Day 49 15-06-2014 Sun London

What we thought was our last full day was dedicated to a visit back to the National Gallery to see, in particular, Leonardo’s Virgin of the Rocks that so captivated me last time in 2011. 

National Gallery and St Martin-in-the-Fields on Trafalgar Square

We did see that, but I now have a new favourite – Pietro Perugino’s Virgin and Child with Angels. This was a triptych with St Michael in the first panel, the virgin in the middle, and another angel on the right. We were delighted to be able to buy on-demand prints of each of the right-hand two panels in the gallery shop, produced by a massive HP printer. 

Perugino's Madonna and Child Triptych

My enthusiasm for images of Virgin and Child continues. The NG is full of them – there must easily have a hundred of them. Another artist whose version of this image appealed to us was Andrea del Verrochio.

Around Trafalgar Square

 

Nelson's clumn with London Eye in background

Admiralty Arch at the top of The Mall, off Trafalgar Square

The Mall through Admiralty Arch, with a view to Buckingham Palace

The Mall

This morning at breakfast, we were asked if we had seen the Trooping of the Colour. We were appalled that we had missed this. However, today we had a sort of consolation prize. On exiting the NG we were confronted with a Hare Krishna procession in full swing right outside. It consisted of people dancing in the street and pulling by hands on rope three floats tht were then position right outside the NG entrance steps on Trafalgar Square. It looked like they were dishing out free lunches too, 

pulling the float

but we’d already had a very nice lunch in the NG café. The beer I had there really impressed me, considering it was in a bottle.

We skirted around this and made our way via Whitehall to the Parliament buildings, crossing the Westminster Bridge to walk along the south embankment to the Jubilee Bridge and back to Westminster station for our return home. The city was full of people today, but then it was Sunday, so a lot of families out and about. We continue to be amazed by the sheer diversity of people in this city.

Horseguard

Horseguard

Jubilee Bridge and train station

Whitehal Cort

Aussies need not cringe

There was a bit of drama on this trip. We had changed lines at Green Park and Oxford Circus, but were told at Marble Arch that the train was terminating there, due to “emergency trackwork”. A likely story – probably another jumper according to Joan. As a consequence we to walk about a mile back to our hotel.

Marble Arch

We had an excellent dinner at Santorini, a Greek restaurant nearby (just off the Queensway on Moscow Rd) in honour of B&H’s safe return from those parts. Even the Greek wine was very good.

This will be the last blog post from England. There will be a wrap up on our return, so look again in two or three days' time.