Art, the City, and an Evening at the Theatre

Wednesday we bought Travelcards at the Notting Hill Gate Station and then took the #94 to its terminus (near Her Majesty's Theatre [Phantom]) and walked to the National Galley for a highlights tour. We popped into St. Martin-in-the-Fields and had a lovely chat with a docent there. From near there on the Strand, we took a #15 (Historic Routemaster) to St. Paul's. We purchased lunch at M&S at Paternoster Square and ate on the steps of the cathedral. We crossed the Millennium Bridge to the Tate Modern before walking to the Southwark Bridge and across to the City. We headed east to St. Dunstan-in-the-East and then on to Lloyds and Leadenhall Market. We walked back to the Bank of England and (former) Royal Exchange and caught the Central Line Tube to Notting Hill and made a puchase at Tyler's (hardware/housewares store next to Mickie D's) before heading back to the Centre for a few minutes. Late afternoon, we walked down Palace Gardens (millionaire's row) to the Kensington-High-Street Wagamama for supper. We took a #9 bus (spiffy new one with an exit on the rear like the Routemasters) to Hyde Park Corner. Thence a #14 to Shaftesbury Avenue and the Guielgud Theatre for a performance of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nigh-Time. The good old #94 brought us back to Queensway for some breakfast necessities before heading home to bed.

National Gallery with St. Martin's in the distance

Wilton Diptych is a highlight

I love the false perspective of progressively smaller arches

in the Sainsbury Wing

After watching Tim's Vermeer, these are even more of a treat

The grand entry features fantastic huge flower displays

This is always a striking view

KBT takes it all in

Temporary contemporary art pieces are featured on this podium

at Trafalgar Square

St. Martin-in-the-Fields

These Routmasters take me back to our time in London 

when the kids were small

View of Fleet Street, Ludgate Hill, and St. Paul's from the 

front seat of the #15 Routemaster

Wren is my hero

Lunch

Temple Bar at Paternoster Square

Millennium Bridge 

The Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern

Remember "Shibboleth" from 2007?

The patched cracks are still there

Gherkins, Shards, Walkie Talkies, and Cheesegraters: 

the Londoners love their architectural nicknames

The Globe Theatre

KBT and DAT at SDE

The tranquil island in the City

"Peace!...serenity!...beauty!" is our creed

St. Margaret Pattens stands firm amid change

Still my favorite

Different kind of busy than in the 19th cenury

I'm surprised they don't go back to work completely sloshed

Bank of England and Royal Exchange

Palace Gardens on a beautiful evening

My favorite Wagamama

Chicken Katsu Curry and Pad Thai

The insane bendy busses are gone and these have begun to appear

The Curious Incident

We enjoyed it

Piccadilly Circus in the Night-Time

This was a beautiful, wonderful day. We will let you know later what happens today. As Uncle likes to say, "It's a negotiation."

That's all for now.

OXO

D.