London. After years of Geordie saying he'd like to live in one city or another, the opportunity arose. Right now, as we sit in a lovely apartment in Hampstead, the owner of the apartment is enjoying ours back in Vancouver. What a great way to experience a city - three weeks to explore, shop locally, eat and drink in some interesting pubs, and discover the pleasure of a home away from home.
Here's Geordie, waiting for the tube to arrive at our nearest Underground station, Finchley Road. It's a 10 minute walk, but once here, all London is accessible to us.
Like Coventry Garden. Once a teeming market, but now a refurbished hall with lots of small shops purveying their wares.
Along The Strand, we walked past this entrance to the theatre where Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is showing. We don't plan to see it, but how exciting to know there are so many wonderful plays and musicals available.
Our first major Undeground hub, where we have a choice of trains to take us in various directions is Baker Street. The tiles in the station picture someone who has made the area famous.
We made a visit to the Sir John Soane's House, a museum of his odd collection. No pictures were allowed inside the museum, but surely the bathroom wasn't included in that restriction? A pull chain for the toilet - designed by none other than Thomas Crapper.
I spent a couple of hours in the National Portrait Gallery. Like many public galleries and museums, entry is free, and in this case there were few restrictions on photography. The collection encompasses a huge range of portraits of the famous and infamous of Englsh history. Queen Elizabeth I is here in her splendid robes.
Along with her father, King Henry VIII in a youthful pose.
Jane Austen is represented with this quite small portrait.
And the Bronte sisters are here too. This was painted by their brother. The ghostly image between the two central women may be their brother himself. Close examination has shown that a figure was painted in, then removed. The fold lines were left in instead of being restored, the more to show the unusual provenance of the painting, which was found folded in four in a shed on someone's property.
The Brontes were an unusual family, educated early by their father. As children they were already creating books. This tiny book, written and illustrated (I think by Charlotte), is also hand bound. It's little more than two inches long.
I've included this photo because of its connection with my home province of Newfoundland. This is Captain John Alcock, who, along with Lieutenant Arthur Brown, made the first non-stop aerial crossing of the Atlantic, departing from Lester's Field in St. John's, June 14, 1919, arriving the next day, June 15, in Ireland.
And there are not only paintings. Here, a sculpture of one of my literary heroes, Virginia Woolf.
Of course the collection must show some of Britain's present royalty - the then Princess Elizabeth seated with her mother, accompanied by her sister Margaret and her father, King George VI. I think this was panted during war time, no doubt to give the populace some much needed strength.
And contemporary Britons are here too. This is a very large portrait entitled, Mike's Brother. The artist was a friend of Mike's and obviously had close access to his somewhat more famous sibling.
St. Martins-in-the-Field, home of some gorgeous music. We got to hear a wonderful candlelit performance of Bach, Vivaldi and Teleman here a couple of evenings ago.
In one of the passageways under Trafalgar Square, the tiles have been decorated with some intriguing drawings. Note the umbrellas.
We ate Sunday roast here, somewhat incongruously in an Italian restaurant called Artigiano.
And displayed on one shelf is an honest-to-god Oscar. It's the Oscar for Best Cinematography won by Peter Biziou for Mississippi Burning in 1988. Why is it here? I didn't ask. I should.
Within the tight confines of some narrow streets one can find surprises, like the historic Ship Tavern.
I had to go to Bloomsbury - the Bloomsbury group of literature lived in the neighbourhood. This is Gordon Square, #46. The blue plaque identifies it as having been the residence of John Maynard Keynes, the economist, but more interesting to me is that Virginia Woolf lived here too. Her plaque may be in the house she moved to nearby, but I wanted to see this one. Just a couple of doors down was the residence of Lytton Strachey, a contemporary of hers whose work I have also read.
And not too far away - this bookshop.
Waiting to cross The Strand this lovely coach went by. A Royal out for a spin?
The lions of Trafalgar Square are beautiful. They were the work of Sir Edwin Landseer, who also lent his name to the Landseer Newfoundland dog.
And here's Nelson's column standing high above the square.
Back at my local - the bar XO, where we are now of nodding acquaintance with several of its denizens, this lovely bouquet of flowers at the end of the bar. This is quite a posh neighbourhood. One of the people we met is a friend of the architect who designed the beautiful non-stained glass window behind the altar of St. Martins-in-the-field.
And just to keep to the flower theme for a moment. At the Courtauld Gallery, this painting hangs on the wall. I highlight it because it's by none other than Pablo Picasso!
And this is the beautiful stairwell within the Courtauld.
We walked by this small church and stepped inside, to discover that it's most famous patron is Queen Elizabeth II.
A stained glass window with, I think, some of her ancestors.
Along the Thames are lots of tour boats, but what dominates the scene is the giant London Eye. We must find a day to visit.
These benches line the walk along the Thames. What was interesting for us is that benches with the exact same design can be seen on a plaza just above the Seawall in front of our apartment in Vancouver. A little nostalgic.
On this busy day we also squeezed in a visit to the Horse Guards, just as they were doing the Changing of the Guard. Such magnificent horses.
And men in fancy dress.
Apparently excess height is not a major requirement.
And here, among the horse tack, an aspiring guard. Do you think he'll get the job?
And look - a selfie - the two of us with Big Ben. See, we told you we were in London.
The last image of this rather long catch-up blog post. Queen Boudicca, another of my childhood heroes, for her valiant, if failed, attempt to drive the Romans out of England.
Now that my blog is functional again, I'll try my best to catch up. More later. For now, my typing finger needs rest.
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