Home

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.

Back to London

We are refreshed and renewed after a good night's sleep and ready to tackle this day. We have some time to walk around before our train leaves for London so we walk to town amidst periodic rain showers. It is cooler today and we appreciate that. There is a market on the street by the theater and we enjoy strolling along looking at the items. We buy a wooden puzzle for Kai. We get a light lunch at Carluccio's before walking back to the B&B to retrieve our luggage, then go to the train station. A pleasant two and a half hour ride brings us back to London. We take a cab to our hotel and get checked back in. Anne and I have a drink together in the hotel bar. 

Dave and I go to the sung evensong at St. Pancras Church right next door to our hotel at 6:00. We went last year and enjoyed it. We join Anne for dinner at Chili Cool, a Sechuan restaurant in our neighborhood. Anne took us here last year and all I remember about it is that the food was so hot I could barely eat any of it and I drank at least three glasses of water. Anne and Dave like hot food. The food is not as hot as I remember and I actually enjoy what we have ordered. Guess I knew better what to expect. Stay away from all those little chopped up red peppers on all the platters of food here though!

I get my stuff unpacked in the room, Dave walks Anne back to her place and we call it a day. We will see what this next week brings. No pictures to post today.

Coventry and Two Gentlemen

We are going to Coventry today to see a cathedral Anne is interested in. The bus looks like the best option so we walk to the stop in the main part of Stratford. Our B&B is about a mile, maybe a little more, from the town center. It takes us 20-30 minutes to walk there. Today is the warmest day we have had and we get warm walking. We have just about given up on the bus after 20 minutes of waiting (a harbinger of what is to come) when it finally comes. What with traffic, construction, narrow streets, which allow only one vehicle at a time, it takes about an hour and a half. Coventry is a big, busy city which we don't much care for at least the part we are in. We start looking for a place for lunch and head for the cafe at the cathedral but it is closed. There aren't many choices so we end up at a Nando's which has okay food but is noisy with a lot of screaming kids and families.

The cathedral, along with most of Coventry itself, was severely bombed by the Germans on November 14, 1940. Six hundred people were killed and 1,000 injured. It was bombed so early in the war because it was an important industrial city. The people of the church immediately decided to start building a new cathedral but wanted to incorporate the ruins of the old one so people would not forget that terrible time. Ground was broken for the new cathedral in 1956 and consecrated in 1962. The inside is modern with beautiful contemporary art including the largest tapestry in Europe. The stained glass windows are beautiful and contemporary. The inside spaces are airy and light. The juxtaposition of the bombed out church with the new one is striking and quite moving. Anne and I light candles together.

Our problems begin when we go to get the bus home. We wait ant wait and wait but no bus. Other drivers say it is because of the traffic on this Saturday in July with beautiful weather. It is hot at the bus stop. Many people are waiting. After an hour and a half wait, we have just about decided to try to take the train back though it involves a change. Finally Dave spots a bus coming on the other corner and Anne and I race to get there. The ride back to Stratford is long, hot and tedious. The traffic is awful and it takes forever to move a short distance. That, and the fact that the bus does not take a direct route make it seem forever. We are afraid we won't make it back in time for our dinner reservations before the play. Also, Anne has left the tickets back in our room for safe keeping. We finally get to the town center a little after 5:00. Dave hops off to try to get a taxi back to the room to get the tickets while Anne and I walk toward the restaurant. Dave beats us to the restaurant!

Alls well that ends well...we had a lovely dinner at the same place as last night - Loxley's Wine Bar and Restaurant. Anne and I share the fish board and a cheese tray. We get to the 7:15 start of Two Gentlemen of Verona. We are in the Main Theater tonight which we've never been in before. It is much larger than the Swann where we have been for the previous plays. Unfortunately, with all the standing we did today, Anne's back is really bothering her and our seats aren't very comfortable, so at intermission she says she wants to go home. I walk home with her and Dave stays for the rest of the play. Anne says she doesn't think this is a particularly good production. This is the first night of this production and we agree that there are some kinks to be worked out. The actors aren't quite clicking with each other and it is hard to hear all the lines, an important aspect of this play since it is all about wordplay. Anne says it is a hard play to do because it is Shakespeare's earliest play and not as good as the later ones. 

It has been kind of a long, tiring day. The cathedral was definitely worth seeing, but can't say much for the city of Coventry and we definitely won't be taking the bus around here again anytime soon. On the other hand, we are all well, safe and together and we can't do better than that.

                                          The new and the old churches side by side

                                           Christ and the crown of thorns

              The largest tapestry in Europe

  The bombed out church with the charred cross made of charred wood after the bombing

Stratford -Day 2

We had a delicious breakfast at our B&B. It is quite cool and overcast this morning. Good. I like it that way. We decide to go to Mary Arden's Farm which we discover is easily accessible by a short train ride to Wilmcote, just two stops from Stratford. A quarter mile walk brings us to the farm. Mary Arden was Shakespeare's mother and this farm is where she lived and where Shakespeare spent a fair amount of time when he was a young boy. Apparently, his parents sent him here in part to get away from the plague ridden city. It is a peaceful and quiet place, a good place to take children. It looks like a farm with people dressed up in clothes of the period and doing chores and crafts of the time. We take a walk on the outer edges of the farm through a meadow of wild flowers. We watch a falconry program done by a woman who showed us a barn owl and an eagle owl. She gives information but is also funny and good at  keeping the attention of the children in the audience.  This is a low key, low tech place - no flashing lights, interactive displays, iPADS dispensing information and so on and I like that. We have lunch at the cafe and then take the train back to Stratford.

We walk to town again around 4:00 but manage to find a little less arduous route this time. We have dinner at Loxley's Restaurant and Wine Bar. It's in a house from the 1600s. The wood beams from the original house are exposed. We have an excellent dinner. Anne and Fave order the fish and chips and I have the hake, a kind of fish.

Tonight we see Arden of Faversham. It is excellent! Anne thought they did a good job with the production. Says there isn't that much to the play and the RSC managed to make the most out of it. No one knows who wrote the play but it was written in the early 17th century so is contemporary with Shakespeare's time. It is a tragedy yet this production also had a lot of dark humor.

The play was only an hour and forty minutes with no break so it is still light when we walk back to our B&B. It has been a lovely day.

    The Eagle Owl used in the falconry program. He flew up on the bench we were sitting on!

   Just an old door with a flower frowning out of the old steps.

                                     Penryn Guest House where we are staying.

Train to Stratford and Roaring Girls

We have breakfast at St. Pancras station at Le Pain Quotidien where we can get something besides eggs. It is quite cool and windy this morning. Dave and I are finally heeding Anne's advice to always carry an umbrella in London. We check out of our hotel (they will keep some of our luggage for us) and easily hail a taxi on a side street near our hotel. We go to Marleybone Station where we take the train to Stratford, a pleasant two and a half hour ride. We have bought sandwiches in the station to eat on the train for lunch. 

We walk to the Penryn Guest House, about ¾ of a mile. It is a lovely place with nicely furnished rooms and reasonable prices. It takes us a half hour, maybe a mile or mile and a half, to walk to town where we enjoy a lovely dinner at Carluccio's right on the river. It is an absolutely beautiful evening and we have some time before the play starts to walk along the Avon River and watch the swans.

"Roaring Girls" was a romp roaring fun play by Thomas Middleton and Thomas Dekker, contemporaries of Shakespeare's, about Moll Cutpurse, a woman who defied conventions of the times. It was just a wonderful production, never a dull moment. We marvel that such a play was written in the 17th century! It seemed so contemporary. 

We walk back to our guest house getting lost along the way so taking a bit longer than expected but it is a nice night to be out walking so it was fine. Didn't take many pictures today.

                                              Enjoying dinner at Carlucci's on a lovely evening.

          View from window at RSC theater

British Museum and Courtauld Gallery

Weather was cool and overcast today when we started out but later turned into a perfectly gorgeous day. I think the cooler weather has helped my enjoyment of the visit tremendously. We had a delicious breakfast at Carluccio's in the St Pancras King's Cross station. We are going to the British Museum today to see the new Anglo Saxon rooms which have just reopened after extended closure. It is a pleasant walk to the museum. 

The Anglo Saxon rooms cover the time period of 300 A.D. - 1100 A.D. This time period starts with the weakening and eventual dissolution of the Roman Empire in Britain which allowed other groups to move in and take over various parts of the country. These groups were constantly fighting each other for territory and influence. 

Probably the most impressive exhibit shows the finding of a big ship in a burial mound at Sutton Hoo in the southeast part of Britain. The land was privately owned by a woman who, in 1939, commissioned the exploration of this burial mound. The outline of the huge ship was intact and had a burial chamber with all the artifacts buried with a man of prestige although nothing is known of his identity. Many of the items were remarkably intact. Most famous is the "Helmet of Sutton Hoo." The original helmet is shown along with a replica made in silver which shows what it would have looked like at that time. (See pictures.) 

The items in this new exhibit are beautifully displayed with very understandable explanatory labels. 

After leaving the museum, we stop for tea and then Anne goes back to get some things done. Dave and I go on to the Courtauld Gallery which is nearby and which I have read about in Rick Steve's' book. This is the same Courtauld family who built Eltham Palace which we visited on Monday. They donated most of their art collection to start this museum. Other private art collectors have made donations, too. The collection spans the history of Western painting from medieval altar pieces to the Italian Reanaissance to Impressionism and Post Impressionism. Probably the most famous of the paintings in the collection is Van Gogh's self portrait just after he cut off a piece of his ear. 

We have a quick lunch at a Cafe Nero and go back to the hotel,where we hang out with Anne. Anne and I have a drink in the hotel bar. I really enjoy doing this with Anne, i.e. having a drink or glass of wine together in the late afternoon before dinner. It is a nice time together. We have dinner tonight at an Indian restaurant in the neighborhood - Depa Tandoori. It was excellent and we order just the right amount of food. It has been a lovely day.

                                               Original Sutton Hoo Helmet

                                             Reproduction of the Sutton Hoo Helmet in silver

Kew Gardens

Dave and Anne have not slept well but I slept like a baby. We had breakfast again at Wot the Dickens around the corner from our hotel. Then we walked to the St.Pancras-Kings Cross tube station to go to Kew Gardens. Transferred at South Kensington to the District line to continue our journey. It's about a 45 minute tube ride on the west side of London. A half mile walk from the tube brings us to this vast botanical garden. It is a little like the Botanical GRdens in GG Gate Park only much, much bigger. There are several "glass houses," as they are called here, housing different kinds of plants. The largest glass house is closed for renovation. The park is overrun today with school classes! We seem always to be caught behind a group or have been 5 minutes late getting to an area before it was overrun by a school group. It is a good place to take children though - lots of space and kid orientd activities. There are many different kinds of gardens and an unusual feature, stairs leading to a path at the tops of the trees. Some of the trees are really tall!! We have lunch at one of the cafés in the park. Weather is blessedly cool which makes walking around appealing and enjoyable. We have walked about 6 ½ miles today according to Anne's pedometer.

We start back at 2:00. Walking back to the hotel, Anne is hungry so she and I stop to get a bit at a "Moreish" cafe. (We would say "moorish"). We have a delicious selection of nibbles - a delicious slab of blue cheese. marinated olives, two kinds of meat, and a salad. This cafe is on Marchmont Street.

We rest awhile before going out to dinner at WagaMamas up the same street as our hotel, a mile or so walk.  It's a chain but serves healthy Asian food. Believe Dave and I ate at one with Steve in San Francisco. We all enjoy our food. It started raining while we were eating so carrying our umbrellas was not for naught. Dave and I enjoyed the rain! When we get back to the hotel, it is still early so Anne and I go to the hotel bar for a glass of wine but they are full so we walk a couple of blocks up our street and go to Jesse's Wine Bar. They have regular meals but also coffee, wine and such. Dave meets us and we walk back together. 

One thing we have been amazed at is all the cyclists now in London! Cycling is something the city has been encouraging and it seems many people are taking advantage of the separated cylclewayss and more bike friendly environment. Most people are wearing helmets which is a change from past practice. 

It was really a lovely, enjoyable day.

                                           Just a few of the beautiful flowers here!

                                                      Huge lily pads!

                        Turns out this Lotus flower is not related to the water lily but to the plane tree!

                         Who are these two people seen sitting on a bench in the park?

Eltham Palace and Tour de France

Anne came over and we went to breakfast in the little lane around the corner from our hotel where we had breakfast many times last year. I have slept pretty well but Dave has not. We are going to Eltham Palace today. This is one of many English Heritage Houses which Anne has read about. It is an Art Deco home built next to and on the grounds of a medieval castle which was the childhood home of Henry VIII. It makes for an interesting contrast. We walk to the Russell Square tube station, take it to Leicester Square and from there, walk to the Charing Cross train station. A half hour ride brings us to Eltham, a charming little town. We walk from the station to the Palace. The weather is refreshingly cool and I give credit to this for my good energy level. 

The house was built by Stephen and Virginia (Genie) Courtauld who lived there from 1936-1944. Stephen Courtauld was independently wealthy through his family's textile business and Stephen was a patron of the arts, and engaged in other philanthropic causes. The house is an excellent example of Art Deco design. They restored and incorporated what was left of the medieval palace so the juxtaposition of the two is very interesting (see picture). A free audio tour gave information about each room and the extensive gardens. We ate lunch in the little tea room before starting back.

The Tour de France came to London today and we watchd a little of it on a huge TV screen set up in Trafalgar Square, one of several viewing areas in the city. Anne and I eventually walk back to the room. Anne reports that, according to her pedometer, we have walked 5.3 miles today. We watch the rest of the Tour on our TV and then go to the bar in our hotel where we have a drink and some nibbles before going to dinner. 

We have dinner at the North Sea Fish Restaurant on the side street just down the lane and around the corner from our hotel. We came here last year on Mr. B's (Anne's UCLA advisor) recommendation. By the way, Mr. B is not in London this summer for reasons he has not revealed other than something about taking care of Christine. This is probably the first time he hasn't been here and I think Anne misses him. He is a fixture of her visits here. 

All in all, it has been a most enjoyable day! I am so glad to be here! I even enjoyed the little bit of rain we had.

                                                    Eltham Palace

                      The old and the new - Art Deco on the left; Medieval palace on the right

                              Watching the Tour de France on the big screen in Trafalgar Square

Arrival in London

Holly picked us up at 3:00 and took us to the BART station. Checking was a breeze. It was a smooth flight and Iactually slept quite a bit. I like these flights that leave in the evening so Iam ready to sleep at my usual time.arrived at the brand new Twrminal 2 at Heathrow. What a different experience this was from previous ones at Heathrow which involved hot, cramped hallways and long lines. Terminal 2 is a vast, modern place with streamlined procedures. We didn't have to wait in any lines and were out in. A flash. So nice to see Anne waiting for us there. So glad to see her! We took the tube (Picadilly line) to Kings Cross, St. Pancras station, about an hour's ride. Everything looks as I remember from last year. So nice to be familiar with the area. A 15 minute walk brought us to our hotel, Ambassadors Bloomsbury. This is the same hotel we stayed in last year. Our room is a little bigger this year which will be nice. We went to dinner at a Prezzo's nearby.  All were hungry. A walk to find an ATM closed out the day. Am excited for the days ahead.