Final Day in Oxford: Au Revoir UK, Hello Again USA!

Friday, August 16, 2019
Oxford-London-US

Final Day in Oxford-London-USA!

     Hiya from Home! In Southport, Connecticut!
     I am home after an eventful last day in the UK and on my Fulbright Fellowship. I cannot believe that in the space of about 20 hours, I traveled from Oxford to London to the US!!! The miracles of modern technology take my breath away sometimes.

Early Morning in Oxford:
     I awoke in Oxford at 6.15 am in the Grandpont home of my friends Sue and Tony who had left me their empty home while they were on a trip to Bristol. They were due back later this morning but I would be long gone before they reached home.
     I briskly went through a wash and decided to have a crust to eat as I was not sure if any of the coffee shops on the High Street would be open before I boarded my coach at 7.45 am. I had the last of Tony's home-baked bread (two thin slices) with a bit of cheddar cheese that I found in the fridge and yesterday's coffee--as I did not want to waste it. After I washed that down (it was the only brekkie I would have inside me and I would remain hungry most of the morning!), I washed the kitchen sink, washed up all the kitchen items I had used, cleaned and cleared things away, made my bed and left the house looking presentable. I made sure that I packed away all my stuff because once I got out of the house and shut the door behind me, there would be no going back.
   I left the house at 7.10 am, locked the door and pushed the key into the letter box as instructed. Then I said goodbye to this cottage that I so love and in which I always have the best time. How grateful I am to my friends for their generosity in leaving their place to me repeatedly!
     I walked briskly to the Abingdon Road and, about five minutes later, along came a bus (the X3) that actually makes the turn on the High Street and goes all the way to Queens Lane (where I intended to board my X90 coach back to London). I was laden with stuff but I was not uncomfortable as careful packing had ensured that I had things in control.
    I waited at the bus stop for about twenty minutes (my coach arrived late) during which time I enjoyed watching the High Street wake up to a new day. The soft dawn light was very pleasing as it lit up the Gothic buildings on the street. Not much happens at that early hour but it is also surprising how many people are up and doing as they get on with their day.
     When my coach arrived, I was happy to get a seat on the top deck, front and center, and to have good views of the passing Oxfordshire countryside. I have to say that the windows of the X90 coaches are very dirty and could certainly do with a bit of a washing before each trip. The journey was uneventful and I did fall off to sleep just past Harrow. We were already on Marylebone Road in London when I woke up with a start. About ten minutes later, I alighted at Marble Arch and instead of taking the Tube, I decided to hop on to the 98 bus headed to Holborn instead. My destination was my NYU office at Bedford Square in Bloomsbury where I thought I would go and say Hello to my old friends among the administration staff. Meanwhile, while waiting for the bus, I watched Oxford Street arise to a new day of frenetic shopping and bargains.

At my Former Office at NYU-London:
     My bus came along in five minutes and I went to the upper deck once again. About fifteen minutes later, I was at my stop just before the James Smith Stick Company. I hopped off and strode along the familiar side streets before I arrived at Bloomsbury Road, dodged early enthusiasts of the British Museum and reached NYU. The building is under heavy scaffolding as there are renovations going on. Inside, I met Dave, the porter, who remembered me well and asked how I was doing. I told him I was in London briefly and had come to meet my friends. He gave me the sad news that almost no one was in today--most had taken the day off or were traveling for work! I was so disappointed as I had made the detour just to meet my friends. Feeling sorely blue, I used the facilities, made myself a cup of hot chocolate in the faculty pantry which I downed with two biscuits (I would keep eating nonsense like this all morning!), before I said goodbye to Dave and left.   
     My next port of call was Ebury Stores on Ebury Road just opposite the British Museum from where I usually buy my supplies of tea and biscuits before leaving the UK--this time I had no weight allowance to enjoy such indulgences--but I could not resist buying a pack of Border's Dark Chocolate Gingers--a biscuit I adore.
     Through the bylanes of Bloomsbury I went until I passed through Sicilian Avenue and arrived at Holborn. From the big Sainsbury there, I bought two bottles of Three Fruits Marmalade (another favorite). Sadly, I did not have the weight allowance for any more of my usual goodies. I shall have to hope I have another trip to London soon!

Getting to Battersea:
      Next, I took the Tube from Holborn and arrived at Victoria from where I jumped into a 44 bus going to Battersea. At Roz's place, which was empty as she was at work, I sat down to get my breath back, then attended to the task of re-packing--this time I had to put in all the edible goodies I had bought in Oxford and London (Battenburg Cake, Rich Fruit Cake, M and S biscuits, etc). This took me about an hour of careful thought and planning. I hauled my little strolley from my room on the topmost floor--Gosh, it was heavy! I began to have serious stress about how I would possibly get through with so much baggage-I had three suitcases and one strolley and after careful weighing I found that each of them was about a pound too heavy! I then had a chat with Roz on the phone, thanked her for everything and told her that I would be hailing an Uber by 12.45 as I wished to be on my way by 1.00 pm. I needed to get to the airport by 2.00 pm for my 5.00 pm flight--so the sooner I got to Heathrow, the better as I would be at the counter for a long while paying for my third suitcase and everything else. 

Getting to Heathrow Airport:
   I had a wonderful Uber driver called Alex, a Greek economist who drives an Uber for extra income. He was very helpful in loading my baggage into the trunk and kept up somewhat intelligent chatter all the way to the airport. It was sad to say bye to London but it had started drizzling and it made me think that I always seem to leave the city when it is dripping.
     Once at Heathrow, I worried hugely about managing my baggage and when I found a trolley, I asked a man passing by to help me lift up the third suitcase to place on top of the other two. When he saw how laden I was, he volunteered to push my trolley if I would take his strolley instead. And that was how I got inside the airport. It is incredible to me how God helps all the time and all my needs were anticipated. Now all I had to do was go through the check-in process and not have to unload stuff because I was overweight.

Negotiating Excess Baggage:
     Well, I need not have worried. Once again, the good Lord came to my rescue and I had the sweetest traffic assistant at the counter named Saanya who went out of her way to accommodate my every request. She weighed my bags and told me that I was only a kilo overweight in two of them, but she would let them through and that I was underweight by one kilo in the last one. She suggested I take something out of my strolley and put it into the lightest bag--which I did. Fortunately, I was the first person in the line with no one behind me. Obviously coming early to the airport pays handsomely. The cost for checking in my third baggage (I am allowed two) was just $65! Deal! I was thrilled I used my credit card to pay up and with my three cases taken off my hands, I had just my strolley and my little backpack to content with.
     It was not so easy going through Security because I forgot that I had two large containers of Dove hand wash in my bag (in a fragrance I love--Silk Glow--and do not get in the US) and as a result of that, my entire suitcase was opened up and searched! An annoying security lady told me that I could go back to my airline and request them to put it into one of my bags---but my bags had long gone--and I could just let them take it and bin it. I chose the latter--far less hassle and it had only cost me about $3!

Enjoying Heathrow Airport:
     Once I entered the duty free precinct (there is no immigration on the way out in London), I badly needed a drink. I had been fighting a travel stress headache from the morning (from the time I had woken up) and I felt as if I needed all the help I could get before I barded my final flight back home. To my utter good luck, there was a new gin being sampled called The Botanist and they were actually concocting drinks for people interested in having one! Boy, did I need it!!! I enjoyed a superb gin and tonic right there at Heathrow and for free! It gave me an opportunity to take a deep breath and relax before I was able to browse through the perfume and other stores at Terminal 3. I bought a few gifts for my niece and nephew and for my brother from the duty free shops before I was ready to board.

A Pleasant Flight Back Home:
   And then I was making my way to my gate and saying goodbye to London and to the UK and to my year as a Fulbright Fellow. It had been such a wild ride but I was finally ready to get home and into my favorite bed and bath tub and my favorite slippers.
     The flight was very pleasant indeed. Someone helped me haul my strolley up into the overhead locker and I sat back to enjoy two movies in-flight. I can't even remember now what I saw but I do recall eating a delicious shepherd's pie for lunch on a British Airways flight that was operated by American Airlines. I do also recall enjoying chocolate-orange ice-cream in-between and feeling deeply grateful that things were ending quite peacefully for me.
      Exactly seven hours later, about a half hour ahead of schedule, we were landing at Kennedy airport. Llew had nipped out to bring the flowers that he had bought me and left behind in his car when I walked out to find no one there! I called him and he told me he would be there in a minute. We had a relieved reunion--all had gone well and I had reached home safely after a whole year away.
The drive into Connecticut was equally uneventful and comfortable and chatting all the way till we got to our driveway, we made it home. I was a bit tired and jetlagged and did not eat any dinner as I'd had a bite to eat just before landing. Llew stayed up a bit as I got ready for bed immediately and said a thank you prayer in my heart for my safe and happy return home.

Thanks a Million:
     Thank you for following me on my blog for an entire year--were it not for readers like you, I would probably not write my blog post as faithfully and regularly as I did. I hope you enjoyed arm-chair traveling with me and were a happy participant in my many adventures. I had days full of hectic activity in different countries and I had very routine days at home when nothing really exciting happened, Through it all, however, I felt grateful for all the challenges and triumphs that life kept throwing at me. I tried hard to roll with the punches and I think that over all, I did succeed.
    Until the road rises up to meet me again, I bid you God Speed and Au Revoir...for I will see you on these pages again...Inshallah...who knows where, who knows when? Hasta Manana Until Then!!!
     I wish you love and friendship and a big God Bless!

Being a Tourist in Oxford!

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Oxford

Being a Tourist in Oxford—Exploring Ashmolean Museum, Oxford Castle and Prison, Afternoon Tea at Grand Cafe, ‘Talking Maps’ Exhibition at the Weston Library, Poking Around a Few Oxford Colleges

     Hiya from Oxford!

     With my friends Sue and Tony having left yesterday for Bristol, I awoke alone in their home at about 6.30 am and looked at Twitter and my email. I also made a call to my Dad and to Russel in Bombay just before they could sit down for lunch.

A little later, I decided to have my breakfast while watching the BBC Breakfast Show and catching up with world news. For breakfast, I had two slices of Tony’s home made bread with butter and cheddar cheese that I found in the fridge. I also had a flat white peach (which was superbly ripe, sweet and delicious) and a few really gorgeous English cherries. This with a cup of coffee saw me well through the morning.

     After a quick shower, I got dressed and left the house. I made my way first to Hinksey Park as I wanted to get some pictures of the ducks on the pond in the soft light of the morning. That done, I walked along Marlborough Road but this time, I took a detour back to the Abington Road in order to get some pictures of the river Thames at Folly Bridge. I also got some nice pictures of Christ Church College.

     I was at the Ashmolean Museum a little after 10.15 and heard from my friend Rosie Hawes whom I was meeting with her two girls, Mathilda (Mattie) and Molly. After following each other on Twitter for ten years, we were meeting for the first time. Her mother Elizabeth had first become my Twitter friend and through her, I had started following all her children. Sadly, Elizabeth passed away within about four years of my getting to know her well. I was very much saddened by her passing—so it is good that my relationship with her continues through her children.

     About a half hour after I arrived at the Ashmolean, I met up with Rosie and the girls who had taken the train in from Tackley where  they live in a little village.  It was so good to find such a warm and vibrant person and to finally see the children that I have known for years through Twitter as ‘the Ms’. 

Without wasting too much time, we went one floor down to the basement cafe where Rosie treated me to a cafe latte and the girls had lemon drizzle cake with hot chocolate.  We used about an hour to get to know a little bit about ourselves and then, because they were free for the rest of the morning, I asked if they would like to go the Oxford Castle and Prison. The place was a real prison until 1996 when it was closed and it was in 2003 that it was opened as a tourist attraction. So, during my time in Oxford in the late 1980s, it was a functioning prison.Today, the castle has been turned into a tourist attraction and the prison is a hotel run by the Malmaison group. 

Exploring Oxford Castle and Prison:

The ticket to the Castle cost 10.50 pounds but it came with a guided tour that lasted an hour. In fact, one can only explore the castle with a tour guide—wandering around on one’s own is not allowed. 

     There is also a full-scale gift shop attached to the Castle and I was pleased to find all manner of typically English items sold there from Harry Potter memorabilia (his school, Hogwarts, is after all, a castle) to lavender scents. We managed to have a browse around before the guide assembled us together and began with an introduction.

As in the case of most tours of this kind, there is always some terribly gruesome detail that stays with you long after the commentary has passed. It is best not to report it here but suffice it to say that the place was used as a prison practically from medieval times almost at the same time that the castle was constructed about a thousand years ago soon after the Norman Conquest in 1066. We learned about the moat and bailey and the need to construct a fortification after the Vikings passed through Oxford and burned it to the ground. We learned about Queen Mathilda and her fierce fight against her captors that led to her escaping on skates in the winter upon the ice-bound River Thames.  We learned about Victorian England and the kind of prisoners (mostly thieves imprisoned for stealing—usually bread because they were starving) and the horrible punishments to which they were subjected. We were taken up to the Tower which offered fabulous views of the city and its famous ‘dreaming spires’. It was all quite wonderful, and especially wonderful if you were a child. The Ms were enthralled. They were allowed to place their heads in the pillory (which is called the ‘stocks in America) and get a feel of what it might have been to have things hurled at you while you were helplessly restrained.  Talking of which, I saw a straitjacket for the very first time. The Ms were able to try on period costumes and take pictures in them at the end of our tour after which we had one more treat in store. I was fascinated to hear (as we left the premises) that one episode of the Morse mysteries (“The Wench is Dead”) was actually shot in this prison—and I could immediately see why as I did remember that episode vaguely. It is not one of my favorites, but I shall now be sure to see it again.

Climbing the Mound at Oxford Castle:

Our ticket included entry past a secure electronic gate that permitted us to climb up the Mound that is attached to Oxford Castle and which was one of the first man-made structures of the complex as it served as a look-out by alerting residents of the Castle to enemy presence as they sailed up the Thames. There is a well-hewn path that is also well-trodden that allows visitors to climb to the top for spectacular views of the Oxford colleges and chapels with their glorious domes and multiple spires. I was able to spy the spindly spire of Exeter College and the girls were able to get a sense of where Pembroke College is located as that is where their Dad is a don. It was a beautiful day and the sun shone full and golden upon this ancient city that was seen in its most stunning light on this lovely summer’s day. But much as we would have liked to stay longer, we had to move on as the girls had hairdresser appointments. 

Visiting Former Oxford Prison:

However, I did not want to let them leave without taking in what used to be Oxford Prison. It has now been converted into a luxury hotel by the Malmaison Group and the astounding thing about it is that some genius of an architect has actually managed to retain the interior of the building without altering it at all.  The result is that when you get past the Reception and enter the main body of the hotel, you are actually in what used to be the Prison—and this is clearly evident if you have watched any prison movies.  There are the tiered corridors that rise above you with the occasional step ladders that allow access to the various floors; there are the cells with their secure doors lined up along the corridors--these are now the individual rooms of the hotel. The entire set-up is quite enthralling and both Rosie and I were amazed as were the girls.

At the end of the afternoon, we were all so thrilled that we’d had the opportunity to finally meet and get to know ourselves a bit better. Rosie was super company—she is as funny and vibrant in person as she seems on Twitter. Having grown up with the Ms on Twitter, I felt as if I had known them forever. We took several pictures to memorialize our meeting before we hugged and said goodbye and they hurried off to enjoy the rest of their day.

Taking Afternoon Tea at The Grand Cafe:

I do believe that one ought not to leave the UK on an extended stay without eating a pub lunch (we’d had our fish and chips), eating a traditional breakfast (I’d had my ‘full English’ at  Battersea) and taking Afternoon Tea. I had not quite completed the third ritual—so Tea it would be, even if I was alone and had no company to enjoy it.

     I have also made the very recent discovery that The Grand Cafe on the High Street is the oldest coffee shop in England (having been opened in 1650). It actually vies for attention with Queens’ Coffee House which is just across the road and which opened in the late 1600s. I have had tea and scones in the latter place but had never set foot into The Grand Cafe although I have had many teas in Oxford at various places over the years (including  the ultra-posh Randolph Hotel and in many of the cafes of the department stores). So, determined to make this visit as much fun as it was historic, I had decided to skip lunch and have lunch and tea together at this place.

Afternoon Tea at the Grand Cafe:

The Grand Cafe is really a very small place-it is just one large room really with space for about 30 covers at any given time. It advertised its Afternoon Tea on the menu at the entrance as costing 18 pounds—I thought this was very reasonable, especially as it said that one would receive sandwiches, scones and cakes. Inside, I was asked by a waiter if I would be dining—I told him that I wished to order Afternoon Tea. He looked pleased with himself and led me to a corner which was perfect for me. I have gotten over most of my embarrassment at dining alone in public, but sometimes I do feel a remnant twinge of discomfort when I am in this situation. Having this corner table allowed me to stay away from the curious eyes of other patrons who might have wondered why I was alone.

     A waitress then came up and asked me for my choice of tea. I told her that I wanted something decaffeinated and she pointed me to the English Breakfast which was the only decaf black tea--the rest were herbal teas. A little later, my tea pot arrived with the tea bag steeped in it. As my tiered tea stand took a long while to arrive, my tea got very strong. I, therefore, ordered a canister of hot water so that I could mix the brew and make it more pleasant to my taste.

  When the tiered cake stand arrived, I found that it had only two types of sandwiches: Egg Mayonnaise and Smoked Salmon (most Afternoon Teas give you at least three types). The Egg Mayonnaise was tasteless because it was completely unseasoned. I asked for salt and pepper and with the addition of these condiments, it became edible. The smoked salmon sandwich, on the other hand, was superb: they did not stint on the salmon which was thick and very fresh. Two scones were provided (one plain, one fruit)—they were huge and extremely fluffy and light—they literally melted in my mouth as I enjoyed them with little pots of clotted cream and strawberry jam (which I was told could be refilled). However, you had to finish your pot first before the same one was refilled—hard to believe that a long-standing cafe with such a sterling reputation does not have adequate pots to go around! As for the cakes, well, those were an apology for anything you would find at Afternoon Tea in a place that calls itself a grand cafe! Far from expecting delicately constructed and decorated petits fours (which was what the advertisement had boasted) I got two tiny little pieces of sponge cake—so tiny and so poorly presented, they made me sick—one was a crumb of lemon drizzle cake (and I literally mean a crumb) and the other was a piece of Victoria sandwich sponge (equally minuscule—you literally needed a magnifying glass to see them). I could not have been more disappointed because for me the cakes are the best part of Afternoon Tea. 

I took my own time lingering over the meal, however, as I really did need the foot rest after being on my feet all day and because it was a good way to kill time. I paid my bill soon enough and left and said to myself, “been there, done that”. Would I recommend this place to anyone? Certainly not. You are much better off going to the Quod hotel next door where the Afternoon Tea costs just a pound more and I can bet the cakes will actually look like cakes! 

Taking in the Exhibition at the Weston Library:

I inevitably found myself making my way down the High Street to Radcliffe Square to take in the most superlative architecture in the city. Needless to say, I clicked a lot of pictures as the buildings are one of my favorite parts of this city.  Reaching Broad Street, I took some more pictures of myself on the webcam and then wandered into the Weston Library that was advertising a ‘Talking Maps’ exhibition that I thought would be a lot of fun as I really do love maps and navigating the world through them.

The exhibition was very small and was based on a few ancient tomes that are in the possession of the Bodleian Library (as the Weston Library is a part of it). It is a very interesting building that dates from the 1800s on the outside (so that the original shell is still standing in its clean Cotswold stone) but the inside was completely gutted and redone. It is still a working library and I have had the pleasure of working in here, but it is to the cafe and to the seasonal changing exhibitions that most visitors come.

   

Meeting Sally Stuart at the Martin School:

With some more time to spare, I decided to make one more effort to meet Sally Stuart, one of the staffers of the Martin School which opened about 15 years ago. Prior to this time, this building used to be the Indian Institute where all studies pertaining to the Indian sub-continent were undertaken. There are still heads of cows, lions and elephants that decorate the facade of the building to reflect the original scholarly interest of this place. I have used this building myself and have spent a lot of time in it when I was a grad student here. Hence, this place and its camera (perched in the cupola upstairs) is special to me. It’s webcam telecasts on You Tube a live stream of the goings-on down Broad Street and when I discovered its existence, I got hooked. For most of the past year, while living in Bombay, I had this channel on my TV playing all day while I sat at my laptop and worked. It made me feel as if I were sitting at one of the windows of the Martin School working hard while looking down upon the scene on Broad Street. Hence, for almost a year, I have lived in my imagination. When the camera stopped working for 3 days, I became so upset that I found the email address of the Communications person (who turned out to be Sally) and requested her to look into the matter. She responded to me in minutes and got the camera working again. Someone had inadvertently turned it off. I wanted to meet Sally to thank her for responding and I was quite delighted that I succeeded today. She came down to meet me and spent abut fifteen injures chatting with me. She told me that I was not the only one using the site. She told me that if anything happens to the streaming telecast, the Martin School gets emails from all around the world. It turns out that their time in Oxford was precious for thousands of people around the world and they are all tuned in to what is going on in the city. In fact, my friend Rosie was amazed that I know more about what has happened in Oxford in the past year (such as the introduction of the public bus service going to Wytham Woods and the Harwell campus) than people who live in Oxfordshire themselves!  Well, after our visit, I was very pleased with myself and felt that I’d had a really fruitful day.

Exploring a Few Unfamiliar Areas of Oxford:

I was quite tired by this point as my plantar fasciitis has made it very difficult for me to walk as much as I am normally used to doing. Still, with about two hours of real solid day light left (it gets dark very late in the summer in the UK), I decided to go out and explore parts of the town with which I am still not familiar. For instance, I had seen the central monument of Corpus Christi College in an episode of Morse (‘The Daughters of Cain’) but I had never come across it myself (because I had never ventured into this college quadrangle). I decided today to go out there and try to find it. But I was not sure where Corpus Christie was!

That’s when I had a brain wave! I remembered that The Tuck Shop on Catte Street had a beautifully illustrated map of Oxford that was in its front window. If I could take a picture of that map (I have that map on my wall at home and in my office at NYU), I would be able to find the college. And that was exactly what I did! I walked out the shop, took a picture, found out that I could access Corpus Christie through Oriel Square and then set off to find it.

Exploring Corpus Christie and Merton Colleges:

In a sort time, I went past Carfax and arrived at Magpie Lane that took me past ‘The Bear’, the oldest pub in Oxford which has the largest collection of ties plastered in cases all over its walls and ceiling--there was a time when one could pay for a drink by leaving the publican a tie (not any more!). 

I arrived then at Oriel Square which had suddenly become very quiet as the colleges close their doors to visitors by 5.00 pm and we were long past this hour. Still, security was quite lax and I was able to go back the door of Corpus Christie College and stand in the Porter’s Lodge where I spied the monument with the golden pelican at the top. I was able to take a few pictures of the college in the rays of the dusk sun which made it look honey-toned. 

A little later, I took a turn down Merton Lane and found myself in the only street in Oxford which still has cobble stones. This makes it difficult to walk on, no doubt, but it adds an air of antiquity that is very special indeed. I passed alongside the exterior of Merton Chapel as I strode the pavement and was sorry to learn that it is very special and open to visitors during set hours (including for Vespers and Evensong) on some days of the week during term time. Merton happens to be the oldest of the Oxford colleges and dates back to the 1300s. It is also the college in which Llew's nephew had been a Rhodes Scholar, a few years ago. I had never been inside it and it was with great pleasure that I went through the doors to the Porter’s Lodge to look upon paths leading to multiple quads inside. Sadly, I will have to keep visits to these two colleges for a later visit. I have now learned not to say Never Again to any place I visit because, like the proverbial bad penny, I keep turning up! 

     That done, I walked along Merton Lane which has featured in so many of the murder mysteries I have watched on TV—from Morse to Lewis to Endeavor. It is a favorite motif of the film-maker to have his detective protagonists walk along this street at the end of the episodes while the credits are rolling. It is an incredibly quiet street with barely an occasional car swinging by. This explains, probably, why it is so popular with film crews. In fact, there was a crew wrapping up when I arrived at Merton

A Quiet Last Evening at ‘Home’:

I was absolutely wiped out, as you might imagine by this point and was looking forward to a quiet relaxing evening on my own in the house in Grandpont which has an easy way of making me feel as if I am home. Today, I had better luck opening the front door than I had yesterday (when the resident across the street had come forward to help me!). Once inside, I crashed on the sofa in front of the telly and after I felt a bit refreshed, I got up and went into my room to get priorities right—I needed to attend to my packing as I would be leaving early tomorrow to take my coach to London.

     The packing took a while and much ingenuity but I managed to get everything in (as well as the cakes I had bought at M and S and the underwear that Llew had requested). I managed to fit these all into three bags, two of which were backpacks (worn one in front and one at the back!) and the third was an M and S shopping bag that I would carry in my hand. It would be challenging but I would manage.

     With my packing done, I had a nice shower and changed for the evening before getting my dinner sorted--I finished the leftovers (lasagne and apricot tart) from the fridge and indulged in a slice of the Pecan Roulade that is one of my favorite desserts and that I cannot resist buying when I am in the UK. Feeling much more strengthened by my meal (although I was still quite full from my big tea), I decided to get ready for bed. 

     I lay down on my final night in the UK and on the last night of my year-long travels away from home. It is amazing what a lovely end I had to an absolutely unforgettable year. I know that I was deeply privileged and blessed to have this opportunity and I am truly grateful to the Lord and His Blessed Mother that they smiled upon my prayers and granted me my wishes. I do not believe that I shall ever have a year like this again.

     It was past 11.00 pm when I fell asleep but was awakened by some guys talking really loudly as they went past my window. Following this disturbance,  I took a long time to go back to sleep—so I was glad that I had set my alarm for 6.15 am with the idea of giving myself an hour to leave the house (at 7.15 am) for my 7.45 coach to London.

     Until tomorrow...

       

Exploring Iffley, Thrift Shopping, Lunch at Oli’s Thai and Surveying Exeter College and The Broad

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Oxford

Exploring Iffley, Thrift Shopping, Lunch at Oli’s Thai and Surveying Exeter College and The Broad

     I had the day of my life! Weather-wise, it was lousy...I might as well say that, at the outset, and it was cold. I had forgotten how dreadfully chilly the summers can be in Oxford. With only a cotton cardigan that I had carried in a very limited wardrobe, I was rather miserable. But my adventures of the day more than made up for my sartorial inadequacy.

Breakfast with Sue and Tony:

I began my day waking at 6.00 am but staying in my warm and cozy bed at Sue and Tony’s place until 7.00 am. They too had woken up early as they had a long drive to Bristol ahead of them. I joined them for breakfast—Tony’s home baked bread (toasted and delicious with his home made orange marmalade) and some decaf coffee.  While they puttered around getting ready, I dressed and was very pleased when Tony told me that they would drop me off at my first port of call as they would be picking up a rented car to go on their road trip and would swing by my destination.

Off to Iffey Village:

  My first item on the agenda was a visit to Iffley Church which I had read about in one of Bill Bryson’s books. He said that it is an incredible church and that it was set in an absolutely idyllic English village. I had decided then that on my next trip to Oxford, I would make the trek there. For Iffley lies just outside the town of Oxford and is very easily reached by local bus. This church, however, The Church of St. Mary The Virgin, is not on the main road—it is actually on the banks of the River Thames close to the Iffley Lock. Had it been a better day, I’d have gone out in search of these delights. But the rain came down in torrents and with the little umbrella I had borrowed from Roz in London as my huge umbrella has been packed away, I was not well clad at all.

     They did drop me at the gate to the church yard and were off. I had the place entirely to myself and it was with relief that I entered the church as it allowed me to stay dry for a while.

Exploring Iffley Church:

The history of Iffley Church goes back to the 12th century—this makes it older than most of the Oxford colleges and churches. Indeed, it is one of the oldest intact churches in Great Britain and its age is easily evident as soon as you enter the church yard which is dotted with moss-clad grave stones. 

You enter by the main front door that is entirely stone clad and finely carved. Indeed, this is the beauty of this church—its antiquity is evident in the stone carvings, many of which had been refurbished and cleaned up so that centuries of grime and candle soot have been cleared up completely—at least from the outside.

     Just past the stone-carved entrance is the baptismal font in black basalt that is in the baptistry. It is the spot at which all the baptisms took place that brought folks into the church—naturally, before the Reformation, it was a Catholic Church. Conversion to Anglicanism is essentially what saved these ancient churches from destruction in 1533 when Henry VIII ordered the Dissolution of the Monasteries. 

There is a leaflet at the entrance that gives adequate information about the interior decorative features of the church and using it, I was able to navigate my way through the essential ones. There are two modern stained glass windows high above and flanking the main entrance. Past the font, there are marble pillars that hold up the church’s square tower. Further up, closer to the altar, you see the narrow winding stone stairs embedded in the wall that lead to the tower. There are Irish tiles on the floor with Celtic designs and wonderful religious iconography in the rondels that decorate the stone-carved pillars. Indeed, the best part of this church are the stone carvings and they are being very well protected by contemporary fund-raising. 

     When I had finished exploring the interior of the church, I walked out again into the rain—the weather was vile. Cold and freezing, I took some pictures of the exterior and then used the phone number that Sue had given me for Royal Taxis and called for one. My next destination was the thrift shops of Cowley which Sue told me were plentiful. Hence, I called for a cab and was told to wait for ten minutes before one arrived. The trip to Iffley had been fully worth it, despite the foul weather, and I was so glad I took Bill Bryson’s advice and went. Sadly, because the weather was so lousy, I could not explore the thatched cottages and lovely picturesque lanes that make up Iffley Village that Bryson had extolled.

     My cab arrived within five minutes and I told the South Asian driver to take me to the shops at Cowley but to drive me through Magdalen Road as I wanted to see where the famous Thai Restaurant called Oli’s was located. He did as told and I got to see what a tiny little place this is. I would have a hard time walking back in the rain to get here, but there was no way around it.

Poking in the Thrift Shops:

     I found that Sue was true to her word—I found four thrift shops in a small block’s-space—except that there was some road works going on and I had to make a big detour to find the four places. Still, I was not disappointed as I found a really spectacular necklace that would make a real statement and which I was sure I would wear with great pride and pleasure. 

Off for Lunch to Oli’s Thai:

     Quite contented with the good bargains I found (in Jewelery and DVDs), I went on foot to the restaurant. The rain was really dampening my spirits but I tried hard to hold on to them and stay buoyant. When I did get to the place, after about a 15 minute walk, I discovered that although the place is booked solid for months, if one turned up about noon, there was a good chance you could find a seat at the bar. The bar tender told me that I would find a seat and I was overjoyed. In the past three consecutive years that I have been in Oxford, I have tried to get a booking here...but it had been impossible. This was a piece of good fortune and I was really chuffed.’

  So, at 12 noon, the restaurant opened and I saw how really tiny it is—there are 5 seats at the bar and about 20 seats in the rest of the place. The bar filled up in about ten minutes and I decided to have a virgin mojito. For my lunch, I chose the Thai Beef Salad (which was exquisite, if a tad too spicy for me—there was an abundance of red Thai bird chili in it) and for my entree, I had the Padang Duck—this is a duck curry that is served over steamed rice. This dish too was awesome. It is served with fine beans and it was wonderful. I really did enjoy it very much. I always order duck whenever I get a chance, as I do not get to eat it often enough. The delicate flavor of this dish was also fully satisfying and I could see why this restaurant has acquired such a sterling reputation. It really made my day, being able to eat here.

Back to Oxford on the Bus:

Luckily, when I left the restaurant, after settling the bill, I realized that it had stopped raining—such a relief. I found my way to the bus stop on the Iffley Road and took the Number X3 returning to Oxford. I paid the drive 2 pounds in cash and I found a seat on the top deck.  This allowed me to spy the Iffley Sports Ground on which Roger Bannister, a medical student at Oxford, had trained to break the four-minute mile. Indeed, Iffley has little bits and bobs of history that are truly interesting. 

Exploring Favorite Parts of Oxford On Foot:

Once the bus reached Oxford City Center, I alighted and then freewheeled my way across the city for the rest of the afternoon. First of all, I walked through the pedestrian plaza of Cornmarket and took Ship Street to get straight to Exeter College.  Since it was past 2.00 pm, I knew that the college would be open to visitors. I entered the main quad and made my way directly into the chapel where there was a student-led tour underway. The chapel is unique in terms of architectural style as it was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott on the lines of Sainte Chapelle in Paris—complete with the spindly black spire at the top. I took some pictures of some of the features of the interior—the Byzantine mosaics of the altar, the tapestry by Edward Burne-Jones featuring ‘The Adoration of the Magi’ and the organ loft with its highly decorative pipe organ.The chapel was all lit up (probably because the tour was on) which allowed me to see it in a new light, as it were.

     I left the chapel and walked to the Margery Quad where my room had been located and which has been turned into a car park (irritating!). There is also constant renovation going on in this college and the workers’ vehicles are always parked there. I left this space and entered the Junior Common Room with the aim of getting into the Fellows Garden at the back of the main quad. This garden has access to the ramparts of the college walls that overlook Radcliffe Square and offer stunning views of the beautiful buildings that surround it: the Radcliffe Camera in the center with All Souls College, Brasenose College, Exeter College, part of the Bodleian Library and the Church of St Mary The Virgin vying for attention in a spot that is the richest in Oxford. I took the requisite photos and left after enjoying the views of the Fellows Garden in its perennial splendor.  

Walking away from Exeter College, I made my way to Broad Street. It was a bit startling to see and indeed to be there in person on the street which had lived with me in my imagination for almost a year as I lived in Bombay. It was then that I had the brainwave of taking a screen shot of myself in the middle of that famous street. It took a bit of ingenuity to find out exactly how this could be accomplished and it did not help that my phone battery does not hold a charge and that I did not have very good internet connectivity.  However, long story short,I did mange to actually put myself into the shots of the Oxford webcam and was able to get some fairly good pictures. It has been a long adventure to get this far with this webcam project with which I actually became slightly obsessed.

     I then went in search of someone in the Martin School where the webcam is installed—Sally Stewart—to thank her for reinstating the camera for me based on an email request I had made to her from Bombay when it had stopped functioning! But she was in a meeting and I had no way of reaching her.

     I was really tired by this point but I managed to find the energy to enter the Oxfam shop on The Broad and from there, I got a few more really glorious necklaces for an absolute fraction of the price I would have paid in a regular shop. Plus these pieces are one of a kind as most of them are of the vintage variety. 

Taking my goodies out with me, I walked again along Cornmarket and decided to make my way home. But then en route, I realized that I was very close to the Marks and Spencer store and since Llew had asked me to buy him something and I still had to buy the cakes (Battenburg and Rich Fruit) that I usually carry home to the States with me, I did swing by there to do my shopping.

I finished shopping quickly enough and then thought I would go to the cafe upstairs for a cuppa and a sit down as I was quite hopelessly fatigued. I sat there for a long while but then decided to try to get home as quickly as I could so that I could really relax there. 

     And that was exactly what happened. I meandered my way slowly through busy George Street and past the late evening tourists either out for a night on the town or getting back to their hotels. I stopped to pick blackberries off the vines and decided to eat them with yogurt for dessert.

     Once home, I wasted no time in taking a shower and then fixing myself some dinner--leftovers of Tony’s dinner which he had insisted that I finish. There was too much left for me to eat so I had half of it and decided to have the other half tomorrow night. 

Left to my own devices, I had one portion of the leftover apricot tart for dessert with a bit of yogurt and some of the blackberries I had picked. I watched a bit of Kavanagh QC on TV and then I readied myself for sleep as I was really exhausted.

     It had been a pretty fulfilling first day at Oxford and I looked forward to the second as I fell asleep.

Until tomorrow...                       

  

Meeting American friends in London for Highlights Tours of The National Gallery and the British Museum and then...Off to Oxford

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

London

Meeting American friends in London for Highlights Tours of The National Gallery and the British Museum and then...Off to Oxford

     Hiya from London!

     Today was a red-letter day for me as I was meeting my friends Bonnie and Art from Connecticut in London.  Not only was I going to see them after a whole year but we had always talked about being in London together, and suddenly, by coincidence and without planning it, it happened! How exiting was that??

So I did wake up at about 6.00 am and did some reading of Twitter and looking at my day’s plans when I heard Roz pottering about below me. She was off to work and I would likely not see her before I left London as I would be leaving for Oxford this evening and then leaving London on Friday while she was still at work.

     I said Bye and Thanks to her before she left and then I had a leisurely breakfast in front of the telly as I watched the BBC Breakfast show. It was Sainsbury muesli with Onken Mango, Papaya and Passionfruiit Yogurt (which I love) and coffee.  A quick shower later, I spent a good deal of time finalizing my packing and carefully weighing my three bags to ensure I would not have any problems at the airport. This took me a good deal of juggling and redistribution of weight before I was ready to leave the house. I was supposed to meet my friends at 11.15 at the National Gallery and I chose the front porch above the stairs to ensure that we would not get wet in case of rain.

   So I took a bus to Victoria and the Tube to Charing Cross and found out that the National Gallery has changed its entrance—visitors were being shepherded towards the Sainsbury Wing where we went through security. That would throw off my plans with my friends who had texted me to say that they had just landed. In a little while, they would be at the Museum. I placed my bag in the Cloak Room (paid 2 pounds for a bag!) The bag policy has also changed since I lived inLondon ten years ago. At that time, you could leave your belongings in the cloak room for free (and you can still do so in the Met in New York). It seems to me that the National is trying to make money any which way they can while still keeping entry to the Museum free—the Met, on the other hand, has started charging entry fees to the museum.

     Bonnie and Art did get to the Museum about half an hour later during which time I familiarized myself with the layout of the major works that I did not want them to miss—the map to the Museum also costs money now!

     We met on Trafalgar Square on a gorgeous day—the square was bathed in golden sunshine and it was comfortably warm. The square also swarmed with tourists (it is, after all, August in England—the best time of year!) and the city is simply heaving. After an affectionate reunion (they looked none the worse for their red eye flight across the pond!), we decided to get started. We all went through security again and we started on the second floor of the Sainsbury Wing where the Medieval and Renaissance works are located. 

     We saw the ‘Battle of San Roman’ by Pablo Uccelo, ‘the Wilton Diptych’, my favorite woks by Carlo Crivelli, a couple of unfinished Michelangelo’s, Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘The Virgin of the Rocks’, Botticelli’s ‘Venus and Mars’, Piero Della Francesca’s ‘Baptism of Christ’ and Jan Van Eyck’s The Arnolfini Marriage’. We also saw the Tintoretto, the Bronzino and the El Greco that are masterpieces in the collection. We then went into the Main (Older) part of the Museum where I showed them the following paintings: Turner’s ‘The Fighting Temeraire’, Constable’s ‘The Haywain’, George Stubbs’ ‘Whistlejacket’, Gainsborough’s ‘Mr and Mrs. Thomas Andrews’, Hogart’s ‘Marriage a la Mode’, Joseph Wright of Derby’s ‘Experiment with a Bird’, Paolo Veronese’s ‘Darius and his Family with Alexander’, the two Vermeers featuring women at the virginal and my favorite painting in the National—maybe in the whole world: Pieter de Hooch’s ‘Courtyard of a House in Delft’. Finally, we moved towards the modernists: Cezanne’s ‘Bathers’, Van Gogh’s ‘Chair’ and ‘Wheat Fields with Cypress’, Monet’s ‘Bridge over Water Lily Pond at Giverny’, a few Degas dancers and a few Renoirs. We did not miss Seurat’s ‘On the Banks of the Seine at Asnieres’. Sadly, the gallery containing ‘The Ambassadors’ by Hans Holbein was closed—no one knew why. It is perhaps the most famous of the National’s collection—so I was sorry they missed it. Well, they will just have to come back.

     We spent about an hour and a half in the National when Art started to feel fatigued. They needed food and badly. It made sense to get out of the museum. I picked up my bag and met them back on Trafalgar Square which they had a chance to enjoy for a few minutes before I joined them again. Then, we set off to find lunch. I took them past the National Portrait Gallery and on to the Coliseum, home of the English National Opera and then on to the Theater District. 

Lunch at a Pub called The Chandos :

    This is probably the pub at which I have eaten most frequently in London—not because it is special but simply because its location right in the heart of the Theater District makes it perfect for a meal before or after a show. Art and Bonnie were relieved to find a place so conveniently located and when we realized that we had to go upstairs for a meal, we climbed to the Opera Bar and sat ourselves down at a table. All of us had Fish and Chips (Bonnie and I chose to split a platter) and we all had a taste of the huge slab of Sticky Toffee Pudding served with ice-cream with a small jug of custard for me that served as our dessert.

     They felt human again after eating and were ready to move on.

Exploring Charing Cross Road:

Our rambles took us into Charing Cross Road and straight to Leicester Square where I pointed out the sculptures to Shakespeare and to Charlie Chaplin and the Odeon Theater where all the film premiers take place. They strolled around it on a day that was simply crawling with humanity as these are some of the most popular tourist sites in London and are always packed to capacity.

We went past all the antiquarian and second-hand book stores including Foyle’s and then on Denmark Street past the stores selling music and music-related items. This is also the street on which the detective protagonist Cormoran Strike and his assistant Robin have their office in the new series of novels that J.K. Rowling has written under the pen name Robert Galbraith—and since I am currently enjoying the novels, I took particular note of this street.

We then crossed Tottenham Court Road (where the road works have almost been complete) and crossed towards Great Russel Street. I took them towards the road leading to the British Museum. They had the start of their lives when they saw how huge the museum is and how much real estate it occupies in the center of London. Needless to say, they were awestruck by the Neo-Classical building and its Greek Temple-like design.

Exploring the British Museum:

     Despite the fact that they were really getting exhausted by this time, Art and Bonnie were real troopers as we went through security and entered the Museum. I told them a little bit about the history of the Museum and its origins through the collecting efforts of Sir Hans Sloane who bequeathed his collection to the museum which then launched on a spirit of expansion. This was way back in the18th century; and in keeping with the spirit of the new millennium, a new architectural feature was added to it in the year 2000: the Millennium Great Court by Sir Norman Foster. They were completely floored by it as we entered it, past the ancient facade. The contrast was so great and so unexpected that they were stunned.

Then began our look at the Highlights—since they were tiring quickly, I told them that I would show them only three of the most important highlights but before we got there, we just had to make a detour to see the ichytausaur which had been discovered by the amateur paleontologist Mary Anning from Lyme Regis on the Dorset coast as this is kept in The Enlightenment Gallery on the ground floor. Both Bonnie and I had read the novel Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier through our Book Club and we had found out all about Mary Anning and her discoveries in the late Victorian Age. Hence, I led them straight to the fossil whose location I had found out myself on a previous visit to London.

That seen, we moved towards perhaps the most crowded part of the museum—the Ancient Greek and Roman galleries. There, we came face to face with the Rosetta Stone and spent a while talking about it, reading the accompanying curatorial notes and taking special note of its size and design. This case is always crawling with visitors—so we were glad to get a glimpse of it. This stone is historically significant because it has the same edict carved on it in formal Greek, in a vernacular variety of Greek called demotic and in Egyptian hieroglyphics. Until the discovery of this stone in the late 1800s, hieroglyphics had remained undeciphered. While scholars knew that it was a pictorial script, they did not know its phonetic associations. The knowledge that the same message gad ben printed in Greek and demotic helped them understand that the same message was also engraved in hieroglyphics. Since they knew what the edit said in Greek, it was then possible for them to translate the same message into hieroglyphics--and so the mystery of the ancient Egyptian script was solved. This linguistic facility opened up the entire body of ancient Egyptian texts to the world and vastly facilitated our understanding of an ancient civilization.   

     Next we moved to the rooms in the Ancient Near East section where we saw the Assyrian bas-reliefs from the Palace of Nimrud in modern-day Iraq, some of which represented the Lion Hunt. That too they found fascinating.

Finally, I took then to the piece de resistance of the Museum—the notorious Elgin Marbles. Of course, they had a close look at them all as well as discussed the manner in which they were brought from the Parthenon in Athens to London by Lord Elgin and why Britain is not interested in returning them to Greece. There too they were quite taken by the immensity of the display and the size of it.

     That was it! They simply did not have the energy for anything more—so we decided to stop at this. They needed a soft drink and we found something at the cafe in the courtyard. 

     Then because I too had my eye on the clock as I was headed to my friends in Oxford, I started to take my leave of them. I led them to The Museum Tavern, another good watering hole right opposite the Museum where Art and Bonnie had beers while I declined a drink.  I did not want to miss my 6.00 pm coach from Victoria.  So I said Bye to them and hoped to see them again in Oxford. Then I hurried off.  It had been a fabulous experience to have time with them in London, although brief, and I am glad that they have already decided that they ought to return and give the city more time.

On the Coach to Oxford:

     I took the Tube from Tottenham Court Road to Victoria and then made my way to the coach stop. I saw one waiting at the stop and although it was the 5.30pm coach, the driver allowed me to board it. I thought I was lucky to be saving half an hour and I well believed I would reach Oxford half an hour earlier.

     But to my bad luck, the coach met with much traffic on the M40 as there was a bad accident.  Our driver had the good sense to get off the highway and take an exit that led us through country roads for a good 45 minutes before we were able to return to the highway again.  We lost an enormous amount of time but somehow managed to make it into Oxford at about 7.45 pm. I texted Sue to let her know that I was running late.

     From St. Aldates where I alighted, I then found my way on foot to Sue and Tony’s place at Grandpont. The bustle of Oxford had calmed down considerably by this point and in the setting rays of the sun, Tom Tower was gilded splendidly as I passed by. I could not resist stopping to take pictures outside the Perennial Gardens attached to the Meadows at Christ Church College. I also chose to walk along the banks of the Thames where I found that the wild blackberry bushes were yielding jewel-like fruit and I stopped to pick some and stain my fingers and mouth with their ripe sweetness.

Dinner at Sue and Tony’s Place:

I was just in time for dinner for Tony had just taken his lasagne out of the oven and was ready to serve it when I rang the bell at their door. It felt great to be back in the familiar location on Marlborough Road which I know well from previous stays in this cozy and very charming little English cottage. The food was delicious and served with beans, it made a great dinner. For dessert, there was an apricot tart from Marks and Spencer. Everything was wonderful and, best of all, I got to catch up with my friends for a couple of hours as they will be driving early tomorrow morning for Bristol, leaving their home to me, which is incredibly generous of them. 

  They then put me through the paces, showing me where electric switches were, how the shower worked, giving me keys to the back and front door and telling me to finish up all the food in the fridge!

     By then, I too was rather tired and was ready to call it a day.  Saying goodnight to my friends, I went into the spare room which I always use when I stay with them in Oxford. 

     What an incredible day I’d had! I looked forward very much to the next two days in Oxford and all the fun I would have in one of my favorite places in the world.  Returning to Oxford (because nothing changes very much in this medieval city) is always like wearing an old and comfortable pair of slippers--slipping into them immediately makes you feel at home!

     Until tomorrow...    

                   

Marching Into Museums: Victoria and Albert and the Fascinating Postal Museum

Monday, August 12, 2019
London

Marching Into Museums: Victoria and Albert and the Fascinating Postal Museum

     Hiya from London!
      So the days are marching on and given my resolution of seeing something new each time I arrive in this city (while still squeezing in visits to those places I most adore), I set out to do just that. I still wake up to trains and planes at about 6.30 am...but I stay in bed and blog or read or take a look at Twitter.
     When I heard Roz below, I knew that she was getting ready for work. She had already dropped Christie to Chatham Juncton from where he takes the train to Gatwick for his flight to India. She carried her breakfast to work and after a shower left the house; while I sat down and had a more leisurely breakfast of Sainsburys muesli with yogurt and coffee while watching the BBC Breakfast Show. A little later, I showered myself, got dressed and left. Meeting Roz’s sister, Sarah, at dinner last night, she had told me not to miss the Christian Dior exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum. She said that the queues were unbelievable but if I went early enough, I was likely to get a ticket. She hyped the show up so much and because the V and A is really a place I never miss on every visit to London, I was happy to take her advice.

Off to the Victoria and Albert Museum:
     So in a bus I went (345) to South Kensington from where I walked briskly for just five minutes to the entrance of the V and A. To my great disappointment, I found the line for day tickets to be long (there were at least 150 people there) and wait time would be at least an hour. Now I did not have the luxury of that kind of time to waste on this visit. So I decided to drop the idea and go and see my favorite sections of the Museum. These were the Jewelry Gallery which I absolutely adore and within this gallery I have my favorite pieces such as the 18th century silver chatelaine as well as the Rene Lalique section and the ones that feature diamond-encrusted hair ornaments and something called a ‘stomacher’. I have no idea how (or where) this is worn; but the piece is so stunning that I simply cannot drag my eyes away.
     Other favorite sections that I never miss when I am here are the Proctor and Gamble Dining rooms (which are now the cafe rooms of the Museum). The ceramic work on the walls and the ceiling is so unusual that I cannot stop photographing it. I also take pictures of the lavish ceramic staircase. I never leave this Museum without strolling through the Cast Courts that are filled with plaster casts of some of the world’s most famous sculptures as well as the actual Sculpture Courtyard filled with work by masters such as Rodin. My favorite piece in this section is a bust of a gorgeous young girl just entering puberty entitled The Age of Innocence and it is by Drury. If there was one piece of sculpture I would like to own, it is this one—it evokes in me the same sort of feelings as does The Ecstasy of St. Teresa by Bernini in Rome.
     I took a turn around the shop and then my eye descended upon a superb necklace by the British designer from the 1960s called Mary Quant who capitalized on the world’s obsession at that time with Flower Power and created a fresh and unique look in fashion. I bought the necklace right away and I have to say that it is probably one of the more modern designs I own as my taste usually veers towards the traditional.
     That bit of shopping done, I walked towards the thrift shops of South Ken looking for jewelry, DVDs and vintage scarves.  I did not have much luck and I did not want to waste too much time—so I hopped into a bus I saw coming (the 19) that was headed for Russel Square which was exactly where I next wanted to go. My aim was to get to Bill’s Restaurant on Kingsway off Holborn Tube Station. I got off at the junction of Tottenham Court Road Tube Station after thoroughly enjoying the long and winding bus drive that took me through some of the most recognizable and touristy parts of Central London. After passing through some of the side streets, I found my way past Covent Garden Tube Station and Long Acre Lane and when I spied the Freemason’s Main Headquarters, I knew that I had only to pass by it and five minutes later, I would be on Kingsway. And right enough, there it was—Bill’s.

Fish Pie for Lunch at Bill’s Restaurant:
     Bill’s Restaurant did not exist in Holborn when I lived there. It seems to be a newer chain that has found sudden and huge success.  I was introduced to it by my friend Rosa Fradley who lives in Essex and who had once recommended it when I had told her that I wanted to take her and her husband Matt for dinner. Matt could not make it but Rosa and her lovely boys had accompanied me. I had ordered the Fish Pie and have never forgotten how good it was. When I found out that there was a Bill’s Restaurant at Holborn, I was simply delighted.
     I got a spot on what turned out to be a horribly wet afternoon. There was nothing I would enjoy more than a really hot pie inside me.  So you can imagine how stunned I was when my order did not get to my table for more than half an hour. I was actually polite enough to wait that long before I inquired of the ditzy waitress what the matter was. She was too embarrassed to respond and so sent a more senior waiter over to tell me that the chef had completely forgotten to put my fish pie into the oven! I was in a state of shock because by this time I was ravenous! Fortunately, he redeemed himself by telling me that the pie would be at my table in ten minutes and that it would be on the house! Now that was awfully nice of him...but I suppose, having kept me waiting for half an hour, that was the least they could do.  
     My pie was great—and made greater yet by the fact that it was free! I took my time eating it as it was piping hot but the cheesy sauce that topped it all was so nutty in flavor that I loved it. About a half hour later, I walked right out of the place feeling like royalty!
     I then walked to Theobald’s Road and picked up the 19 bus going north along Roseberry Avenue as I was headed to Phoenix Place, right next to Exmoor Market where I wanted to visit the Postal Museum and take a ride on the Mail Rail. And that was exactly where I reached in about 15 minutes as the rain continued to play steadily down on me and left me feeling very cold indeed.

Taking a Ride on the Mail Rail:
     So when I lived in Holborn, ten years ago, the Postal Museum and the Mail Rail ride did not exist. How thrilled I am to know that there is a major museum within a few blocks of the place in which I used to live. Indeed, not too far from Charles Dickens’ home on 48 Doughty Street is Phoenix Place and it is there that you will find the Postal Museum in an area that is known as Mount Pleasant. I only got to know about this place as I had been watching this program on You Tube called Joolz Guides in Bombay. He had done a program on this Museum and I discovered that it is the latest in the vast plethora of museums that exist in London.
     So here is what happened. In about five minutes, I passed by a door with a sign that said, Mail Rail Tickets here. So in I went and 17 pounds later, I was the owner of a ticket that would give me a ride on the Mail Rail. This is a toy train that ran almost secretly under the pavements of London from 1927 when it was first created and went into operation to the year 2003 when it ceased to be used. It turns out that since there was so much traffic congestion on the streets of London from dodging horse-drawn carriages and omnibuses, it was thought wise to create an underground system (aside from the Tube) exclusively for transporting mail around the city, around the country and overseas. Hence, this tiny toy train system was created. It ran from Whitechapel in the east to Kensington in the West and it had regular platforms like a Tube train. The train stopped for exactly one minute at each station—during which time the loading and  unloading of dozens of bags filled with mail was accomplished. Work went on 24/7 with employees working in shifts.
     Once we got on to the train, we had a commentary that kept us informed about how the mail traveled. It told us about the sorting rooms that were attached to each station and of the frenetic activity that occurred there. Men sometimes collapsed from physical exhaustion. But they were very proud of their contribution to keeping the mail moving at a time when it was the only form of communication. About 4 millions pieces of mail were sorted and transported every single day in London. The train had no drivers as they were powered by electricity. But by 2003, it was found that gas was more efficient and economical than electricity and so the Mail Rail was suspended and postal vans were introduced. It lay unused until 2017 when the Mail Rail ride was opened to the public at the same time as the Postal Museum was created.
     The ride is a great hit with children, naturally, and no doubt  I would have enjoyed it much more had I some company. Still, I was fascinated from  the get go and I still remain in awe of what was accomplished and at how successfully Britain managed to transfer its genius at transporting mail to every one of its colonies. In India, I grew up with such an efficient postal service that it was our pride and joy. Now, 70 years after Independence, the  service is so lousy that no one uses it any more.  It is so tragic that all the institutions that the British put into place are fast disintegrating in India.
     All that said, I loved  the Postal Museum too which took me back to the time of Henry VIII who initiated the message delivery service by insisting that men stayed at the ready at fixed 'posts' to deliver messages when he needed their services—hence the word ‘post’ came to be used  for the service and phrases like 'posting' a letter or sending it 'by post' came into being. Henry VIII is responsible for far more than we give him credit for!!!
      It was still raining by the time I finished seeing the museum and made my way towards the Tube station. I called my friend Sushil who lived close by to find out if he would be interested in meeting briefly but he was not up to it. I then saw a No. 19 bus coming along and headed straight for Battersea Bridge—it was a no brainer. I jumped in and thought I would take another bus at the bridge (which I did). This long bus ride gave me another wonderful tour of the city and the parts of it that I most love.
     At Battersea Bridge, I jumped into a bus that took me to Roz’ place. She had not yet come back home and I was quite ready for a cup of hot tea which I had with chocolate eclairs. A little later, Roz arrived from work, I had a shower and we got ready to go to her sister Sarah’s place as she had invited us for dinner.

Dinner at Sarah’s Place:
     Sarah is as good if not better a chef than Roz and her home, just a few blocks away from Roz’ place is also a typically English home with its cozy interior, tons of paintings on the wall, and on the turntable (yes, she still plays vinyl) was a record—an LP—featuring Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck! Wow! That took all of us back somewhat!
    Sarah served me a long gin and tonic which I gratefully accepted after my long and very wet day and with her nibbles of hummus and crisp wafers, we enjoyed a natter before it was time to have dinner—a delicious salad and a main called Persiana Chicken which was a well sautéed chicken flavored well with saffron and tinged with turmeric. She served fresh ciabatta with smoked haddock spread and pate with caramelized onions for a starter. And for desert, they was ice-cream—Magnum double chocolate for me (magnum Minis!) I did not even know you get those (probably not in the US!).
     It was about two hours later that Roz and I returned home to her place where we were so exhausted that we simply crashed.
     Until tomorrow...