In the evening we set out early for dinner and called in at my old junior school which is attached to a lovely church in Kensington. I showed Michelle where I think all my back problems started...a very, very long playground where we used to walk "like crabs" from one end to the other. The church was open so we went in and the photos came out better than we expected.
St. Mary Abbotts Church
Entrance to St. Mary Abbotts School
(Note that it says 'Girls' above the small door and 'Boys and Infants' above the big door)
Enterance to St. Mary Abbotts Church
Inside St. Mary Abbotts Church
Stained Glass Window, St. Mary Abbotts
Door from entrance into the chapel, St. Mary Abbotts Church
Then we wondered through the park, past Kensington Palace where there are still tributes to Lady Di. It seems it would have been her birthday on 1st July and there were many birthday cards wrapped in plastic and lots of flowers.
Sunken garden behind Kensington Palace
Birds by the pond, garden at Kensington Palace
We had dinner with my friend Wally, his sister Barbara and his partner Caroline. Wally, Barbi and I have known one another since birth and our mothers, although they only met one another in England after the war, were great friends. It was really nice for Michelle to meet such old friends and give meaning to all the old photographs of us as children. We both absolutely loved the Greek restaurant where the humous was to die for and my lamb roasted on the spit was wonderful. In fact, we enjoyed it so much that we went back there on Sunday.
First, on Sunday, we went to Speakers corner but didn't linger for too long. It all seemed rigged to me. There was a woman spouting on about spirituality, egged on by an old guy telling her she was a miserable and wicked old bat
and there was a black man, with a huge crowd around him, who was talking a load of rubbish about the Israelis and the Palestinians. I suspect it was all staged for tourists. Either that or all these people were a bunch of nutbars!
Crazy Lady at Speaker's Corner, Hyde Park
Crazy Man fighting with Crazy Lady at Speaker's Corner, Hyde Park
and there was a black man, with a huge crowd around him, who was talking a load of rubbish about the Israelis and the Palestinians. I suspect it was all staged for tourists. Either that or all these people were a bunch of nutbars!
Left: Black Man going on about the Israelis and Palestinians
Right: Black Man blessing his spot on Speaker's Corner before he starts preaching
From there we went to see the Serpentine where Michelle took lots of pictures of the many different ducks and particularly the little babies which were just balls of fur.
We also saw the statue of Peter Pan which has been there since I was a kid
and then we walked along the Bayswater Road and looked at the paintings for sale by many different artists who exhibit their art on the park fence. We understand from a conversation with one of the vendors that this walk is not as popular as it once was and sales are down considerably. By the time we'd done this walk we were close to the restaurant that we visited last night and decided to go for lunch...more humous and a lot of other Greek goodies. We were torn between enjoying the food and the fact that we were heading for real English tea at the Orangery in Kensington Gardens.
Fountains at the top of the Serpentine
Swan and Signets in the Serpentine
(The Signet on the left had a deformed leg)
Mummy Duck and Ugly Baby
Mummy Duck and Pretty Babies
Ducks sitting on the posts across the Serpentine
Heron on a post
Duck with Strange Colours
We also saw the statue of Peter Pan which has been there since I was a kid
Peter Pan Statue
Figure on Peter Pan Statue
Faeries on Peter Pan Statue
Mice on Peter Pan Statue
and then we walked along the Bayswater Road and looked at the paintings for sale by many different artists who exhibit their art on the park fence. We understand from a conversation with one of the vendors that this walk is not as popular as it once was and sales are down considerably. By the time we'd done this walk we were close to the restaurant that we visited last night and decided to go for lunch...more humous and a lot of other Greek goodies. We were torn between enjoying the food and the fact that we were heading for real English tea at the Orangery in Kensington Gardens.
The Orangery, Kensington Gardens
The Orangery, Kensington Gardens
Inside the Orangery, Kensington Gardens
This was another treat Michelle had set her heart on....little sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and little cupcakes.
She liked the place, the nice teapots and the fact that this was afternoon tea English style, including the half hour queue to get in! Meanwhile, outside on the lawn they had erected a large open sided tent where they were having a dance 60's style.
Many young people as well as old guys and women like me jiving and dancing to traditional jazz just like I did when I was 17. A really mixed crowd. It was fun to watch and I think that Michelle was quite surprised at how well some of the couples danced together. On the way out of the park Michelle mentioned that she would like to wrap this part of London up and take it back home with her.....a warm Sunday evening in the park, lots of families, some strolling around or cycling, some picnicing on the grass, and all of us "people watching".
Table Setting and Menu, The Orangery
Afternoon Tea for One, The Orangery
(£15 include pot of tea, sandwiches, scone and clotted cream, and small pastries)
She liked the place, the nice teapots and the fact that this was afternoon tea English style, including the half hour queue to get in! Meanwhile, outside on the lawn they had erected a large open sided tent where they were having a dance 60's style.
Lawn Between the Orangery and Kensington Palace
(The tent on the left is where the dancing was held)
Young and Old Dancers
Many young people as well as old guys and women like me jiving and dancing to traditional jazz just like I did when I was 17. A really mixed crowd. It was fun to watch and I think that Michelle was quite surprised at how well some of the couples danced together. On the way out of the park Michelle mentioned that she would like to wrap this part of London up and take it back home with her.....a warm Sunday evening in the park, lots of families, some strolling around or cycling, some picnicing on the grass, and all of us "people watching".
Today we met a friend for lunch and then walked over the Charing Cross bridge to the south bank of the Thames, walked up river past the London Eye and crossed back over on the Westminster Bridge. We still hope to go up on the London Eye but that will have to wait till we come back from Sandwich.
Michelle did take some photos of Westminster Abbey but we have no intentions of going inside at £16 a pop! ($25 each when so many wonderful things are free) She also took photos of Big Ben and the houses of parliament but won't get a chance to upload pictures for this blog until the weekend.
Charring Cross Footbridge across the Thames
(next to the railway bridge)
View from Charring Cross Footbridge
The London Eye
Michelle did take some photos of Westminster Abbey but we have no intentions of going inside at £16 a pop! ($25 each when so many wonderful things are free) She also took photos of Big Ben and the houses of parliament but won't get a chance to upload pictures for this blog until the weekend.
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, Side View
Statues on Westminster Abbey
Inscription Carved on the Wall of Westminster Abbey
Big Ben and Parliament Buildings
Westminster Bridge and Big Ben
I'll post it anyway and you'll have to backtrack for the photos whenever Michelle can find the time to do the work. Thanks for all the great comments about our blog. Someone said that the last time they logged in they got a message suggesting the site wasn't safe. Please let one of us know if you've had this same problem.
If this is Tuesday, it must be Sandwich (by the sea)!!!
Sue
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