In which there is Science and Ice Cream

I am trying to make September a frugal month. After weddings and parties and holidays for August (good times) it was/is really necessary to be a good person who stays in and watches videos on the internet for a month. So after that well-meaning resolution, yesterday I had a day out in London! Woop Woop. Well. This is the joy of living near London me and Andy had an Amazing Day and spent less that £30 –including travel and snackerals. I call that a win. It was one of those perfect days when you can push aside all the things you are worrying about (aaah jobs/money/reallyneedtogetthatmarriageliscense/whyareotherpeoplesoawesomeandiamnot) and just go Look At the Science, the Views and the Ice Cream.

It’s also a silly detail but before we left we tidied the whole house so it meant that I was in a really calm frame of mind. It’s a funny thing because our house is often cluttered, but whenever it is tidy I find myself just feeling better about the world.

We took a train into London and went to the Science Museum. It’s surprising, but I had never been there before. I have been to the V & A more times than I can remember and seen the Tate, the National Portrait Gallery and all the other major art galleries about a dozen, but I thought it would be fun to do something non-arty.

 Ironically the part I enjoyed the most was the history of drawing instruments and mathematical designs. I learnt about Klein Vases – inspired by the Mobius strip (and shown below).  Beautiful twisting glass shapes. They are explained with the concept of an ant walking along the surface, it will return to the starting point having covered the whole surface area without ever crossing an edge. Amazing. I mean we spent hours there and read lots, especially in the space section where I took no photos at all, but I know that most of the dates and names will be forgotten instantly so I am clinging on to these amazing shapes as the bit I am taking from it.

Klein Bottle.

Display of polyhedrons.

Beautiful

I took photos of the vehcles in the next section, but the display was actually on our changing relationship with machines, leading up to 'The Age of Ambivalence'. It was actually really interesting to read about how the way we think and react to new inventions has changed. 

Close up of traction engine

Original Ford

 We then headed up to the ice cream bar and it was like the Marble Slab in America. Tucked away inside the Science Museum, and mostly deserted was this amazing bar. They had tons of flavours with toppings and milkshakes and mini oreo buckets for sale.

My ice cream: Blueberry and Chcolate. Look at the scale of this!

Andy's ice cream: raspberry sorbet and rum and raisin

After ice creams and some card games in the cafe, we got a tube to Embankment just to watch the sunset over the Thames. After living near the sea for four years I miss large expanses of water and good views. This is the best I am going to get. 

What I wore. Long t-shirt, felt necklace, Andy's purple shirt, Polly's satchel and my turquoise usn hat.

London skyline

Beautiful blue skies

I call that a good Saturday. Plus there was Doctor Who to watch when we got in. What did you get up to? Enjoy the lingering summer?