APRIL 25, 2013
It was an adjustment going from a king bed in Paris to a queen in London. Where do you put your limbs so they’re not touching your partner’s? The answer is above your head. But then your arms fall asleep and you wake yourself up. 
Negotiations happened (with the limbs) and we slept pretty soundly – definitely less traffic and sirens than in Paris. We woke up and got ready for the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. We pretty much depend on Google maps as they have transit options, and having learned our lesson with the amount we paid on the Tube (8 pounds EACH), the bus at 1.75 pounds seemed much better. There was a protest at Trafalgar so the bus stopped early, but we found it fairly easily, after a stop at Costa Coffee for a Latte and a Sausage Roll. Londoners have been helpful and kind, with cheeky senses of humor, which I appreciate.
The National Gallery is a treasure. Free, asking for donations only, we got in right at 10 and set off on our art journey. First painting we see is “the Execution of Lady Jane Grey” enormous, breathtaking, almost like a photograph it’s so clear. Renoir, Monet, and Seurat came next. Toulouse-Latrec, Van Gogh, Picasso, Gainsborough, Constable, Caravaggio, Velazquez, El Greco, Botticelli, DaVinci, Rembrandt, and Michaelangelo… and those were just who I’d heard of. Gallery after gallery full of English, Flemish, Dutch… from everywhere. It was almost overwhelming. I think one of the painters was featured on “Downton Abbey” – della Francesca, I recognized the style, and the crow.
St. Martin in the Fields for a quick look around. It’s a quiet, dark wood and stone church, famous for its choir and evensong. I can imagine it on Sundays full of parishioners, singing along, the organ rumbling through the hall.
We took in as much as we could of Trafalgar Square then, stupidly, got on the Tube. I thought maybe the bus would get stuck in traffic or whatever, and there are a lot of road closures and delays, mostly due to “Chuck” being inaugurated next week, or whatever the word is. I keep my cards close to the vest on that one, especially on this trip and around Londoners. You never know who’s for or against the monarchy. Another $20 Tube ride for four stops.
Our laundry was ready – YAY! London has such soft water, the clothes were super clean and felt like velvet. Got ready for our next appointment – High Tea at Fortnum & Mason, I put on my red, white, and blue best and we cabbed it there. I was literally, gobsmacked. Chocolate, tea, jams, biscuits, crackers, coffee, mustard, pickles… any comestibles you could think about, they had, in beautiful packages. We wandered around a bit as we were early, promising to come back when we had more time to spend.
I am so proud of my husband for liking to look nice. There were so many men there in jeans and t-shirts, c’mon guys, go for a bit of fun and faff! Why not? Sean and I had a glass of champagne first, then picked our tea type, and sat back to take in the loveliness. F&M’s signature is butterflies, and brightly colored paper ones were everywhere, setting off the robin’s egg blue, cream, and gold decor. Take a look at the goodies we were served – finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, lemon curd, and jam, and exquisite petit-fours. Then there were two types of cake, and chocolate tartlets if you had any room left. We didn’t. We ended up taking a doggy bag in a cute F&M box back. Sean let me wander for a few minutes while he snuck a ciggie (does he think I don’t know? lol), and I had a jaunt about the accessories and perfume floor. Such beautiful items, all packaged gorgeously. A woman in a full burka approached me. “Good afternoon, Madam, would you like a complementary touch-up of your makeup?” Oh, I was tempted. I thanked her but said I was going home to bed. She said she loved my outfit. 
In a shocking twist, we were hungry again by 7. Determined to stay close by, we went into Bone Daddies, a ramen restaurant, but for a much younger crowd. We didn’t care. It looked good, and was close by! English people like their heat – curries, Thai, peppers… we threw caution to the wind and ordered the seared Padrón peppers with sweet & spicy sauce, duck bao buns with hoisin, and ramen with “cock scratchings” – they take chicken skin, fry it, and crumble it up with spices to put on top. Dayuuuum. Delish. It was communal seating and we chatted with a trio of 2 girls and a guy, we made them laugh, and it was nice to not be afraid to say hello. We snarfed it all down before we could get a picture! But that bib one is worth it.
We were definitely done for the day, and came back to the Mandeville for one last drink.
The Fat-Bottomed Girl's Guide To Travel 