A Catch-All Day, Day 5, London

April 3, 2019

Today I slept in a little bit because I was up much of the night coughing.  After my shower and getting dressed I went down to the kitchen to get my breakfast.  I had heard someone down there and figured that it was Alex, the owner.  As I got to the kitchen, a man in underwear and a t-shirt backed quickly into Alex's room (it's off the kitchen).   I think he had a friend staying the night and I surprised him--oops!  He came out (dressed) while I was eating and got his phone charger.  He seemed nervous or embarrassed--I just smiled and tried not to laugh!

Last night I made a list of things that I hadn't seen yet and wanted to, then figured out how to string them together.  So I bought a subway day pass and began.  I started out going to King's Cross station to see and get a picture of Platform 9 3/4 (Harry Potter).  It was nothing special.  When I looked it up later,  there is a place with a sign and a trolley halfway through the wall, but I missed that.  Maybe I'll have time tomorrow to look for that.

Here are platforms 9 and 10.

Next stop, Camden Town market.  All I can say is disappointing.  Mostly full of shirts and sweatshirts.  So I walked around a bit.  Found a small convenience store and asked for cough lozenges.  The man (whose first language is not English) pointed to the Hall's, so I figured that was close enough.

Back on the train up to the northernmost point, Primrose Hill near the Chalk Farm station on the Northern line.  My phone still didn't get a signal (it hadn't all day), so luckily there was a sign pointing which way to go from the station.  I walked past Eton school which is a well known boys prep school.  Eventually, I came to a road that said Primrose Hill Street and knew that must be where I should turn.  Primrose Hill is a park just north of Regent's Park and had a high vantage point for a great view of London.  I climbed up and took a few photos.

Walking up to the top of the hill

(The fences appear to be some sort of landscaping plan)

This was on the edge of Primrose Hill Park--maybe a head gardener's cottage?

Then, I wanted to go back to the Chalk Farm station because it had beautiful art deco green tile all over.  But the idea of walking down through Regent's park sounded nice, even though I was tired.  Connecting to nature helps all of us and lifts our spirits.  So, I did.  First walked through Primrose, then Regent's.  Regent's park is huge.  Really  huge.  So it was a long walk, but it did lift my spirits.  At the bottom of the park was Queen Mary's garden--very pretty.  Also, a small island accessed by a bridge with bridges to walk on paths around it.

Leading to Regent's Park--Primrose Bridge

A statue of a jaguar (?)--probably related to the London Zoo I had just passed by.

A statue of a small child and chairs.

I'm guessing this has some cultural or literary reference that I'm not familiar with.

Buds--a sure sign of spring!

Ducks, swans, and geese

One area of Queen Mary's garden.

A fountain in the garden

The story of the garden.  When I read about the shrubberies I have to admit that I giggled and you know
what movie I was thinking about, don't you?

The island

Leaving the park

By this time, I was really tired and my muscles were sore, so I came back to my station.  I still didn't have a signal for my phone (but others around me were talking on theirs) so I restarted my phone and finally got one!  I finished off my milk and cereal this morning, so I needed to find a store.  There was one past my place, so I headed off.  I noticed a small little shop along the way and wow--it was a tiny grocery store.  So I got my cereal, milk, and two rolls of toilet paper.  The owner had left parts of three rolls, but had used one of them for blowing my nose with my cold, so I figured that I should replace them.

Many neighborhoods have maps like this showing what is within 5 minutes walking and what is within 15 minutes walking.  Very helpful

I had also stopped at Victoria Station earlier to go to the Hamilton theater and see if they still had tickets left for tonight's show, but they weren't letting anyone in.  I looked it up online and there were no tickets available.  Very sad.  So I went back to my place and spent some time online and found a free Harry Potter walking tour tomorrow, so I booked it.  They have a lot of free walking tours where you tip the guide a few pounds and they make money that way (some of the money goes to the tour company, however).   Later, I went out to find somewhere for dinner.  Nothing sounded appetizing, so I stepped into one but the hostess said that they had no tables available.  The two currenly unoccupied where already spoken for.  I felt very sad, but after walking up and down the street three times, as well as some other streets nearby, I found a pizza place.  It was an interesting pizza with two different kinds of pepperoni, a kind of cheese in glops that I had never heard of and a spicy honey over the top.  It was interesting and tasted pretty good.  Then I walked back here to check out facebook and write this blog.  The weather today was cloudy with only a few drops as I was walking through the park.  It must've rained harder near London Bridge though, because the pavement was really wet and there were puddles there when I came out of the Underground.   A few times during my walk there were huge thunderous booms that seemed to shake the ground.  It echoed everywhere.  So tomorrow I have the Harry Potter walking tour in the morning, then a short break before my neighborhood walking tour in the afternoon.  

Canaries and Witches, oh my! London, Day 4

April 2, 2019

Detail from a building I saw today

Today I felt the cold that I've been fighting for awhile starting to settle in--probably the lack of sleep.  So I let myself drift back to sleep a few times before I got up to take a shower and start my day.  By the time I was done eating a very late breakfast, it was almost 1:00.  Someone had recommended the Museum of London Docklands.  I've been to the Museum of London twice--each time it has been a great experience, so I hoped this would be as well.  It is located at Canary Wharf (named for their traders from the Canary Islands--which were named for the latin name for dog, which is Canis).  I looked it up on Google Maps and it was only an hour plus walk, so I decided to enjoy the walk today.  Ok, first it was raining for 2/3-3/4 of the way there.  Second, Google maps must have been having a cyber hiccup.  It took me an hour and 45 minutes to get there.  Could be the heavy traffic, could be the cyber hiccup which also had Sora (my Maps voice--Siri's little sister) telling me to turn right, then to turn left--at the same intersection.  I eventually was able to turn off Google Maps and use street signs to get there, which worked much better.

Crossing Tower Bridge

From the bridge

The Tower of London

A selfie I took for my students and decided to share with you!

my long walk

along my walk

This was on the side of a house--must be from Wales!

On my walk

A sculpture in a park approaching Canary Wharf

Finally found the museum, it is a more than a bit out of the way on the West India (Indies) Quay.  Thankfully I found a street map posted to find it.  The walk there took me though some really run down, seedy areas with a lot of trash and no other pedestrians.  When I got closer to Canary wharf, however, the buildings became much nicer, with nicer parks, and more people--very pleasant.  

Flowers in a park at Canary Wharf--you could smell the hyacinths!

Tulip flowers!

a fountain

detail from a building

a sculpture--the embrace

another sculpture

The museum itself is very nice.  It is free (as are many London museums).  It takes up the entire four floors of  the old warehouse.  You start on three and make your way around and down.  Great displays, lots of information.

I spent way more time there than I had planned, so the second half of the museum I just did bits of.  I had tickets for Wicked tonight and had to get home and change, get dinner, and get to the show using two different subway lines.   So I decided to take  the tube home (no time for a 2-hour walk even though the rain had cleared up).  I bought a day pass instead of three separate tickets.  There were huge glass office buildings and very well-dressed people getting off from work as I approached the Canary Wharf station. Eventually, I got home and changed.  I needed to wear my nicer shoes to go with my dress (the shoes that gave me the blisters), so I took out the insoles from my boots (I have insoles that I bought for the boots).  That made them a little looser, but it was manageable.  I walked toward the station about half a mile, waiting until a place to eat stood out.  I stopped at the Bermondsey Bar and Kitchen and they had a burger that sounded great.  I walked in and asked the hostess if I would be able to eat a meal in half an hour.  The kitchen had just opened, so she had to ask the kitchen if they could make my meal within my time frame.  The could, so I sat and  read my book until it was ready.  Wow--I think it is the best burger I've ever had.  I' didn't recognize all of what was in it, but it was really good!  With my check I got a small tubular shape that had been rolled in cocoa.  I ate it and she asked me if I liked it.  I said that I did and gave some positive feedback and she said that it was something new they were trying out.  It was chocolatey and dense, moister than a really good brownie.  Very yummy!  Then I paid and was on my way to London Bridge Station.

This is a coffee shop very near where I'm staying.  The name says it all.  The signs in the window are funny too!

  I took the Jubilee line to Green Park, where I took the Victoria line to Victoria Station.  The trains were packed!  I had to wait  for a second train at Green Park because the people kept pushing in, but finally it was filled.  Our bus the day before had picked up the couple at Victoria Station and I saw the theater, the Apollo Victoria, and it appeared to be around the corner.  Well, I exited the station and looked around, hoping for a sign.  No sign, so I turned on Google maps.  I walked a few feet, realized that I was going the wrong way and turned around.  I looked up, and saw this:

Well, i put my phone away and walked across the street to pick up my ticket at the "Collected" window.  I was too early to sit down (it was only 6:45 for the 7:30 show).  Around 7 they opened the doors and I found my seat in the stalls--row ZC, seat 6.  There were open seats in our area of the theater, so there was no problem seeing.  Loved hearing "Defying Gravity" right before intermission.  It was all I could do not to start swinging my arms out and dancing and singing like I do at home!!!  At intermission I bought a program (they don't give out any programs, they only have the souvenir ones) and a magnet for my refrigerator.  They guy tried to talk me into buying some sort of package, but I declined and returned to my seat.  It was clever how they tied it in to the Wizard of Oz, though  I had to laugh at some of it.   I missed having someone there with me to talk about it on the way home.  Joshua and I had a great discussion on the way home from Book of Mormon.  The theater showing Hamilton was just around the corner--made me wish I was going to that as well.  I tried to, but couldn't find information about it. It was raining on the way home as well.  So glad I brought my rain jacket!  

The outside of the theater at night

The stage before the performance.  The gray thing at top is an animated dragon that moves around and blows smoke at times during the performance.  The yellow in the middle is a map of Oz.  There were clocks and gears and such all over--very Steampunk.

Then I took my subway journey in reverse and got back at 11:00, just in time to write this before going to bed.  Lots of coughing and blowing my nose.  I brought cough drops with me, but I'm almost out.  Maybe I'll sleep in a bit tomorrow as well--90% chance of rain tomorrow!  Oh, and the insoles worked--no sore feet!  Now to bed at almost 12:30.