I've been very slow putting these posts together, for various reasons, so they aren't in any particular chronological order. When I arrived back in London from Dublin I think I hit a wall in travelling and it took me a few days to get back into gear. I've been staying at Youth Hostels, first at Holland Park and now at St Paul's. They are great because they are cheap, centrally located and not as lonely at hotels. The downside can be the irritating woman you keep running into, and the school groups reminding you of another life, and the alarm going off in the bed above you at 5:30 and again at 5:45 and again at 6:00 ....
But the breakfasts are hearty and I'm still surviving on two meals a day.
The London Parks are lovely, even in the winter. I've wandered through Holland Park, and my favourite part was the Kyoto garden. It reminded me of the lovely Japanese garden at the Melbourne Zoo. Except for the grey squirrels who were sizing me up and I was convinced were about to run up my leg. Do London's children grow up traumatised by them the way I was by black swans due to Lake Windermere at Ballarat? There were peacocks there as well. One was flashing his tail at the pigeons. Hmmm. Go away? Look how much better I am?
As I wandered through Kensington gardens I encountered the huge monument dedicated to Prince Albert and realised why the Royal Albert Hall is called that! I went past the monument again with Jo Dee, an ex-student who is studying at the Royal College of Music which is next to Royal Albert Hall. She gave me a tour of the College, including the museum filled with an amazing array of instruments and some fascinating manuscripts. The library there is extraordinary, with virtually any sheet music you could possibly need. We went into the performance hall and were able to eavesdrop on some of the opera students rehearsing as well.
There are so many museums, galleries, palaces and other attractions that I have found it hard to prioritise. I spent a couple of hours in the British Museum in the Egyptian/Greek section. It was mind blowing. The sheer volume of stuff, the monumental size of some of it, and the feeling that most of the treasures of the Mediterranean had been plundered and placed in the British museum. The room filled with pieces from the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the 7 Ancient Wonders of the World, was the one that really threw me. I am also sure that for every piece on display they have several in storage. In the Greek section there was an excellent sequential series of rooms on pottery, then there was the upstairs gallery with some of the 'spare' pots, filling 3 rooms! It would be nice to think that they could share them around the world. I'll go back another time to see some other sections.
A small but fascinating gallery was Handel House, where Handel lived. It still had some of his furniture, paintings and manuscripts, and there were two harpsichords there. One of the rooms is a rehearsal room; they do concerts in the house as well. A young duo were playing harpsichord and violin. Sitting in a window seat listening was a real highlight. Oddly Jimi Hendrix lived in the same house for a while, so there was a room dedicated to him as well.
I also enjoyed the Duke of Wellington's House, Apsley House, near the Hyde Park corner. It's decorated in the Georgian/Regency style and filled with family treasures, particularly paintings and china. The Duke was given huge collections of china, silverware and swords after the Battle of Waterloo from grateful Heads of State all over Europe. He also had a huge statue of Napoleon next to the staircase; the only place big enough to contain it. Apparently Napoleon didn't like the statue when it was done. It's in the classical style, with him semi naked, and he thought it made him look too handsome and didn't fit in with his Conquerer of Europe image. The house was given to the Government by the present Duke's father on condition that they could maintain a part of it as a private residence. Clever move really - they still have a London residence, but the government pays for the upkeep of the building. In one of the reception rooms a group of suitably clad performers were singing some Christmas carols with audience participation, then the musician played a tune on a tin whistle. A couple of little girls enjoyed that, twirling around, dancing their hearts out.
But the breakfasts are hearty and I'm still surviving on two meals a day.
The London Parks are lovely, even in the winter. I've wandered through Holland Park, and my favourite part was the Kyoto garden. It reminded me of the lovely Japanese garden at the Melbourne Zoo. Except for the grey squirrels who were sizing me up and I was convinced were about to run up my leg. Do London's children grow up traumatised by them the way I was by black swans due to Lake Windermere at Ballarat? There were peacocks there as well. One was flashing his tail at the pigeons. Hmmm. Go away? Look how much better I am?
As I wandered through Kensington gardens I encountered the huge monument dedicated to Prince Albert and realised why the Royal Albert Hall is called that! I went past the monument again with Jo Dee, an ex-student who is studying at the Royal College of Music which is next to Royal Albert Hall. She gave me a tour of the College, including the museum filled with an amazing array of instruments and some fascinating manuscripts. The library there is extraordinary, with virtually any sheet music you could possibly need. We went into the performance hall and were able to eavesdrop on some of the opera students rehearsing as well.
There are so many museums, galleries, palaces and other attractions that I have found it hard to prioritise. I spent a couple of hours in the British Museum in the Egyptian/Greek section. It was mind blowing. The sheer volume of stuff, the monumental size of some of it, and the feeling that most of the treasures of the Mediterranean had been plundered and placed in the British museum. The room filled with pieces from the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the 7 Ancient Wonders of the World, was the one that really threw me. I am also sure that for every piece on display they have several in storage. In the Greek section there was an excellent sequential series of rooms on pottery, then there was the upstairs gallery with some of the 'spare' pots, filling 3 rooms! It would be nice to think that they could share them around the world. I'll go back another time to see some other sections.
A small but fascinating gallery was Handel House, where Handel lived. It still had some of his furniture, paintings and manuscripts, and there were two harpsichords there. One of the rooms is a rehearsal room; they do concerts in the house as well. A young duo were playing harpsichord and violin. Sitting in a window seat listening was a real highlight. Oddly Jimi Hendrix lived in the same house for a while, so there was a room dedicated to him as well.
I also enjoyed the Duke of Wellington's House, Apsley House, near the Hyde Park corner. It's decorated in the Georgian/Regency style and filled with family treasures, particularly paintings and china. The Duke was given huge collections of china, silverware and swords after the Battle of Waterloo from grateful Heads of State all over Europe. He also had a huge statue of Napoleon next to the staircase; the only place big enough to contain it. Apparently Napoleon didn't like the statue when it was done. It's in the classical style, with him semi naked, and he thought it made him look too handsome and didn't fit in with his Conquerer of Europe image. The house was given to the Government by the present Duke's father on condition that they could maintain a part of it as a private residence. Clever move really - they still have a London residence, but the government pays for the upkeep of the building. In one of the reception rooms a group of suitably clad performers were singing some Christmas carols with audience participation, then the musician played a tune on a tin whistle. A couple of little girls enjoyed that, twirling around, dancing their hearts out.
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