The Journey Home and Some Reflections

 A Proper Good Afternoon to You

I had a smooth trip back. The walk from Holborn to Kings Cross was pretty easy although the sky began to spit, and I'd packed my umbrella. The adventure began once I got to Kings Cross and tried to figure out the elevators. I had to take three separate lifts to three different levels, and then I just missed the train I needed.

Not all trains go to Heathrow. If you need Terminals 2 and 3, you're in luck as all trains to Heathrow stop there, but I needed Terminal 5, so I had to wait twenty minutes for that particular train. It finally came, I got checked in, security made me take off my wrist brace (Grrrr), and I went and had a snack in the lounge because I'd breakfasted early and by noon I was hungry!

I often read or watch reviews of business class products, and sometimes I have to laugh as the reviewers appear fantastically picky. Dude, you're in business class, appreciate it!  Well, now it's my turn to gripe. I was looking forward to having my own little cubicle, and it was nothing of the sort. The seats were in a "herringbone" configuration, and my seat was totally exposed on the aisle--no privacy at all, and the window seat occupant would have to climb over me to use the toilet. No way I was going to get any sleep.

Then. A mother was seated separately from her son, who was very stressed, and she was distressed as a result. A flight attendant asked if I would be willing to move. Of course! I'd done it before to oblige people, and it's not a big deal--and I benefitted because I ended up in a better seat. The mother was absurdly grateful, but seriously, travelers help each other, and I was happy to help.

My new seat had more privacy. I did share it with another woman, but she was helpful and quiet and I did manage to get some sleep.

I enjoyed London and this trip and my trip to Porto restored some of my faith in humanity. When I see the news, I see a lot of gleeful cruelty to people who are different or disadvantaged. Well, I am neither, but I am a little old lady, and I received so much help and kindness on my trips.  I needed it, too, as my wrist is still a bit wonky.  People seemed to go out of their way to look after me. I deeply appreciated it.

So there's good out there and kindness without expecting return. It was a wonderful thing for me to experience.

Cheerio

A Great Day Out at Kensington Palace

 

A Proper Good Afternoon to You

The last time I was here was a crashing disappointment. Someone thought it would be fun to remove all the history and replace it with art installations with cryptic royal themes. I thought the results were a complete waste of time and money, and I was not alone in my opinion! The exhibit was roundly and universally condemned--even by the usually mild mannered Rick Steves.

Today's visit could not have been more different. I am feeling happy and satisfied on my last full day in London. A couple of days ago I booked a scheduled ticket on line, which is something I recommend. I had an easy trip on the Central Line from Holborn to Queensway and then a lovely stroll in Kensington Gardens to the Palace.

Nice leafy and green. Also I sneaked a peak into a private garden near the palace that featured a statue of the late Princess Diana of Wales and her sons. It's hard to see, but it's there.

I got there early, but there was already a queue for us 10:00 entrants. We showed our tickets and went through security, and then it was time for some fun history.  Kensington was chosen and developed as a royal residence by William III and Mary II with the help of Sir Christopher Wren. The palace was also where young Princess Victoria grew up under the heavy hand of her mother, the Duchess of Kent.  Most recently Diana, Princess of Wales and her sons had apartments in the palace.

I began with the Queen's State Apartments. The Queens in question are Mary II and Caroline, the Consort of George II.  Here is their audience chamber.

My favorite thing to visit is period rooms, and I had them in abundance and in various styles. YUM!

I also enjoyed the King's State Apartments. Then I went to look at the display of historic costume where I was exceedingly impressed. Here are some garments belonging to Queen Alexandra, (Long suffering) Consort of Edward VII.

After that I attended an excellent exhibition on Victoria's childhood with some of her clothes and toys and information on how she was groomed as heir to the throne. Charlotte, Princess of Wales, daughter of George IV died in childbirth prompting the King's many brothers to try to sire an heir. Edward, Duke of Kent, had the brains to marry a German Princess of proven fertility. Edward was her second husband and Victoria had an older half brother and sister.  William IV's Queen Adelaide could not carry a child to term, so Victoria was it. She became Queen at age eighteen, dumped her controlling mother, and married her "beautiful" cousin Albert as soon as she could manage. She enjoyed a long, successful reign but left Kensington for Windsor and other residences in Scotland and the Isle of Wight.

I made my way home feeling very fulfilled. For dinner I am having the left over cheese I got from Neal's Yard Dairy. Very tasty indeed.  I will detail my reflections on London and my trip home tomorrow.

Cheerio

Shopping--at the High End

 

A Proper Good Afternoon to You,

I have some tourist action planned for the morrow, but today was cooler and somewhat rainy, so I decided it would be a good shopping day.  I covered a lot of ground, and since it was cooler, I went for fish and chips and was so hungry by the time I got home, I devoured them eagerly. Yumsy!

I don't know how to make shopping seem interesting. I took the tube to Knightsbridge, but we sat at Holborn for several minutes because there was a signal failure down the line. Then a bunch of teenagers on a school trip got on. They weren't bad--just teenagers speaking their own language. The same thing happened on my way back.

My first target was Harrods. Now this store is a genuine London Landmark and tourist attraction in its own right.  The original store was built in 1849, but it burned down, so was replaced in 1905 and is the largest (and probably most expensive!) department store in the world. The Harrods family has long since been replaced as owners. The clientele reads like a volume of Who's Who and includes the occasional member of various Royal Families.

It's fun to walk around. While the displays are beautiful, I don't feel right about taking photos in stores, so you'll have to be content with the shot of Green Park above. I did buy some things--shaking my head at the prices.  I cruised around some displays of luxury brands and squirted myself with some perfume calling itself Rude Cherry. I could not resist, but then I didn't like it--and later on when the scent matured--I didn't like it. I still don't like it. It smells like stale cough syrup.

Once I had enough of Harrods I tubed to Green Park which is the stop for Fortnum and Masons--a store I like better than Harrods because although their prices are just as painful, they have better tea, and it's a bit less crowded.

But I was tired and hungry and I had one last mission, which was to obtain my last dose of fish and chips for this trip. The sky began to spit when I exited the tube, but it did not get so bad I had to use my umbrella, which as an experienced European traveler I always carry.

Cheerio!

The Tate Britain

 

A Proper Good Morning to You

There are some ominous looking clouds, and rain is in the forecast for tomorrow, but today is still warmish.

After a quick trip to the grocery store, I took the Piccadilly Line to Green Park where I maneuvered through the long tunnels and up and down stairs to transfer to the Victoria Line. A few stops took me to Pimlico where I alighted for my visit to the Tate Britain. I had a pleasant stroll through a semi posh neighborhood and arrived at the museum just before it opened. My arrival coincided with the arrival of a huge school group, but I'm happy to say that that was the last I saw of them.

I discovered that I'd neglected to charge my phone, so I took only the one photo, even though I saw a lot of wonderful paintings. There is truth in advertising. The Tate exhibits exclusively British Artists and is rather a project. I confess I did not cover it all. I was there for Turner and Constable, but I saw plenty of other artists.

But let's begin with JMW Turner.  The Tate Britain is where you go to see the best and most extensive exhibit of his works. He could pretty much paint anything, but landscape is where his heart and greatest talent lay. He disliked painting people, but in his early works, he felt obliged to dress up his landscapes with historic or mythological themes, so they do include figures--frankly looking like undefferentiated props. These works brought him early critical and financial success.

Turner continued to invent himself, and his later works seek to portray the power of nature though water, wind, and atmosphere.  Like many other Romantic Painters, he considered himself a natural scientist, but his works also have a visionary quality.

I admire Turner, but I love Constable, his great (and less successful) rival. John Constable also painted landscapes, but his preferred subject was the green and gentle river country of East Anglia. He painted fields, ferries, mills with great accuracy. He portrayed plants, and weather with scientific rigor. The result gives us a glimpse into pre industrial England with its beauty and occasional roughness. Ironically Constable achieved recognition first in France, where the fresh green of his landscapes were much relished.

This is the place to come if you like the Romantics or the Pre Raphaelites, both of which I enjoyed. I'm less keen on the Victorians and Modern British Art, but I was extremely pleased to see a lot of women artists represented. I had never heard of these women before, but I appreciated their talent and insight into humanity.

I had a longish walk back to the tube and then the ride back. When I got on the Piccadilly Line, a nice young man offered me his seat, which I gratefully accepted. Yep. I am a rather obvious Little Old Lady, and sometimes I take advantage of the fact.

Cheerio!

Covent Garden

 

A Proper Good Afternoon to You

It was a nice, cool Sunday Morning. I have been touristing pretty hard, so I wanted to give myself an easy day. A stroll around Covent Garden seemed to fit the bill, and I wouldn't even have to take the tube.

Yeah, right. You just wanted an excuse to visit Neal Yard's Dairy,

You're on to me, but first I did something touristy by visiting the London Transport Museum. It's not huge, but the exhibits are fun and educational. Some are interactive.  The museum covers the first horse drawn busses and trams, city railroads, and the construction of the London Underground.

This is the ground floor, but there are more goodies upstairs. A visitor can climb in and sit in some of them.

Covent Garden is a big tourist draw on weekends with plenty of places to eat and drink and opportunities for luxury retail therapy. Apart from the Piazza, many of the streets are pedestrianized and have interesting shops to entice the throngs of visitors.  I confess to being tempted by the chocolate.

The name comes from the fact that this was once the site of a convent with its attendant garden. Ironically once the area was acquired by the Earl of Bedford, despite his plans to make the area a posh residential area and market, it soon became a hot bed of vice.  Disreputable clubs found a home there as well as a distressing number of prostitutes serving the after theatre crowd.

Let us leave such unpleasant associations behind as we repair to Shorts Gardens and the Neal Yard's Dairy. The charming young man who helped me was very generous with samples, and I came away with some goat cheese and cheddar. I paid plenty for it, too.

But I can't have it yet. I'm down stairs because my room is due to be cleaned. But I have my lap top and can watch the Tour.

Cheerio!

Tate Modern

 

A Proper Good Afternoon to You

I took some recycling out and got a grocery or two. Then I tubed out to St. Paul. Now I could have walked, but it's another hot day--although not as bad as yesterday, and I have been active enough.

You can see my target above--the Tate Modern occupying an old power station across the Thames. On my way I took a slight detour because I came across a road named Watling Street. St. Paul's is in heart of the actual City of London (Where I am is technically Camden), which was a Roman foundation, and when the Saxons arrived they called the Roman road north out of the City The Watling Street, which was their nickname for the Milky Way.

I made my way to the river and crossed via the Millennium Bridge. Even if you don't want to go to the Tate Modern or the New Globe Theatre next door, crossing the bridge is worth it. See?

I arrived just as the museum opened and breezed through security. The main part is free, but special exhibitions require tickets.  There's plenty of space, and I did not feel crowded despite the presence of school groups.

I will be frank. My knowledge of art is solid only up until the Early Twentieth Century. I do not know much about contemporary art. It's like a lot of things. I appreciate some of it. Some leaves me cold.  But the Tate also features well known names of Modern Art: Picasso, Rothko, Matisse, Mondrian, and a host of others, which I enjoyed. I find the works of Kasimir Malkovich very compelling, but I'm afraid if you google him, you'll think I'm nuts.

Too late, Pil. We already think you're nuts. I mean who gets excited about Old Roman Roads and bike races?

Here's one of my favorite works: Umberto Boccioni's Unique Forms of Continuity in Space.

Uh. Ok

It's a wonderful example of Futurist Simultaneity. Think of a photo with multiple exposures of a man taking a step forward and showing every movement all at once. Since it's bronze there are multiple copies. Paris has one, and I believe New York does as well.

Having got my fill of art, I recrossed the bridge. Here's a bonus for you. The dome of St. Paul's Cathedral.

During the Blitz, the German Luftwaffe deliberately targeted the church, believing that if they could destroy the Cathedral of London it would damage British morale. The dome was hit over and over--and the bombs bounced off. Yes, St. Paul's was damaged, but stood strong!

Cheerio!

The British Library: Sigh. Another Disappointment

 

A Proper Good Morning to You

I came back pretty early because today is the hottest day of my trip. I promised myself an easy day, which I did have although I did experience some disappointment.

I set off via tube to Kings Cross-St. Pancras. One of my missions was to check out the lift situation.  When I leave for Heathrow I cannot count on kindly Londoners to help with my bags, so my plan is to walk to Kings Cross-St. Pancras, which will take me half an hour and it's flat, where I will take the lifts to the Piccadilly Line and hope to get a train to Terminal 5.

Here's a shot of the St. Pancras Hotel formerly the Midland Hotel, a late Victorian pile that stood empty for decades. What a waste. But then someone bought and restored it, and a friend of mine stayed there, and said it was very nice indeed.

I had a short walk in the heat and traffic to the British Library. It's free and a very nice facility, and thankfully cool and dark inside. I'd been before and really appreciated the extensive exhibit of old manuscripts, printed books, and historical and literary documents.

What happened? The history was very thin in the display cases. For one thing I expected to see the notebooks of Miss Jane Austen's juvenalia entitled volume the first and volume the second as well as some letters and manuscripts from the Inklings. I also missed the various laws and proclamations that punctuated British History. There were a few early Bibles and other illuminated manuscripts. I was not interested in the Beatles.

I did come across this letter to Cassandra from Jane, but that was the only reference to her.

I strolled around the rest of the Library and observed a lot of folks meeting for coffee or working on their laptops, and it is a very nice place for both activities. I had something else in mind.

I have left and arrived from St. Pancras International--home of the Eurostar. It would be a bit more complicated since Brexit, but the traveller can quickly get to Paris, Brussels, or even Amsterdam. More rarely, there is a direct train to the South of France, and I went to Lyon that way. But I wasn't there for the trains, of course, but for the rather posh shopping center catering to the travelers.

There's a very nice branch of Fortnum and Mason, less crowded but no less expensive. But they have a kind of black tea that I really like and that I have run out of, so I exercised my credit card.

Then, I felt I had accomplished my tourist dharma and could go home. I stopped at Pret a Manger for a wrap for lunch and dinner. Before I left I took my olives out of the fridge, so I could have a small apero after I drank my water.

 I watch the Tour de France when I come home and it's full of drama--not all of it good, but you need not worry. I have friends as obsessed with cycling as I am, so I won't bother you.

Cheerio