Three Minutes to Great Guacamole

From our table at Rosa Mexicano in Washington D.C.

Visiting Trafalgar Square & The Impromptu Review: “That Hamilton Woman”

I’m not a war buff, but I’ve always had a fascination with the story of Horatio Nelson and the events surrounding the Battle of Trafalgar. There are so few heroes left to history, and Nelson is one legend that persists beyond his highly public personal affairs. This trip to Trafalgar Square was a bit of an homage to that legacy.

I mention That Hamilton Woman in this video. Featuring Laurence Oliver as Nelson and Vivien Leigh as Emma Lady Hamilton, it’s an old favorite of mine. It was a favorite of Winston Churchill too, who reportedly saw it over 100 times.

The story centers on Emma Hamilton, a woman of unfortunate upbringing who uses her beauty and charm to marry into high society. Along the way, she and Nelson fall in love and maintain their relationship against great odds (like being married to other people!) to become England’s most famous couple.

Vivien Leigh filmed this role three years after her turn as Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind. She is noticeably less convincing in this role, which spans Lady Hamilton’s time as a fresh young beauty just entering society to an impoverished middle-age drunkard, dying of liver failure. Then again, every work in her long-running career was doomed to mope in the shadows cast by her Oscar-winning bookend roles of Scarlett and Blanche DuBois.

Olivier approaches the role with his usual magnificence. He rides the line between heroic dignity and desperate self-effacement in his relationship with Hamilton. At the time, Olivier and Leigh were mirroring these roles in real life as a couple who had a famous affair and divorced others to be together.

In both realms, these were people who knew what they wanted and transparently pursued it. Maybe it’s the autobiographical element that is so compelling.

The story itself was made for Hollywood, but perhaps a bit too ambitious for a standard cinema feature. Too many lives, years, and tragedies whiz by for adequate treatment or comprehension. One wonders how differently the story would be portrayed in the hands of someone like David O. Selznick.

Still, for someone who likes classic film and skilled acting, That Hamilton Woman is well worth adding to your movie queue.

Arrival at Heathrow

I must admit, nine hours of attempted sleep on an airplane tends to dampen one’s excitement about travel. But the ride was uneventful and the flight was light enough that most of us had two or more seats to rest on. Don’t think I’ve ever been on a flight that provided breakfast and dinner, three drink runs, AND blankets, pillows and headphones that they encourage you to keep.

Heathrow is a little wild an really, really dirty. Trash is all over the floor. Except in the bathroom, which is pristine. The immigration line was a mile long and I’ve learned a valuable travel tip: the less information you volunteer about your trip, the better your experience will be with the immigration officer. He asked everything but the color of my toenails: “Yes, Future of Web Design is a real conference. Yes I can prove it. Yes I’m married. No, I’m staying with Nadina because she’s an old friend, not because I’m having an affair.”

Nadina said to buy an oyster card and take the tube to Knightsbridge. Except there’s no one at the ticket booth(?)!

Taking off for London

At the Houston airport, waiting to board the flight to Heathrow. With the monthlong saga of the board report and meeting over, I am finally allowing myself to feel some excitement about the trip. One track mind, that’s me.

Traffic here and in Shreveport is as light as I’ve seen in a long time. On the flight from Shreveport, it was me and about ten other guys. We all had to sit in the back because there was not enough luggage to balance the plane’s weight. The FEMALE captain joked they probably wouldn’t have had that problem if 11 women had been on the flight instead.

No travel problems at all. Just that peaceful, easy feeling.

I just bought two travel guides: First was Frommer’s guide to London because it had a fold-out map. Then I ran across Rick Steve’s London 2008. I’ve been a Ricknik since my early twenties, when I’d watch his show and dream about being a world traveler. His guides are for folks who want to immerse themselves in the culture. Unfortunately, I don’t have much time here, so the purchase was largely symbolic.

Already overwhelmed, but looking forward to the new experiences.