London, the V and A.

First surprise was to see the spectacular chandelier by Dale Chihuly.

I wish it was a bit stronger in colour as even the wonderful work by Chihuly is partly overwhelmed by the incredible Victorian opulence of the space.

This shows the scale. The most spectacular display of work by this glass artist was at the NGA about 15 years ago.

 The huge cascading Christmas lights inside the entrance are terrific.

 It's quite bamboozling to negotiate all the many galleries in the museum but lots of fun to get lost and then get one's bearings.

 The building is a mix of brick and stone and is beautiful.

 This is the place that you need to visit time and time again to concentrate on specific areas. You can really become overwhelmed. It's a wonderland.

 I'll have to go back to find out about these columns and everything else in this magnificent hall.  You could take photos but it was so overwhelming I only took a few.

The tapestries overwhelm in their scale, content and method of production.

It was good to get some fresh air and street ife after all that priceless culture. I love the V and A and will return but it did leave me feeling a bit anxious. Hard to explain but lots to think about.

Great to watch the skaters on the ice skating rink. between the V + A and the Museum of Natural History.