Wednesday, Thursday and Friday

We've been doing what we promised ourselves - bumbling around London without exhausting ourselves. Wednesday we caught the bus to the green properties on the Monopoly board. Then we separated. Lyn went shopping in search of narrow-fit, flat-heeled, black, suede boots. Forgoing the fascination of this quest, I took the tube to the Imperial War Museum. We agreed to meet at Marble Arch at 1.30 (there was also a plan B and plan C).

The IWM was OK but our AWM in Canberra does it all better. Incredibly Lyn and I rendezvoused successfully and wandered home, still without boots.  After a nap we went to see 'The Play About a Bank Robbery'. This was pretty funny.

Thursday, we shopped and checked out the National Portrait Gallery, which Lyn liked because she, "likes looking at people". We navigated across town to the Museum of London which was excellent in every way. It was innovative,  interactive and ... interesting. It helps to be telling the story of a city which has some claim to be capital of planet Earth. We finished the day by going to see 'Mama Mia'. It was great fun. Lyn said, "Now that's a SHOW!" Not even a plot carefully constructed around ABBA's discography could find a place for 'Waterloo' - so it was the encore.

Which brings us to today.

We walked to Tavistock Square and caught a bus to Aldwych.

But the driver went past our stop so we walked back from Somerset House towards our stop and stumbled upon the controversial statue of 'Bomber' Harris. Harris had been studiously ignored until recently by those who give official recognition to wartime heroes. This is because the RAF's Bomber Command spent the latter half of WWII incinerating Germans - a task which seemed like a good idea at the time. 

With 'Bomber' Harris

The RAF church is a nice place and Lyn lit candles for all.

We got off the next bus at St Paul's Cathedral where I noticed the monument to the firefighters who'd given their lives during the Blitz, the same blitz which made incinerating Germans an acceptable idea. Then we crossed the Thames via the Millennium Bridge.

We realised this was a chance to look at the Tate Modern where Josh had worked. It definitely wasn't Lyn's thing but I did see a painting (2 below) by Mondrian which I swear I remember from the NSW School Certicate Art exam of 1971.

These bobbies have an awesome beat.

Lyn here is enthusing over modern art.

We walked along the Queen's Walk and spied HMS Belfast ahead. Before visiting we had a bite to eat and Lyn found a wonderful steampunk sculpture. On HMS Belfast, a WWII light cruiser, I clambered about while Lyn avoided confined spaces, (almost every space on a warship).

We wondered what this lady was scavenging on the Thames bank exposed by the low tide. (Yes, she is wearing a fur coat.)

Eventually we reached Tower Bridge where I did the tour. This was because I wanted to see the Thames from up top and look down through the glass floor. Lyn found shopping to do instead. 

We took a silly tourist photo of the Shard. Then we caught a boat back to Westminster and, as the weather began to close in, took more tourist photos, because that is what we are...

We thought of Taylor when we noticed this busker playing the contents of his kitchen. 

This horse guard was well-equipped to defend Whitehall against French lancers or cossacks, however, more modern threats would have faced a large number of policemen toting submachine guns. Security was very evident. We walked up to Trafalgar Square where Nelson continues to remind the world what Britain does to her enemies. 

We walked on past Leicester Square to Neal Street where Lyn again failed to find boots. Our route took us past the British Museum so Lyn asked to look at it briefly. It is not possible to do anything 'briefly' in the BM. Even visiting the shops there is a honey trap. We left considerably poorer and with Lyn full of questions about the ethics of plundering the cultural resources of the planet to create such an extraordinary place. No easy answers...

The day ended, like most of our days in London, at Waitrose, where we bought food and Chianti. While I wrote this interminable blog Lyn packed for tomorrow. 

We will return. London is the capital of planet Earth and Lyn likes the buses.

Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday - London

Not strictly 'Lyn and Leon Go to Ireland' but I should give an update.

Our plane was delayed for 30 minutes "due to technical difficulties with the aircraft". About an hour into the flight we were then told, "The captain has asked that everyone put on their seat belts due to turbulence. Please remain seated and refrain from using the lavatories at this time." Over the next few minutes we had that sort of turbulence which feels like aerial ruts in the road - at speed. Then, very calm, "This is the captain speaking. Ladies and gentlemen we have an emergency..."

Imagine what went through everyone's mind in the next nanosecond. Then the announcement continued, "appeal today for the victims of the Hurricane in Haiti. "

Redeemed from plummeting 3 kilometres to our deaths we all scrambled to contribute to those less fortunate.

Most people thought this was all an unfortunate combination of circumstances and an unfortunate choice of words. My theory is there was a bet amongst aircrews over who could collect the most money for charity and our captain was a reincarnation of Machiavelli.

In London, Heathrow security for our flight was 0. We walked straight out. We caught the tube to Kings Cross and walked to our flat. It is all comfortably familiar.

Saturday evening we went to the final performance of Merchant of Venice at Shakespeare's Globe. It was a great performance in a wonderful setting. I was entranced. Lyn enjoyed it but was tired out and Tudor seating arrangements were so uncomfortable that she stood for most of the performance.

Outside The Globe

We needed a rest from adventures on Sunday but by Monday we were ready for action. We caught a bus to Little Venice and eventually Lyn found our canal tour boat. We travelled the length of the Regents Canal in a narrowboat called Jason with a tour guide who was very good but of the authoritarian type. When she said, "Look to the left..." she made it very clear that the only option was to look to the left.

The trip ended at Camden markets which were excellent but bewildering. You can get lost there but you would never starve to death while your money lasted. Lyn bought things.

When we got back to Tavistock Square Lyn went back for a rest and a shop and I went on to the Cortauld Gallery which seems to have acquired every famous impressionist painting that isn't in the Louvre or the Musee D'Orsay. It was excellent and nobody was there to tell me which way to look.

On Tuesday we caught the train to Oxford. We did an excellent 2 hour walking tour, I got to visit the Ashmolean Museum (I could easily have spent all day there) and we shopped too. I acquired ties. I could easily have spent the children's inheritance in Blackwell's Bookstore but how would I transport it all home? Packing to return is already looming as impossible. I think we will need to shop for another bag.

Our Handel St flat entrance

j

Jason the narrowboat

Reflections

Below is a map showing our travels since arriving on Sunday, 25th October. We had a great time. Now, sitting and waiting for our London flight, some final reflections:
The Ford Focus is a really good little car.
Nobody says, "to be sure, to be sure".
Ireland is more than green, it is 50 shades of green.
People are super friendly, including fellow travelers.
Our weather was good - 3 days of serious rain in 3 weeks.
Americans are sorry about their election and embarrassed by it.
Pubs were great.
It was more interesting than Lyn expected.
The bits of Northern Ireland we saw were stridently British.
The National Trust is brilliant.
The roads were much better than we expected.
Fried black or white pudding does not work for me.
They eat a lot of fish.
Every meal, except breakfast, seems to come with potatoes cooked in two different ways.
I never thought I'd say this but I've seen enough castles and ruined monasteries for some time.

Now is the Winter of our discontent...

We saw a massive construction project from 3200 BC aligned with the Winter Solstice and did a lap of the largest Norman castle in Ireland but the epochal event in our lives occurred as we were buying tickets.
"Two tickets please."
"Are you seniors or is it adult tickets? "
"I'm only 62."
"Yes, that qualifies you as a senior. 60 or over."
We didn't know whether to be pleased or aghast.

We'd gone to the Neolithic site of Newgrange. We deserved discounts anyway because there was no way Lyn was going into a passage tomb. She did laps while I went inside.

Use of cameras inside was strictly forbidden which means my fine photos of the corbelled ceiling and passages below need explaining. I bought 2 postcards and photographed them!

Then we went shopping in Trim in a desperate attempt to spend euros before leaving for London tomorrow. We also got our laundry done. This was a relief because I'd previously bought a shirt from a charity shop based on 2 criteria: was it clean and did it fit?

We ended our Irish adventures with a walk around Trim castle. As The Clash said, "London calling".

Bangor to Trim

This was the view as I loaded the car for our last day in Northern Ireland. 

This is Lyn's new duck.

Our first stop was at Mount Stewart House and gardens. We had a beautiful walk on a sunny morning. No more red squirrels were seen but there were many ducks.

Inside the house it was a fascinating experience enhanced by a National Trust volunteer in every public room. I have raved in the past about how well this sort of thing is done in England and I can only add that it was as well done here.

Only a little further on was Grey Abbey which was, in contrast, completely deserted - and all the more atmospheric for it.

We'd been driving down the eastern side of Strangford Lough and from Portaferry we caught the eponymous car ferry and then drove on to Trim.

We are in a hotel here for our last two nights in Ireland. Across the road is a wacking great castle. 

This is from the terrace on our floor. I  could only get half the castle into the photo  because I am too close. 

A Titanic Day

At Glenarrif Forest Park I said, "It says here that this is one of the few places you might see a red squirrel", and 20 minutes later Lyn spotted one. I must have taken 20 photos but it moved so fast that none are fit to publish. Instead here is one by somebody else.

Next stop was Carrickfergus Castle.

The presentation was livened up with dressed manequins. It was pretty cheesy but I liked King John sitting on the castle toilet - his throne so to speak. It made sense I suppose because he really did visit the castle and he must have used the john. (Groan.)

This could be either William of Orange or Robert Plant.

King John is really hoping that he is on the top floor.

Lyn with the sunlight catching her hair is looking increasingly Irish

The highlight of the day was the amazing Titanic quarter of Belfast. We clambered over the Nomadic and then thoroughly enjoyed the NINE exhibition galleries. It was the model of how popular history should be done. 

We left loaded down with several souvenirs including a new duck for Lyn. I promise you all a photo of it tomorrow.