A Stroll Across Central London

A proper good morning to you.
Rain is back in the forecast, which leaves some of my plans up in the air. It was raining when I woke up this morning, and I opened my window to enjoy the sound as I breakfasted. I was unwise enough to use the new toaster I was brought, and now I have had to swear off toasters for the duration. The reason? Attempts to toast completely blow the fuses in my apartment. My TV and outlets won’t work, and I still don’t have internet back, so we’ll see if I can post this. A bit late, but yes—finally I can.
It was drizzly as I left this morning, and I wore my sweater all day. I decided to walk. I went west on High Holborn to New Oxford Street and picked up Shaftsbury Avenue where a lot of the West End theatres are. I followed this street as it crossed Charing Cross and went down toward Piccadilly Circus were several main roads meet. I chose Piccadilly and walked south west meeting with great window licking opportunities, among them the great bookstore Hatchards founded in the eighteenth century and the various arcades created to facilitate aristocratic shopping. I passed Fortnum and Mason and walked through lovely, peaceful Green Park and past Apsley House which I visited my first full day here.
I proceeded down Knightsbridge until I came to Harvey Nichols, the department store for real British Fashionistas. It was ok with me, too. I used their toilet and investigated the food hall and the perfumery.
Then I continued my walk down Brompton Road and onto Cromwell Road where the Victoria and Albert presides majestically. I only did the top two floors but I was left feeling as if I’d consumed a five pound box of chocolate in one go—happy but replete!
The top floor is about design and architecture, but the things I wanted to see more were on the third floor. The exhibits point up why I prefer stately homes. I like the period rooms with some furniture and some ornaments because seeing display case after display case of great heavy silver urns with fancy reliefs is not the way to appreciate such things, and tables and chests while very beautiful are not as effective out of their settings.
It was the same with the jewelry exhibit. Each piece was both rich and exquisite. Seen altogether, few could be appreciated. I happened to like the emeralds that Napoleon gave to his kinswoman Stephanie de Beauharnais. They were among the few items I would actually wear to enhance my appearance. I’m afraid that anyone wearing most of the necklaces, tiaras, and broaches would merely be gawked at—and not in a good way.
Leaving the V and A, I walked back to Knightsbridge and Harrods. The store is huge, but I focused on the food halls and had a good time looking around. Some of the counters were giving out samples and I got some wonderful chocolate and a cookie tasting richly of the best butter.
By that time I was too tired and footsore to walk back so I hopped the tube at Knightsbridge back to Holborn, but before returning to Citadines, I walked up Southampton Row to Theobalds Road for some fish and chips. Mmmm, and I had some cider to go with it.
Pil! It’s so greasy. It can’t be good for you.
Not right, Mates. That’s why it’s wrapped in paper. The grease gets absorbed by it and not by the ingestor.
Cherrio!