London Day 2

 

Thursday

4/18

1030am Kusama at Tate Modern, (in apple wallet) Borough Market (10am-5pm), Southwark Cathedral (8am-5pm), cross London Bridge, Monument to the Great Fire of London (daily 930-1300; 1400-1800), hit some pubs   -We slept pretty well at Palmer St. Bed still not as comfortable as Emma’s. I wish I could buy her mattress! -I bought advance tickets for the Kumana Infinity Rooms exhibition at the Tate Modern. Our time was 1030am. About 30 minutes to get there by Tube. -We’d been to Tate Modern once before and didn’t love it particularly. This time, we were impressed by the building itself and how many stories of exhibitions it houses. We only saw the Kusama, though, which was very impressive and interesting. -There are only 2 infinity rooms--one small one with a chandelier and the bigger one with lights that change colors. Very  cool. We went into that one twice. Her story was also told in pictures and text. Glad we got to see this as it ends soon. Bought a few things in the souvenir shop. -Husband routed us over to Borough Market and it was teeming with people. Seemed both locals and tourists. Lots of stalls open with gorgeous fruits and veg, cheeses, breads, anything you might want. Also lots of takeaway food stalls. I got a quick coffee (love being able to tap the card for payment!) then we settled on lunch. I got mac and cheese and husband got a pork sandwich. We found a secluded spot to eat. It was very good. -After walking around a bit more, we grabbed drinks at a nearby pub. Then ice cream at Alain Ducasse (got stuck behind annoying, narcissistic Nick). The ice cream was OK; the chocolates are much better. -We headed over to Southwark cathedral only to be disappointed as it was closed for a private function. It would reopen for tourists the next afternoon but we wouldn’t be able to return. -We walked across the London Bridge—a boring, normal bridge that some rich dude in AZ bought and installed in Lake Havasu thinking it was Tower Bridge (lol)--to the Monument to the Great Fire. It’s really tall. We decided against climbing the 310 stairs to the top since the foot (plantar fasciitis) and knee were making themselves known. -Pulled up the blue guide and it listed several Wren Churches and sights in the area like St. Magnus the Martyr Church, Leadenhall Market (had drinks, bought some Fred), St. Margaret Pattens Church (Jane mentioned pattens in Persuasion), St. Dunstan’s in the East church ruins (so peaceful!). -I routed us to the Garden at 120 Fenchurch for gorgeous views from the 15th floor. London is really big and the skyscrapers are generally pretty ugly. We went back to Leadenhall market for drinks and it was teeming with after work crowds. -On the way to the Tube, we ran across St. Michael Cornhill (1672), closed, which purports to stand on one of the oldest Christian sites in Britain, dating back to the roman occupation. -All of these churches are by Wren from 1667-or so, after the great fire in 1666. -We walked through the Royal Exchange Mall with a quick top at the Fortnum and Mason store. They have really nice staff! -We had reservations at the Ship Tavern in Holborn for dinner at 630pm (made it by calling them at 3pm from the street outside St. Margaret Pattens). -We arrived on time and it was kind of empty but filled up while we were there. Very pretty, historic dining room. Nice staff (Josephine who had been a runner downstairs last year was now serving). Delicious food—chicken pot pie for me, beef wellington for husband, and sticky toffee pudding for dessert.

London

London Day 1

 

Wednesday

4/17

Church in Burford Drive to LHR, return car, check into apartment at St James’s Place Lunch: Dammika’s Peninsula (12-10pm) Or Pre-theatre dinner at The Ship Tavern (?5pm)  730pm Royal Opera House: Swan Lake! (printed)   -We had breakfast at the Fox at Barrington, loaded up the car and checked out. It was a nice place to stay for a couple of nights. The bed wasn’t as comfortable as Emma’s, the room was a little small, but the bathroom was big and pretty. And the Cotswolds is just beautiful. -We drove to Burford to visit the very historic St. John the Baptist church. It’s a significant old church with loads of history but all that is marred by the overwhelming disorganization and clutter. Too bad. It was our least favorite of the churches we visited. -Next we drove to LHR to return the car. Always “fun”! We got gas (and a pee break at the place next to the gas station which inexplicably did not have toilets) about 53 miles out of town—which thankfully held up to get us there with a full tank. Don’t know how this drive could be done without GPS! -Took the Piccadilly line to  Hammersmith changed to the Circle and got off at St. James’s Place. About 30 steps up to the street (not bad). Husband got our keys and we were back in the apartment on Petty France/Palmer St. Really lovely apartment. And quieter this time because we could leave some windows closed at night. We were there 4 nights. The owner left us some $ cash for the discount he promised me when I booked and lots of snacks. Very nice. -We had tickets for the Royal Opera House at 730pm so it was time for lunch at Dammika’s Peninsula. Easy walk through pretty streets. Priya was the server and she didn’t speak the best English but was efficient. The food was fantastic! As usual. Probably didn’t need the Sri Lankan curry and Chicken Biryani but there’s no way I’m doing without Chicken Biryani. We also got 2 egg hoppers and a chili panner. All delicious. -We stopped at the Albert Pub for a drink then went to the apartment to dress for the ballet. -Swan Lake at the Royal Opera House was fantastic. Beautiful setting, amazing dancers, expressive music, striking sets and costumes, comfortable seats (except for big headed stinky guy in front of me). Loved everything about it. Oh, they didn’t ask for tickets at any point, weird. -We stopped at a pub nearby for a nightcap after the performance. We left as it closed at 11pm.

London

One day in the Cotswolds

 

Tuesday

4/16

The Cotswolds: Elkstone, Sudeley Castle and grounds, Tewkesbury Abbey, Chipping Campden. -We only had one day to explore the Cotswolds. After a good breakfast, we started our day at Elkstone for St. John the Evangelist church. It’s also Norman and we were able to follow the guide and see all of its special features. Very pretty. -We drove to Sudeley Castle on back roads that were picturesque but tiny. Once we got there, husband didn’t like the looks of the place and since it was pricy, we bailed. -Tewkesbury Abbey was next. It was gorgeous! The guide and the signage in the church were very helpful. Amazing history there. We walked around the big-ish town for a little bit (stopped in that inn Charles Dickens wrote about) and should’ve had the haircut (lol, 12/9 GBP). -Next a longer drive through typically tiny roads chosen by the GPS to Chipping Campden. The drive was scenic and the town was just absolutely charming. Our first stop was at the Bantam Tea Room for cream tea (plus rose champagne for me). The scones were a little hard but tasty with jam and clotted cream. -Afterwards, we just walked around, admiring everything. We stopped in and visited St. James Church. It had medieval altar hangings (15C) and ?cassock? under blue wraps. Most people missed them, like we did on our first visit, lol. Very pretty church. -A slow wander back to the car via the Ernest Wilson Garden (pictures look 3D) and a chat with a 90 year old resident (he liked that we were holding hands and that my hair matched my shirt and scarf). He and his wife moved there after years in London and the North. He said he doesn’t have any trouble with the kids wanting to visit since Chipping Campden is so nice. -Back to the Fox at Barrington for the night. Bar for drinks and a nice dinner.

Fox at Barrington

Bosham and Winchester

 

Monday

4/15

Holy Trinity Church in Bosham; Winchester Cathedral  -Got up and out pretty well. 1015 we were on our way. We stopped at Holy Trinity Church in Bosham. It’s right on the waterfront, idyllic setting. The guide I printed was super helpful for all the details we might have missed on this very old Norman church. Lots of history in Bosham. Harold and Bayeux Tapestry. -We walked through the sailing club and ended up at cute Shoreside café where we had coffee and pastries. This area of Bosham is affected by the tides so a lot of houses and business have barriers against water. So it’s not just our street, lol! -Back in the car, plugged in Winchester Cathedral into the phone and off we went. Pretty quick and relatively easy drive until we got into Winchester and couldn’t find legal parking anywhere close to the Cathedral. And no signs directing you to its parking lot. Frustrating. We ended up a place that was up the hill and far away, then at another closer one but couldn’t get the parking app to work. So went to find another and got parked all fine up on the 7th floor but still couldn’t get the app to work and they didn’t take cards, only coins, which we didn’t have. Husband asked a guy in the (clean) toilets and he and his girlfriend sweetly paid for 2 hours of our parking. -We walked the few blocks to the cathedral-very cute area. We got there just in time for a tour with Martin. He asked if anyone had been before and we said we had during the flower show (in 2015) so didn’t really see much. He said they didn’t offer tours during the flower show. -Martin did a great job. Very knowledgeable and a great sense of humor. He talked about Winchester’s “most famous resident,” Jane Austen, but disparaged the books as, “they don’t like each other then they get married.” I said, “not exactly.” He asked if anyone was JASNA (“I am”). He pointed out that only 4 people attended her funeral at like 4am and she may have been buried there because of her father’s clerical connection because she really wasn’t a Winchester resident. The grave on the floor doesn’t mention her books but the plaques on the wall do—later placed by her brother. JASNA provides funds for the flowers at the grace. Really great. -The other very moving anecdote was about retired diver William Walker who shored up the cathedral foundations by diving into murky water underneath and putting down concrete. He did this every day for 5 years (1906-1911). There’s a small bust in the back of the cathedral and another one outside. He died in 1918 of the Spanish Flu. -It was about a 45 minutes drive to The Fox at Barrington in the Cotswolds where we had reservations for 2 nights. Very pretty area. We got our room, settled in at the bar for drinks, and then had a nice dinner. Very peaceful.

Fox at Barrington

Goodwood Member's Meeting Day 2

 

Sunday

4/14

Member’s Meeting   -Earlier day, arrived at 1015. Almost harder to figure out the parking! And didn’t see the classic cars. Today was much colder and I underdressed so ended up buying a 10GBP scarf that saved my day. We got the wonderful Sussex Charmer cheese sandwiches and wandered into different grandstands to watch the races. It was a more serious day and it seemed the real race enthusiasts were out, as compared to the day before.  -Saw another motorcycle crash with the rider being ambulanced off. Loved the sidecar races. And Nicky Lauda’s car demo. Really cool. Stayed until the end or pretty close. And the paddocks were devoid of people but still had bunches of cars that we could get close to, which I liked a lot. -Drove to Bosham and had dinner at the Marwick Brasserie which was quite good, if quiet and formal. Then to Emma’s to crash.

Bosham

Goodwood Member's Meeting Day 1

 

Saturday

4/13

Member’s Meeting -We slept late, showered, had toast and coffee then drove to the member’s meeting. Got there around 1115. Walked through the classic cars parking which is always impressive. A lot calmer than the Revival. Found my favorite cheese sandwich, Sussex Charmer—really great, so tasty! Kinda cold but pretty weather.  -There were fire pits all around the grounds. We wandered a lot, super cool to be in the paddocks, and watched a few races. I had a good Indian rice dish in the Market tent, Phil got a burger somewhere I think. Saw the drum “second line” then had drinks in the Daffodil tent. Stayed late to see the fireworks. Very good time. -Home to sleep.

Bosham

Arrival, first day, Jane!

 

Friday

4/12

Arrive LHR 1110am; pick up rental; drive to Bosham Jane’s Museum (10am-5pm daily, except Monday), Chawton House (10a-430pm Wed-Sun) lunch and tour   -Budget rental guy tried the upsell. Gave us huge new SUV. When we checked it out and said no he gave us an old run down beater. Phil did ok with driving right off the bat (except he really likes to turn the wheel and let it go in traffic which is mildly terrifying). -First stop was at Chawton at the pub across from Jane’s House for unmemorable sandwiches and beers. -The roof is being repaired on the ticket office and stables so the entry is where the workshop was last time. It’s also the shop. The house was great. In the front room they had a sofa and a copy of P&P with explanation that Jane read it aloud to family and friends.  They found the original wallpaper for several rooms. Great visit. Gardens were gorgeous. -We drove down to Chawton House, parked and walked around the church and graveyard. The House was already closed. Very pretty area and town. -Next to Bosham. Emma’s place was very nice, easy to get in. We cleaned up and walked to the pub. Had drinks on the patio but it was cold so got a table inside for dinner. Nice people, pretty good food. Very comfortable bed. Nice little studio for 3 nights.

Bosham