A Day in London

I've heard from people who live in the London area that public transit can be hellish. I thought it was magic! We went down the hill from Robert and Mary's, got on a train, switched to a tube and whoosh! .... we were in the Victoria and Albert museum without even having to step outside. (The walk downhill was a bit chilly and we were grateful for the extra swaddling that Mary provided.)

V & A Foyer ceiling (Click on to enlarge, back space to return)

The visit to the V&A was wonderful. We did two short tours and ate lunch in the excessively ornate cafeteria. I doubt it was a cafeteria in its beginnings. It is a circular room with very large etched and stained glass windows with writing on them. I tried to read some of the text.  It seemed to be about cooking! Maybe it was a kitchen once. The ceiling soared above us, supported by yellow and white high gloss porcelain columns.

The bits of the collections that we saw - diamond encrusted snuff boxes, a salt server for the table made out of gold in the shape of a two masted sailing ship, a notebook of Leonardo Da Vinci's (he wrote in mirror image with his left hand to dissuade hackers), a huge tapestry of a bear and boar hunt and finally an erotic black and white photo of Christine Keeler! Oh, and an ivory plaque with a family name and a depiction of a pagan ritual. It came from a time and place where Christianity  was dominant and according to our guide the rich pagan family was asserting its right to go against the mainstream.
Author's note: All mistakes in the foregoing are entirely my fault!!

Ian suggested going to Westminster Abbey for Evensong. He has not had a religious conversion. It's a way of getting into the abbey without paying the £15 entrance fee! There were fewer than 100 worshiper/spectators, about fifteen male choristers, the clergy and the High Commissioner for Grenada. She read the second lesson. In the blessing at the end the minister made a point of blessing Grenada, the royal family, and the Catholic Church. That last bit was confusing to Ian and me but
Frank will sort us out, no doubt!

Beer at Wimbledon Pub

On the way home I ducked into the loo in the Victoria tube station. I was expecting the worst, hygiene-wise, but was pleasantly surprised. There was an old-fashioned gum ball machine dispensing not gum balls but "chewable toothbrushes" that looked like lumps of styrofoam. The gum ball machine had BEAVER embossed on it with the figure of our national rodent. My heart swelled with pride!