For The Love of Travel

Walked to Leicester Square and then past the Hippodrome to Leicester Station tube – easy to purchase a ticket, just a £1.75 flat rate for each trip by tap at gate entrance.

Love Magic Mike and great its fun that’s it’s still happening…the Hippodrome has incredible statues on its roof. Took the Picadillly line to Kensington and had a look at Harrods. Its the same labyrinth of a store I remember from decades ago. Cafe Erol in Kensington High St is new though – catering for anyone who loves middle eastern savoury and sweet flavours.

I booked to go to one of my fave (Polish) restaurants in previously experienced London 5 decades ago at least….’Ognisko’. It was like old home week…with a menu that had been jazzed up for international expectations. I ordered a delicious pierogi starter…..

and a pork schnitzel ‘main’, and spicy pear cocktail. Yumm!

I got notice that there’s an EID festival happening on Saturday @ Trafalgar Square, so to take a pic before the event management crew came in…… here it is…(note to self, must find a venue out of this area!).

You have to line up to see plays in London…this wasn’t a terribly long one, thank goodness. And I loved this 15thC chappy at St Martin-in-the-Fields wall.

‘Oh Mary’ @ the Trafalgar Theatre has rave reviews, billed as an uproarious black comedy about the life of Mary Todd Lincoln, wife of Abraham Lincoln, in the lead up to the time of Lincoln’s assassination. It’s panto, it’s big, it’s loud. And it’s won BAFTA awards. So I got a ticket. OMG, you can “see the jokes coming around the corner before the punchlines drop. The camp comedy contains less subversion, more American-pie level of puerile humour'”(thank you Guardian review). I endured 1.5 hrs of this and was grateful to leave. Despite Catherine Tate being one of the lead characters.

I discovered a lovely ‘hidden’ bar called Larry’s, (part of the National Portrait Gallery) just around the corner from my hotel. Loved the 1985 portrait of Michael Caine and Bob Hoskins…and 1983 of Annie Lennox!

First cab off the rank was a visit to St Dunstan in the East, a church first built on the site of this garden in Saxon times. It was restored by St Dunstan in 950 AD and then rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire in 1697. Only the tower of the Wren church survives. The garden was laid out following severe damage in the blitz and made available to the public in 1967. Back on the main road, spied the incredible Sky Garden building, vaulting over the top of older buildings below. Makes quite an impression.

Happened to passby an ‘Atis’ food chain store, “real food that fuels your next move”. I looked them up and I believe there are 15 across London…all protein/veggie meals-focussed, that you take away. You order via computer on store entry, queue to confirm order with staff, then pick up bowls and pay at the end of the circuit…and either sit and eat at available tables….or go to benches in St Dunstan’s gardens over the road.

No.1 – Chick pea, harissa, tahini; No. 2 – Chicken jalapeno taco! No.3 – Green Goddess + Harissa Honey Thigh…and there are mnay, many more combos. You get dietary info also, cals and nutrient analysis.

Caught the no.15 bus to Aldgate East station and walked to see Brick Lane street art. Was a tad disappointed with the offerings as most of the ‘art’ was tagging. But nevertheless managed to find some interesting ones…see what you think.

Met Adrian Boswell in his studio…..he’s a well-known East London collage artist who mixes the surrealism of Salvador Dali with the humour of Monty Python. Adrian says about his work: “I enjoy collage, finding the right material in magazines and photographing objects. The exciting thing about surrealism is that you create a fantasy world where everything is right”. He’s exhibiting soon in Sydney and told me he has $6m in pre-orders – of which he gets 30% from his promoters, so he’s very pleased! 

When I got to Waterloo Place to go to dinner @Wild Honey, there was a fabulous blue hue to the light and the Crimea Memorial looked amazing…

I also noticed the ‘Iconic Image Gallery’ over the road…..so glad I went in. Such fabulous images. I didn’t take a pic of my fave because the lighting on it created streaks and shadows, making it ugly to photo…but an incredible shot of an iceberg/shelf calving. But for my and your pleasure…love these ones below!

Woo hoo…dinner tonight is at Wild Honey St James, a highly acclaimed, one-Michelin-starred restaurant located at the Sofitel London St James, which offers a ‘bistronomy approach’ pioneered by chef Anthony Demetre since 2006 – where British produce is prepared using classic French techniques. I had the Cumbrian lamb slow-cooked shoulder, celeriac fondant, with chermoula and walnut as my ‘main’. Tasty.

For dessert, I had to order the the signature “Custard Cocktail”, a creamy, indulgent blend of vodka, custard, cedro lemon, milk, and nutmeg, designed to be paired with the restaurant’s famous “It has to be Custard” dessert, which features a silky custard tart. The custard was heavenly and I loved the thin and crispy pastry base so much, I asked one of the wait staff about it… I soon got the chef himself Anthony D coming to my table (pâte sucrée he confirmed) ….suffice to say we got into a conversation about Australian gastronomy; the theatrical talents of Lesley Manville and one of her previous partners, Gary Oldman; Anthony’s soft spot for anything with dairy in it; the importance of bees; bicycling in the mountains; French auberges and his passion for aromatised wine. Wow, quite the wide-ranging conversation. He was delightful.

The Sofitel London St James offers afternoon tea in another area of the ground floor, especially designed for the event…what do you think??

Amazing news…Transport Canada ( after many weeks of me asking ‘what do I need to do to be able to fly my drone in your country’)…has finally sent me a link to an exam I have to pass, and told me then to submit the pilot certificate (if I’m successful), with the application form for a SFOC (Special Flight Operators Certificate), that I need as a foreigner. Well, you’d be pleased to know that I passed exam with flying colours, and am now waiting for the operators certificate! OMG! As my friend Christine said, “anyone would think you’re applying to fly a drone in the Ukraine, rather than over beautiful Mounties 🙂 scenery and wildlife!” 🙂

Got news just this minute that I’ve been approved an (SFOC) Ops certificate…. Yay!…When I’ve left the country, I’m going to helpfully suggest some amendments to their existing processes.

Another day of hiding ‘in art’…back to the National Portrait Gallery to explore …..left to right.. Letitia Wright is renowned for her acting and is such a stunning portrait. Next, Oscar Wilde, 1854-1900, flamboyant personality, a celebrated writer for his razor-sharp wit and literary masterpieces, imprisoned for homosexual ‘offences’. And then there’s Mary Seacole (1805-81), a pioneering nurse from Jamaica! She should be as famous as Florence in my opinion…for her brave nursing work and entrepreneurship on the front lines of the Crimean war. Overcoming intense racial prejudice, she established the “British Hotel”, to care for wounded soldiers and became an iconic Victorian heroine!

Alan Turing, 1912-54, is widely regarded as the father of modern computing. He cracked the ‘enigma code’ used by the Nazis. He helped pioneer AI. He was arrested for ‘homosexuality’, tried and agreed to ‘hormonal treatment’ to avoid prison. At 41, he used cyanide to take his own life. SOO sad to loose such an incredible intellect and person. And then there was…Christine Granville (1908-52), aka Countess Krystyna Skarbek – the first and and longest serving British special agent of WW2. Granville’s contributions included securing the defection of a German garrison and smuggling out intelligence exposing Hitler’s plans to invade the Soviet Union.

I just love the spontaneity and ‘natural nature’ of the first photo ( the guys were trying to get away from dogs) and the Spice gals were below. And Elton (b:1947), such a great portrait!

And with his family…Elijah, David, Elton, Zachary (2025)

I wasn’t familiar with Catherine Opie’s works (exhibition at the gallery) but seriously loved these images. She takes images about contemporary American life, with a strong focus on identity, community, and representation.

Loved the serious demeanour of Charles Darwin….and the smoke-enshrouded Harold Wilson.

I was blown away by this image soon as I walked into the room….Aina (Sarah Forbes Bonetta, 1843-80, with an incredible history. Born in SW Nigeria, captured at 5 yrs by soldiers of King Ghezo of Dahomey, a central figure in the transatlantic slave trade and was given to Captain Fredrick Forbes as a gift Queen Victoria. Before sailing to England on the HMS Bonetta, Forbes had baptised as Sarah Forbes Bonetta. Became one of Victoria’s favorites and entered elite society, marrying a wealthy merchant James Davie and they went to Lagos. Died from tuberculosis at 37.

I had dinner booked at Lucky Cat…one of 4 restaurants in Gordon Ramsay’s new initiative @ 22 Bishopsgate. Sweet and sour prawns (tasty), duck papaya salad (meh!) and spicy fried chicken (yum).

A chap in a white apron saw me taking pics and asked if I’d like to get better ones, of course I said yes. Discovered Devon is the Executive Head Pastry Chef for the GR group! Took me up one more floor to the ‘Terrace’, which has not been opened to the public as yet – an issue with the roof. Lovely of him really. And his Mum is from Brissy. 🙂

The kakigori cocktail with vodka, passionfruit, spicy mango, pineapple and citrus served over a mound of shaved ice was delicious!