Hyde Park

 SONG - Werewolves of London by Warren Zevon

Day 33 - Sat. Jun 1

Breakfast at Paul’s and the tube to Temple Station. On our way to the Courtauld Museum today. It was a zoo outside as apparently there is some kind of big soccer final tonight between Germany & Spain here in London. But inside the museum it was calm, quiet and very few people. 

Manet

Van Gogh

Manet

Gauguin 

Van Gogh

Detail of painting above

Loved seeing their Impressionist paintings and spending time with each one.  And it was so quiet there that it felt like we had the museum to ourselves at times!

We were going to do something else downtown but it was too chaotic so we got a cab to Hyde Park and took a long leisurely walk through it. The cab we got was special to us as it was a Bridgerton cab and we have a very good friend who is now the show runner. 

Starting in the Hyde Park Italian gardens, 

then along the river to the Peter Pan Statue, 

watching birds nesting and children feeding the pigeons and swans out with their babies….

We came out of the park on the Kensington side and passed the Albert & Victoria Museum which is only a block from our hotel. It had large & small chunks taken out of it and what looked like bullet holes along its side exterior. 

When we arrived back in our room, I read that it had been bombed during the Blitz of WWII and although they had to do some structural repair work, they chose to leave some damage to show future generations what it had gone through. Impressive. 

Dinner tonight was at PJ’s Chelsea Brasserie which is about 4 blocks from our hotel. It was wonderful, casual, delightful and walkable! Yay. Great meal, wine and cozy atmosphere. Three thumbs up. 

Walked back to the Pelham and went to have nightcap in their bar. The bartender made us each designer drinks that he invented and both were delicious. 

Good day & good night!

Gloves and Foxes

Song - A Sunday Kind of Love by Etta James

Beautiful Foxgloves

May 2017

In Hyde Park near the Italian Gardens

"London is not a city, London is a person. 

Tower Bridge talks to you, National Gallery reads a poem for you, 

Hyde Park dances with you, Palace of Westminster plays the piano, Big Ben and St. Paul's sing an opera! 

London is not a city, 

it is a talented artist who is ready 

to contact with you directly!"

--Mehmet Murat ildan

It's Just Like Magic

....and we are in London!  Planes are an amazing contraption as they can bring you to an entirely different reality.  Everyone who knows me knows I hate, hate, hate to fly.  But it's so worth the fear & panic when you arrive safely at your destination!  

A whole new world opens up right before your very eyes.  

 

 

Leaving beautiful San Francisco behind on Monday night. 

 P

Circling the Thames & the London Eye!

 

From Heathrow we took the Heathrow Express train into London and arrived at Paddington Station.  From there we bumped around with our suitcases several blocks to our hotel nearby. 

 

After resting my tired toes and Mr. B's power nap, we decided to head over to Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens which really reinvigorated both of us.  Just people watching and being out in the fresh air and enjoying nature.  There were Cotton tail rabbits, Magpies, White Swans, Red Ringed Parrots, Doves, Ducks & loads of squirrels - some formal gardens and acres of open space for joggers, sun bathers & picnicking.  

 

 

The gardens in London are just lovely and are about on the same time schedule as mine at home. 

 

Here is a shot of a large sculpture framing Kensington Palace way, way in the background.  But what I really wanted to see was this lovely little statue of Peter Pan below.

 

The creator of Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie, commissioned Sir George Frampton to build the Peter Pan statue in 1902. It was erected in Kensington Gardens in 1912.

Tomorrow we take he train to Bath....see you then!