National Gallery

I did the art thing.  Confirming my stance on the art thing.  There are some pieces that I find truly amazing and awe inspiring.   The rest just bore me. 

I am surprised by the number of people milling about and totally consumed by it all.  I guess a student of the arts would enjoy it.  Perhaps would know what they are looking at or looking for.  Me.  Does it appeal to the eye?  Yes. Then I am good.  Does it make me smile.  Even better.  Do I have to contemplate it.  Then I will continue on.

So at this point all that I have not seen includes the other national museums and Harrods.  There were some other pubs and clubs suggested but those won't happen.  Oh and currry.

Going to check my map.  Figure out the best way back to the hotel. 

Posh

That is the only word I can use to describe todays lunch.  Wow....  I am sure my bartenders accent didn't hurt.  No, not British... Italian...  And the hostess' ability to tactfully send people away.  Snooty comes to mind but hey they let me in. 

From here I am headed to Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery.  Harrods probably won't make the cut in the retail therapy tour.  I am indulged enough. 

Have yet to eat curry.  May need to inquire with concierge when I get back to the hotel.  I also need to figure out my travel for tomorrow.  I think I will haul my butt and luggage over to Paddington on foot.  The tube has stairs - not condusive to the suitcase.  A cab for a mile seems silly.  I would like to find the Paddington bear while I am there - a Mark Owen thing... look him up :)
And then catch that Heathrow Express.  I think I will leave the hotel at 6am to figure it all out.

Picadilly Circus

So I found my way back to Regent Street to head towards Picadilly Circus. 
Of course that was via No. 1 Golden Square and Absolute Radio.  There it is tucked in amongst the buildings spinning tumes and keeping me entertained oh for the last 13 years.  Their earlier Virgin Radio format is probably what reintroduced me to Robbie and Take That.  And lets not forget Keane and Snow Patrol and Stereophonics and yes Coldplay.  It continues to entertain me (hahahahaha) with lots of music.

I stumbled across Viva Forever as I made my way from there.  La la la. La la la la la la. La la la. La la la la.... SPICE UP YOUR LIFR!  And then we have to Trocodora.  Picadilly Circus (um almost non event). And lunch.

Thank you Pauline for the Fortnum & Masob suggestion.  Confectionary heaven.  And I haven't even walked around yet.  I thankfully came in and went straight for lunch.  Lobster bendict.  My new favourite! Isle of Wight tomato salad. White wine and waiting on dessert.  Some crazy specialty.  They got me the kids version.  It just arrived. Oh MY GoodNess!

Last day

I slept in.  Whoo hoo...  what is that half eight?  I had breakfast at the normal spot.  Today was a white coffee with a ham and cheese croissant.  All under £5.

So I needed to put some more $$ on the oyster card.  Last day seemed to be a struggle for me and mass transit.

It kicked me out at Oxford Circus.  Again coming up from underground I was all turned around.  I walked back and forth twice to figure out where House of Fraser was. 

Yay! #farrell. I found what I was looking for.  A lovely raspberry silk scarf.  I must say there was an Aran sweater that was just lovely.  I doubt it would come in handy in North Carolina.  So it stayed on the shelf.

From there I circled some more.  Back and forth trying to figure out which way is Selfridges which way is Golden Square.  Eventually figured it out.  So I went to Selfridges.  Sadly it loses some appeal when all I can envision is Jeremy Piven.  But when I walked in...  if shops were like this in Charlotte I would be a shopper.  Fun. Hip. Trendy. Clean. Bright. Good music.  I used the loo.  And then I stopped at the Origins counter.  Tried some new makeup.  I sure hope they have it at South Park.  Love it!  Then went by Dior.  TwO, yes two new Addict fragrances.  The one with jasmine was nice.  Sadly the rose scent eventually overpowered the jasmine.   T

Catching up with an old friend

Well dinner at the pub turned into drinks with an old friend.  Old as in time that has passed  not that either of us are old.  And time that has passed...  would that be 25 years?  We last saw each other when we were 5.

It was fun to catch up.  The Champion closed too early.  I am sure we could have chatted for a while longer.

Traveling alone

One of the things I have found here and in Dublin is the pub table system.  Often times the tables are first come first serve...  I could smell burning wax hair on fire girl got distracted...
Many don't have much of a wait staff.

This high end place I ate at the other day...  you give them your table number with your order.  By the time I made it through the queue and got back to the table someone else had taken it.  Ah the challenge of being on your own.

This evening I sit at a pub.  There is table service.  But still a first come first serve approach.  Service is I could be invisible.  I am OK with that.  Pacing myself.  I could use the loo.  That runs the risk of my table not being here when I return.  So I will sit and wait for my friend.

Other observations.
Wow people drank A LOT at the concert.  Many Very Very drunk people.
Ther is a nationality of tourist that I was surprised by how rude and self absorbed they were.  Amazingly not American.
And how is there always on really loud laughing British woman in every crowd.  4 for 4 this week. 

Dinner

On day one my tour guide suggested a oub down the way from my hotel The Champion in Notting Hill.

It was a quick walk from the hotel.

I had a PIMMS & lemonade.  Isnt that what you are supposed to do in London in Summer.  I had fish n chips with mushy peas.  Again, isn't that something you are supposed to do? And now a cider as I wait for a friend.  He is over near the airport.  He is grabbing a cab this way.  Crazy.  Havent seen him since high school.  Will be interesting.

Purpose

There was a reason for my walk.  I had come across this place called Searcys.  There is one at the top of The Gherkin.  There is also one in this shopping area near SPC.  It is a champagne bar.  I found it a novel idea.  Like the scone, clotted cream and jam snack I had at ToL.

I had a normal champagne and a rose.  Both quite tasty.  And then back on the tune quest.

Central Line west.
Queensway station.
Sainsbury stop - 2 2liter bottles of water and 2 apples for 2 pounds...  I can't complain.

Bank of England Museum

With map in hand I left ToL in search of the Bank of England Museum.  I headed north.  Along the way I found a House of Farrell -- not the one I needed however.  I found the Royal Exchange -- swanky!  There was a random statue to Reuters.  Yes, there is a man behind the name, behind the news.  And I even found the BANK.  But I could not find the entrance to the bloody museum!  UgH..
I walked some more. Gave up. Headed back to St. Pauls.  You see the tube stations really aren't that far from one another so I figured I would walk back to where I started.

Tower of London

I just lost my rambling commentary.  Silly autocomplete... the purpose is to complete the word in question... not to delete the entry and replaceit with said word.

So I had started by saying how turned around I get when popping out to the sunlight from the tube.  I don't know how many circles I made to find St. Pauls.  The same was true when leaving SPC and heading to Tower of London. Saving Grace?  The altar is in the East and that was the way I was headed.  Of course the meandering from the street to the waterfront to the street made for some confusion.

Eventually I found my way to the Tower of London.   Me and a whole lot of others.  I had been forewarned of lines.  I just settled in to that fact for my day.  Stood on line to buy a ticket (may seriously consider The London Pass the next time).  Stood on line to get in.  Stood in line for some exhibits.  Stood in line for food (yum, cottage pie).  Stood in line to see the Crown Jewels.  I would equate it to the Blarney Castle without the paths and parks and gardens to take you away from it all.  Maybe even some Disney feel. 

The Tower was good to see but it lost some of its magic and history with all the people.  There was a sculpture to those that lost their loves within the walls.  This was not a commmon practice.  Truly those executed inside the walls were those that raised too much commotion so they kept it under wraps.  There is the Bloody Tower.  Named so for a totally different reason than I thought.  The chapel you could not visit unless on a tour.  I didn't fo a tour.  The jewels we're worth the wait.

I wad surprised how much of the day it consumed. 

And then I was off!

St. Pauls Cathedral

This would be where Lady Di got married.  As for majesty it is more majestic than Westminster Abbey.  It holds lots of British history in the walls.  Kind of made me wonder what the decision process was for Princess Kate when getting married.  Seriously this is something that crossed my mind.
The other thing that ran rampant through my mind... no photography INCLUDES photos taken wiht iphones and ipads blatantly ignorant and rude tourists! 
I spent a good amount of time taking in all the statues and memorials to so many people and places and events.  Supposedly there was a huge outpouring of grief and support and consoling here after 9/11.  And behind the main altar is a memorial for US troops during WWII.  The cathedral was significantly damaged by bombings during the war as well.  The cathedral and palaces were main targets in attempt to undermine the crown and church with hopes it would force the British people to cave.
The art work.  The mossaics.  The dome.  The quire.  All very breathtaking.  Some of the design decisions made me laugh...  they were made with keeping a distance from catholicism and the Pope in mind. 
Below in the crypt... oh dinner is here..

There is a chapel in the crypt for the OBE.  I thought that cool.  If I am correct Wellington and Nelson are buried in the crypt.   The battery to my ipod audio tour died about this point.  I spent some time in the gift shop and headed on.  Surprisingly they were sellling rosary beads and hand rosaries in the gift shop.  I thought those were Catholic as it is about Mary.  Guess I could learn more about the Church of England...  aaah, lunch conversation with Brian...
Thw sales clerk mentioned people buy them to wear.  OK that surely isn't a Catholic thing.  I considered gettting myself another set but opted not to.
From there a headed on out.

Not sure how long I was there.

Breakfast - pre Tower of London

That is where I am headed today.  A quick coffee and pastry for breakfast than off to the tube.  As we learned in Dublin... the little eatery next to th hotel is far mire reasonable and within reason for breakfast than the crazy expensive hotel buffett..

Greenwich

Now this has a whole different feel.  Less modern.  Less kids.  More crowded.  I walked around some but must admit the heat and sun and crowds were getting to me.  A/C seems close to non-existent.  The same could b e said for deodorant.  No, seriously. And of course watching people walk around in so many layers juat made it all the worse.

I glanced in at two of the museums.  I checked out the park.  I walked through the market.  A great concept except stuffy stale air and well those references above.

I found the most trendy least pubish brewery amd had a half pint sitting in the sun.  That sun screen everyone questioned me to pack... it is back at the hotel.

People are everywhere taking advantage of the weather.  I suspect on a day like today at home we would drudge through our day miserable that it was already Sunday and not take advantage of it.   I am impressed with the Brits or whoever all thes other people are enjoying the day.

I need to go catch the boat.

The O2

So I guess I first became aware of the O2 when it was opened as tge Millenium Dome.  Maybe.  Maybe not.  I know a number of artists tgat have perfotrned there.  And somewhere in the googling of it all I realised it is quite an interestibg structure.
In my planning I was glad to find the British Music Experience was there.  It would give me a reason to go and not just oddly gawk at the architecture.
I had no idea until I landed at the dock what all there was there.
Emirates Air has a sky tram.  A cross between a Disney ride and the tram up Stone Mountain.
You can sign up to walk/hike across the top of the dome.
There are more eateries than I anticipated.
And fountains for hot sweaty kids to plan in.

The BME was an experience of the senses.  There was music music music.  There was some memorabilia.  And tonnes of electronic mediums delivering all sorts of musical historical facts.  Some of the gadgets were not the easiest to use but I got the hang of it.

My quest for trivia knowledge of all things British music could have had me stay there all dat.  I did not allow myself to get sucked in...  but I so could Bowie; Beatles,  Freddie, Robbie, The Specials, Adam Ant, Stone Roses.  All sorts of stuff.  All sorts of AHA moments.  All sorts of Oh I haven't heard that in ages.  Or I loved this song.  They have a website.  I intend to revisit.

From there I strolled around some and decided on lunch at an outdoor Mexican restaurant.  Yes, some of the most bizarre Mexican food I have had in some time.  It wasn't bad it just seems to have soice influences from other regions.  And I don't think my margarita had any tequila in it.

I set out for ince cream to offset it.  I was unsuccessful.  So went back to the dock and came to Greenwich.

The Shard

I passed the line for the London Eye and opted to head straight to The Shard.  The Thames Clipper is definitely a commuter boat.  OK by me.  Gets me to all the places I want to go.

Could see The Shard in the distance.  Took some time to find my way there.  You pretty much need to make your way around the major train and bus stations.  Thankfully traveling alone I got a ticketto the top right away.  Wasnt sure how I'd fair the elevator ride.  It was unnoticeable at all.  You take an elevator to the 33rd floor and then another to 68 or 69 and thenyou walk up a floor for internal viewing.  Then go up to 72 floor for exposure to the elements.  It was really cool.
You can see Wembley and The Eye and the Gherkin, Tower of London, Tower Bridge.  So much better a view than the Eye.

From there I made my way back to the dock.  It was easier to navigate on the way back.  Good thing too.  I had to take a little jog from London Bridge down to the dock to not miss the boat.

Then I took a leisurely cruise on the River Thames out to the O2.  It is an entertainment peninsula all on its own.  I did the British Music Experience.  And that's what it is

Sunday Funday

Could actually be a slower day than my itinerary.  Hadnt given much thought to the time it would take to get to the hotel from Wembley.  Quite the exercise in people moving.  Some 60, 000 people meander on over a fee hours.  And then at the end of the night masses of really drunk people all flow out of the stadiun and line up for the tube.  Amazing.  Overwhelming.  And serenity insisting in a moment.
By the time I got back to the hotel I was wired.  Ended up stopping at the hotel bar for a wine.  Ran into three women that I saw on the tube on the way to the show.  What are the odds.  I probably chatted their ears off I was so hyped.  It was late when I got to bed.
And that damned 430 sun woke me up even with the drapes drawn.  My sinuses felt the weight if a days city travel as well. 
This morning I sit at the local breakfast nook next to my hotel.  Coffee eggs and toast on order.  Then off to the Eye.  Depending on the lines I may just jump on the boat first.
Supposed to be another beautiful day!

Wow

I haven't been to a stadium concert in ages... The Cure Giants Stadium circa 1989?
I need to check how many people this place holds.  Their seats are comfier than Panthers Stadium.  I forget the stats of this versus Croke Park.  They give tours of Wembley except Robbie is set up here all week.
Got myself a tshirt.  Wore the Stereophonics tshrt to the Keane show.  Wearing my Keane tshirt tonight.  Gonna wear the Robbie tshirt to the Stereophonics.  Full circle.
DJ just started and I realized the earplugs Lynn gave me are sitting on the desk back at my room.  Ears ringing tomorrow!
DJ was OK.  He did a little nod to Freddie with some We Will Rock You.  I think I forgot the Queen cover in my Robbie cou tdown.
The video montage in between isn't too bad either.  I wonder who picks those.
The drunk people are a bit much.  Mom and Nana sitting next to ne just let the boy with them go to the loo by himself.  He might be 12.  I suspect the bag of Malteasers has him akl hopped up or the taste of his moms Pimms.
Olly was fun.  Quite the dancer.  The sample of Earth Wind and Fire got the ccrowd to their feet.  A good thing since he only has a few releases to date and some are mellow.
Now we wait for Robbie.
Sold out but the stadium isn't packed yet.  The beer lines are long.  Carlsberg   I am avoiding the beer.  The ladies room line was amazingly manageable.  The stadium is doing sonethibg right there.  I had a hot dog for dinner.  That may come back to haunt me.

Will write morw tomorrow.  Diwnloading wee video to YouTube then off to bed

Day 3 continued

From the Abbey I walked around some.  Took a picture of some statues and made my way back to the hotel.
I stopped at the Churchill War Rooms along the way.  It was interesting to see the confined underground spaces they stayed in during the war.  How they ruled from below ground.  It reminded me of the bombing stories my landlady in Bermuda had told me of.  There was a museum dedicated to the life of Churchill as well.  He lived to 1965 the age of 90.  I could imagine my dsd spending a good amount of time there.  For me I spent just enough.
From there I walked past St. James Park and down the Mall towards Buckingham Palace.  I think the approach and the statue are fsr more commanding of attention than the palace itself.  Most likely touring the palace on Tuesday AM
Lunch at Serpentine Bar and Kitchen was delicious.  My big meal of the day.
The nap was good too.  I don't normally schedule naps into my holiday but thought today might warrant such behavior.
Now I am off to Wembley.

Day 3 Lunch time

Wow.. so glad I opted to get on out early.  The crowds grew quickly at Westminster Abbey.  An informal line started.  The a semi formal line took over.  And finally all directions were given barricades were put in place and the waiting began.  It wasn't too long of a wait.  I am glad I went when I did. 
Jeremy Irons is the tour guide on the auduo guide but I am pretty sure the female voice was Dame Judy Dench.  It had a brighter and lighter feel to it once inside than the abbeys in Dublin.  Too think to be a young girl and to be married there.  I am more and more impressed with her composure.
And the people and royalty laid to rest there.  As most know cemeteries are not my thing.  So to casually happen upon the tombs of Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots...  I lit a candle and said a prayer for my dad.  And they do stop throughout the day for prayer.  When I was there it was a prayer for forgiveness.  I was shocked at those unfamiliar with the language or rude enough to not observe the moment of silence.
Oh lunch is here - lamb, chips, rocket, white wine and a chocolate cookie.

Day 3

And the crowds gather outside Westminster Abbey.   It opens in 25 minutes or so.
I successfully mastered the tube.  Even better I learned a more direct route to get to Wembley this evening. Yay me!  Only one stop and I can get there on the www exact same lines that brought me to Westminster this morning.
I will be walking back to the hotel from here.  Having lunch at Serpentine and taking a nap.