There were two min-adventures in November, both courtesy of Great Western Railway, which had a little-publicised (almost secret) special offer on during October and November, just for those of us who are 60+. Go anywhere on their network for a maximum of £24 return.
Mini-adventure 1
I had a packed day out in London for just £24 (about 2/3 of the normal charge). I was amazed at how much I managed to cram into a single day.
Kensington Gardens / Hyde Park
I walked from Paddington Station to Sloane Square and enjoyed a coffee and cake and fabulous view from the cafe at the top of Peter Jones. I even got a much-in-demand window seat. (And as I used a voucher for free coffee and cake, this was another bargain aspect of the day).
Albert Memorial with people
Then I walked from there to Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery, where I wanted to revisit some of the paintings I saw in September, in particular to remind myself of the painter of a portrait I found intriguing.
The artist’s father, by Durer (can’t manage the umlaut…)
I love the National Gallery medieval galleries
Another walk from there to Bloomsbury, where I met up with a friend for lunch.
Yes, all that, and it was still only lunchtime.
We got a bus eastwards and explored more of the area around Brick Lane. I bought beigels and cheesecake to take home with me, including something for my supper on the train home. He showed me a fascinating work space, and an even more fascinating bookshop across the road.
Then we split: he to go to his print-making class nearby, me to walk west again back to Bloomsbury where I met up with oldest son and daughter-out-law after work for a(nother) coffee and cake. It was lovely to be able to celebrate with them in person him finally (finally!) qualifying as an architect, and her passing her British Sign Language course.
Then a bus ride to Paddington and home again, after a full and delightful day, with plenty of exercise built in.
Along the way I chanced upon all these inspiring people.
Mini-adventure 2
You’ll have to come back for another post to find out about this! Back soon….
Thanks for sharing your adventure. I am a Londoner and I find it is changing around me, much more rapidly than before. My plan for the new year is to take at least one Sunday a month to re-acquaint myself with the city. I’m already heart-broken that RBS ripped the heart out of Spitalfields and called it a plaza!
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I know, the wanton destruction of old Spitalfields and around is terrible, and sadly continuing. Back in the early 80s I worked in Covent Garden when there was still a proper market there (after the main Covent Garden moved but before the whole area got Disneyfied). Now it’s hard to find anything ‘real’ there at all.
The other scary thing is the rate at which public space is being privatised, which I think is the case with the so-called plaza at Spitalfields.
I love your idea of spending Sundays exploring London. There is so much to see! I tend to decide on an area, sometimes with just one thing I know I want to see, and then see where things take me. I rarely go out without finding something I didn’t know was there.
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I can’t believe you covered so much in a day! Thanks for the photo of the Edith Cavell statue.
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When I was very young (between 4 and 8 I guess) my mum used to take me and my sister around the City of London on Saturday or Sunday mornings while my dad worked. This statue was one of the places we often went, and she always made a point of drawing our attention to it.
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