Sunday in London

[fenchurch]

We decided to sleep in a bit this morning, and then we took our time getting ready. I'm really glad we did, even though it meant we weren't able to do everything we wanted... we're exhausted tonight, but not completely worn out, which should make life better tomorrow, too.

First up, we stopped off at King's Cross Station and got our picture taken by some very nice people just outside Platform 9-3/4. For lunch, we grabbed some steak and stilton pasties at a cornish pasty stand in King's Cross Station. Really, really yummy! Why can't we have these back home?!? Then it was over to Kensington Palace for the tour. The thing that really stuck out to me there was when we were touring the room where Queen Victoria lived as a child... and the audioguide quoted a bit from someone's records describing the young princess "galloping around the halls" of Kensington Palace. It was such an amusing mental image.

We did one more quick look around Kensington Gardens... but still no luck finding a sundial (although several other things from the game were exactly as described). We walked back to High Street Kensington Station and headed out to Trafalgar Square, which was *packed* (and pretty impressive). We wandered around the National Gallery for a while, but it was also heavily crowded (it makes sense, really, being a Sunday afternoon). In fact, we finally got to the room with van Gogh's "Dandelions" (the thing rackham had most wanted to see) and pretty much just had a chance to glance at it briefly (it was in a small room with several other paintings and was obviously popular, considering the size of the crowd). Still, it was quite cool to see the originals of so many famous paintings!

For dinner, we tried a place recommended to me by my physical therapist: Cafe in the Crypt (located under St. Martin-in-the-Fields). That was just... neat! Great atmosphere, decent prices (it was about £6 for a full dinner) and very tasty food! Afterward, we took the Underground to Waterloo Station and wandered down along the Thames for a bit, crossed over Westminster Bridge, finally got to hear the chiming of Big Ben and then headed back to the hotel for the night.

If we'd gotten out earlier in the morning, we would have tried to run out to Greenwich after visiting Kensington Palace... as it is, we knew it wasn't going to work. I think we'll have to wait until the next time we visit London.

Tomorrow, the plan is spend the day at the British Museum... and if we're not too worn out when we're done, we'll head over to the London Eye (we considered it this evening, but it was getting dark and the line was quite long).

ETA: Oh! And we saw a bus billboard ad today for "Torchwood"!!! We'll be keeping our eyes peeled for the next few days and will try to snap a photo of one... sadly, I believe we'll be missing the premiere here by just a few days.

Comments

[deborahw37.livejournal.com]

You're certainly packing things in! St Martin In The Field is a really nice place!

[canadia-bit.livejournal.com]

I'm so enjoying your London posts. It's been several years since I was in London, and I miss it! I meant to comment on your post about the Big Bus Tour - it is indeed a fabulous way to get an overview of the city, and I've taken it every time I've been to London. And you went to the Cafe in the Crypt! I love it there! It's just the loveliest spot and the food is indeed yummy and inexpensive (which can be a hard combo to find in London). St. Martin-in-thte-Fields is one of my favourite places too! I can't wait to read more of your London adventures! I don't know how many of your lj comments you're reading, but I'll take the chance to recommend visiting The Cabinet War Rooms - the history geek in me went twice last time I was in London.

[gillo]

The café at St Martin's in the Fields is excellent, isn't it? Strange to think the church had that name because it was in open fields until comparatively recently (about 180 years ago, I think - that counts as "recent" in London's history.)

We were in London today but did nothing so glamorous - a trip to Camden to take our daughter out for a birthday lunch, then retail heaven for her and her sister in Camden Lock Market! (Oh, and we bought her a printer/scanner for her birthday in Tottenham Court Road.)

Enjoy the British Museum - do make a point of seeing the Sutton Hoo treasure in the Anglo-Saxon bit. And the library is to die for. The first time I took my kids there one of my daughters simply announced "I want one". I think you will too...

The British Museum is in the area known as Bloomsbury - where Virginia Woolf and pals hung out, and where my daughter now attends college. The coolest place in teh universe, she tells me!

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

do make a point of seeing the Sutton Hoo treasure in the Anglo-Saxon bit.

That's one of the areas we actually got to see! Unfortunately, the area with Lindow Man was closed during the renovations... I'd really been hoping to see that!

[shapinglight]

I'm off to the Smoke myself today.

:Waves:

[ayinhara.livejournal.com]

It sounds like you are having a great time.

[silmaril.livejournal.com]

At the words "steak and stilton pasties" my eyes honestly glazed. Gah. Want. Do they sell dried just-add-water versions?

Thanks for sharing these. It's fascinating to read.

[pmgoose.livejournal.com]

That was EXACTLY my response to those pasties! *wants*

[tomte.livejournal.com]

Tell ya what, for the next few days I'm just going to live vicariously through you, mmkay?