London 2019 Day Five

Rain was predicted for the afternoon, so we tried to get our adventure done this morning. SKT and AW had tickets for a showing of Clockwork Orange, so we split up. Kris and I bussed up the hill to Kenwood House. The ride is wonderful, traveling through the heart of London, then up through new high-density developments behind King's Cross and St. Pancras International Stations, and then along lots of pleasant older middle-class streets. When one changes buses at Archway Station and heads up into Highgate, the real estate becomes leafy, green, refined, and posh. Kenwood is lovely and has a small but wonderful collection of art. Because the rain started as we were leaving, we headed back to Oxford Street and M&S to pick up a spiffy rain coat for Kris and some soup for a late lunch. When Stephen and Ann returned, we went for a last supper at De Amicis, an Italian restaurant around the corner, and Stephen and I had a small cup of gelato to finish off the meal.

Mid morning on a Sunday, Oxford Street was all ours

From Selfridges to Oxford Circus in just eight seconds 

 There was no view of "the rooftops of London" from the Heath today

 Robert Adam's redesign of Kenwood House

 A beautiful late-winter day

 These aren't my favorite (as Evy likes to say), but they 

were nice today

 These look like azaleas, but not so sure -- awfully pretty though

 A cozy fire in the coal grate in the entry hall at Kenwood

 Library

 This house makes me feel like I have stepped into an 

English period drama

 One of two really wonderful Rembrandts at Kenwood

 One of 43 Vermeers in the world

 Georgian-era row houses in Bloomsbury taken through the 

 front window at the top of the 390 bus

 We didn't go in, but Selfridges, the grand dame of Oxford Street, 

is more interesting than its simpler cousin next door, 

Marks and Spencer, where we did go in

 Sitting area of our flat has a small black message board and a bowl

of letters so guests can create personalized messages

Annie has done her part to keep us entertained

 Over the years I have walked past this place hundreds

of times, but this was the first time we have eaten there,

and it was very good

 bruschetta

 Veal, tagliatelli with fungi, bolognese, and sea bass

New gelato shop where Starbucks used to be

We are packing and getting ready for our Delta flight direct to SLC tomorrow morning. We can watch lots of movies going west because there is no reason to try and sleep to avoid jet lag (which for me is always worse flying west toward home). See you soon.

OXO

D.