It usually comes as a surprise to people that half my family is Argentinian, probably owing to me looking as Irish as Guinness, but yes, I’ve got a Latin half, and that’s who I visited on this trip. A few years ago when the Argentinian banks went crazy, my aunt and cousins decided it was time to get out of Buenos Aires and move to Europe, and it wound up that after a series of moves, my aunt and two of her children are now in London.

This side of my family is definitely the artistic side. My cousin, Marina, is an art dealer. My aunt works in theatre; directing, acting, and writing. Then there’s my cousin Alejo: I hadn’t seen him in 15 years or so, and in the intervening time he’s become a world travelling tattoo artist. Marina was out of the country at the time, visiting India, but she graciously allowed Cherise and I to use her flat while she was gone. One night, my aunt came over and cooked dinner for Alejo, Cherise, and I:

No respectable tattoo artist can be without tattoos, and Alejo is covered with them.

Here, dramatic consideration of our ravenously consumed meal.

Having a flat in London was fantastic. I’m not a big fan of ‘touristy’ activities, and try to avoid acting that way when visiting an area. (Yes, even with a gigantic camera, it is possible.) Cherise and I got to experience more of life in London this way- we had the flat, the local supermarket, we had Oyster cards for cheap Underground and bus travel. That being said, I didn’t take a whole lot of photographs this trip. I guess it had something to do with feeling a bit more comfortable in the area this time around as compared to my trip last year. Instead, I got the sense that the city would be a far better place to live than to visit- there’s simply too much to see in terms of places and people, and it’s impossible to absorb in just over a week.

This was my first international trip with Cherise, and she had a blast. Being a tattoo girl, she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have Alejo leave her with something to remember London by. My friend Bbora recently moved from the Bay Area to London for schooling in Art History, and she tagged along.

And, half of the finished product. The rose is an older tattoo, and Alejo added a sparrow on either side, nicely framing the piece.

I did do a little bit of random close-up portraiture in London, and it’s definitely something I need to do more of. I’m very happy with the way this one came out. Sorry for the large size, but it gives a better sense of the details that made me like this shot.

I took this right after Cherise and I visited St. Martin in the Fields for lunch. This gent was hanging out around Trafalgar Square, just in front of the National Portrait Gallery, people watching or pigeon watching. Something about him just seemed to embody ‘England,’ from all the different but characteristic fabrics in his hat, jacket, and sweater, to his wrinkled but stoic countenance, stiff upper lip and all. He was very happy to let me take his photograph, and I’m very happy that he did.

If you’re ever visiting London, by the way, St. Martin in the Fields is a very good place to eat. There’s a café in their crypt (aptly named the Café in the Crypt) which has tasty food that’s quite a bit cheaper than most food in London. And you dine on top of grave markers.

Share this entry: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.