Yes, It does Rain in London!

Hello! 

Up this morning about 6:30 am after a really lovely night’s sleep.  I’m still far from 100% but am definitely moving in that direction.  Unfortunately this afternoon, I went out without the inhaler and had a bit of an episode but will now be carrying it with me, that’s for sure! 

Wallace Collection

Front room

Out about 9:30 am to get to the Wallace Collection, which really isn’t that far away from here.  As the most direct route was the tube, down we went into the bowels of London.  Just a few stops on the Central Line, and then up into the light.  It was a few blocks away from the station, but we got there just a minute or so after their 10 am opening time. 

Personal sundial!  Try that in your pocket!

This is actually wax about 6" high!

One of the armor rooms

Just a little something...

Hard to believe, with as many times as we have visited London (including renting flats for extended visits) we’d never been there before!  It was really quite something – beautiful house (turned into museum) and a collection that was really incredible! 

As it turns out, various family members had collected various things over the years – the collection of armor and armaments is incredible.  There is even a collection of Asian armor and armaments, which was very unusual and interesting. 

Upstairs landing

SO much to see!

 

Great Gallery upstairs with sky lights

I love the green!

The paintings were from many of the most prominent painters in the world – Fragonard, Velasquez, Rembrandt, Turner – the only one I couldn’t find was Lawrence Alma-Tatama, who happens to be one of my personal favorites. 

The house was decorated closely to the way it had been done originally – my favorite was a stunning green room, that literally glowed!  There were bronzes, and sculpture, and lots of clocks – most of which were actually running on time!  (They obviously have a good clock man somewhere on staff!)  There was Sevres porcelain, beautiful inlaid furniture and illuminated manuscripts.  Something wherever you looked!  There was also a great deal of information available in individual folders, usually in each room, to talk about the paintings, furniture, etc.  Seriously, this is quite an amazing place to visit.  They even had an amazing collection of wax portraits and scenarios – no idea how some of the detail was done, it is so tiny, and they were something that we’ve never seen anywhere before. 

Decided after the basement and ground floor levels, that we needed some sustenance before we tackled the first floor (our 2^nd). 

From atop a double-decker bus!

Lots and lots of people ... and it's winter!

They have a really lovely restaurant in the covered courtyard, and while we weren’t ready for lunch yet (as we ate about 8:30 am at the hotel fabulous breakfast!), we were feeling a bit peckish.  Robert ordered a pot of Earl Gray tea and a croissant with jam, and I had pink lemonade (which was red, and I’d love to know what was in it, because it certainly wasn’t like any lemonade I’ve had before!) and a piece of delicious carrot cake.  Yummy!

Then up to the first floor.  However, by this time, I was getting more than a little “flat art” out – I really do prefer sculpture to flat art against the wall, and while there was plenty of that on offer, the upstairs rooms basically served as gigantic galleries to the Wallace’s incredible paintings.  We actually covered those fairly quickly, but have promised ourselves that we will definitely be back to spend more time upstairs. 

Finally outside, and heading to Stanford’s travel book store (this is where Sherlock Holmes went when he needed a good map of the area around Baskerville Hall).  It is always a dangerous place for us to visit.  One time we bought four globes … shipped them home, of course, but what were we thinking?!  Stanford’s is in Long Acre, in Covent Garden.  We caught a bus heading in that direction, and got off at Piccadilly Circus and walked from there.  Had a good look around, and purchased an new U.K. atlas, as well as the Land Ranger series of maps that include both Stonehenge and Avebury. 

Hundreds of lanterns - Chinese New Year?

Cute guy at pub!

(Landranger maps, seriously, have pubs and call boxes marked on them, and R maintains that the cows in the fields are on there too!)  Also got a few books on Malta and maps for there as well as Corsica, as that is on next year’s travel agenda.  I know that we offloaded 15+ lbs. of books and stuff yesterday in the mail, but we have added back a bit of that weight … we just need to stay out of Stanford’s, that’s all!

Leaving the shop, it was starting to rain – surprise! – and for one of the first and only times on record, we actually had our umbrellas with us.  How about that for planning ahead!  We had planned on finding a bus back to the hotel at that point, but ended up at Leicester Square’s tube station.  Northern Line one stop to Tottenham Court Road, and then the Central Line west back to our hotel.  Very easy, although not as picturesque. 

A taste of wine for me! (R got the rest...)

Busy pub!

Excellent soup!

My chicken-leek-ham pie!

R's steak on enormous pile of chips!

Sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream

R's berry crumble!

(Although how picturesque things are in the rain is debatable!)  

Back to the hotel around 3 pm, and very ready for a sit-down for a while.  Robert is making me chose a place for dinner tonight, so I’m really debating.  Again, as we didn’t really have a lunch to speak of (unless a croissant and piece of cake counts) we will probably go out early.  May look in this neighborhood, and ask the concierge for a suggestion or two.  (He was fabulous in pointing out Mailbox for yesterday!)  Do hope that the rain does stop, and that we have a clear day for tomorrow.  We’re going to the British Museum for a brief visit, and then I’m not sure what we’ll do.  I had thought of the Imperial War Museum (which I just typed as “Warm”) but the on-line description doesn’t sound like it would be a good fit for us.  We have been to the Churchill War Rooms multiple times, as well as the City of London Museum which has an excellent exhibition of WWI and WWII artifacts and memorabilia. 

So … that’s it for the moment!  More later!

m

xxx

Hi!

Back from a wonderful pub dinner!  I looked on-line (seriously, where would we be without it?) and found a listing of area restaurants.  The top pub on the list, the Prince Edward turns out to be very close to the hotel!  So, we wandered over there (rain stopped, and the sky is clearing!) about 5:30 pm and were the only folks seated in their little, and very nice dining area. 

Robert ordered their peas and ham soup for a starter.  It was fabulous!  I might have ordered it too if I could have understood what the waitress was saying!  However … moving along … For mains, R ordered their sirloin steak with chips, and I ordered their “Pie of the Day”: chicken, leek and ham.  R’s steak arrived perfectly cooked (rare) on top of an enormous pile of chips (French fries).  He had to ask for another plate on which to cut his steak, otherwise chips would have been all over the floor.  His plate also included a huge mushroom and a baked tomato, both of which he declared excellent.  My pie was great, and came with a mound of mashed potatoes, as well as carrots (alas, overcooked) and broccoli.  We were both pretty full by then, but their desserts looked so good!  I had sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream, and R had their berry crumble.  Both were great, and we had to waddle back to the hotel for the night!

That’s all for now!  Lots of love,

m

xxx