Day 17 London

 Another day by myself.  I dont complaining.  I love being with my friends, but I also appreciate to just be free in London.  

Chantal and Raymond went to visit Battersea Power Station.  They find it quite impressive, especially the way they managed to preserve the original structure.

 

 

After that visit, they went to the National Gallery.  Chantal was interested to see the impressionnists.

Of course they saw the portaits of The King and the Queen.

Trafalgar was very crowdy on the saturday afternoon.  There was several groups of dancers and protesters, in addition to the many tourists. Trafalgar is always so lively !

 

Anne and Alex went to see Sir John Soane Museum, who was a great architect in London. 

   

They didn't go home for dinner. They went to a country evening at the crypt of St. Martin-in-the-Field.

As for me, I wanted to see Mr. Bean statue in Leicester Square, so there I went.  But the square was close for a private event.  I was able to see the statue from a distance.  We also can see mary Poppins, Paddington, Harry Potter, Charlie Chaplin and many others.

I walked by the Chineese quarter to go at Foyle for the lunch.  Foyle is a big bookstore in London.  I bought a book about the Beatles.  yes, another one.  These are interviews with many people who were closely or loosely connected with the Beatles.  Interesting !  

 

I had a light lunch there before heading to Soho Square, where MPL is located.  MPL is the office of Paul McCartney.  I think he wasn't there.  But the Square was full of people.

 

On my way, near Leicester Square, I saw several very beautiful buildings.

 

Day 16 London

 Today, I was alone again. I went to explore David Bowie's neighborhood. Bowie was originally from Brixton. It's a working-class but vibrant neighborhood in South London, known for its markets and lively scene. Upon arrival, I was initially surprised by the major difference between Chelsea and Brixton. I felt like I wasn't in the same country.

I walked along Electric Avenue, the title of a 1982 Eddie Grant song. The title refers to Brixton's Electric Avenue, where the first market to be lit by electricity was located. The market stretches over several lanes where you can find a wide variety of products: food, clothing, and other items.

I didn't take many photos because I felt it would have been intrusive for everyone present.

 

 

For lunch I when in on of the little cafés in the Market : The Joint.  It was a nice place to do people watching. 

I came back in the mid-afternoon after a stop for grocery.  I took advantage of this time to do my laundry.  

Without consulting each other, my friends went to visit Moco, where I went the day before. They also vist the Mercato Mayfair : Chantal and Raymond for the lunch, Anne and Alex for the collation.  

Chantal and Raymond went to Selfridges.  Chantal was impress by the quantity of choice for each item.

Tonight, we went at Coté Brasserie.  Such a nice friday evening !  Chantal and I, we said to ourself  that Friday night is Friday night and that no matter where we are, we celebrate friendship.  It is a must ! It was a very pleasant night with our friends. And to make the moment even better, everyone's meal was excellent. We even shared a dessert. It was like a festive evening. A festive Friday, just the way I like them.

 

Day 15 london

 Today, I was doing my things alone, by myself.  My fellow friends went all at Kew Garden.  They came back very happy of their visit. 

Here are few pictures of the visit.

  

 

I had already visited this magnificent Bonaparte garden, so I didn't return. My goal was to go to Moco, a modern art museum, and have lunch in a former Mayfair church converted into a food hall.

As the bus was stuck in traffic, I decided to have lunch there before visiting the museum.

St. Mark's Church, deconsecrated in 1974, now offers two floors of international cuisine, a rooftop terrace, a wine bar, and a community space. It's now called Mercato Mayfair. It's a beautiful place for lunch, and the selection of cuisines is vast. I opted for Indian cuisine and didn't regret it. It was absolutely delicious.

 

 

After lunch, I went for Mocco.  Mocco is a museum exhibiting original works by the greatest icons of modern and contemporary art : Banksy, warhol, Haring, Basquiat, Kusam... There is also an exhibition of digital art in the basement.  I stayed there for more than hour.  I was so impress.

 

 

 

 

I went in a miror labyrinthe and I wasn't sure I could do that without having an accident, biut I did it.  I was proud of me !

After the visit I went at Selfridge for a collation, at Lola's Cupcakes.

And I came back home.  Tonight we had supper at home with pasta, salad and vino... of course.

Day 14 London

 Day of arrival for Anne and Alex.  

Before Anne and Alex arrival, Chantal Raymond and me went for a tour at the Royal Albert Hall.  We reserved the tour a long time ago.  It was emotional for me to go back there.  It remaind me the concert I went to in Marsh 2022.  

 

Queen Victoria opened the Royal Albert Hall in 1871 as a tribute to her late and beloved husband, Prince Albert.  It was to fulfil his dream of promoting understanding and appreciation of the Arts and Sciences in the heart of South Kensington.The tour showed us the auditorium and the stalls.  We saw the royal stall and the room where the monarchie get reunited before the concert.  

A crew was on hand to set up the stage for the Arcade Fire concert.

Many celebrities have performed at the Royal Albert Hall, including Pavarotti, the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Billy Holliday, Lisa Minelli, and many others, including the Beatles.

After lunch, I went home to greet Anne and Alex. Chantal and Raymond went to the Science and Natural History Museum. They also visited Harrods.

After Anne and Alex moved in, I went to visit the Chelsea Gardener. As soon as I arrived in London, I walked past it and wondered what the inside looked like. This time, I went inside. I had no idea it was so big. From the outside, it looked rather small.

 

Tonight, we went to the pub all the group..  A very nice evening with my firends.