Now, London was FREEZING. I know I know, what am I complaining about after the winter that many of you had...but it SNOWED! I was seriously under-dressed, but fortunately my folks helped out with some bits and pieces to wear.
We had a fantastic time. We went to the Royal Academy an saw an exhibit of French and Russian paintings out from St. Petersburg and Moscow. It was incredible...some of my favourites were this one, and this one plus some Gauguins, this was my favourite. We also saw a fantastic Renoir and some Monet as well. There were some interesting Russian works as well, though they were, by and large, visibly inferior. The kids enjoyed it quite a bit as well. There was one painting by one of the Russians that I adored, and they even had a postcard of it, but I'll be a monkeys uncle if I can find it right now...I'll post a photo of it later.
We wandered past Buckingham Palace
which, miracle of miracles, was doing the changing of the guards...we didn't see all that much but other tourists, but it was still pretty neat. On the way we saw this monument to Canadian Soldiers...
We went on to a DELICIOUS pub lunch near here, 
Does that not look intensely British? I cannot put my finger on why...I think it must have to do with the colour of the bricks.
I had bangers and mash as well as tea and lemonade, we also got pork scratchings, as in deep fried pig skin and fat...mmmmmm mmmmmm goooood....
The only surprise for me at lunch is featured in the following photo...see? What's wrong with this photo...remember this is within spitting distance of the royal palace.
We went off down to Big Ben, yes Beth I said Hi for you...
And then on down to Westminster Abbey which was closed largely for the Easter festivities, though we got in and saw a bit.
Finally we went down to the river. I cannot resist water and boats, so here are some for you,
We went and saw Spamalot that night which was hilarious, the kids had a fantastic time. The covered every single solitary cliché out there, though Eldest pointed out that the wedding chapel in Vegas should have had an Elvis impersonator. A funny comment, though it makes me wonder how she would know that.
Here's the snow...I know. No sympathy from anyone....
Here's another photo, I cannot end with snow.
The man said that Chuck was acting strangely with all of us gone. Chuck kept following him around the house and staring at him like something out of a Hitchcock. Staring and staring with a penetrating question in his eyes, "Where did you bury the bodies????"
9 comments:
Great pictures - and thanks for saying "hi" to Big Ben for me!
Your tea should have been served in a teapot - not a teabag in a cup.
As for the snow - ha!
(Glad the package arrived safely...)
Beth, you've got it in one...notice that they even gave me the milk in a ceramic jug, but the teabag was in the cup. Heavens! You are a dream for the books. Yeah, I knew there would be no sympathy for the snow.
You know Chuck was going to dig ya'll up, just like in Pet Cemetary!!!
Great pictures, but ya, no sympathy from me for the snow...welcome to my world.
love you Rocky!!
Looks like an awesome trip with lots to see and some great experiences, save te snow, which, I feel remotely sorry for you having to go through because unlike those of us who have suffered with it for months, you are not acclimatized to it and that feels worse. Funny how pets get when their routine is messed up.
Thanks so much for sharing. It sounds like a fabulous trip. Amazing what art does for the soul isn't it? Sorry about the snow. At this point in the season, it just stinks, no matter much or how little of it you've seen in the last few months. Hurry UP, spring.
Looks like a very nice trip to London you had there... If you're into these painters, you probably would like the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, if you haven't seen it already ;)
What a fabulous trip! That pub food is something good isn't it? Yum. . .all washed down with a pint.
Bullwinkle, Chuck was freaking the man right out there, he was feeling guilty and he hadn't even done anything.
Dawn, Thanks for the sort-of sympathy, it was actually so cold and bizarre and out of place that we laughed a lot as we froze. It was so bad that I put one of the bags that my village gives out for scooping up dog poop over one of my hands to protect it from the wind. An unused one of course, but I still looked pretty ridiculous holding an umbrella with a hand encased in a little green bag with a picture of someone stoopin' and scoopin'on it....even funnier, Eldest was cold enough that she overcame her teen angst about looking nerdy and stole it from me to use herself!
Hula, art really does lift the soul. I think with spring, easter this early didn't help. It makes if feel like it should be warmer.
elPadawan, been there, done that and I really want to do it again...they were seminal painters in the recent movement of art and it was magic to see, but I have to confess a passion for even more modern art, especially installation work...your post about all the trash in TO made me sad, sorry I didn't comment, but the photo of those bags in the trees and my memories of the black snow with all that crap in it. Depressing that nothing is changing all that fast.
Trish, pub food...mmmmmm mmmm good. Though I have to confess that the pint was my Mom's, I don't drink boozy stuff, boring I know, but what can I say. I yam what I yam.
Here's sending warmth your way everyone over there in NA..picture me fanning air as hard as I can from the terrace off to you all.
Adeu!
Too bad the weather didn't cooperate but am glad that you and the kids got to see all those places. I enjoyed my couple of trips to London....way back when. Good to have you back.
Do you have a different or bigger picture of that tribute to Canadian soldiers?
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