Kensington Gardens |
Chelsea Flower Show |
Chelsea Flower Show |
Christ College Oxford |
Hyde Park London |
It has been nice to stop a while in one place and also somewhere familiar. I stayed in the same hotel last year when I was here for the Proms.
The weather was lovely on Wednesday but it then turned cool and very changeable.
On Wednesday, after doing some necessary mundane shopping and having a haircut, I walked in Kensington Gardens (photo 1) which are only a few blocks from my hotel. It was very enjoyable and I would have liked to have done more but felt it wiser to return for a rest as I had a ticket that night to ‘Jersey Boys’. I enjoyed the show with the nostalgia of the songs of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
Thursday I went to the Chelsea Flower Show. When I planned my trip I had not realised I would be in London at the time of the show. Fortunately I discovered the dates coincided in time to make a booking as it was booked out. I spent 5 hours there. The flowers in the main show tent were stunning. Thankfully the knowledge that I would not pass NZ customs prevented me spending a fortune on seeds. I tried to take photos, I took over 90 (Photos 2 & 3) with the labels but guess it will be hard to source the same back home. There were intermittent showers and sunshine and by 2 pm the crowds meant it was getting hard to move around so I left and was back in my hotel when a severe thunderstorm struck.
That night I went to the Globe Theatre and saw “Much Ado About Nothing” It was an experience. Although I paid for a cushion, the seat had no back and I had not studied that play at school. It was very different form ‘Jersey Boys’.
On Friday I went by train to Oxford. The morning was spent wandering the streets and I did see part of Christ College and the cathedral (Photo 4). Other colleges were closed due to being the last day of term.
However I had a lovely afternoon having lunch with Malcolm and his wife. Malcolm was a student at Kingsgrove High in my first year of teaching and went on the tour of New Zealand that year. He was a very close mate of Garry who died recently and we reconnected as a result. They now live near Windsor and kindly drove over to meet and take me to lunch. We talked until nearly 5 pm. Fortunately Friday night was my night ‘off’.
On Saturday I visited the laundromat, it has been nice not to wash each night in the bathroom. As the weather was still changeable, I went to nearby Notting Hill and the Portobello Road markets. I was tempted by some antique prints of Sydney but decided they would be too much hassle. Just as well there were none of Dunedin.
Then after another afternoon’s rest I went to see ‘Wicked’ The staging is brilliant and lively but I do not feel any of the tunes are memorable, unlike ‘Phantom’ or ‘Les Miz’. None stayed in my head to remove ‘Walk like a man’ or “My eyes adored you’ from Jersey Boys.
Today, Sunday, I attended Eucharist at a nearby church then walked around Hyde Park (Photo 5) in a very cold wind. I have photocopied notes of park walks from a book out of the library which makes these walks more interesting. I will be back at this hotel for my final day in Europe so may do another in 3 weeks time.
Now it is 'Back on the road again'
3 comments:
Looking forward to seeing photos of Leeds!
I just love your travelogues. My mom was a travel agent (retiring last year at 89) and like you traveled the world. Her favorite city was London. And her favorite country was New Zealand.
Thanks Birdie
Your Mother has great tastes
Obviously New Zealand is my favourite country , but I would put Paris before London as my favourite city.
Post a Comment