Three Lions

James and Amber were traveling, and they kindly allowed me to make use of their apartment for a week while they were away.  This time I chose not to fly but instead take the scenic route of the ferry and train. The usual ferry on the Dublin to Holyhead run, the Ulysses, was out of service, so I boarded the new fast ferry, Dublin Swift.  The high-speed, twin-hulled catamaran takes only two hours compared to the regular ferry, which takes four hours.  I made friends with another lady, Muriel from Fermanagh, and we laughed all the way to Holyhead.  Then it was all aboard the train to London, changing at Chester.  All went well until we reached Stafford where the train broke down. We boarded the next train and got as far as Milton Keynes where we were delayed for half an hour due to signal failure. Anyway, I finally made it to London in time for dinner.

The next day, Lambeth Palace opened its garden to the public in aid of charity.  The day was very hot and I spent a couple of hours wandering the grounds.  The garden is spread over 10 acres, and it was astonishing to see how dry and yellow everything was.  There was a croquet tournament in progress and the lawn was completely parched with the grass crunching underfoot, just like it does back in Australia. 
 
 
The roses looked like they had caught fire, they were so brown and dry.  I half expected to see dehydrated squirrels dropping from the enormous trees.  I sought the shade of the marquee where a jazz band was playing and enjoyed strawberries and cream while listening to the music.  It was a pleasant way to spend some time and I would love to return to see the garden after a good soaking rain.

It was a little cooler walking along the Thames, so I decided to climb down and walk along the foreshore.  I didn’t do any mudlarking, however it was nice to see the river from a different angle. Poor old Big Ben looks a sorry sight at the moment. 

The tower is undergoing major repairs and is unrecognisable as it is completely encased in scaffolding.  

I spent the weekend out and about at my favourite haunts in London – Regent’s Canal, Broadway Market, London Fields, Columbia Road Flower Market and Victoria Park Market.  The weather was very hot but that didn’t stop me walking everywhere.
I also walked into Regent Street, which had been closed for traffic for a street fair, which was fun.

There is always something different to see and do in London, especially in the summertime.  I headed over to Regent’s Park for Frieze Sculpture. There were 25 different sculptures scattered around the park some of which were very colourful, some were interesting and others just plain weird.  I did have a laugh when a man approached me to enquire what I was photographing.  I pointed to the tree and asked, “Do you see those dangling wires?” He nodded. I said, “Well, that’s a sculpture”.  He just shook his head and walked away.  I swung past Queen Mary’s Rose Garden, which was in full bloom.  I was pleasantly surprised to see them looking so lovely as I had been concerned that they would be just as parched as the ones at Lambeth Palace. 



Next stop was Hyde Park to see Christo’s The London Mastaba, a 20 metre high sculpture floating on Serpentine Lake.  The temporary sculpture is made of 7,506 painted barrels and has caused a bit of controversy, with some people describing it as a giant bath toy.  I really liked it and enjoyed looking at it from all angles.

I was lucky enough to be in London for the RAF centenary celebrations.  I joined the throng of people lining The Mall and watched the parade of 1,000 RAF personnel.  When the parade finished, the crowd was allowed to proceed down The Mall towards Buckingham Palace.  I positioned myself near the Queen Victoria Memorial and could just make out the Royal Family standing on the balcony in the distance. 


Then came the spectacular fly past of nearly 100 aircraft including Chinook helicopters, a Lancaster, Spitfires, Hurricanes and stealth fighter jets. The Red Arrows drew the spectacle to a close, streaming red, white and blue smoke.  It was thrilling to watch and the crowd certainly enjoyed themselves.

My visit coincided with that of the President of the United States, so naturally I went to see the Trump Baby balloon, which flew over the Houses of Parliament for two hours.  The balloon really put a smile on my face, and judging by the crowds of people taking photos and laughing, I wasn’t alone. I know that it was a childish stunt however it seemed fitting as his behaviour demands ridicule.  Then it was time to make my way to Marylebone to join the 100,000 strong protest march through the streets of central London. 

I collected my banner and chanted away as I walked.  I marched for a while behind the Trumpets Against Trump group and had a good laugh at some of the wittier signs along the way (some of them too rude to repeat). There was even a Trump look-alike, complete with secret servicemen.  The protestors were of all ages and it was a very peaceful march, which finished in Trafalgar Square.  Did my participation change the world?   Obviously not as President Bone Spurs is still in office however, I like to think that I was a tiny part of something which irritated him, even if it was only for a moment – as the song says, “a flea can bite the bottom of the Pope in Rome”.

I only intended to stay in London for a week, however Michael needed to fly over for work the following week, so James and Amber kindly let me extend my stay.  James returned from his holiday and we caught up with each other’s news over dinner at the Duke of Cambridge.  It is always lovely to see him.

Michael was staying with his work colleagues at the Novotel near Heathrow airport and I joined him there for one night, as James was having friends stay as they transited through London. We dined that evening at a lovely pub called The Plough.  The weather was still hot so we were able to take advantage of the beer garden and enjoyed a nice meal while relaxing and chatting.

We returned to James’ for the weekend and had a lot of fun just spending time together.  We enjoyed a meal at the Quality Chop House in Clerkenwell on the Friday evening.  James and I had dined there before however, it was Michael’s first time and we had a great time.

Saturday morning started with brunch at Brunswick East café in Dalston, followed by a walk around the area including the Ridley Road Market.  This vibrant market has been going since the 1880’s with over 150 stalls selling a wide range of Afro-Caribbean, Asian and European goods. It has a fun atmosphere with reggae music playing and is really like stepping into a different world. 

We also took a walk to Violet bakery, made famous as the bakers that made Prince Harry & Meghan Markle’s wedding cake.  I had visited there earlier in the week and purchased some biscuits for James and he was keen to see the bakery himself. It is a small shop, located in a leafy side street and we stopped for coffee and cake.  James said that the biscuits tasted just like his grandma makes. 

The afternoon was spent checking out the Sculpture In The City installations.  This annual festival is held in the Square Mile and it took us quite a while to locate different artworks.  All of the pieces were interesting, some more than others.

 
There were even two sound art projects – one was birdsong emitting from a tree and the other was a whistled rendition of the Great Escape’s theme tune.  It was actually a good way to explore the different side streets within the Square Mile and see the new developments taking place, including The Scalpel.

All the walking around made for thirsty work, so we stopped off at a roof top bar that I had read about with supposedly the best view of St Paul’s Cathedral.  The Roof Terrace at One New Change did indeed have spectacular views, not only of the Cathedral but also the London skyline.  We weren’t exactly dressed for the occasion, however I think that they relax the dress code for tourists.  We finished the day with dim sum at Ping Pong.

Sunday was another glorious day so we took a nice walk along the canal to Victoria Park, stopping for coffee and pastel de natas at the market there.  We spent some time exploring the park and enjoying the sunshine before heading to The Duke of Richmond for an early roast lunch.  The food was fabulous and it was the perfect way for Michael to finish his time in London.

James and I travelled with Michael to Paddington station where he caught the Heathrow Express to the airport.  James had never been to Little Venice, so we took a walk and joined the canal there. It was such a lovely day that we just kept walking, calling in to the Camden Markets along the way before making our way to Joseph Grimaldi Park.  I wanted to show James this quirky little park, which is situated on the former burial grounds for St James’s Episcopal Church.  The park is names after the clown Joseph Grimaldi who is buried there. A musical artwork dedicated to Grimaldi is situated in the park and it was this that I wanted to show to James.  The artwork consists of twin casket shapes made of bronze floor tiles and they play musical notes when you dance on them.  It is a bit of fun and seems the perfect way to celebrate the life of a clown.

The following day it was time for me to return home.  The Ulysses was still under repair, so my rail/sail booking had been rescheduled. Unfortunately for me, my direct train departing from Euston station at 9.00am was changed to 6.30am from Euston and required 3 changes.  Luckily for me, all went smoothly and I made it time for the departure of Dublin Swift.