When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life

We caught the train from Abergavenny to Paddington Station – a very comfortable journey as all our train journeys have been.  We stayed at a very nice apartment in Bayswater, which belonged to a young lawyer who was heading off to Greece for a holiday.  It had everything we could possibly want, including two squirrels that came to visit daily, and was in a perfect location.

London is without doubt an amazing city.  Michael was working however we made sure that our weekends were filled with as much sightseeing as possible.

Possibly the best area we discovered was Brick Lane, also known as Banglatown.  Brick Lane is a cobbled lane in the East End, which is chock a block with Pakistan and Indian restaurants. We headed there one evening for dinner and had a lovely meal at one of the restaurants where the hawker out the front enticed us in with the promise of a free beer and a glass of wine (actually just about every restaurant there has the same offer). 

We decided to come back when it was daylight as the surrounding lanes are full of interesting graffiti.  There used to be a number of Banksy’s works there, however they have either been painted over, faded or vandalised.  We did manage to see a couple of Banksy’s elsewhere.  Michael spotted a Banksy rat at the Embankment and we found one in Mayfair of a woman falling from a height clinging to her shopping trolley.  That one was particularly good.

On Sundays there is a fantastic food market held in Brick Lane.  Think of any cuisine imaginable and there is a stall selling it.  Everything is prepared and cooked fresh and thousands of people throng the streets with buskers performing along the way.  The atmosphere is vibrant and fun.  Just around the corner is the Petticoat Lane market, selling clothes, bags, shoes and accessories.  It also has a fun vibe.

We were fortunate to be here for the Bank Holiday weekend, which is when the famous Notting Hill Carnival is held.  The Notting Hill Carnival was started as a response to the Notting Hill race riots, which occurred in 1958.  The predominately West Indian community held the carnival to promote goodwill in the community and it has grown into an event, which now attracts over 1 million people each year.  Unfortunately the carnival has attracted violence, murders and rioting, so precautions are taken by the shopkeepers in the area.  Nearly every business premises and many homes are completely boarded up the day before the carnival begins.  It is eerie to walk through what is usually a beautiful area and see the boarding, which is immediately covered in graffiti.  The police presence is massive with minivans bussing the police in.  We attended the first day of the carnival, which is designated as Children’s Day as this is billed as the “tamer” of the two days.  It was amusing to see how enterprising some people could be with a number of residences along the route offering use of their toilets for 2 pounds a go.  I am not sure that I would want a parade of strangers using my facilities!  The carnival itself was a lot of fun with the air blue with the smoke from all the jerk chicken stalls, the booming of Bob Marley songs (they were so loud you could feel your chest vibrating) and the colourful costumes of the children in the parade. There were also the best Jamaican patties I have ever tasted.

One weekend we took a cruise to the Thames Barrier, which was rather interesting.  We stopped off and spent a large portion of the day at Greenwich, a lovely place to wander around.  We started at the market, which was full of original handcrafts (I am now the proud owner of Union Jack earrings).  We then wandered over to the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich.  We viewed the Painted Hall, a magnificent ceiling, which is covered in the most beautiful murals and the chapel, which was also imposing.

Another weekend saw us take in the Hunterian Museum, which is filled with medical grotesqueries.  John Hunter was a surgeon who collected all manner of things to make a teaching museum.  There is a face of baby riddled with smallpox, deformed skulls, cancers and various foetuses (human & animal).  The saddest sight I saw was a large jar holding a set of stillborn quintuplets.  They looked so perfect.  Michael was fascinated by it all however I felt rather queasy by the time we left.

Make tea not war

Across Lincoln’s Inn Fields there is another museum, the Sir John Soane, which was much more to my taste.  Sir John was a collector of antiquities and art and he assembled a wonderful collection of Hogarth’s including the series A Rake’s Progress and An Election.  There are also Canaletto’s & Turner’s, sculptures, books and furniture.  Very impressive.

Whilst Michael was working, I spent my days wandering the streets of London.  I  found wonderful old buildings, read hundreds of plaques and memorials, visited museums including the Charles Dickens Museum (a must if you are a fan), The Foundling Museum (fascinating but also very sad), The Cartoon Museum & The Welcome Collection.  I have found many hidden parks and gardens and as the weather has been absolutely perfect, I have spent time sitting and soaking up the sun (I must be the only person who comes to London and leaves with a sun tan).  Despite spending the past month exploring London, I feel I have barely scratched the surface.  I sincerely hope that both Michael and I can return soon.  I really could see myself living here permanently, and to be honest, if it wasn’t for the exciting promise of seeing Tim in Toronto, Michael would have to drag me kicking and screaming onto the plane.  I really do not want to leave.