Day Five

Cath Kidston is a gorgeous shop in Marylebone and Covent Garden that carries items ladies would like and most of them are adorned in flowers and pretty designs. Now, you're wondering why there is a photo of some graveyard headstones. The shop didn't open until 10:30 am due to a 'mishap with the Manager'. Sounds grim doesn't it. I bought a tea and waited in a parkette where a church used to stand in the 1700's. Francis Bacon was married here and William Hogarth painted some of his wonderful art on the ceiling, I came to learn much more about him later. Oh yes, the wait was worth it, I purchased a new bag for summer with the encouragement of some ladies from Japan. They spoke no English but we understood each other perfectly.

There are free lunch-time concerts on certain days at St-Martins-in-the-Fields. Who says London is expensive! There were three boys performing from the Trinity School in Croyden. The youngest was all of 10 years old and when he played the violin I had tears in my eyes. The church was undergoing restoration when R and I were visiting in 2007 and it looks so fresh and bright now. You can have lunch in the crypt, even if you're not hungry you should go downstairs for a peek!

Since The National Portrait Gallery is practically across the street, I stopped in for a visit. Jane Austen's portrait by her sister, Cassandra is on display there. A light shines on the portrait every 30 seconds or so, I feel as though I'm stopping by to visit a friend.

It is just foolish to come to London and not see a play! I really wanted to see 39 Steps and it exceeded all of my expectations. There were only four members in the cast which required them to play several characters. It was absolutely hilarious and I must have had a silly grin on my face the whole time. At the end of the play there was a winter scene and the first three rows were treated to a snowfall! I was in the fourth row so I narrowly escaped.

I managed to take a shot of the balconies before people started to file in. The Criterion Theatre is so cozy and has a very old-fashioned feel about it and it should, it's been here since the 1800's. Step outside and you're in the heart of Piccadilly Circus. Be sure to visit the TKTS booth in Leicester Square for half-price tickets on the day of your favourite play. The tube station was just a few steps away so it was a short ride home to The Arran House for a cup of tea and to bed.

Day Four

It was so exciting to meet my friend from blog world, Kristina. She lives in Teddington and came in to meet me at the B&B. After happy hello's and an exchange of book gifts we set off on a stroll to Persephone Books. It was so wonderful to finally be amongst these fantastic books and as I stood there soaking up the surroundings, Kristina set about gathering the books on my list. I bought seven titles, a postcard featuring the shop and a package of watercolour postcards featuring scenes of Bloomsbury. The shop assistant kindly placed my books in a Persephone book bag as a free gift! It was over all too soon but Kristina and I would be back in a few days for the book chat to discuss Someone at a Distance by Dorothy Whipple. After walking back to the B&B to drop off my book bag of treasures we took the tube to Marylebone to visit some shops on the High Street. Window boxes are absolutely everywhere in London! I would love to suggest that they be mandatory in my city, so beautiful!

Emma Bridgewater was a fun, not to mention colourful, shop and I purchased a tea towel for a friend. It says 'Happiness is a cup of tea, a magazine and a bar of chocolate'. I couldn't agree more!

Daunt Books was a gem and is, as described on the internet, an original Edwardian bookshop. It was full of literary works, they go light on the commercial fiction, making this a notch above your local Waterstones. I couldn't resist picking up Stella Gibbons, Nightingale Wood, just reading the synopsis brings a huge smile to your face and the promise of a terrific read.

Kristina took me out to lunch, we had a lovely chat over baguette sandwiches and salad. It's amazing to me that with all the people on the internet I became friends with someone so far away and here we were having lunch together in London! After walking around a bit more we parted ways with plans to meet up again in a few days and I headed back to my room for a cup of tea and a rest. Later on, I rode the tube to Piccadilly Circus to purchase a couple of shirts for R from Lillywhites. They carry sports clothing and I had my eye on a Tiger Woods golf shirt. Once the dinner hour approached I made for the hustle bustle of Leicester Square. There's a pub called the Bear and Staff and upstairs finds you in a quaint dining room. They carry sausages by the people that supply Fortnum and Mason and they are delicious, I have been wanting more of these since my last trip. So a very English dinner of sausage and mash and by 8:30 pm I was knackered as they say. With the Evening Standard under my arm I made my way back to my room to send emails home and write in my journal about another lovely day.

Day Three

It was a beautiful morning so being inside a museum wasn't an option. I was off to Hampstead Heath. The architecture is fantastic, you spend a great deal of time looking up. This is a view of the High Street and I'm on my way to Kenwood House. What I thought would be a short stroll ended up being a huge trek but the scenery was worth it. The houses are so quaint and church bells were pealing as it was Sunday. After walking around the town and then through the Heath I finally arrived on the grounds of Kenwood House. The rhododendrons were absolutely massive, May is a fabulous month to be here.

The back view of Kenwood House overlooks a lake and forest, a mystical setting. This country house dates from the 17th century and houses art by Gainsborough, Vermeer, Van Dyck and Rembrandt to name a few. There was also an exhibit of shoe buckles and portrait miniatures, so beautiful.

After a morning of tranquility it was time for some shopping! After a bite for lunch it was on to Oxford Street, Piccadilly, Regent Street and Carnaby Street. The sights, the sounds and the price tags oh my!

I use TripAdvisor quite a bit when planning my trips to London and one of the members organizes get togethers quite often for people vacationing in the city. We met at a pub just off of Queen's Gate Mews, absolutely stunning architecture for those of us that don't have anything close to this in our own city. I met some wonderful people, one of whom does security for the Royal Family, oh the stories he could have told! There was a lovely woman from Vienna, an American who has worked as a Barrister in London for 18 years and a woman from Vermont on her 11th trip across the pond. She's a librarian and had already purchased 40 books! An older couple were there but left shortly after I had arrived so I didn't get to speak to them very much. It was so lovely to meet up with a group of strangers that felt like your friends and have the best Pimms I've ever tasted. There was practically half an orchard of fruit in it! Once I left the Goodge Street tube station I realized that I hadn't had dinner. I spied a Subway that had its doors propped open but they were in the process of closing. I apologized and went to leave but they wouldn't hear of sending me off wanting and made me a delicious sandwich which I took off to my room. Pajamas on, kettle on, the days Evening Standard open on my bed and the telly for company...I am so enjoying myself.

Day Two

One of my favourite views in London, Trafalgar Square looking down Whitehall to see Big Ben in the distance.

Covent Garden and the classically trained musicians and opera singers entertaining in the Piazza. They bring tears to my eyes every time.

South Bank book market, what a treat but watch that you don't get a stiff neck from craning to see the titles!

The Imperial War Museum was absolutely fantastic! So many people have written that this was so much more interesting than they could have imagined. I couldn't agree more. I was brought to tears twice here by The Children's War exhibit and shrieked once in a mock bomb shelter. It's dark inside, smells of Cordite (used as a propellant for bombs) and there's a tape playing of loud bombing and people screaming - then your seat shakes as a bomb blast sounds. They don't warn you about that.

The letters and drawings from children were heart-wrenching, some never reaching their fathers as they had been killed in action only a few days before. There were fighter planes with 'kills' marked on the side, tanks, missiles and bombs on display. The German SS uniforms gave me the shivers, the skull and crossbones above the brim on the cap was sinister.

The way that family and community clung together at such a time was the prominent message for me. Allotments for vegetables, knitting for service men, soup kitchens and tea wagons for volunteers, women looking after evacuated children, the list goes on. Life was not easy by any stretch but to use the slogan they kept calm and carried on.

My day ended with a ride in a black cab. It was very amusing when the cabbie said that he loved MY accent! Too funny.

Day One

On May 8, I arrived at the Arran House, pulling my luggage through Russell Square with my umbrella up as there was a slight drizzle. This is London after all. This was the view from my room, I wonder if these flats are Edwardian like The Arran House.

You can use the back garden to sit and chat or have your breakfast. There's an area sheltered by a marquis on the lower left that my camera angle caught, that's why the photo looks funny.

The front step had the most beautiful mosaic tiling and a boot scraper, of course! I was so happy to see flowers in bloom, in Canada the spring bulbs were just starting to peek out.

My first stop was Tesco for some snacks in my room, you can buy the most scrummy yogurt flavours in England! Then it was off to The British Library to visit the Treasures Room and these a few of the very special things that I saw there:

Entry from King Edward VI diary

Thomas Hardy's draft of Tess of the D'urbevilles

Charlotte Bronte's draft of Jane Eyre in her tiny, tiny writing

Jane Austen's draft of Persuasion and her fold out lap desk (shivers)

Captain Scott's last diary entry before he died at the South Pole

Writing and drawings by Leonardo Da Vinci

Sheet music composed by Mozart, Beethoven and Handel

After that fascinating exhibit I hopped on the tube to Waterloo Station, there's a wool shop nearby called I Knit. Three skeins of wool found themselves in a bag going home with me. These will make three pairs of 'London Socks'. By this time I was getting hungry, around the corner from the B&B is a small shop called Planet Organic and I had a piece of veggie lasagna and some roast veggies, yum! A fifth year medical student struck up a conversation with me, he was interested in the way the system works in Canada and we discussed the similarities and differences of each. What a fantastic Doctor he'll be one day - he listens!

One of my favourite things about where I stayed is that there is a Waterstones (bookshop) across the road. I went in for a browse to see what was on the shelves, happiness is a bookshop no matter where you are in the world. I left empty-handed but there were plenty of days ahead for book buying, what was needed most was a cup of tea and my pj's. And if that wasn't bliss enough, just as I settled in all cozy, the first few notes of Coronation Street came from the telly! Life is good.

London was Lovely

Wouldn't it be lovely to start every day with a pot of tea, loose-leaf of course, and a delicious scone from Patisserie-Valerie. On this particular day I was early for opening time at the V&A and thought what better way to pass the time. Only an hour before, I had eaten a proper Full English Breakfast but let's not dwell on that. The room was cozy and warm on a damp, grey morning and I had a window seat looking onto the mews that ran behind the cafe. My trip to London was absolutely brilliant, a dream come true. I have stories and pictures to share in the next few days but for now there's laundry, unpacking and sharing stories with R. Deacon isn't letting me very far from his sight either. To be continued...

See you soon!

I'm so looking forward to being in London again! My itinerary is starting to come together quite nicely with lots to do but time for strolling and relaxing as well. My flight doesn't leave until Thursday evening but I'm going to be absolutely giddy until then and unable to think about anything else. So I'll say good-bye for now and will be back with a full report on May 17. Well, perhaps the next day!