Big City

Saturday 8.05am and I found myself on the train to London. The weather looked promising and despite the train heading to Paddington, rather than Marylebone, and putting 20 minutes on the journey all seemed set for a good day.

Once in London we headed over to Trafalgar Square and The National Gallery.  I'd not been there before but I'll definitely be heading back at some point.  There are some fantastic paintings here, some well known and some not.  Big draws include Van Gough's Sunflowers, Monet's Japanese Bridge, Constable's The Hay Wain and works by Canaletto, Turner, Rembrandt, Degas and so on.

There were so many highlights but favourites included Canaletto's Basin Of San Marco on Ascension Day and Regatta On The Grand Canal.  The detail and vibrancy of these pictures is amazing.  I also really liked Guardi's pictures of Venice.

Boilly's A Girl At A Window (looks like a black and white photograph). Freidrich's Winter Landscape, Zund's Storm Study and various landscapes by Calame also grabbed my attention.

Another highlight was Hoogstraten's Peepshow (circa. 1655).  A wooden box with a hole at either end.  Look through the hole and you can see the inside of a house.  The way it is painted on the inside gives it a 3D effect. 

Having spent a few hours there we headed to the cafe and after something to eat and drink we left.  We walked along the river and eventually came to St Paul's Cathedral.  Again I'd not been there before, I've walked past many a time but never ventured inside. 

We spent a couple of hours wandering around. Looking up at the ceiling.  We went down to the crypt and saw both The Duke of Wellington and Nelson's tombs.  We also saw Christopher Wren's final resting place.

Once back above ground we headed up the The Whispering Gallery and then up again to the Stone Gallery and finally up again until we reached The Golden Gallery.  As you step outside onto the small ledge above the dome the views across London are fantastic.  There is also a sense of relief having just climbed the 528 steps to reach the top! 

After St Paul's we headed over to Oxford Street and then onto Soho before heading back to Embankment and back along the river to The Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey and then back onto Paddington before catching the train home.

It was back at the station that I checked my phone and found a text with the sad news about Amy Whitehouse's demise.  I was shocked but not surprised.  Although not one of my favourite artists she was still a real talent and will be missed in the world of music.

Sunday.  A proper summer's day at last!  We decided to head to Earlswood Lakes.  We've been there quite a bit this year but with the water and woods it's a nice place to wander around and explore. One thing that was noticeable was how the water level has fallen compared to the last time we were there.


Bird wise it was quiet but it was quite a good day for butterflies with Peacock, Speckled Wood, Holly Blue, Red Admiral, Meadow Brown as well a quite a few Whites.

We spent a few hours there and then popped along tho The Manor Tea Rooms for something to eat and drink.  It was great being out and about in the sunshine. I just hope there are a few more days like that before the summer ends!