Oh London bus drivers

 Must really love us. They keep assuring us we are in the right place to catch the next bus. It doesn’t always happen that way but we have found some interesting things on our way. 

If we were the other side of Kensington Gardens I would have found it easier to work things out but Middle Cat had other plans. We can try again tomorrow perhaps. The weather is due to change and I think she should see at least one outside attraction today.

We did prowl into Waterstones and get a map with bus routes on our way back.That should help. I have not forgotten the number 14 and 73 routes either.

More tomorrow and I promise better posts when I have a proper keyboard.

The Sargent Exhibition

  At Kenwood House was on the agenda yesterday. Cousin T….and his partner picked us up because they both wanted to go too.

I had not realised just how many portraits Sargent had done in charcoal. There were over 700 and this was a selection of the American heiresses he did.I think I prefer them to the paintings as they are less stiff and formal.

The real treat was revisiting the Rembrandt self portrait though. R… and I both feel the honesty in it is almost devastating. Rembrandt is verging on old age and he.has just lost his last child. His eyesight is failing and he is in dire financial straits but he is still painting and capable of revealing so much.

I also felt so relieved to be among the greens again after such a dry winter in Downunder. The variety here is so much easier to look at.

Today we are heading back to more “culture” or perhaps natural history.

London buses

 Are providing us with a great deal of entertainment. Yes, we got lost yesterday. It took us far too long to get to the Victoria and Albert as we ended up going to the terminal and back.

We had decided to do the trip in order to find out how to get there and discovered that the locals get lost too.

We will be returning them again of course because, like the BM, we have barely scratched the surface. Unfortunately the fashion gallery is closed so I have missed out on the very early textiles but there was still some interesting William Morris work on display.

Getting back was an even greater challenge because of the big anti Trump demonstration but we eventually managed an Uber at a reasonable price with the help of a lovely West Indian midwife who called one for us and stayed chatting until it arrived.

Today we are going to Kenwood with Cousin T and his partner. Tomorrow it may be back to the museums!

We explored Foyle’s

 Yesterday because I needed to buy books for young friends. We managed a bus in both directions but it was also a lot of walking. I am finding the changes in the population mix very interesting.

Today will be a decision between a return to the British Museum or finding our way to the museums in South Kensington. I think it will be the latter.  We will go back to the BM later.

Middle  Cat is coping by sitting down often and.talking to all dogs and people insight!

Exploring the British Museum

 Property would take years but I prowled in yesterday and spent seven hours on the upper floors.  Middle Cat trailed along and will need to add more data to her phone as she oohed and aahed over various things and took photos. She also added some photos to mine so I have a visual record of some things I think I can use for knitting inspiration.

I have long wanted to see the Tompion clocks they have there.His skill as a clockmaker was extraordinary. The wood wheel clocks were also so good to see.The Senior Cat always wanted to make one but felt the gears were beyond his skill level. Looking at them I could only wonder at the skill involved in cutting the wheels, especially out of the very hard timber needed topping prevent warping.

I have a photo of a particularly fine “body chain” with the links made of gold and hope to create something to remind me of it. So much of the work there could still be worn today. Even some pieces three thousand or more years old looked strangely up to date.

Middle Cat is coping by sitting on the walker frequently but we had another early night 

Exploring the bus system

 Yesterday I have discovered that Middle Cat finds it too difficult to get on and off. I find it extraordinary that she is less mobile than I am. Plans for exploring London by bus are now on hold. We might try the Tube today but it would mean walking to Queensway to get the direct line to Tottenham Court Rd.If she can manage it then we can spend hours in the BM.

There are many other places I had planned but some of them will be inaccessible for her as they have too many steps or too much walking.

I went twice the distance yesterday. Late in the afternoon I went to the little shopping street near the hotel and finally found a few postcards for people I cannot email. Today I also need to find a post office and some stamps.

Writing this on the iPad is very difficult but at least you know I am alive.

Today we ventured further afield

 And used a bus but Helen found it much more difficult than I did together on and off. This going to be a problem. She also needs to stop and rest frequently. We went to South Kensington and had a light lunch in a cafe before going into M&S,s food and picking up some salad for another meal.

We came back by taxi to a new room here.it is on the ground floor and the bathroom has a walk in shower which is so much more accessible.Helen had a snooze while I went to try and get a screw top bottle opener. I was not successful but the lovely Afghan refugee looking after the hardware shop offered to open the screw top on th water bottle at any time!

I also bought four postcards. Some of you might be lucky but they are hard to find. When Iwas last here they were cheap and plentiful. 

There will be more witterings later.