Imperial War Museum & Kings Road

We met the Langtons at the Imperial War Museum where there are some amazing exhibitions. Isabella enjoyed the "terrible trenches" exhibition and seeing the V1 and V2 rockets used by Germany during WW2. We also wandered through a complete copy of a house from during the war years. Isabella then went for a sleepover at Langtons and Debra Cailtin and Ken went to the Queens Head http://www.fancyapint.com/pubs/pub739.php for a drink before walking down the Kings Road for dinner at The Cadogan Arms Hotel. http://thecadoganarmschelsea.com/index.php/photo-gallery/

Kings Road - Thriller - dinner with Langtons

After a relaxing morning we walked along Kings Road Chelsea and found a nice jacket for Ken so he could get into the Ritz on Tuesday for morning tea. Isabella and Debra met up with Mairi, Alice and Molly at the Lyric theatre on Shaftesbury AVenue to see "Thriller" http://www.nimaxtheatres.com/nimax/lyric-theatre

Ken went back to Nell Gwynn to catch up on some blogging and to let Caitlin and Claudia in for a Sunday afternoon "chill session"

National Gallery and Trafalgar Square

Isabella Debra and Ken to the tube to Picadilly and met up with Caitlin for a coffee at Flat White http://www.flat-white.co.uk/. We then walked down to Trafalgar Square and checked out the National Gallery before catching the tube back to Chelsea for an early night.

Lincolns Inn Fields & Covent Garden

After a morning catching up on admin we caught the tube to Holborn and walked to Lincolns Inn Fields for lunch on the grass. We then visited the Sir John Soane's Museum, http://www.soane.org/- which we couldn't remember from 1981 when we spent a lot of time in this area. In response to our enquiry "How long has the museum be open" a typically understated English response "only since 1827". We then wandered around Covent Garden and then Ken went to Waterloo to meet Caitlin and Claudia who were coming to London for mid-term break. After collecting the coffee machine Ken headed back to Chelsea - Caitlin and Claudia to a nearby coffee haunt before heading to an apartment which they had organized for the week-end. In the evening we met up with Mairi, Alice and Molly Langton for a night st Sadlers Wells seeing The Art of Touch, Rainforest, A Linha Curva by Rambert Dance Company.

British Museum and dinner with the Johnsons

We took the tube to Holborn and walked to the British Museum. http://www.britishmuseum.org/Isabella did the kids audio tour and then a tour about the history of money!! We headed back top our apartment then caught the tube to High Street Kensington for a bit of "retail therapy" followed by meeting up with our Sydney neighbors Rhonda and Rob Johsnon for a great Italian meal just off Earls Court Road.

Tower of London

We walked up to South Kensington tube and bought 7 day Oyster cards giving us unlimited travel on the tube and buses. We took the underground to Tower Hill and walked down to the Tower

After lunch overlooking the Thames we spent 4 hours wandering around the site, checking out the Jewel House and the White Tower.

http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/

Chelsea - Nell Gwynn Apartments

After an "easy start" we logged on at Starbucks and checked our emails then headed for the Victoria and Albert Museum just up the road. http://www.vam.ac.uk/ We took a tour - just the three of us!, with a lovely old lady who was passionate about the museum. Debra and Isabella then checked out the Grace Kelly exhibition. We then walked back to our apartment, picking up a few supplies at Sainsbury's across the road.

Chiswick to Chelsea

After a very relaxing Sunday morning with the Langtons over coffee and croissants we checked in at Nell Gwynn Apartments on Slaone Avenue in Chelsea and then drove our rental car around our old haunts in London. After dropping Molly back at Chiswick and Debra and Isabella back at the apartment, Ken drove the rental car back to Heathrow and caught the train back to Paddington - it was a slow trip as the rails had buckled due to the "searing heat" - 28 Celsius!!! then cab to Chelsea as the underground wasn't working to South Kensington.

Esher to Chiswick via Hampton Court Palace

We left Mike and Jackie's and had coffee at Carluccio's in Esher. Then we headed to Hampton Court Palace http://www.hrp.org.uk/hamptoncourtpalace/ and later drove to the Langtons in Chiswick

Taylors Farm to Esher via Downe House

We drove from Capel to the Hannah Pescher Sculpture Garden http://www.hannahpescharsculpture.com/ then on to http://www.darwinatdowne.co.uk/ Downe House - the home of Charles Darwin for a very interesting visit. It was great to "close the loop" having visited the Charles Darwin research station in the Galapagos. We then drove back to Esher and Isabella spent some time with Sam and his sisters Rebecca and Lily - including a swim in their pool!!

Salisbury to Surrey - Capel (Taylors Farm)

We drove from Salisbury to Surrey so we would be well placed to call in at the Robins house to catch up with Sam, a friend of Isabellas's from SCECGS. We had some trouble finding accomodation and ended up a a rather unusual place!!http://www.taylorsfarmretreat.co.uk/accommodation.html

Salisbury, Wiltshire to Capel, Surrey

Debra and Ken checked out of 2 Park Lane B&B and collected Bella from the Godolphin School. We then went to Bird & Carter for the obligatory double shot coffees over planning the next few days. We then headed for Polsden Lacey - a beautiful Edwardian estate. Debra and Bella were very impressed by the Coffee Kiosk in the grounds (as you can see). We then started looking for accomodation over drinks at the Running Horses in Mickleham

Stonehenge

We picked up Caitlin and Claudia from school for their afternoon off and visited Stonehenge.

Tavistock to Salisbury

We checked out of the Bedford and headed for Sslisbury. We liked the wind vane on top of the hotel!!

Tregarthen Cottage Cornwall to Tavistock Devon

This morning we tidied up at the cottage and drove to Glendurgan Gardens which was unfortunately, closed for the day. We drove on to Trelissick and enjoyed a walk in the garden. We then drove on the the Endsleigh Hotel and after "checking it out" decided to finish our day in Tavistock where, after consulting the local tourist office we checked in at the Bedford Hotel

St Michaels Mount

We can't complain about the weather so far but it was cold and wet - we walked out to St Michaels Mount but the path up to the castle was wet and slippery so we headed back to the cottage, having picked up some REAL Cornish pssties for lunch. We then delivered Caitlin and Claudia to the train station as they had to be back in Salisbury for work on Monday morning. We then called in at the Coldstreamershttp://www.coldstreamer-penzance.co.uk/ for a drink and a bit of "wi-fi".

St Ives - Barbara Hepworth Museum - Lands End & Mousehole

Saturday dawned bright and sunny so after breakfast we headed off on the 20 minute drive from Penzance to St Ives to visit the Barbara Hepworth Museum which is a regional part of the Tate Gallery. Hepworth died in the 70's and the museum is her home and garden where many of her sculptures are displayed. Her studio remains untouched with "work in progress" clearly evident. We then headed for Lands End for the obligatory visit
and that night we had dinner at 2 Fore Street in Mousehole! http://www.2forestreet.co.uk/

Exeter to Penzance

We then drove to Exeter where we collected Cailtin and her "gap buddy" Claudia from the railway station. We then took a detour to visit a coffee shop that had been recommended by our "coffee contacts" in Bath http://www.relishwadebridge.co.uk/ We then drove on to Penzance and after a little bit of "Tom Tom trouble" we found beautiful Tregarthen Cottage warm and welcoming and what a great view of St Michaels Mount from the cottage garden!! We had dinner just up the road at The Coldstreamers pub.

Montacute House

We then drove to Montacute and after lunch in the village pub we strolled around the house and gardens - the "wobbly hedges" are amazing!!

Friday - Bath to Cornwall via Exeter

We checked out of our apartment in Camden Crescent and then drove to see the Salisbury White Horse

Bath

We delivered Caitlin and Claudia to the train, via the Royal Crescent, where we saw a hot air balloon taking off. We then visited the costume museum http://www.museumofcostume.co.uk/ and later in the day the beautiful Dyrham Park and enjoyed a guided tour of the garden. http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-dyrhampark

Bath - Westwood Manor

Having joined the National Trust we headed off eagerly under the guidance of our reliable GPS Tom Tom (a necessity in rural England where addresses with street numbers are non-existent)to sample the delights of all the wonderful historic sites.
In the afternoon, Caitlin and Claudia caught the train from Salibury and we went out to dinner at Jamies (again)

Bath

We visited the Assembly Rooms http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-bathassemblyrooms

Bath

Caitlin caught the 7:30am train back to Salisbury and we spent the rest of the day wandering around Bath and purchasing a coffee machine!!

Bath - morning view from our apartment

Bath

Today we toured the Roman Baths and then had lunch in the Pump Room Room

Bath

After a late start, we drove to Bristol where we were hoping to get a cappucino machine for Caitlin. We arrived too late and then got back to Salisbuty just in time to collect Caitlin from the train station. It is just one hour from Salisbury to Bath. After a celebratory champagne we walked down to Milsom Street for dinner at Jamie Olivers restaurant.
http://www.jamieoliver.com/italian/bath

Boston - Bath

We flew BA from Boston Logan to London Heathrow,arriving at 9am. We had a few difficulties arranging our rental car but were finally "on the road" around noon. We headed west on the M4, stopping at Reading to buy an English mobile phone. We arrived in Bath around 3:30 and met our agent at 5 Camden Crescent.
http://www.bathholidayrentals.com/properties/Camden+Crescent

Last day in Boston

After coffee on Salem Street we headed for Haymarket t-way. Isabella saw this outside the library. It was a beautiful Spring day about 25 degrees.

Science Museum

After lunch at Il Panino we headed for the Science Museum. It was great! Isabella became electrified and magnified!!!

Boston

We walked up Fleet Street, along Hanover and down to our regular coffee haunt - Boston Coffee Company http://www.bostoncommoncoffee.com/

Then we walked to Haymarket t-way and caught the green line to the Museum of Fine Arts
http://www.mfa.org/


It is a very beautiful building, calming, grand and gracious with an amazing rotunda with murals painted by John Singer Sargent and a green courtyard for eating and relaxing. The collection is attractive and being a smaller gallery has a lovely intimate feeling and felt more accessible than the large gallery's of Europe. We caught the t-way back to Government Centre and walked to our favourite deli - The Golden Goose where we got some yummy tomato soup and sushi for dinner.

Boston Public Library

After coffee on Hanover Street we walked past Faneuil Hall and on to Washington Street looking from glasses frames for Debra. We went Quincy Markets for a noodle lunch then visited the meeting room at Faneuil Hall before catching the t-way to the library. We saw a photographic exhibition by Jules Aaron
http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2010/05/01/jules_aarons_captured_life_on_the_street_in_boston/
We wandered around the stunning interior of the library including a hall where John Singer Sargent spent between 1895 and 1916 painting a series of murals. We are posting this sitting in the beautiful courtyard.

Boston - Coffee and Pizza on Hanover Street

After coffee we walked along Hanover Street and found a place for pizza - they only made them in one size and NO TRICK PHOTOGRAPHY WAS USED!!

Boston by foot tour

Today we took a walking tour of the North End. We sat in the Old North Church where the lanterns were hung telling Paul Revere which way the English were coming.

Paul Revere's Ride
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Listen my children and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.
He said to his friend, "If the British march
By land or sea from the town to-night,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch
Of the North Church tower as a signal light,
One if by land, and two if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country folk to be up and to arm."

Boston - North End

We walked along Hanover Street which has more Italian restaurants than we have ever seen in one place!! After coffee and booking for dinner at Il Panino we went back to La Cappella Suites, packed up and moved to a better room. It was a pleasant 22C so we strolled around the North End past markets and shops then went for dinner - antipasto followed by (D) lobster ravioli with crab sauce, (I) gnocchi and (K) shrimp risotto then (ID&K) tiramisu. Probably the best meal we've had so far although Alchemy on Martha's Vineyard runs a close second.