I only had two full days in London on this trip, but I managed to see quite a few of the places on my wish list without feeling like it was all a mad, crazy dash from one must-see site to the next.
Just walking around the city is an education in itself, so it’s good to allow plenty of time get from here to there. You never know when you might want to pop into a quaint little shop that has an irresistable window display or take a break and enjoy a piping hot cappuccino on a cold and blustery day.
On our first big day in London, my friend Wendy and I headed out in the morning to meet our pal Karen at St. James’s Cafe for lunch. Unfortunately, all the roads leading to St. James’s Park were closed because the military guards were practicing for the king’s birthday parade the next week.
So what should have been a short jaunt turned into an extended tour of the area surrounding the park. That’s where we happened upon this statue of the Queen Mother…
It shows Elizabeth at the age of 51, when she was widowed from King George VI. She died in 2002 at the age of 101.
We finally made it into St. James’s Park, which was simply lovely. After the hustle and bustle of the busy city streets, the park truly was a breath of fresh air. Huge trees spread their branches overhead, and curving walkways led us past grassy lawns, vibrant flowers, and a beautiful lake. Buckingham Palace peeked through the trees at one end.
We enjoyed a yummy lunch at St. James’s Cafe, then headed out for an afternoon of exploring London.
Despite getting a little lost due to a malfunction with Google Maps, we made it to Westminster Abbey in time for our pre-booked entrance time. I loved the sense of history and tradition that permeates the Abbey. It is the religious heart of England and has been a place of worship since the 10th century.
We meandered past Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, and the Imperial War Rooms. After a full day of walking, we were ready to put our feet up and get out of the sun for awhile. After we crossed the Westminster Bridge, we happened upon a restaurant with a clubby lounge area and a view of the Thames, so we ordered drinks and snacks and rested our weary legs for an hour or so.
More walking followed our siesta. We stopped by Buckingham Palace to snap some photos and see the Victoria memorial, then walked to Karen’s hotel where we worked on our sketches a bit.
By the time Wendy and I were ready to call it quits for the day, we were so beat that we decided to take the easy way out and catch a taxi back to our hotel. I wish I had had room to add the iconic black cab to my page, but I had already filled the two-page spread and there was no space left. You can only fit so much fun on two little pages!
We saw a lot that day, just moseying around the west end of London, taking our time and doing what we felt like doing. Others may take a more organized approach, but it worked for us!
5 Comments
WOW! Sounds like you had a wonderful time! Your journal pages were Leslie lovely
As usual. You are an inspiration.
Sounds like you had a great time and I love your spread. I do have a question, though. You wanted to sketch the black taxi cab but said you filled out your spread. Why not draw it on the next page?
I did the title page after the trip. All of the other pages already have drawings or paintings on them, so there aren’t any blank pages to draw a black cab.
You have inspired me Leslie! I have 5 days in London before I make my way over to France for your art course in Provence. I am hoping to do some sketching and also visit some art galleries and museums to get me in the mood for painting in Provence.
There are so many art ideas swimming around in my brain. The world is such a wonderful place when you see it through the lens of a paint brush!
That sounds wonderful. You should have plenty of time to see everything you want to see and still have time to do some sketching. Keep some of those ideas that I sent you about itinerary pages in mind as you start uyour trip. You’ll have a lot to keep track of. Have fun, and I’ll see you in Provence!