The Holiday continues…..London Part Two

Friends,

It’s been over a week since I last blogged about our adventures with our friends Leigh and Michelle who have been visiting.  We just arrived home Tuesday late and spent yesterday recovering and doing laundry.

A quick note before I start my tales of adventure……during this past week,  my home state of South Carolina has experienced devastating flooding.  They have called it a “1,000 year flood”.  We have watched from afar while friends and acquaintances have struggled with significant loss.  I ask all who read this blog to send prayers and well wishes for those impacted by this horrible disaster.  I am most proud to see how so many are pitching in to help neighbors and strangers, who rescued those who were stranded, who have volunteered to help clean and distribute emergency supplies, who have donated money to help those in need, and so much more.

So, now on to our adventures.  I’ve decided to split this into two blog entries, as there are lots of activities and even more pictures.  So this one will finish up our holiday adventures in London with Leigh and Michelle, while the next one will cover our trip to Ireland.  When I last blogged, we had spent Sunday with Tim in Brighton Beach.  On Monday we decided to go see the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew.  We first stopped to have lunch when we got off the tube station.  We happened upon a really fabulous spot – The Glasshouse.  Wow, what a find!  It has a Michelin star, which of course we didn’t know when we walked in.  Have to say we got a bit of a snobby welcome when we got there (maybe because Leigh didn’t have a jacket on?), but once seated, the staff was fabulous.  And the food – incredible.  Check out the menu.  My friends know I do not care for mushrooms.  But I had the Ceps with pearl barley risotto and it was incredible.  Leigh & Michelle both had the white onion soup.  Presentation was gorgeous.  Leigh and I then had the lamb and Michelle had the monkfish.  Here is a picture of my lunch (picture doesn’t do it nearly justice enough!)

After lunch we headed to the gardens.  Even in the fall, it was beautiful.  Kew Gardens is  UNESCO World Heritage Site that covers 325 acres.  There was no way we could see it all in one afternoon.  We did the northeastern part of the park, stopping first at the Palm House, but it was way too hot inside to stay for long.  Walked through the Woodland Garden, to the Rock Garden, to the Princess of Wales Conservatory, over to the Thames to see a few boaters, then back across the park to the Treetop Walkway.  There were gorgeous “Heritage Trees” that have been in the park for hundreds of years (wish I had gotten a picture or two of them).  After leaving the walkway, we wandered back by way of the Temperate House and saw the most amazing birds (I thought of my friends Nancy Barton and Connie Ginsburg who love bird watching – you both would have whipped out your binoculars immediately!).  They were a beautiful lime green color, with long green tails like a swallow.  Tried very hard to get pictures of them, but they were too fast and were very well camouflaged in the trees.  A man walking by with his young son told us that they were some kind of parakeet; the story is that a large container of them broke open at Heathrow and they all escaped and have taken up residence at the gardens.  They in fact have become pests, eating insects and fruit that the native birds normally would eat.

Beautiful Flowers, even in the Fall

Swans in front of the Plants and People Exhibition.

Rock Garden

Checkout the view from up top

Leigh & Michelle enjoying the view

Treetop Walkway

After the gardens, we stopped at Tap on the Line for a wine break before heading back into town.  Lovely bartender who chatted with us for awhile, and then we sat outside.  Headed back to meet Tim for dinner at Eelbrook.  Again, a superb meal.  Great setting right on the park behind our house.  I had rabbit for the first time.  It was our best “eating” day for the whole vacation!

Leigh & Michelle enjoying our wine break

On to Tuesday, which was museum day.    We stopped for a quick lunch on Museum Street before heading into the British Museum.  Well, actually Leigh & Michelle went into the museum; I’ve already been there, so I took my Ipad and read while enjoying the sunshine outside.  We left there and headed over to Trafalgar Square and then to the National Gallery.  I went in, hoping that the impressionist rooms that were closed the last time I went might be open.  But no luck.  Apparently they are having a tough time finding enough staff/volunteers to work each room, so it’s a potluck whether you get in to see the rooms or not.  Not my lucky day.  I did see a few new works of art though, so not a complete loss (see below).  I left them to explore a bit and went outside to read a bit more.  Once they were done, we left the museum and walked down to the Sherlock Holmes pub for a wine break.  It’s a great place to stop while exploring the city.  It got very chilly, so we decided to walk over to Gordon’s Wine Bar again, as Leigh & Michelle (as well as Tim & I) really really like that place.  We lucked out and ran into Gerard, the manager, again.  He is such a warm and friendly person who really makes you feel welcome.  We had a very nice cheese plate – you go to an area inside that is kind of like a salad bar set up.  You pick either 3 or 4 cheese (there are a lot to choose from!), and get a loaf of French bread and you choice of about 10-12 different side accoutrements. Really a nice deal.   The whole inside of the place is like a great big wine cave, with lots of nooks and crannies.  Fascinating place to visit, although a bit warm inside.  The have the entire alleyway behind with tables and chairs set up along the Embankment Park.  We had two wonderful bottles of wine there and then headed to the Coal Hole for an Irish coffee and hopes that we might run into Tim.  No luck.  So we headed back.  Some how Tim beat us back to the flat and met us at Tommy Tuckers for a quick bite to eat before calling it a night.

Michelle & Leigh in Trafalgar Square in front of the National Gallery

Waiting outside the museum

van Gogh – A Wheatfield, with Cypresses

Renoir – Vase of Flowers

Gallen-Kallela – Lake Keitele. Love how the light reflects off the water!

With Gerard at Gordon’s Wine Bar

Wednesday was Leigh & Michelle’s last day in London.  We decided to take a boat tour up to Greenwich.  Our first stop was lunch (seems to be a pattern!).  It was Wednesday, so we of course had to keep our tradition of eating Italian for lunch.  We ate at La Piazza, a lovely small place run by Italians, good pasta.  But we were missing our friends Monica, George and Sara from Il Giorgioni’s in Columbia.  After lunch, we boarded the boat at the Embankment Pier.  Took the Circular Cruise that gives you a guided tour up to the Tower Bridge.  From there we changed boats and went on up to Greenwich.  We walked by the Cutty Sark, walked through the town, and stopped at The Greenwich Tavern for an Irish Coffee (it was pretty chilly on the boat ride!)  Leigh & Michelle headed up the hill to the observatory (I’d already done it) so I waited at the Tavern with a glass of wine.  They got back a little before 5 and we headed back for the last ferry back into town.  Headed straight home, as we had packing to do before our trip to Ireland the next day.  Ended up eating at Thai Square in Fulham again as it was close and easy and quick.  And of course, delicious!

Missing our Il Giorgioni friends in Columbia

Cruising the Thames

Tim’s building (where he works). Has the largest clock face in town

Not sure what boat this was, but it reminded me of a pirate ship.

Another great shot of Tower Bridge

Another pirate ship – this one sailed out in front of us.

The Cutty Sark (kind of looks like another pirate ship, doesn’t it!)

And that ended our week of fun in London.  We spent the evening Wednesday packing and unwinding.  It was a busy week.  Next chapter, Ireland.  Until then,

Cheers Mates!