feature. I can't always do them, and rarely do them right away, but I always appreciate knowing you are out there reading and what you might be interested in.