After a week of wonderful day trips around Ipswich we set off for London. When we had dropped off the car we went to our hotel in Cromwell Road. Our room wasn’t ready as we were early so the staff cloaked our bags and suggested we go to an Italian Restaurant a few blocks away. It became our favourite restaurant.
Good, traditional Italian food in a nice environment and great service.
Bought some tulips for our hotel room and borrowed a vase.
Years ago I saw an article about the Garden Museum in a de-consecrated church, St Mary-of-Lambeth near Lambeth Palace and have wanted to visit ever since. When we were in London two years ago the museum was shut for renovations, so on our first full day in London we went to the Garden Museum.
What a disappointment. I expected gardening implements through the ages, home made and rustic, bee keeping artifacts and general garden equipment such as traditional fly traps or papers, wicker tripods or traditional iron garden frames. What was on show was very limited. There were no special exhibitions and no activities in the studios and only the shop seemed alive and cared for in any way. Bemused, we took stock in the cafe and left.
Remnants of its previous incarnation as a church have been incorporated into an atrium garden, Sackler Garden, designed by Dan Pearson.
Pretty garden but not the amazing or innovate plantings I expected at all. The front garden was designed by Christopher Bradley-Hole.
The National Gallery was as always, wonderful. There was an Impressionist Exhibition charting the development from Impressionism to Post Impressionism. We enjoyed the Turners so much we were there again early the next morning and when the gallery opened we went straight to room 41 where they were and had them to ourselves for about ten minutes before anyone else got down that far. Then to the National Portrait Gallery. Also wonderful.
Eventually, the sheer number of amazing artworks became a bit overwhelming and if I was going again I think I’d divide each site into four days and spend an hour or so a day there and then do something else such as a garden, walking around Westminster Bridge or shopping!
Lunch in the Crypt of St Martin in the Fields. Very atmospheric and good to sit down and people watch for a while.
The courtyard at the Victoria and Albert Museum. This is an enormous collection of treasures and I decided to be selective about where I spent the most time.
Really loved the Architecture Exhibition. This is a model of The Tempietto, featuring the balanced proportions and pure volumes of Renaissance architecture.
A model of a courtyard in the Alhambra Palace.
There was so much to see at the Victoria and Albert Museum and I really enjoyed it all but especially the Architecture Exhibition. It was half term in the UK and the museum was packed!
London, near Victoria Station.
Modern Art in the Underground.
Enjoyed visiting Liberty. I bought my first pieces of Emma Bridgewater crockery here 25 years ago and have collected it ever since. Nostalgic shopping trip.
More treasures at Liberty.
Spent a morning in the Silver Vaults looking for a silver water jug. I’d admired one 25 years ago but didn’t want to spend the money. Still didn’t want to spend the money!
Pretty window boxes near our hotel.
Streets of London.
Traffic, statues, red buses and crowds….very London.
The entrance to the Gloucester Road Underground near our hotel.
Armistice Day services. We also went to a piano performance at this Church one night and really enjoyed it. They have regular performances and almost daily Church services.
How to dine outside when the climate doesn’t really accommodate outdoor dining!
Our first meal in London was at this restaurant and so was our last. Will miss eating there!
Adored by children and adults, the famous British novelist, poet, screen writer and fighter pilot Roald Dahl died on this day in 1990. His books sold more than 250 million copies worldwide. Labelled the most popular writer of childrens’ books since Enid Blyton, his “Revolting Rhymes” delighted children and adults alike.