We planned a full day in London - the tube is so efficient, you can get to many places very easily and quickly - we haven’t waited more than a few minutes at any stop. 1st stop - St. Paul’s cathedral, it’s huge with a lot to see, including the crypt - but no photography allowed - bummer. Next stop was Kensington Palace. It’s about 25 minutes from the heart of London. The grounds are expansive and much of it has been converted into a big park - it was a nice day and people were enjoying the park and the sunshine. The palace is smaller than you might think, some rooms were very simple and others were quite opulent. Back into the city to The Tate Modern. Saw some great works of art - Picasso, Mondrian, Pollock, Dali, Giacometti and many more. We had a simple dinner and pint at a pub. Mission accomplished!
A church has been on the spot of St. Paul’s Cathedral since 604AD. After the great fire of 1666, famous .architect, Sir Christopher Wren created the baroque masterpiece. What is amazing is that during WWII, there were 57 nights of bombing, yet, the Nazis failed to destroy the cathedral. Everything about it is over-the-top. If you saw Prince Charles and Diana’s wedding - this is where it took place.
Kensington Palace exterior. The statue is of Queen Victoria. This was the royal residence before Buckingham Palace. Will and Kate live in a fully renovated apartment here, and Prince Harry lives in a “cottage” on the grounds as well - we didn’t see them though.
This is the grand staircase leading into the King’s part of the castle. This section of the house is the most opulent - amazing paintings, frescos, furniture, flooring - the most fun to look at for sure.
This is a secluded sunken garden on the grounds, lovingly cared for. We fed peanuts to a few of the inhabitants - a couple birds and their babies.
This Picasso is in the Tate Modern - a converted powerhouse just on the other side of the river from St. Paul’s cathedral. The museum is free - a nice surprise when we got there. This is “Weeping Woman”, 1937 by Pablo Picasso - painted in response to the bombing massacre (by the Nazis) in the town of Guernica.
Victor Vasarely - “Supernovae”, 1959-61. He is known as the father of op art. We have one of his silk screen prints - it’s so cool to see his work in a big museum like this.
We encountered a spontaneous bubble invasion while walking along the Thames River.