I'd arrived at my hotel late in the afternoon and decided exploring the old haunt of Queensway on Friday night would be good way to reacquaint myself and starve off any jetlag. Not too much has changed - the area has a bit more of an Chinese restaurant vibe than I remember but the pubs are still there on the corners. The beautiful Whiteleys building, which many of the Dean Court boys worked to help build in 1987 is sadly now pretty much a white elephant. Coming out of Whiteleys I was shocked to be schat upon with a disgusting, slimy green pigeon poo. Not the best way to start my trip having to clean out my hair and jacket in the ladies toilets unless if course you follow the superstition that bird shit 'brings good luck'!!
On Saturday morning the markets at nearby Portobello Rd were as crowded and popular as ever. But I'm not tempted by ancient silver pieces, or keen to try to get any precious fine English bone china cups back home in one piece either.
But one of my main reasons to come back to London was to see some theatre. Saturday saw the first two productions ticked off the list. The matinee production of the unique and amazing Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night - I book I read about 10 years ago, did not disappoint. It was beautifully and cleverly worked onto the stage and provided an enlightening peek into the world of autism.
With a couple of hours to spare between shows I wandered around the West End and past one of our favourite old haunts - the famous (or should that be infamous?) Wong Kei Chinese restaurant. Kathleen and Louise D - You'll be pleased to know that despite the nostalgia for this place that is renowned for its cheap food, fast service and rude waiters, I resisted the temptation to queue up on the stairs to wait for spare seat at their communal tables.
Jersey Boys although not a priority on the must see list of plays, was a delightful production and provoked a surprisingly emotional response in me.
Sunday provided the opportunity to explore the newer parts of London. Venturing onto the southern side of the river Thames, the towering Shard building beckoned me for drink on the 32nd floor. It's only a tad cheaper to buy a drink than pay the entrance fee for the viewing floor higher up but I was able to relax and take in the views of Tower Bridge, St Paul's Cathedral, and the monument to the Great fire of London. Glass, steel and concrete 21st century buildings look down over the ancient and iconic buildings below.
The new and ultra modern buildings are infiltrating not only the vista but the language of London. Their names have been superseded with nicknames like only the Brits can provide - the Gherkin, the Cheese Grater, Walkie Talkie and Armidillo! When you see the buildings it's easy to identify them.
Working my way back to Harrods, I bought lunch to take away and headed over to Hyde Park for an impromptu picnic. It seemed like most of London was out in the park that afternoon, family groups picnicking, peddling on the Sepentine in paddle boats feeding the ducks. It was only after I sat down on the park bench beside the lake that I realised that my choice of wrap may not have been the most appropriate - Hoi Sin Duck! Oops. Sorry little birds.
Catching up with Lucy, the honorary Aussie from my tour of Turkey last year was great. We ventured south to the magnificent Hampton Court Palace - Henry VIII' home where we found ourselves amazed at the craftsmanship of the buildings and beauty of the gardens. It was in stark comparison to the ancient but also magnificent ruins we had seen all over Turkey. We enjoyed a short play- about a Shakespearean play, in the grand hall and found ourselves lost in the grounds and the maze. Dampening weather called for a tactical retreat from the maze!!!
Recognise anyone?
Trying to tick off some of the icons that I never got around to seeing when I lived in London in '87, Windsor Castle was next on my list. I timed it nicely as Her Majesty was in residence, for the changing of the guard, I then queued up with the hundreds of other visitors to see Queen Mary's dolls house and the State Apartments. Lizzy lives on the other side of the buildings but it's still amazing to think that you can be casually wandering around the home of such highly guarded people.
I'm assuming that the range rover to the far right of the pic is Lizzy's!!!
As I strolled through the village of Windsor a name struck me - Marco Pierre Whyte. Here was one of his restaurants and its was lunchtime. I've always loved him on Masterchef so in I went. Sadly it was a very disappointing meal. My wine arrived in a chipped glass and the gnocchi I ordered had a completely different sauce to that described on the menu. The gnocchi were very much on the chewy side - not the little fluffy potato pillows I expected and the excuse for the different sauce somewhat pathetic. Not keen to recommend.
Tuesday certainly turned into a rather hectic day. Arriving back in Bayswater late afternoon, the weather was still clear with patches of blue sky. Despite being quite exhausted from walking around Windsor, I knew that the weather was not going to be as kind for the rest of the week so I jumped back on the tube and headed for the giant Ferris wheel down by the river Thames. The London Eye provides some lovely views over London.
The play gods are on my side - the only return is a single, stalls, 8th row smack bang in the middle - Bingo!!! As I sat down, the parents of the girl who was unable to make it were delighted to know that the ticket had been taken. The mum also mentioned that she hoped I wasn't easily offended as the play is quite crude. It was quite a fun and funny play, although somewhat school-boy toilet humour at times. Loved the story and ending. Glad I was able to see it.
Wednesday bought another double header at the theatre - Kinky Boots and The End of Longing.
Before heading over to the Strand for Kinky Boots, I stopped at the National Library and found myself on the third floor enjoying a lunch overlooking Westminster and the grey clouds and rain making their way towards me. It amazing to think that you can have such great views from only the third floor!! Wish I had had the time to stay for the Vogue exhibition. Looked interesting.
Kinky Boots is definitely my pick of the week - a vibrant, engaging and hilarious musical. It's coming to Melbourne early next year so go out and get a ticket.
The End of Longing is a Matthew Perry play he has written and directs as well as has the leading roll. It was an unknown for me but a change of pace from the musicals. It was an interesting play making for a change from the mostly musicals I had seen so far.
One day left and London has Thursday matinee sessions. Which play to see? I choose the Carol King tribute Beautiful. A fabulous nostalgic journey of her life, and the music of the 60s and early 70s. I thoroughly enjoyed it from a front row balcony seat! Being a single traveller can have its advantages.
Thursday night had been reserved for a catchup with my honorary niece - Naomi. Enjoyed the pub dinner and hearing all the gossip. Thanks D for showing me your adopted home town of Cheswick. I can fully understand why you chose to live there. Oh and not to mention introducing me to some great gelati!
What a week it's been. Seen six plays, a castle and a palace, caught up with a couple of friends and saw London from above. Goals achieved!
Next stop - Leiden in The Netherlands!
