Day 3 - London

We are still working out how to get in a rhythm with sleep, but we were up and at it earlier today than prior days, so we are moving in the right direction. 



Camden Market

On the recommendation of his London-based co-worker, Tony ventured us out to Camden Market.  The picture does not do it justice.  It was a sprawling marketplace full of clothing, food, accessories, weird accessories-like old English corsets, smoking paraphernalia, and incense stores.  All of the walkways were cobblestones and the vendors operated out of what once were stables (in the early 1800s).  It was like a gigantic Berkeley, with more incense, aggressive Chinese food vendors, a preponderance of steam punk gear, and hoards very artistic looking people.  Nearly everyone there was much, much hipper than we are, but, as far as I could tell, no one pointed and stared.  Tony got a dapper newsboy-esque hat that I love, so it was a win. Lunch there, sadly, left a bomb in our stomachs, but we found a way to make it on the tube in search of the National Portrait Gallery.
Though Tony and I have both been to London twice before, this was our first visit to the National Portrait Gallery (and the British Museum yesterday).  We weren't sure what to expect, or what our patience level would be for portraits, but we both enjoyed the experience.  The first room we entered showed portraits of royal family members who had some kind of disgraceful scandal. So, while the portraits were exactly what you would expect, the placards explaining the portraits were riveting.  I think the amount of gossip we got in the first room kept us going. The gallery housed one of the few portraits of one of my favorite authors, Jane Austin. There were also beautiful portraits of Queen Victoria, I really like my name, and Queen Elizabeth, below.  My favorite find was a portrait of Beatrix Potter, who wrote Peter Rabbit, my favorite children's book.  Doesn't she look like she could be Mr. McGregor's wife?


Da Bard

Per the placard, Winston hated this portrait

Beatrix Potter! 




Queen E, looking like a badass. 



Sir Paul




















After the portrait museum, we wandered to Trafalgar Square.  One of my favorite things about London is the music performed on the streets and in the subways.  It is all very good.  Tonight in Trafalgar Square was no exception, though the acoustic guitar drowned out the carolers and the music that accompanied the fire juggler, no Tony didn't participate this time, drowned them both out.  It was only about 4:30 when we took this picture, but it was dark and the lights from the tree, and the fountain were sparkly.  The weather has been very comfortable and we have slept through most of the rain.  Every day I have been a bit too warm with all of my warm clothes, so it strikes me as unseasonably warm in the mid to high 50s. 

The comfortable weather and holiday season made Oxford Street a madhouse of people on the walk back to the hotel.  We were rewarded by the hotel staff with freshly roasted chestnuts.  (Yes, they were roasted on an open fire!)  This whole visit we have seen so much Christmas spirit.  There was a family yesterday at dinner who all had the silly little paper crowns that is the Christmas tradition here.  Nearly one in 10 people are wearing reindeer antlers on the street, and about 20% of the people are wearing ridiculous Christmas sweaters. 

We stayed in tonight because we were drawn to our hotel's restaurant.  They had a traditional holiday dinner with turkey, stuffing, brussel sprouts, potatoes, etc.  Since it will probably be our only traditional meal, we jumped at the opportunity.  After dinner, we popped over to Winston Churchill's bar, also in the hotel, for a cocktail.  The décor in the bar was fun, kind of like a swanky living room, with a bar in it, but there were interesting decorations, like hand written letters from Princess Charlotte, and old photos of Winston Churchill. Outside the bar is a beautiful terrace, also elaborately decorated, presumably for the holidays.  That's where we ran into this bronze statue of Mr. Churchill.