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HI am sitting in the United airport lounge waiting for our flight home. The hotel booked a taxi for us, a limousine really, to go to the airport. Dave goes over to help Anne get her luggage to our hotel. Since it is Sunday morning, we aren't sure how early the trains to Heathrow start anyway. It cost 72 pounds but worth it for the time and energy and stress it saves us. Hotel said 62 pounds but we were perhaps charged for,luggage and people. The young man driver was dressed in a suit and the car was a small SUV type vehicle, clean and comfortable. We are at Heathrow in a half hour. Funny to see so little traffic on the roads. It would have taken much longer on a week day. We are in the brand new Terminal 2 at Heathrow. What a place this is! It is vast and enormous, all high tech, spacious and comfortable. It has the longest escalators and moving walkways I think I have ever seen. We pass an enclosed children's play area which appears to be supervised by a couple of young women. Food places appear to serve quick but healthy options. All the latest equipment is used at the security checkpoint. The United lounge is large and light with the space divided up into different types of seating areas.  It has a large bar and a full breakfast. 

I will write my last post for this blog. It has been a wonderful trip and a good respite from any troubles and worries in my life. I am so appreciative of having the means and health to do this. One small regret is not doing any sketching but it just didn't work out when I was with Dave and Anne. Not sure where one would station oneself to sketch on these busy streets, but there were plenty of interesting subjects in quieter venues, too. I imagined in my mind what I would draw as we walked along. The Sketchbook Skool classes have made me see things in a new way so even though I wasn't actually drawing, I think my experience was changed and enhanced by this new way of seeing.

I will end this blog by posting a picture of Anne and me, and one of Anne and Dave, that I particularly like.

Last Day

It has rained again during the night and is raining a little when we start out for breakfast. This is our last day in London. I am sad to see the trip end yet know I cannot stay in this bubble forever. I have had a wonderful time. Have loved the pace and casualness of what we have done. Best is the time we've had with Anne. We go again to Carluccio's at the Brunswick Center. They don't open until 9:00 on Saturdays so we get a tea at a coffee shop a few doors down while we wait for Carluccio's to open. It starts raining really hard with a clap of thunder. I enjoy this weather immensely. We won't see rain in California for a long time. The rain is short lived and it soon brightens up. We have a leisurely breakfast and pleasant walk back to the hotel. 

I have come to like this Bloomsbury neighborhood very much. The Marchmont Street shops include many interesting restaurants, cafés, coffee shops and other kinds of stores. Anne says when she first started coming here many of these stores weren't here. There wasn't anything open past 5:00 so if she was working late in the library, she would have to plan ahead and get a sandwich, cheese and crackers or whatever. Now there are many choices for dinner and many interesting coffee shops to try.

We go to meet Jessica and Haley around 10:45. We take the Metropolitan line from St. Pancras. The trains look new and are very clean (BART take note). Because of repair work, we can only go so far on the train and have to take a bus for the last few stops but it is well organized and there are people to help and answer questions. Jessica's husband's brother and family and his father live in Harrow-on-the-Hill. It is quite a nice city. It feels like a suburb, which it is, since it's only about a 40 minute train ride to Central London. We meet Jessica at the Harrow-on-the-Hill tube station. We take a taxi to the Tea Cup House where we have lunch. Jessica, Anne and I order the high tea. It comes on a tiered stand and includes little sandwiches, scones and different kinds of cakes along with tea or coffee. Two and a half year old Haley is a real trooper sitting quite a long time while we eat and visit. She is used to going places with Jessica. She's a cutie with a lot of personality. 

After lunch we walk around the town a little going to a very old church with an old graveyard. Harrow-on-the-Hill is home to one of the premier private boarding schools called Harrow, on a par with Eton according to Anne. We walk Jessica back to Chas' brother's house, a mile walk or so, before making our way back to the bus which we will take back to the train station. It is quite hot and humid this afternoon and we are warm by the time we get back to our hotel. 

We cool off and rest for a bit watching the end of today's Tour de France stage. Anne and I have our drink in the bar, our last of the trip, and then we all three go to Prezzo's across the street for a light meal. Anne goes to her place to pack and we do the same. We have an early rise tomorrow and a long day ahead. 

It was wonderful to see Jessica today, a nice end to the trip and a good thing to do on the last day. 

                      Anne, Jessica, and Haley

               Our "high tea" at the Tea Cup House

              Haley having her part of high tea

British Library, Portrait Gallery and The Importance of Being Earnest

Apparently, it has rained hard with thunder and lightening during the night. Anne asks us if we heard it when she gets here this morning. We haven't heard a thing! We see puddles around when we go out. We go to Carluccio's at the Brunswick Center again since we have enjoyed our breakfasts there so much yesterday. It is a more pleasant walk on side streets than the one to the train station on busy streets. It is a pleasant morning though we can feel the humidity and know it is going to get hot today.

Dave and I are hoping to get in on a 75 minue tour of the British Library is morning but are to be disappointed. Individual tours have been cancelled because so many large group tours have been scheduled that the guides are all busy with them. Oh, well, we have to leave something to do for a future visit. Instead we go to the historical documents room which is, in itself, a good experience. We were there last year but I had forgotten the impact of seeing some of these famous documents in person. There are documents in many categories - maps, bibles, literature, art in books, science, music. The Magna Carta has a special room all it's own. 

We meet up with Anne and walk to a Wagamama for lunch, this one near the British Library where we can take advantage of shaded side streets to walk on. It is hot! We all have a "square meal," a lunch size bento box. The walk back leaves us quite warm and we are happy to return to our cool, quiet hotel room. Once again, I am very glad we have booked an air conditioned hotel. The location of this hotel is perfect for us. Our only complaint is the poor wifi in our current room (509). We have been I. Two other rooms in this hotel (512 the first days of our visit this year and 613 -tiny room-last year) and wifi has been fine. It depends on where you are I guess. Hotel says they are going to upgrade their wifi soon.

We rest for awhile in the cool of our room and then head out for the National Portrait Gallery, dinner and the theater all in the Covent Garden area. We decide to take a taxi there because of the heat. At the National Portrait Gallery, we go to the exhibition of this year's BP Portrait Awards. We went to last year's exhibit and loved it. It is a competition to encourage the art genre of portrait painting. Some use techniques like the old masters. They are just wonderful. I have an even greater appreciation for these works of art since I've been sketching. 

We walk around the Covent Garden area and stop at the Apple Store for Dave's benefit. It is a huge store on three levels and is full of people. We have dinner reservations at JSheekey's at 5:30. This is a really nice restaurant where Anne took Vrad fora his birthday, there is an oyster bar at one end and a regular restaurant at the other. Emphasis is on seafood. Anne and I share a platter of six oysters and tuna tartare followed by their fish pie.dave gets the fish pie and we all have a dessert. Yum! Everything is delicious, nice ambience (cool inside!) and good service. What a treat. 

We see Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest" at the Harold Pinter Theater. It is very good though very hot in the theater. It is cool and drizzling when we come out which actually feels heavenly. We walk home. It has been a lovely day.

                         Sylvester the Chicken at the huge Apple Store in Covent Gardens

                                  Another Sylvester picture with a painting at the Tate Britain

       Interesting seats at the Brunswick Center

 

Greenwich by boat

We have a delicious breakfast at the Carluccio's in the Brunswick Center. It is a pleasant morning so we sit outside. We are tired of eggs so Anne and I order the crepes with yogurt and berries which turns out to be very good. Dave enjoys his oatmeal. We take a taxi to Waterloo Beidge where we think the boats to Greenwich leave. We can't find any that go to Greenwich from there so walk to the Westminster Bridge near the Millenium Eye and take a Clipper boat which has no commentary and is faster than the one with commentary. It is a relaxing, pleasant ride. We can't believe how the waterfront has changed since we first came here. Old warehouses and wharves have been turned into a multitude of condo and apartment buildings. 

Greenwich is a pretty town with tree lined paths and streets. Dave and I head for the Naval Museum while Anne goes to the market. The Naval Museum is a modern, interesting museum. 

We spend most of our time in a special exhibit, "Ships, Clocks & Stars." It is all about the quest to accurately determine longitude when at sea. The Royal Observatory offered a big prize to the person who could come up with a method that could be shown to work. I am glad I have read the book "Longitude" which talks about this quest. I know all about Harrison's time piece which he developed and his struggles to get the money owed him. It was a very good book.

We meet up with Anne and get lunch at a cafe nearby. We head uphill to the observatory and the meridian line. It is quite warm. Anne finds a shady place to wait for us. Dave and I wait in a long line to take a picture of Sylvester the chicken straddling the meridian. We go into the observatory but it is hot and crowded and I don't stay long. We decide we have had enough. We were going to take the train home just for a change but because of the heat and crowds, we decide to take the boat again. A taxi brings us conveniently back to the hotel.

Anne and I have our afternoon drink at the hotel bar. Our cute guy comes over to greet us. We talk about how warm the weather is and warmer tomorrow and he says he is worried because he has a job interview where he has to wear a suit. Because of his slight accent, I ask him where he is from. He says Lithuania. He has been working at our hotel bar for a year now and is ready to move on. He says he is looking for a similar job but at a higher class bar (where he probably would be paid more). He has already given notice. We wish him well since we won't see him again. We also talk briefly about the plane crash over the Ukraine which is just being reported on TV.

Anne is going to have dinner tonight with a woman from her York program. Dave and I have a light meal at the Prezzo's across the street from our hotel and have some time to relax in the evening. We watch a TV program about the CCTV cameras that are all over London and are used in catching crimes in action. People are employed to monitor these cameras with 12 hour shifts. The program follows several of them as they work their shifts. They watch what is going on in the streets and then alert the police when they see something suspicious. All this has a slightly voyeuristic quality to it and is darkly humorous. 

        The red ball at the Observatory in Greenwich

         falls at 1:00 p.m. every day. 

     Sylvester the chicken straddling the meridian.

              Dave in his jaunty new hat. 

                                              Sylvester and Big Ben

A Day Around London

Since we know it is going to be warmer today, we get an early start and walk to the Waterloo Bridge where good views of Big Ben and the Parliament buildings can be had. I am bracing myself for the assault on my senses that will occur when I leave the quiet of my room for the busy, noisy, crowded streets of London. I need to stay focused and pay attention. So much is going on. It is exciting, stimulating and tiring all at the same time. If I lived here, I would have to seek out some quiet places for respite. I see one as we walk along in a little park with green grass and a fountain in the middle. There is a small coffee/tea place with some tables. I could see stopping in there for a few minutes of peace. 

We haven't been along the river yet. It is comfortable walking and a nice breeze by the river keeps us comfortable.The Narional Theater is across the bridge. We stroll around there and then Anne and I part ways with Dave. She and I want to do some shopping in the Covent Garden area and Dave wants to walk across the Millenium Bridge. We go to a nice tea shop, Whittard, where we sample various teas and she gets some for Brad. We stroll around the big square and market which isn't yet packed with people as it will be later in the day. We stop for a cup of tea to rest for a few minutes before walking back to the hotel.

We have lunch at a place Anne likes called Yo Sushi in the Brunswick Center. A selection of sushi on small dishes, color coded for price, makes it way around on a conveyor belt. Customers are seated along the conveyer belt or at tables that have access to the belt. You just take off the belt what you want. You can also order from a menu. At the end of the meal someone comes and adds up what you owe from the colored dishes you have on the table. This was really fun! I wonder of we have something like this in the U.S.

We have already walked 5.6 miles and are ready for a rest so go back to our room to relax and take a nap. Anne and I have our afternoon drink in the hotel bar before walking to dinner at The Lady Ottoline Pub (see below for more on Lady Ottoline) and Dining Rooms on Northington Street. Anne has eaten here before and made reservations for us. It is a nice pub and Dave and I enjoy delicious fish and chips while Anne has a "bavette" steak. It is in a nice neighborhood I think called High Holborn. I'd like to see the inside of some of these condos I see advertised along the street. We walk back on back streets so as to avoid the big, busy Euston Road completing 7.6 miles of walking for the day. It is a pleasant evening. It has been a nice, low key day. 

Turns out Lady Ottoline  (1873-1938) was quite the woman. She was an aristocrat who was a patron of the arts and of literary figures. She was known for her eccentric way of dressing (not sure what that means), her aristocratic manner, yet was very shy, and for being a loyal, good friend. She had many affairs, as did her husband (guess they had an "open" marriage), and was the mistress of Bertrand Russell.

One picture needs some explanation. We bought a little stuffed chicken we saw at Mary Arden's farm and have been taking pictures of it in different locations to send to Kai. Of course, if you know Dave, you have heard his many references to "poultry" and Kai knows about "poultry" too. So you will see the chicken on the rail of the Tower Bridge. 

                         Sylvester the chicken near Tower Bridge

               The Lady Ottoline Pub and Dining Rooms

                                Flowers in a window box

York - Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Well, my camera suddenly went kaput today when I started taking pictures in York. Dave and I fussed with it for awhile but nothing helped. It is six or seven years old so Dave thinks something has gone amiss with the electronics. So-I took pictures with my phone. It was overcast most of the day so they don't look like much.

We had breakfast at one of the places in the lane right next to our hotel. There are three or four very similar places serving very similar food right next to each other so I don't know how they all make it. None have more than a table or two inside. It is nice to sit outside in the summer but I wonder what they do in the winter. Maybe close up and go to the beach. The lane is a bustling place in the morning and late afternoon. It is a cross through for people going to the tube and train station. They are all walking very fast to get to wherever they are going. I am glad I am not among them and can just observe. It's a great people watching spot. Anne and I particularly enjoy seeing what the women are wearing.

We get the 9:30 train to York from King's Cross. We wait until 9:30 to go because fares get much cheaper after 9:30. The train stations are such busy places full of people coming and going and waiting. If you are waiting for a train, you stand with the other multitudes of people beneath the big electronic board high up that lists the trains and what platform trains are leaving from. As soon as the platform is posted, everyone rushes out to the train and it is a bit of a free for all jostling to get on and find a seat. Finally, all are settled and the train leaves right on time. Woe to the person who might be a minute or two late! It is a pleasant two hour ride to York. 

York is a very old town with remains of Roman settlement. Probably people were here even before the Romans. It is lunch time by the time we arrive and Anne takes us to one of her favorite little cafés. She and I have a delicious beet and feta tart with handcut fries. York is a walled city and we walk up on the wall walkway as far as we can gazing down into people's yards. Some have lovely gardens. We stroll around the old part of town with narrow streets and shops and restaurants galore. The second stage of the Tour de France has just taken place in York and it was a real happening for this town. There are brightly painted yellow bikes placed all over - on the sides of buildings, next to posts, in flower beds, etc. plus many of the businesses have cycle themed window displays. 

We make our way to York Minster Cathedral. This is one of the premier cathedrals in Europe and it dominates the landscape. It is huge and imposing on the outside. The inside is massive but delicate and airy with its gothic architecture. Anne has spent a lot of time here as part of her month long seminar here in York and she is able to tell us interesting facts about various aspects of the cathedral. Of particular interest to me is the restoration of the stained glass windows. The huge window at the East end of the church has been removed panel by panel and is in the process of being painstakingly restored. Various displays talk about how this is done. Each panel is carefully researched and an attempt is being made to restore the panels to their original appearance in medieval times. New methods of restoration allow for restoring to original condition. About 600 hours is spent on restoration of each panel and there are probably a hundred or so panels. Each panel can cost 25,000 pounds to restore! The East window is scheduled to be done in 2018. One of the stained glass windows on the side of the church has been restored to test out new methods before using them with the much larger East window. One can easily see the difference between the old and the newly restored window. A big dome allows one to enter and see a selection of the restored East window panels. They are beautiful. 

One thing that Anne showed us which I had never heard of is the graffiti that are scratched into the columns of the cathedral. She shines a light on some she discovered during her seminar. Some are crosses, some mason's marks, some are names and dates. She says there is a project going on to photograph and catalog all the graffiti in European cathedrals. Apparently, it was acceptable to do this during the Middle Ages. People did it to wish for healing or a safe journey or who knows what other purposes. Since the columns were originally painted, this graffiti would have showed up much more than it does now. Isn't that interesting?

We are ready for a cup of tea so Anne takes us to a lovely little tea room where we have our pots of tea and I have a sinful treat - a freshly baked, still warm from the oven, scone with clotted cream and strawberry jam. I figure I have to have one scone with clotted cream while in England! 

We make our way back to the train and rush with everyone else to get seats for the ride back to London. We go to dinner at Huaira Indian Restaurant on Judd Street in our neighborhood. We ate here last year. I think it's about the best Indian food I have ever had. We are given heated plates and the food arrives piping hot and freshly prepared. The Indian place we went to a couple of nights ago was good, too, but I would give this place a mark above that one. It has been a lovely, relaxing enjoyable day. My pictures are pretty crappy but I'll include a few.

   These yellow bikes were all over town along with yellow begonias I honor of the Tour de France.

                                         York Minster Cathedral in the distance.

     Anne in York. Who's that jaunty man with her?

 A street craftsman using his own leg energy to power

   his saw.

The Five Sisters restored window in York Minster Cathedral.

Interesting because the glass is mostly grays and blacks with 

just a little bit of color, apparently an aesthetic of some religious

Group.

Restored panel of the East window seen in the dome

In the Cathedral. 

Tate Britain and British Library

We have breakfast at Carluccio's in the train station. We have decided this is our favorite place for breakfast as the food is good and, with the special all inclusive breakfast, is pretty reasonably priced. After breakfast, Anne and I go to Hamley's, a big London toy store with a smaller store in the train station, to look for a little gift for Haley and also something for Jessica, Anne's friend and daughter whom we will see on Saturday. 

Dave and I head out to the Tate Britain while Anne stays in our room to rest. She has been so tired and hasn't been sleeping well. The Tate Britain has been closed for most of 2013 for renovation and just recently reopened. It is a light, modern space now. The permanent collection has been organized chronologically around the inside perimeter of the building so one can walk into each room from a different time period of British art. It gives one a good sense of how art changed over time. We get in on an interesting one hour tour. The guide shows us some of his favorite pieces and talks about them. Just the right amount of information. 

We meet Anne for lunch at a Prezzo's across the street from our hotel. Dave and I go over to the nearby British Library and see a special exhibit called Comics Unmasked: Art and Anarchy in the UK. I probably wouldn't have gone to this exhibit unless I had been right there, but it turned out to be extensive and very interesting. It showed the role comics and graphic novels have had as a form of protest and their role within the context of the political, social and cultural issues of the day. 

Anne and I have our afternoon drink at the hotel bar. I enjoyed this time with Anne. Did I mention that the cute young man who was here last year is still here. He remembers us because he was brand new last year and didn't know much about making the drinks on the bar menu. One afternoon when Anne and I went there, he was the only one there and brought us not very good versions of the drinks we ordered. He was apologetic and did not charge us for the drinks. We certainly did not remind him of his moment of embarrassment, but he remembered. 

We have dinner at Balfour's, an Italian restaurant in our neighborhood at the corner of Tavistock Place and Marchmont. We enjoy sitting outside. It is a nice evening and a good place to people watch.

Just wanted to make some observations about crossing the streets here. Vehicles are not required by law to stop for pedestrians except at lights so they are not watching for pedestrians, drive fast and whip around corners at high speeds. You kind of take your life in your hands to crioss these very busy London streets. We make a pact among ourselves that we are only going to cross when the little green man lights up meaning we can go. Sometimes we are the only ones left standing on the corner as people dash across before the light changes. We understand the temptation to go because it seems to take the lights forever to change, but have seen several near misses from cars coming around corners or through intersections at high rates of speed. The okay to go doesn't happen until cars have red lights in all directions so pedestrians cross in all directions all at once. This makes for the safest conditions for pedestrians to cross safely. Then the cycle repeats itself. 

Did not take any pictures today. No pictures allowed in the Tate Britain or at the exhibit at the British Library.