I made it until 8:45pm before falling asleep and, luckily, slept until 5:15 this morning. I’m still a bit tired but I think another good night’s sleep will do it. The morning started leisurely as the National Gallery doesn’t open until 10:00am so it was a nice breakfast buffet at the hotel. I set out for the tube around 9:30 and for someone who didn’t have much to do today, I sure did walk a lot….15,000 steps which is about 6.5 miles.
The National Gallery had a special exhibit of Caravaggio’s last painting, The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula, painted in 1610. I was there right after the doors opened so there was no wait to see it but by the time I left the queue was about 20-30 minutes long.
Once out of the special exhibit, I made a beeline for the Dutch Masters which are my favorite painters. There was only one Vermeer, A Young Woman Seated at a Virginal.
There were 8 painting by Van Gogh, including the famous Sunflowers.
There were a couple of unfinished works by Michaelangelo, including this one.
That is just a few of the many gorgeous works of art in this beautiful museum.
After the museum, I stumbled into to St. James Park. London is a very green city, with both large and small parks throughout. St. James is a gigantic park adjacent to Buckingham Palace.
Then it was off to lunch at the Red Lion Pub which stands on the site of a medieval tavern called the Hopping Hall. On the way I passed 10 Downing Street, home and office of the Prime Minister. On my first trip to London in 1990, you were able to walk right up to the door but now the entrance is behind gates.
Anyway, back to the Red Lion. Because of its location between 10 Downing Street and the Houses of Parliments, it’s a very popular watering hole for politicians. It was also the favorite dining spot of Charles Dickens. Peter and I really enjoyed eating there in 2022, so I decided to go back. It’s always crazy crowded but I made a reservation, so I got in with only a short wait.
Once again, I had the Steak and Ale pie, and it was just as delicious the second time around.
After lunch I headed to the Imperial War Museum. I visited in 1990 and we planned to go in 2022, but Peter tired very quickly so we didn’t get the chance to visit. It was just a short bus ride and about a 10-minute walk from the bus.
It’s a pretty small museum so it didn’t take long to walk through the exhibits and since it contained the “usual” military exhibits I didn’t take many pictures either. I thought this was interesting though.
Finally, it was a long trek back to the hotel. When I got back, I asked the concierge about how to get to the train for Windsor. He told me that rail workers are on strike, but he thinks the trains will run tomorrow. If not, I’m not sure how I’ll get to Windsor (where I’ve booked an Airbnb flat for the weekend) as it’s an almost 2-hour cab, which will cost a fortune. But I guess that’s a problem for tomorrow. For now, I think I’ll head to the lounge and spend the 10-pound coupon I got for skipping housekeeping services today. I had a gigantic lunch so dinner will be whatever my 10 pounds will buy and the sandwich I made from the breakfast buffet.
Tomorrow, it’s off to Windsor. At least, I hope so.
Wow! That seems like a lot for just a day! Looks like you are off to a great start. Are you traveling with a tour group, or on your own? Thanks for the photo of your delicious looking pie. Mashed pots didn’t look so great though. Have fun!
It was a lot more than I thought I would do. I was afraid I would be bored. So not true. This was the 2nd time I’d had the steak and ale pie at the Red Lion. I had it at several restaurants while Peer and I were in the UK in 2024 but this was definitely the best. I’m going to bring my niece and the girls here when we come back next month. The location is perfect as the Changing of the Guard tour ends at Palaces of Westminster (just down the block) and our next attraction is the London Eye across the river. We don’t have time to eat in between but super mom is going to have snacks to tide everyone over until after the London Eye, then we’ll hit the Red Lion for an early dinner. They can make virtually anything on the menu in kid sizes. Christina wants the girls to try different foods and it’s a historical place so we thought it would be fun.
Sounds like a good plan with Chris & the girls.
Thanks for sharing so much of your trip. You are definitely staying busy. Beautiful sights & art, for sure!
Christina and I have kept in pretty close contact through WhatApp. They leave 2 weeks from tomorrow and I can’t wait to see them. It will be so wonderful.