Our day began with some excitement. We hear sirens constantly from our flat, but this morning they were going crazy. We looked out the window and saw smoke billowing from a buildings west of us. we learned tonight that a candle had started the fire, and that two people had to be rescued. They interviewed an American staying in an airbnb in the burning building, and I must say that our clogged plumbing was better than a fire!
Today was our last day in London and we went our separate ways, Stephen and Ann to the South Bank and we to Kensington High Street, Chelsea and Westminster. We walked along King's Road from Sloan Square to the Physic Garden. The garden was established in 1673 by The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries of London as a place to grow medicinal plants and herbs. Except for a physic garden in Oxford, it is the oldest in England. Sir Hans Sloane, a high-society/royal physician was an early benefactor.
We walked along the Chelsea Embankment and caught a bus back to Sloane Square where we joined the District Line to Westminster. We shared a small picnic with the pigeons on Parliament Square before visiting Westminster Abbey. We caught a 148 bus back to Notting Hill where we reconnected with the Taylor-Woodburys for supper at The Mall Tavern, a lively gastropub just down on the bend from where we often caught busses that go down Kensington Church Street.
A screengrab of the fire from a news video (our building is
the large one on the left)
Smoke engulfing Campden Hill
A quick stop at M&S for Kris to buy a replacement for her
worn-out leather gloves
High Street Kensington Station
Sloane Square
An intriguing Art-Deco apartment building that put me in
mind of Masie's flat in the Masie Dobbs novels
The Chelsea Physic Garden
The four-acre plot is surrounded by wonderful Victorian houses
A bright burst of fall color
Beautiful tulip tree blossoms
"A prettyish little wilderness"
Sir Hans Sloane
The Chelsea Embankment on the Thames
Christopher Wren's Chelsea Royal Hospital -- still used by
army pensioners
Apple is turning the iconic Battersea Power Station into their
UK headquarters, which makes me super happy -- only 1 1/4 of the
four smoke stacks are still up while they are being rebuilt
I love the diversity in London
Parliament with the Shard in the far distance
Ham, cheese, and pickle
Westminster Abbey
Forbidden photos are the sweetest (if I paid, I'm
gonna get my photo!)
The arcade
The Chapter House
The cloister, towers, and butresses
The Mall Tavern (that's Kensington Church Street ahead)
Another nice window seat
The SKT/DAT England group
Me: lamb shank with colecannon (cabbage and potatoes)
Kris: Beef rib and coleslaw
Final evening walk back to the flat
This was another terrific trip and we are sad to leave, but all good things come to an end. We are off tomorrow for home. So this all for now.
OXO
D.
r
