Still in London

[curiouswombat]

I'm still in London - last day today - home tomorrow.

So - Monday's trip to Kensington Palace was very interesting - I will post some pictures once I get back to the laptop as my tablet doesn't have a slot to upload from the camera card. There was an exhibition of dresses belonging to the Queen, Princess Margaret, and Dead Di - I am hoping there are some nice pictures on the card!

We had afternoon tea, and walked to the Royal Albert Hall, where we had seats right up in the gods, for a classic prom, and then, also, for the Six Music prom which featured the London Sinfonietta and The Stranglers, amongst others!

Tuesday saw us up bright and early again - tube into town and then a visit to the Churchill War Rooms, followed by a pause in St James Park, and then a visit to the Banqueting House where actors were 'rehearsing for a great masque' - which was fun.

Thence to the Covent Garden area, a meal, and to Mathilda. Which was excellent and worth every penny of the very high ticket price!

Yesterday we went to the Wallace Collection - a wonderful collection of works of art, porcelain, furniture and an armoury. This included a break for lunch in their rather excellent café - and then back to the hotel for D-d to collect her case and head for London City airport, as she was flying home last night and due back to work this morning.

I pottered off to Waitrose to get a couple of bits to eat in my room and laze around.

Then began a series of messages - the airport at home was suffering fog problems some planes were being turned around, her flight might be delayed... Eventually she ended up in the Gatwick Hilton, and is hopefully in the air now on her way home! She seems to have an affinity for the Gatwick Hilton - I think this is the third time BA have put her up there.

I'm heading out now to see what the queues are like at both the Natural History Museum and the V&A and take it from there...

Train back up to Lancaster tomorrow, and boat home.

Comments

[ellynn-ithilwen.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you're enjoying your trip. :) I love London - it's perhaps my most favorite city (of those that I visited). ;)

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

It is a fascinating place - although I'm ready for home, now!

[clodia-metelli.livejournal.com]

Your icon! The Giles grandma! *squeeeeeeeee*

(Also looking forward to pictures; and sympathies to D-d, there is clearly a Weather Curse for any time of year. But your icon is very exciting! Um.)

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Feel free to copy the icon - it is by an LJer we don't see much these days called infinitemonkeys, for crediting.

D-d finally landed home, after a delay (!) at 11.10 this morning.

[kathyh]

The Wallace Collection is one of London's hidden gems. It sounds as if you've had a very busy and fun time.

Hope your trip home is easier than the D-d's!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

D-d has a friend who works at the Wallace although, as it happens, she is not in London this week. But, yes, a real gem.

It has been an excellent trip all round. And yes, I hope
I have less problems getting home!

[pellegrina.livejournal.com]

Oh! I have been out of my mind with assorted stress and not really tracking, and you have been in the vicinity. I would invite you to visit the Soane Museum and come down to greet you, but sadly will be stuck supervising a library visitor all afternoon and unable to get away. But if you wanted to skip the queue I could probably arrange that ;-)

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Oh thank you - bit late now though! Next time. Sorry life is being stressful at the moment - I hope it calms down soon.

ETA - realise that looks a bit rude - I meant by the time I got to read my e-mails it was a bit too late for me to take you up on the offer - not that you were a bit late making it!!

[pellegrina.livejournal.com]

That's what I thought you meant, but my inner paranoid person appreciates the clarification ;-)

[shirebound]

dresses belonging to the Queen, Princess Margaret, and Dead Di... ooh, I'd love to see those.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I have some pictures - I'll not know for sure how well they've come out until I get them on the laptop, but I am hopeful...

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

Sounds like you're having a lovely trip. I'm with shirebound--would love to see the dresses.

I hope the day's delay doesn't cause any trouble for D-d and her work.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Flight delays are part and parcel of life, so probably they'll just wait until she gets there. She's likely to end up staying late to get stuff sorted out, though, as one reason she wasn't staying as long as me is that she is due in court on Friday doing what is called pro bono - the trainees represent people for free in thing like benefits hearings and things.

As for the dresses - I'm hoping some of my pictures will have come out well.

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

You've been busy doing some of my favourite things!There is nothing like West End theatre despite the prices.
And the Wallace Collection is a wonderful place. A good friend of mine who works in museum restoration did work on some of the armoury pieces.
:)
Nothing like a free night at a Hilton Hotel! At least BA took care of her.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

The Wallace Collection is lovely. D-d has a friend who works there. And Matilda was absolutely brilliant.

BA seem to spend a lot of money putting D-d up in the Hilton at Gatwick - I think they should just give her her own room!

[thismaz.livejournal.com]

You really have packed a lot into a couple of days!
Travel safe.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

You will note that we mostly packed it with music and museums!

I reckon I can always shop on line - so we just squeeze a big dollop of culture in!

But I will be ready to flop on the boat home tomorrow, for sure. I'm just hoping for a fairly smooth crossing - I'm odd (Yes - we know that!) I can't sleep if it's rough - which is when most people try to.

[azalaisdep.livejournal.com]

Fingers crossed (and Ulmo petitioned) for a smooth straightforward voyage, ma'am.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

The forecast wasn't too bad - although I guess Ulmo might be a bit peeved that only Orome and Tulkas have featured by name in The Valinor Trail... perhaps I'd better promise him a shout-out!

[the-winterwitch.livejournal.com]

I'm just wathching a documentary about Man at the TV while I type this... and had a silly grin on my face when it came on!

I have followed your travel posts, but am even more behind with commenting than before. I volunteered for making banners for the MPTT awards and got a bit crazy with my photos, I suppose... *g*

Hopefully, D-d has safely arrived home by now without further flight delay. Your trip sounds really awesome - so many fascinating things to do! Kensington Palace and gardens are still on my personal list, and very high up. And yay to the prom concerts, too! I'm already looking forward to your pics.
It would have been so lovely to come to writerkonuk, I'm so sorry I couldn't make it. I'm happy to hear you had a wonderful time, though!

Have a safe trip back home tomorrow.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I hope it was an interesting documentary.

I have a few photos to post once I get home and organised, to go with the short posts already made.

I must catch up with the MPTT awards when I get home, too.

D-d finally got home to the island about 11.15 this morning!

And Kensington Palace is certainly worth a visit.

[nutmeg3.livejournal.com]

I hope the line wasn''t too bad at the Natural History Museum. And safe home to both you and D-d.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

The line was so long it was out on the pavement and almost all the way to the V&A! So I went to the V&A instead, where there was no queue at all, and spent almost all day there quite happily.

D-d's journey was a good deal longer than expected - here's hoping mine goes to plan - I'm currently on the train heading north.

[melusine6619.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a fun trip!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

It's been excellent - but I'll be glad to get home for a rest!

[kazzy-cee.livejournal.com]

It's nice being a tourist occasionally isn't it! Sounds like you both had a good time apart from D-d's problems getting back.

Safe journey home!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Its been an excellent trip to the UK - geekery first, and then I have crammed myself so full of culture there is room for no more! What could be better?

I'm now on a train heading north - so, so far, I'm doing better than D-d did on Wednesday!!