I have decided to do the easier posts first, and do the Spain ones later, when I have time to sit down and include details that I hopefully still remember (I have some notes so I should be all right)
UPDATE: I just realized that I didn’t include the name of the hotel I stayed at. It’s the Connaught. https://www.the-connaught.co.uk/gallery/ I loved it!
So, my first full day in London feeling about 90% okay, was spent in museums. I got up in the morning, picked at the remainder of my room service dinner (I really didn’t feel up to going out that first night. At all.), got myself cleaned up, and headed downstairs. The concierge at the hotel loaned me his membership card to the Tate, so I stopped by to pick it up and then caught a cab over. Although the concierge was trying to convince me that a tube ride would be faster, I just couldn’t fathom trying to figure that all out, and I wasn’t feeling that good yet, and a cab ride where I could ride with the car windows open just felt like the right thing to do. So, that’s what I did. The cab driver was really nice and pointed out items of interest along the way, so it worked out well.
Here are some photos. First, of my room:
I requested some ginger tea when I first arrived, hoping it would settle my stomach
I did take an Epsom salt bath and watch TV in the huge bathtub
Slippers and foot sheet (?)
Dinner – finger sandwiches and chips. Plus more ginger tea. I couldn’t eat it all.
Now I have arrived at the Tate Modern:
First up, the Dorothea Tanning exhibit. She was an American, married to Max Ernst. Her preferred media changed a lot over the years.
Then some Pierre Bonnard:
Views from the second floor (would be the third floor in the US) balcony of the Tate:
Then other random modern art. I have a booklet but didn’t keep track of who did what:
This thing was a tower of radios. Each radio was playing music “of its era.” Pretty cool!
I saw a Doris Salcedo exhibit at the Guggenheim in New York. Her work is amazing. I wish I had seen Shibboleth in person at the Tate!
The below is a photo of a cat at Elizabeth Taylor’s house, right after she died. Those are her shoes (and presumably her cat)
After the Tate I walked along the Thames.
Stopped for lunch at the OXO building.
Spinach soup with garlic cream sauce, and chips, for lunch. Still not able to eat a lot but it was delicious. Might have to try to make it!
The London Eye from afar
Beach along the Thames
Big Ben, currently under scaffolding (as was MUCH of London)
Regent Park (I think? I’ll double check later)
Buckingham Palace
Wellington Arch
Back to the room for a freshen up before heading back out and going to the Design Museum.
So today, we have Pilates this morning, then right after that we’re going to straight to setting up tents for the Scarecrow Festival this weekend. Bill and I took about 50 chairs and a table to the village last night. The theme this year is the 80’s, so our village’s scarecrow is of Eddie the Eagle (attendees to the festival will have to try to guess who it is, but to me it’s pretty obvious). Then this evening, finishing touches on Eddie.
Then, Scarecrow Festival tomorrow, Sunday, and Monday. I probably won’t have a chance to write more until after, so, have a great weekend dear readers and thanks for being here! Talk soon!