London take 2

Back in town, with theatre tickets aplenty to see me through the week before we go to France.  First event is at The Globe, the Shakespeare theatre on the banks of the Thames..seeing Twelfth Night. This is a rowdier production than one may be used to with plenty of song and dance and I enjoy it thoroughly from perfect seats behind the pit of hoi polloi audience standing between us and the stage. Fortunately it does not rain as they would certainly get wet if that occurred.
I spend my last few days wandering or cycling around the place and my evenings in town. I saw a second Moliere play, though a modern adaption,  Don Juan in Soho with David Tennant wonderful in the title role. He is more than ably supported by Adrian Scarborough as his factotum Stan. I am so glad I went.
The same applies to the other shows, Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour and The Barbershop Chronicles. The first has already been to Melbourne and how did I not see it there? Perhaps I was not there. It is a musical about a group of teenage Scottish girls on a school outing to participate in a choir competition. That is how they get to Edinburgh but they have very different personal plans. As the night and the following day evolve so do the girls revealing themselves to the audience with raucous behaviour and deeper personal layers masked by it. I hope it comes back to Oz.
Finally the National Theatre production, The Barbershop Chronicles, performed in the round in the smallest theatre in the complex. I once more have a wonderful seat, first row of the circle with a full view of the stage floor below on which several barbers' chairs are set of and lots of chairs and couches surrounding the performance space.  The action moves between shops in London, Johannesburg, Harare, Kampala, Lagos and Accra. There is a connection between all, and the play looks at masculinity, relationships between men, between fathers and sons and atbthe political scenes in the various countries. The ensemble cast is top notch and i go home happy that I have seen all the plays I wanted to and not ended up with a dud anywhere.
I have spent almost my last full day in London with Terry, whom I have not seen for a few years. It is another good day, we meet at Waterloo and after coffee head for the John Soanes Museum which houses the architect's enormous collection of art, furniture and architectural pieces. Spread across three houses which he has built or modified to ensure light enters all the spaces are amazing buts from plaster samples of ancient architectural effects, through a collection of paintings which includes Hogarth's series The Rake's Progress to an alabaster sarcophagus which was wrapped in mattresses during WWII to protect it as it could not be moved. Then lunch in the park nearby, another small museum and talking over a cup of tea until I realise I have to rush off to make the theatre. A good ending.

Monday, museum day

I had not yet been to St Pancras station so did a recce, picked up all the tickets for the next week and was glad to have done so. It is wonderfully spacious and interesting and even though I had now seen it I determined to get there in plenty of time for my train the next day. 
I planned to look at a few smaller museums, and it is a good thing I am coming back to London in a week as all three are closed on Monday. Fortunately there is plenty else to do, so I head off to the British Library close by to read the Magna Carta and then to he British Museum following cycleway signs and just having a good time looking round as I go.  There is always something to see. Hours later I leave the Museum, having seen as much as I could, especially in the Egyptian section with the mummies, sarcophagi, etc. It was a marvel to me as there were so many and so much else to see,  including the Rosetta Stone.  These after things we learnt about in school,  but there's not a lot of diverse antiquity from other countries in Australia. .everyone else got there first perhaps.
Later I rode back towards the station to travel along the canal towpath for a while.  This was a little dodgy in parts as the path narrowed under bridges and it was not always easy to see what our who was coming towards you.  Of course riding there at peak hour as people headed home was not the best idea but delaying my ride with a pint in a canalside bar improved everything.
Home to pack,  ready for the rural excursion catching up with friends.

Seeing the sights

The weather over the last few days has not been conducive to riding everywhere sadly. I spent a day walking around, which is no hardship in London, I love doing just that.  I spent a day on the bike seeing out on a sunny morning only to return in the afternoon in the rain, taking notes that I should not leave how without a raincoat.  Walking again the next day and it didn't rain until I was in sight of home.  It's like being in Melbourne and the temperatures are about the same.  A better weekend is forecast.
I got to the Tate Modern (gallery) quite late in the day as in my meanderings I came across an extensive photographic exhibition in a wonderful dockside building that had not been tarted up and the exhibition was spread through multiple rooms on several floors.  I will have to go back to the Tate to see more there.
On my cycling day I managed to navigate my way through some hideous traffic diversions around Parliament Square but for the most part was on bicycle paths or signed roads. Cycling in London was a bit hairier than cycling through Melbourne and that was due only in part to being on unfamiliar roads. It was quite a relief to get to my destination at Kensington Palace via Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.  The white garden I had come to see was in the throes of replanting but still worth a quick look. Afternoon tea served with chipped china less so. The staff seemed totally uninterested when I quietly pointed it out.  Black mark. And that is when the rain started - staying until I got home.
A quick change of clothes and off to a book launch with Anna and Ian at the Freemasons Hall. Wow, what a building. We went in via the main entrance to get directions to the launch, greeted by the sight of many men exiting the building, all I think in a black suit from the same tailor. The launch itself was held in the foyer entrance to the Temple which we were allowed to see.  So much for a secret society.
One of the delights of walking is coming across something unexpected and changing one's plans on the run. That is how I came to spend an hour or so in the Bank of England Museum. I had not found that on my internet searches. The public are not allowed, you will be surprised to hear, into the enormous gold vaults. Indeed the public are not really allowed into the bank, save for a small counter where old banknotes taken out of circulation can be exchanged for new ones at face value.
Lunch from a van at the Old Spitalfields Market, delicious duck wrap,  then onto the Geffrye Museum which describes itself as a Museum of The Home.  Sadly the gin event that evening is sold out but the room displays are interesting and the upholstery exhibition also of interest. Several artists have contributed pieces, some a little more straightforward than others. There is a burnt armchair suspended from the ceiling in front of a video of said chair on fire so that may give you an idea of the scope of the exhibition. 

A flying start

To have an empty seat next to one on a flight is a bonus, to have the same thing on both legs of the trip is a huge bonus.  I flew Emirates via Dubai to London and was comfortable all the way - slept a fair bit on the first, dozed some on the second. Arrived mid-evening, never saw customs as I had nothing to declare except that I'm thrilled to be here again and headed for the train.  Disappointed in the cab from Victoria, well with the driver who seemed to take too long with the meter running to find the address, but it was a short run and now I'm happily ensconced in Anna's flat.

Having packed a while ago I  should have resisted the temptation to put all the chargers and other Electronica in a different bag.  I left it behind on the spare bed.  I realised before I got off the ground so replaced the vital ones in Dubai and life goes on.

Next interesting discovery was that I had some time ago given Anna the wrong date for my arrival (typing error) and neither of us had ever referred to the date again.  So it was a surprise to her to get my call a day early, but not an insurmountable problem as she and Ian, and their dinner guests, welcomed me warmly.  There was just one slice of delicious rhubarb tart left ... but not for long.

Then bed called,  and I slept very soundly undisturbed by the trains through the night.  Fran,  they pass at the same level as my windows just across the road on an elevated section.  The jets going overhead make more noise but there are not many of them.

A grey morning which will not deter me, I'm off

If the bike fits ....

England's green and pleasant land

A good m I rning to put the bike together again

LONDON CALLING

London has lived up to all expectations - overcrowded, not quite warm as the continent, and great.  First day rushed out the door to Trafalgar Square and wore out some shoe leather just seeing whatever we could fit in before dark? Headed back to the hotel and grabbed quick late meal round the corner.

Leaving Rob to do his washing I walk out, not entirely sure of where I am going,  but I have a sort of plan to go to the Victoria and Albert Museum.

 I am easily distracted by the Kensington Gardens and so get there eventually.  It's great, and I am particularly taken with the use of the fountain  in the inner  courtyard by workers and children. Wonderful - and it's free.

Royal Albert Hall, meet up with Rob, dinner and then the highlight of the day.... The Book of Mormon at the Prince of Wales Theatre. It is every bit as good as we thought it might be.  We didn't recognize any names or faces in the cast but it didn't matter,  they were very very good. The book is good, the songs are good and the audience loved it. Will have to wait 2 years for it to come to Oz, but if you are anywhere it is on in the meantime, go immediately.

Over the next couple of days we catch up with friends from Melbourne who are living here. Coffee with Lindy,  Tower Bridge and of London, and dinner with Lauren. I saw the Crown Jewels with the exception of a few makes and the Queen's crown as all were in use at the opening of Parliament that day. The other highlight was getting back on my own bike.  I had posted it to Lauren and get father, James, has done an excellent job of putting it back together. He rode with me to the Staton while Lauren and Rose drove Rob. Wheee. ......

Sights seen include,  but are not limited to 
Tower of London,  V&A twice,  Greenwich (fantastic), markets aplenty, parks and gardens in bulk,  Thames Riverwalk,  Art galleries, handmade paper exhibition at the Japanese Embassy (just happened to be passing), Harrods food hall and more, Fortnum and Mason, pubs, etc etc etc

Loved it, would like to stay longer and take more time to just walk around but time to move on.  

LEAVING DUBROVNIK

Relaxed breakfast, one last look around the room and we are off to the airport driving through a thunderstorm. Very encouraging I must say.

That passes, we get through everything and queue one last time at the head of the air bridge. No plane at the other end but we can see our luggage on a trolley on the tarmac, fortunately the rain seems to have stopped.. At last..a bus! We cross the tarmac get on the plane and fly off into the clouds.

The last few weeks have been quite a journey. The first couple of weeks seem quite frivolous when I look back on the second part of the tour.  I've probably already said that travelling through recent war zones can be very hard emotionally.  Travelling with, and meeting people who have lived through the wars in the countries involved gives one various perspectives on the history.  I don't claim to have become an expert overnight, the history is too complex for that. You would have to do some serious study before coming to grips with the scope and scale of the multiple conflicts.

We carry that experience with us to London where we land in mild cloudy weather and take our time getting sorted at the airport, coffee? Tick. Oyster card to get round on public transport? Tick. Found the train? Tick...  London here we come.

It is with great pleasure that we find our hotel is just a block away from Paddington station. Very handy.  It is with less delight that we find the size of our double room is akin to a cabin on the Southern Aurora (train with very small overnight cabins).  Ah well, we didn't book the most expensive room in London and Airbnb was going to cost more too.  [Suffice to say that we were able to move on our request the next morning into a twin room. It is still small but no more climbing over each other to pass the foot of the bed]

Can't wait to start seeing things so we go to Piccadilly and walk from there, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, Pall Mall. Not quite all the Monopoly board, but a good start.