London UK, Brussels and Ghent in Belgium: A most comfortable journey on the Eurostar (Channel Tunnel) Train.

Tuesday, October 13, 2026:

London UK, Brussels and Ghent in Belgium:

It was our last day together in London. We awoke, showered, dressed and had eggs and parathas with hot coffee in our friend, Bande Hasan’s place. Then, we decided to spend a good part of the morning, packing our suitcases. Llew would carry two of them to India on his flight tonight, I would carry two of them, ten days from today. We carefully divided the amount of things we had bought—for we had done a bit of shopping in London and I had still more to do when I would return from my short stint in Belgium. Once he weighed his cases and found them to be within limits, he turned his attention to mine and made sure he divided our haul carefully so that there was still a few pounds worth of space for me to buy a few more things on my UK List of Things to Buy. Packing and weighing our baggage seems to have become a very big and very stressful part of our trips in the West.

Leaving for St. Pancras Station:

Then, as I had received notice from Eurostar that I had to be at St. Pancras Station no later than 11. 00 am for my 1.00 pm departure, we decided to leave our friend’s flat in Paddington at 10.00 am by Uber. However, he told us that Uber would not be necessary as he would be happy to give me a ride to the station in his car. I had packed just my small backpack for the four days that I would spend in Belgium. We were very grateful for the ride. Llew also came alone, of course, as he had a flight leaving Heathrow in the night at 9.00 pm and would need to leave at about 5.00 pm to get to the airport by 6.00 pm. The ride to St. Pancras gave him his last looks of London. Bande and he dropped me outside the main railway station where we said our goodbyes. I would see Bande again on my return, after four days, when I would go over to his place to pick up my strolley (cabin-size suitcase) to take over to my friend, Roz’s place, in Battersea, where I would stay for six days after I returned from Belgium.

My Journey from London to Ghent in Belgium:

So, following directions for passengers headed to Europe, I found myself in a huge hall that was simply teeming with people. It was more crowded than any airport I have ever seen. The lines, very organized and snaking around the hall, moved quite speedily. There were two or three lines, depending on what time one’s train would depart. I joined the line for folks leaving at 1.00 pm. There was a young American woman in front of me and I saw how perplexed and alarmed she was at the crowds. She told me that she strongly doubted we would actually make our train.

Well, I discovered that though the hordes were huge, the Eurostar staff really know what they are doing. They were calm and organized as they asked people to keep their passports and tickets ready. Remember, we were leaving the UK and going to another country—so there was Customs and Immigration to go through. However, the line moved ahead very steadily. Many people had little brown paper bags in their hands. They were accustomed to the drill and knew how important it was to get food before they left this huge Hall—because once you went through Ticket Check and Immigration clearance, there was basically just one duty free shop and one small coffee shop at the other end. Whereas on this side of the hall, there was every conceivable French and British coffee shop, restaurant, chocolatier and shop to be found. I, who had traveled on Eurostar twice before, but more than 15 years ago the last time, did not remember these crowds, these lines, the need to pick up food or anything. Fortunately, I had a few leftover posh sandwiches from my Afternoon Tea yesterday at The Hansom and those stood me in good stead as I munched my way through the train journey.

As we made our way out of the smokesstacks of London and into the suburbs, I noticed that the train was packed. It was very much like being in a plane actually—people were dead quiet, each one looking at a book, magazine or phone or tucking into their brown paper bags or sipping drinks. I too ate my sandwiches as the train flew through the fruit orchards of Kent. And then, we were actually in the Tunnel that gives the train its name—the Chunnel, the Channel Tunnel—because we had reached the English Channel and were under the sea bed whizzing our way into France. We were above ground for about half an hour, then in the tunnel for about an hour and then, when we emerged from the Tunnel, we were, for half an hour, in the green fields of France until we arrived at Lille. Then we crossed the border and entered Belgium, where we continued to our destination. So, our total journey was two hours, but by the time we arrived in Brussels, we had lost one hour as we had traveled eastwards. So, we arrived at 4.00 pm local time although my wristwatch still said 3.00 pm. Yes, I did change my watch and as I alighted from a beautiful European train—so spiffy, so clean, so silent—I focused on finding the connecting train that would take me to Ghent (as this was where I would make my base).

The station was very clearly sign-posted and all passengers coming from London were shepherded in a certain direction. I took the elevator down one flight and arrived in a huge hall. There, I saw signs in three different languages (English, French and Flemish). There were railway personnel around and it was clear that they could speak all three languages. I stopped a nice-looking lady and asked if she knew where I could buy a train ticket to get to Ghent. She directed me to a Ticket Hall where there were several counters and many ticket-vending machines. The lady asked if I was traveling right away and when I said Yes I was, she led me to a machine and then helped me buy my one-way ticket from there. I reminded her that I was a Senior which gave me a 2 Euro discount! Nice! Taing my ticket from her, I looked at a huge departure board and found that my train for Ghent would be leaving in 12 minutes. I then followed signs to my platform and rode up an escalator that took me there.

I have to admit that I was feeling very uneasy. After many years of having Llew as my travel companion in strange places, I have lost the stomach for traveling alone. I found it now rather unnerving. As I stood on the platform that said (Brussels Central, Midi—French—and Zuid—South, I believe, in Flemish) awaiting my train, I was glad that it was still daylight. It would be a thirty-minute ride to Ghent which meant that there would still be light when I arrived there at 5.00 local time.

And indeed, my train arrived on time. It was a beautiful, swanky, double decker train and I went upstairs. It helped not to have a load of luggage—just my dinky backpack and a crossover pocketbook. I observed my fellow passengers and all of them seemed to be day commuters going back home after a working day. When Ghent (St. Peter’s Station) arrived, I got off and then had to deal with the daunting task of finding the tram stop and the right tram to take me to my lodgings on Universitystraat.

Well, let me tell you that Ghent railway station was a total mess. I thought I had arrived on a construction site. The entire space—and the station is huge—was covered by the trappings of construction: ladders, scaffolding, mounds of sand and stone and what have you. It was so off-putting. I had no idea which exit to take—there were about a hundred of them. So confusing! I was in despair. Also, I was fast losing light and I was terrified of having to get to my place in the dark.

Luckily for me, I saw a very personable young lady walking towards me. I stopped and asked her if she spoke English and thank God, she did! I asked if she would help me. When she discovered that I needed to take a tram, she told me that I was at the opposite side of where I needed to be. I would need to walk through the station again and get off at the opposite exit. I could have hugged her when she told me that she was early for her own train and would be happy to escort me to the tram stop! Gosh! How lucky was that! So, we walked through the sheer mess of a station, arrived at the main hall (with which I became quite familiar in the next couple of days) and then exited the station to find ourselves on the main square where I could see trams plying.

She pointed out my tram stop to me, told me which line to take after I showed her my hotel address (No. 1) and at which stop I would need to alight (the seventh) and from there, I had my map and was able to find my way. She also told me that the ticket purchase was contactless. I could buy my ticket on the tram using my credit card by simply touching my card to the machine in the tram. Inside, in the tram, I bought my ticket (just 3 Euros) and sat beside another young woman who also spoke good English and who told me exactly where I should get off. She told me I would see a large Neo-Classical building which was the state library—and my stop would be right after I passed it. Okay, I think I was a bit more confident then.

When my stop came, I got off and using my map, I found my street. It was just a hop, skip and jump from the tram stop. It was then about 6.30 pm and twilight had already fallen on the town. I was pleased to find my lodgings—a rented studio that I had booked through Booking-com. It was called the Raibu-Ghent and it was a building with several studios inside. However, there was no receptionist, and you would enter through the use of the keypad based on a code that had been sent to me in the morning. Once inside, the building, my studio was on the second floor and there was an elevator to reach it (for which I was very grateful as I had been having difficulty climbing up and down stairs with my bad back). To get into my studio, I had to use the same code number and it worked!

I found myself inside a lovely space, clean, modern and very well maintained. I felt sure I would be safe and happy inside. I checked out the bathroom as I needed to use it and found it sparkling clean too. There was everything one could possibly need for a few days’ stay including a kitchenette with a small fridge, a dishwasher, an electric hob and a microwave oven. I would use the fridge and the microwave, of course, but nothing else. There was also an electric kettle and tea and coffee supplies but no milk or creamer and since I do not take my coffee black, I did not use it at all.

Well, the thing to do was to relax first for a little while and then think of going out to get something to eat. I tried the television and found that it had Netflix and You Tube and with those I was really happy because I could get the news and my favorite shows. I left in about an hour and decided not to venture too far. I strolled outside my studio and crossed a bridge that took me over a canal where there were a few pizzerias and restaurants. But I still had a sandwich in my bag and I decided that I would finish that off for dinner tonight. So, after I took a few pictures on the bridge because I loved the distant steeples and gabled roofs that I could see with their exciting promise of a really lovely Old Town, I made my way back to my studio and used whatsapp. I tried calling Llew who was at Heathrow airport getting ready to board his flight to Bombay. So, we were both quite settled by that point. I also let my friend Bande Hasan know that I had arrived in Ghent and was safe in my studio.

I had a whole busy day of sightseeing to do, on the morrow, so I did not stay awake too long. I watched a bit of TV (an episode of ‘Inspector Morse’) and then I brushed and flossed my teeth, climbed into my PJs and got ready for bed (after making certain that the back door was securely locked and my curtains fully drawn so that no one could look inside my studio).

Until tomorrow, see ya’…

London, UK: Breakfast in Café Regency, Tea with a Friend and a Stroll in Holland Park, Walking Around King’s Cross. Afternoon Tea at The Hansom at St. Pancras Station

Monday, October 12, 2026

London, UK

Breakfast in Café Regency, Tea with a Friend and a Stroll in Holland Park, Walking Around King’s Cross. Afternoon Tea at The Hansom at St. Pancras Station.

When we awoke this morning, both Llew and I were conscious of the fact that we had reached our last full day together in London. By the afternoon tomorrow, I will be leaving London for the Continent and by the evening tomorrow, he will be leaving for India. Hence, we lost no time, showering, dressing and excusing ourselves from breakfast with our host, Bande Hasan, as we had other plans for breakfast. So off we went…

Breakfast at the Regency Café in Pimlico:

I have eaten breakfast at the Regency Café in Pimlico on a previous trip to London, but since Llew had never been I was keen for him to see the place and experience its ambience as it is pretty unique. The place was established in the 1940s, soon after World War II ended, and it has retained much of its post-war décor and atmosphere. It is a bit of a hike to get there—again, a rather hard place to find and after a complicated journey by Tube and then a walk in a maze of streets, we arrived.

The Regency does wonderful old-fashioned meals (and very reasonably too), but it is best known for its breakfast by which I mean Full English Breakfasts. I always try to have one of those on each trip to the UK and this was no exception. You enter and hope you will find a seat—it is always a bit of a challenge and there is always a crowd. Sometimes, the line goes right out the door. Luckily, we found two empty seats and with our jackets placed on them to reserve them, we joined the line snaking its way to the counter to place our order.

Of course, both of us wanted the FEB (Full English Breakfast) by which I mean two eggs (done any style—mine are always scrambled, Llew’s are over-easy), sausages, bacon, grilled tomato, grilled mushrooms, baked beans, toast and coffee (and as an extra—for higher payment—I ordered black pudding as well). We had to wait for about ten minutes before getting to the counter and then about fifteen minutes for our order—so, this is not fast food, by any means! Still, when you do get your large platter, brimming over with greasy spoon goodness, you are floored. In fact, I found myself staring at a heart attack on a platter! But oh well…one does not eat like this daily. It was delicious and we polished up every last crumb on our platters, except the black pudding which neither one of us liked. Of course, we would not be eating anything until really late in the day when our next meal would be that other favorite of British gastronomy—Afternoon Tea!

Off to Holland Park to See Our Friend:

We traced our steps back to the Tube station and took it to Holland Park where we alighted and, using our phone map app, found our way to our friend, Frances’ home. I had visited her, a year ago, and been most impressed by her art collection, particularly her work by famed contemporary Indian artists. I was keen for Llew to see her collection too and so I’d made plans to meet her at her place for a quick cuppa as she had commitments for the rest of the day and so had we.

Making ourselves comfortable at Frances’ place is not tough as she is warm and hospitable and the two of us together are Motor Mouths. We can talk nineteen to the dozen—honestly, we never stop. She insisted we have the cuppa we had promised but neither of us had expected that we would be bursting after our FEBs---so we politely declined and told her we’d come for a coffee another time. However, we did enjoy the slices of fruit cake she put out for us. So, after we toured her beautiful home, we thought it was time we left. She accompanied us downstairs as she had to go out too. We took several pictures both insider her house and out and then we set off after sad goodbyes.

Strolling Around Holland Park and the Kyoto Garden:

Last year, Frances had led me on a stroll around her neighborhood—one of the most affluent in London—and pointed out the homes of all the social celebrities who had second city homes here—David Beckham, Lord Andrew Lloyd-Weber and right opposite her home is the one once inhabited by Duleep Singh, son of the Maharaja of the Punjab whose lands had been annexed by Queen Victoria and who felt remorse and guilt so acute that she brought Duleep to England and then raised him as her own. I pointed all these places to Llew (identified by the blue plaques). We also entered the famed Holland Park Mews where a lot of films are shot. The arch leading to the Mews makes a picturesque spot and we duly posed there. And then we walked ahead to the entrance of Holland Park which we entered.

Holland Park is one of the lungs of West London. It is a vast space that lends itself to use by walkers, strollers, skaters, dog-walkers, etc. It is divided into smaller garden rooms each in a different style (English Gardens, Italianate Gardens, and the famous Japanese Garden—the Kyoto Garden which is my favorite). It is also a favorite space of mine because it is closely associated with my favorite TV series of all time, “As Time Goes By”. Every time I miss the UK too much and need my English Fix, I watch the series all over again! In the series, Lionel Hardcastle (Geoffrey Palmer) and Jean Pargeter (Judi Dench) meet of the first time, in their 20s, in Holland Park. Since she ends up, later in life, living in Holland Park, when the two of them reconnect after decades, much of the TV series is shot here. I love strolling in the frames of the series! So, I took Llew to these places this time round so that he too could relive the series.

As we first came upon the Kyoto Garden, that was where we entered first. Autumn was certainly evident in this garden as the Japanese Government that gifted this garden to the UK was very keen to see that they had plantings for every season. In the spring, the garden is filled with vivid color from azaleas and rhododendrons. Today, we saw maples that had turned a fiery red, copper birches with golden showers of leaves and silver barks, russets and browns and oranges that made such a vibrant backdrop for the beautiful cascade that is the focal feature of this garden. And, as if this horticultural glory is inadequate, there was wildlife too: Canadian Geese, scampering squirrels, large magpies, mallards in iridescent colors and even, get this…peacocks. Yes, the peacocks are a unique feature of these gardens (an Indian touch in the midst of the Japanese burst of color)! We walked all around the gardens, took many pictures and then walked out into the main gardens of the Park.

These main gardens (the English Gardens and the Italianate Gardens) are overlooked by the famous restaurant, ‘The Belvedere’, where I have had the privilege of eating dinner once when it was run by the famed chef, Marco Pierre White. (I don’t think he is still associated with it). I pointed out the restaurant to Llew before we disappeared under the colonnaded arcades of a red-brick walk admiring the Victorian paintings on the wall that ran alongside us. It was all very refined. I have to say that the gardens were being refurbished by an army of gardeners as they were taken from summer to fall—all summer plantings were stripped away and fall plantings had not yet gone into the ground. So, the area looked really forlorn as the fountain in the center had also been suppressed. However, the weather was simply perfect and just terrific for walking in a park—so I am so pleased we had the opportunity to undertake this too during our stay in England.

Disappointment at the London Canal Museum:

Another item on our itinerary this year is the London Canal Museum (a place that neither one of us had seen before). It is tucked away behind King’s Cross Station and takes some finding (our phone map helped). Sadly, after we’d trekked there for about 20 minutes after getting off the Tube at King’s Cross, we discovered that, being a Monday, the Museum was closed! Our fault, of course, as we ought to have done our research or, at the very least looked at the website! Anyway, there is always something you need to leave for the next trip, right? So, it was that we left and decided to move on to the place we intended to go to next—St. Pancras Station.

Exploring St. Pancras Station:

I’ve, of course, explored this area really well and know the inside of it too. But Llew is not too familiar with the area…so I suggested we go in there. Also, a few years ago, I had shown him the home of Sir John Betjeman (when we were visiting the Church of St. Bartholomew The Great—he lived very close by there) and informed him that, at one time, he was Poet Laureate of Great Britain and a deeply beloved poet. So, when I told him that Betjeman was chiefly responsible for saving St. Pancreas Station from demolition, he was shocked that so gorgeous a Victorian building was actually being considered for destruction. Why? He kept saying. Well, because it had fallen into disuse and because when the Eurostar Chunnel Train was being designed and constructed, the architects felt that they could use the space to build a spiffy, modern station in keeping with the modernity of the new technology. Betjeman and his pals (among them, Hugh Casson) objected strongly and through a public outcry, the building was saved. The back of it is still used as the entrance by Eurostar passengers, but the front was saved by conversion into a five-star hotel that was purchased by the Renaissance Group of Hotels.

Inside, to honor the contribution of Betjeman, there is a life-size sculpture of the poet with his hand shading his eyes (as if from the sun) as he gazes at the ceiling of this beautiful station. We played around ourselves with our camera as we took pictures there. Then, we made our way to the Renaissance Hotel that was entered through a door that said “Booking Office”—these are the old signs from when the place was a Railway Station.

I took Llew to the back first to show him the staircase that is one of London’s best-kept secrets—it is a curvaceous creation that is well carpeted and reaches up to the topmost floor in a most visually stirring manner. Benedict Cumberbatch once told a magazine that it is his favorite hidden corner of London. Yes, we took pictures here too and then, as it was about 5.00 pm by this time (Afternoon Tea Time!), we went to the attendant at The Hansom and told her that we had come for the Afternoon Tea. She asked if we had reservations and I said “No”! Frankly, I had not thought it was necessary. But indeed, we had to. So she told us that she would need to find out if the chefs could conjure up two full Afternoon Teas for us—a few minutes of suspense followed. Would we be turned away in disappointment? Well, no. It was a positive respond. They could accommodate us. She led us to our seats (a sweet round table) and introduced us to our server who would take care of us for the rest of the evening.

Afternoon Tea at The Hansom:

A word about the space: It is just lovely. A very ingenious design conversion had led to a dreary Booking Hall being converted into a very swanky restaurant with a bar on one side, very soft and comfortable sofas sprinkled around and very attentive staff. I was thinking that this would be a great place to just stop by for a cuppa and a long sit-down, if one were in the area and needed a pick-me-up.

And now a Word About Our Afternoon Tea: In a word, it was lovely. There was a vast tea/coffee/juices menu and we could have as many pots as we chose. Llew chose the Assam and I had the Darjeeling. Later, I had a lovely herbal tea with mint and lavender and Llew had the Earl Grey. And there was also an amuse-bouche served to us while our real Tea was being prepared. These were tiny little tarts filled with what tasted like a mushroom filling, topped with cream cheese whirls and black roasted sesame seeds. Really scrumps!

Then came the three courses you associate with these teas: coronation chicken, a cheese and pickle sandwich (made with blue cheese, Branston Pickle and roasted hazelnuts which was incredibly good—can’t wait to try it at home), egg mayonnaise, smoked salmon with cream cheese and chives. They were all delicious and also unlimited. You could order a whole extra plate and take it home, if you chose to.

We enjoyed them all and then moved on to the second course: the scones. We received two types on another tier of our tea stand, wrapped in a white napkin to keep them warm: there were buttermilks scones and raisin scones and they came with pots of clotted cream and strawberry jam and we enjoyed them too.

But, our heavy FEBs still seated in our tummies, Llew could not believe that we were then required to look at a plate full of cakes. For yes, that was our third course: We received four exquisitely fashioned pastries—all different. One with lemon curd, another made with lavender, a third with macha and fourth with chocolate. But seriously, Llew had no room for them and we simply told the server to wrap them up for us. So, an extra helping of sandwiches and all our cakes went into two pretty carrier bags that we would enjoy for dessert. Llew told me to make sure that we never schedule two big meals like this on the same day again! Oh well…bad planning, I guess. Why did I think that a big breakfast and big tea were fine—as long as we would not eat lunch or dinner? Clearly, I was mistaken. Anyway, this cost us about 60 pounds per head—which is kind of middle of the road for Afternoon Tea prices in London—the high-end ones (in the five-star hotels) are more like 100 pounds and the el cheapo ones (in the pubs) go for about 25-30 pounds.

And with that very happy meal behind us and another item ticked off our London To-Do List, we boarded the Tube train to take us to Paddington. We were back in our friend’s home in time to have dinner but as we were so full, we could not think of joining him. However, he wouldn’t have it and we ended up pecking at his dinner items that he had ear-marked for us. We shared our Afternoon Tea Cakes with him for dessert and on that happy note, we called it a day.

Until tomorrow, cheerio…

London, UK Sunday Mass at St. Etheldreda’s Church in Holborn; Strolling Around Farringdon and Holborn; On the Bus to the Tate Britain; ‘The 90s in Art and Fashion’ Exhibition at the Tate Britain; Lunch in the Cafe of Peter Jones Department Store at Sloane Square; Afternoon Tea at Café Nero with Close Friends; Dinner at Home with Our Host in Paddington

Sunday, October 11, 2026 London, UK Sunday Mass at St. Etheldreda’s Church in Holborn; Strolling Around Farringdon and Holborn; On the Bus to the Tate Britain; ‘The 90s in Art and Fashion’ Exhibition at the Tate Britain; Lunch in the Cafe of Peter Jones Department Store at Sloane Square; Afternoon Tea at Café Nero with Close Friends; Dinner at Home with Our Host in Paddington Sunday was tailor-made for visiting London’s historic churches and since we would need to go to Sunday Mass ourselves, we decided that it would be at my former parish church of St. Etheldreda’s in Holborn. Yes, it was a hike to get there from Paddington but we left the house early enough, skipped breakfast, took the bus first to Oxford Street, then connected to another that got us to High Holborn from where we walked to our church to reach there well in time. Sunday Mass at St. Etheldreda’s: I have always believed that it was my great good fortune that of all the churches in London, my parish would be St. Etheldreda’s, when I came to live in the city in 2008. This is a highly historic Catholic church—it is, first of all, the first church to return to Catholicism after the Protestant Reformation (hence, it is considered to the “oldest Roman Catholic Church in London”); secondly, it dates back to the times of the Bishops of Ely (close to Cambridge) who owned vast tracks of land that is now the London Diamond District of Hatton Garden (adjoining the church area). So well stablished was it by the Tudor period, that Queen Elizabeth I, her father Henry VIII and other Elizabethan figures such as Shakespeare and his cronies are said to have worshiped in this church. While it was a vast ecclesiastical property in Tudor times, all that stands of it today is the main church itself tucked away in Ely Place. The first time I attempted to find it, I remember going around in circles all over Holborn but not succeeding. It has a very small congregation but since most London guides tell visitors how rich it is in history, there are a fair amount of folks who come in every Sunday to attend Mass and just to peek into one of London’s most ancient churches. When I was a parishioner here, Fr. Tom Deidun was the Prish priest—and indeed he stayed in this position until very recently when retirement took him far away. The current parish priest is one Fr. Thomas Furlong whom I find quite personable and on the two occasions that I have met him, a year apart, he was warmly welcoming. He said Mass here and it was, as always, a solemn time of prayer and reflection. I enjoyed the experience very much, mainly because I was flooded by nostalgia as I remembered by 18-year younger self in this space, so fascinated by everything that this church contained (medieval stained glass windows, plinths with Victorian figures on them, a casket containing a relic of St. Etheldreda at the right side of the altar, etc.). Before leaving, Llew and I used the facilities, said a quick hello to Fr. Furlong and left. Strolling Around Farringdon: Attending Mass at St. Etheldreda’s, gave us the chance to explore Farringdon on foot and re-visit parts of it that are so familiar to me as it was once my daily stomping ground. You see, just before my year’s work in London ended in 2009, I had spent two months in a flat on Cowcross Lane in a building called Denmark House. This is just a few minutes away from the church. We passed by the famous Fabric Club on this lane as we headed deeper into Farringdon when the outlines of the equally famous Smithfield Meat Market came into view. At my former building entrance, we stopped to take a few pictures. Smithfield used to be a famous Victorian Meat Market—in fact, its daily business operation supplied meat to all meat-eaters in the city. One of the recommended things to do in London, in past times, had included waking up at the crack of dawn and making one’s way to the meat Market at Farringdon to watch the order of business being conducted for the day. When I lived in the lane opposite, I had done just this one morning and had been amazed at the number of butchers, their aprons well bloodied, going about their business before adjourning for the day with a big breakfast in one of the many good restaurants in the area. Then, we walked towards Charterhouse Square, so-named because the Medieval Charterhouse is the focal building of this antiquated part of London. Charterhouse is a monastery that dates back centuries but still houses a few monks. It used to run a very well-regarded school that boasts several luminaries as its alumni, but the school subsequently moved to Kent. Today, the property is used mainly as an outdoor location for period films. The monks give tours to the public (and I had taken one, a few years ago), that leads you from one quadrangle to the next where the interesting aspect is that each is built in a different architectural style depending on when it was built. Today, we could not enter the place as there was a private event on later in the day. Instead, we walked around the Square towards the building known as Florin Court whose Art Deco façade is used in the opening credits of the Hercule Poirot series that stars David Suchet as Poirot. From there, we found our way to the Church of St. Bartholomew the Great which is entered by a Tudor gatehouse, complete with dark beams. Once inside, you face a flint-sided church that is a true poem in black and white. Since it was a Sunday, we were able to enter without paying the tourist entry fee. Service would be beginning in about twenty minutes, but we were able to encircle the church and admire its design inside. It is a double-storied Norman church that absolutely wears its age on its sleeve. This church, also once a monastery, was founded by the monk Rahere in 1123. Because it is still so atmospheric, many movie scenes have been shot here—most famously one of the weddings in ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’. After we’d said a prayer, I walked around to take pictures. The church is filled with significant paintings, sculpture, etc. the most striking of which is a gilded representation of St. Bartholomew by the famous modern British artist, Damien Hirst. His representation is based on the ones in the Sistine Chapel and the Duomo in Milan. St. Bart (nickname) was martyred by being skinned. Hirst has him standing with his skin draped on his arm, the other hand clutching a scalpel (rather than a knife). The scalpel is a nod to the fact that adjoining this church is the famous St. Bart’s Hospital, another landmark in one of the oldest parts of the city. Later, in our walk, we would enter the precincts of the Hospital. For that moment, we went into the cloisters, where there is a small café and where large posters on the wall provide a detailed history of the church, its role in TV and Films, etc. Our next stop was at another church that is equally significant, the Church of St. Bartholomew The Less. Llew was intrigued by his name and wondered why he was called the Less, when I informed him that it had nothing to do with the saint at all, but rather with the fact that these two churches were in such close proximity, that a distinction was created between them: the larger, older church was St. Bart’s The Great and the smaller one was St. Bart’s the Less. The latter, being attached to the hospital, is the church of medical personnel—so it is not surprising that here is a stained glass window featuring a World War II nurse kneeling in prayer. This really is a small, cozy church with a pretty little organ and since Service was just over, we had a chance to see a few members of the congregation filing out. Seeing people either coming to church or leaving after service, took me back to my year in London (2008-09) when I used to attend Sunday service at a different church every week so as to introduce myself to the different churches in my neighborhood and to have the opportunity to get to know about their history and their architectural features. So, I have attended service myself in all these churches, about twenty years ago. And talking about the Hospital, of course, we took a stroll around the property. This is actually still a working hospital (St. Bart’s Hospital) and it still furnishes the needs of people This hospital too has a long and storied past as it was the place where the Knights Templar who were leaving England to go and fight in the Crusades in the Middle East would receive hospitality before their departure and when they returned, if wounded or in need of care, they would find it here too through the monks of the adjoining monastery who would tend to them. Then, in 1523, King Henry VIII gave them a royal charter that allowed them to officially carry out medical healing in this venue. And thus, the Hospital as we know it today, came into existence. In fact, the Gatehouse to the Hospital that faces Charterhouse Square, features a sculpture of King Henry VIII in a niche on the top and you can easily see it when you enter. It is also interesting that the painter, Hogarth painted a huge depiction of the Biblical scene of the ‘Healing at the Pool of Bethesda’ (which again, I had the good fortune to see, many years ago).The hospital has a fabulous little museum attached to it (that contains King Henry’s Charter and other significant legal documents) that is certainly worth visiting. Finally, as we walked away from Charterhouse Square, on our morning walk, we passed by the building in which the gilded Fat Boy sculpture can be seen. He is a representation of Gluttony for it was at a bakery, not too far from this spot, that The Great Fire of London is supposed to have started in 1666 that destroyed almost the whole of the square mile that is known as The City. We also saw the Old Bailey, the City Civil Court at which small cause cases are still heard (the public can attend these hearings and I had once done so myself). We then waited for a bus on High Holborn, close to the Viaduct Tavern and right opposite the Church of St. Steven, one of the Christopher Wren churches that also features in the old nursery Rhyme, “Oranges and Lemons, say the Bells of St. Clements…” The “bells of Old Bailey” in this poem, refer to the bells of this church. It’s really super fascinating when you realize how many nuggets of British history are part and parcel of their literature. On a Bus Headed to the Tate Britain: We had tickets to see “The 90s in Art and Fashion” at the Tate Britain for 10.45 am—so off we went on a bus. We would take it to Holborn station, then jump on the Piccadilly Line to Pimlico from where we would walk to the Tate. I was delighted because this bus ride gave us an opportunity to go past my former building at 7 High Holborn. Almost every year since I vacated the flat in that building, I have returned to chat with the concierge, Arben. Sadly, on this trip, I would not have the time to do so. Still, it felt good to look at the windows of my flat and take pictures. At the Tate Britain-- ‘The 90s in Art and Fashion’: The Tate Britain is at Millbank—rather hard to get to…but get there we did. We still had not stopped for breakfast—but I had cereal bars with me and those served us well. Once at the Tate, we headed straight to the Exhibition. It is curated by Edwad Enninful, former Editor of Vogue Britain. I have to say that of all the museums, art gallery and exhibitions we saw on this trip, this one was simply the most disappointing. I had hoped to see a lot of real fashion, meaning real outfits. Instead, it was nothing but loads and loads of black and white and some colored photos of well-known models of the era such as Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss. Where was the art? I saw none! There were just two rooms that actually presented real outfits—some by John Galliano for Dior and some by the British design diva, Vivienne Westwood. No, this was nonsense and neither one of us thought well of it at all. Actually, we were really hungry by this time and did not want to linger long. So although I did want to see the Seagram Murals by Mark Rothko that I thought were at the Tate Britain (near the Turners in the Clore Gallery), they seem to have been moved to the Tate Modern. I would need to go there again to have a look at them, later in my trip. Taking the Tube to Sloane Square for a Very Late Lunch: By this time, we were really hungry and looking for a bite to eat. I suggested we go back to the Tube station and take some transport to Sloane Square as I wanted to take Llew to the café of Peter Jones department store which has some of the best views of the rooftops of London. So, we ended up taking a bus instead all the way to Kensington, from where we changed into a bus going directly to Sloane Square. Once there, we went straight up to the café (yes, I was very tempted to browse through the goods in the Home Department, but we were simply too hungry). There were many choices, but we opted to have a really delicious Tandoori Chicken Sandwich with Mango Chutney on a seeded roll. It turned out to be wonderful and certainly filled the hole in our tummies. We also enjoyed our window seat that allowed us to try and identify some of the many rooftops especially in Albertopolis where most of the major museums are located. We were able to pick out the Victoria and Albert Musuem, the Museum of Natural History, the dome of the Roman Catholic Oratory, etc. Plus, we saw so many of the chimney pots of the houses in Chelsea which reminded me very much of the scene from “Chim Chimney” in the film, Mary Poppins. Afternoon Tea with our Friends in Mayfair: We would have liked to browse around Chelsea and window-shop along the King’s Road, as it was a beautiful day, the sun shining brightly and the temperature perfect. But, we had another appointment to keep—this time in Mayfair, with our friends, Murali and Nina, who had traveled from Wimbledon to meet us. And so, we took a bus to get to Mayfair, got off at Green Park and using my phone map, managed to find Café Nero where we’d made plans to meet. They were waiting for us when we arrived there. It is always a great pleasure to see them and while I meet them on almost every trip to London, Llew sees them less frequently. We settled down with coffees and hot chocolates and a large brownie at which all of us picked as we kept conversation flowing—there was much to catch up on. Murali and I became friends about 18 years when he started following my daily blog and began to give me recommendations for places to go to and see. And before you know it, we became family friends. They always make it a point to come and see me, when I am in London and I really do appreciate them for doing this. Home to Paddington for Dinner with Our Host: After we’d spent about two hours together, we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways at Green Park—they would take the Tube and we took a bus to Paddington. We’d be in time again to have dinner with our friend, Bande Hasan, who was delighted as he had the leftovers of our dinner of yesterday to finish off. And so, we ended up eating Chicken Biryani with Raita and Marks and Spencer’s Chocolate Eclairs (which is also one of my favorite things to eat in the UK). I had picked up a box of them too and we all enjoyed them immensely as a fitting end to our day. Until tomorrow, cheerio…

Audley End in Essex; London by Night and a Royal Dinner with Our Host in Paddington

Saturday, October 10, 2026

Audley End in Essex; London by Night and a Royal Dinner with Our Host in Paddington

As I always attempt to plan at least one outing out of London, on every trip, to enable us to leave the city smog behind and retreat into the pristine serenity of the countryside, this year, we decided to go to Audley End House in Essex. I had first heard about this place from my friends, Rosa and Matt Fradley, who live in Essex. Several years ago, on a visit to their home in Essex, they had shown me quite a bit of Essex, taking me to delightful villages such as Bishops Stortford and Stansted Mount Fitchet. While driving around Essex, we had driven on a small bridge where we had stopped to overlook the vast property of a place called Audley End House. They had told me then that it was a stately estate with a grand manorial home (which we could see from the bridge) that was open to the public and that sat in the midst of landscaped grounds by the famous landscaper, Lancelot “Capability” Brown. I had always kept this place in the back of my mind and thought it would be lovely to visit it someday. Well, this seemed like the ideal opportunity. It would give us a chance to get out of London, see an amazing property and also meet the Fradleys who lived close by and could easily make a short trip to see us. So that was settled then…we would travel to Essex by train, see the place and at the end of our trip, the Fradleys would join us for tea and cake. It seemed like the perfect plan.

Breakfast and Taking the Train to Essex:

We did not stop to eat breakfast at our fiend’s place today as we did want to get a head start—we had a long journey to Essex and wanted to make the most of the day. Hene, we merely showered, dressed and left the house, intending to pick up a breakfast to go from Liverpool Street Station. To save time today, we took the Tube from Paddington Station to Liverpool Steet Station and using the Information counters, found the fastest and most economical way (off-peak day return tickets) to get to Audley End (the station you alight at if you wish to visit the property). As expected, after we picked up our return tickets, we picked up croissants and coffee from the station, found our platform (our train would be leaving in about 8 minutes) and we were off. It was a lovely, very pleasant journey by train. As we left the city and the suburbs of London behind, we passed by expansive green and fallow fields, fruit orchards, quaint villages and the like. It was a very good start to our day out. It took us exactly an hour to get to Audley End Station, a very cute, toy-like red and white station from where we called for an Uber that took us to the House. We had a very nice Eastern European female driver who told us that she often drops visitors to the house in exactly the same journey as the one we were taking.

What’s So Special about Audley End? Who Owned It and When?

Audey End was one of the greatest houses of Jacobean England. It was built on the foundations of Walden Abby, a Benedictine Monastery established in the 13th century. When the Dissolution of the Monasteries occurred in 538, under Jenry VIII, he granted Walden to his chancellor, Thomas, Lourd Audley, who converted the monastic buildings into a house.

Between 1604 and 1614, Audley’s grandson, Thomas Howard, first Earl of Suffolk and Lord Treasurer to James I, rebuilt the house to accommodate the King, who visited in 1614. Charles II (who reigned from 1660-85) agreed to buy Audley End from the Third Earl in 1667, as a ready-made palace; but by then it was already old-fashioned and William III (ruled 1689-1702) returned it to the Howard Family in 1701. There followed 40 years of retrenchment, as successive earls sought to reduce the house to a manageable size. This got rid of the grand courtyard, one of the largest in England at the time.

Elizabeth, Countess of Portsmouth, bought the house in 1751, after inheriting part of the estate. She began remodelling the house and gardens, bequeathing it in 1762 to her nephew, Sir John Griffin Whitewell, who then took the surname Griffin (which explains the logo of the house—the griffin—seen on the ceiling in the Robert Adam Rooms). Griffin became Lord Howard de Walden in 1784 and First Baron Braybrooke in 1788. He commissioned Lancelot “Capability” Browne to sweep away the remains of the formal landscape and Robert Adam to add a stack of galleries behind the Hall to create a fashioned suite of reception rooms (that are known as the Adam Rooms).

In 1820, Richard Neville, later Third Lord Braybrooke, moved into Audley End. He sought to recover the Jacobean character of the House, bringing the principal reception rooms back to the first floor. It is substantially his taste that prevails in the house today.

During the Second World War, Audley End served as the training headquarters of the Polish section of the Special Operations Executive. They House was purchased for the nation from the 9th Lord Braybrooke in 1948.

Visiting Audley End House:

The estate itself is managed by English Heritage, a venerable organization that protects and preserves significant properties in the UK. You have to go through a beautiful Tudor Brick gatehouse to enter the property. Once we passed it, there was a small kiosk with a girl waiting to greet visitors. She gave us a leaflet and told us to head to the Dairy to buy our tickets. There was a guided tour beginning really soon and we thought we might be able to catch it. As we walked closer to the Manor, we were able to appreciate its beautiful architectural features. We were informed that a tour of the outhouses were just beginning and so hurried out to join it.

A Tour of the Outhouses by a Dairy Maid:

For the next hour, we were treated to a guided tour from a docent costumed as a dairy maid (who happened to be from the dairy capital of the USA, Wisconsin!). She took us through the dairy, the laundry (wet and dry), the kitchen and the pantry where we were astonished at the size of the entire housekeeping operation. It was fascinating indeed to learn about the way laundry was done in the Wet Laundry—the various steps—and to see the huge wash tubs, the contraptions that were used to hang up the linens on lines to dry, etc. In the Dry Laundry, we were shown the fireplaces at which really heavy, coal-filled irons were used to press the dried laundry (not much different from the kind of irons I remember the Indian dhobis using when pressing our clothes).

We then moved on to the Dairy where we saw the way in which milk cream was churned to create butter. There were many wooden butter presses around. There were also huge pottery urns used to store the milk and keep it cool before it could be consumed or turned into cream and butter. All of it was fascinating.

We then moved into the humongous kitchens that were actually a series of rooms that included a hearth, a fireplace, winding contraptions on which meat could be hung for even manual roasting and spinning. We saw the pantry and I loved the way it was still filled with glass bottles and jars with fruit and vegetable preserves neatly lined inside. There were also bowls and utensils of every sort that were used for storing food grains, etc. It introduced us to the massive operation it was to feed all the members of the estate—not just the aristocrats themselves but also their huge staff who kept the home in top condition. Anyone who watched ‘Downton Abbey’, and became fascinated by the series, would have an idea of what feeding the estate involved.

Touring the House:

As for the home, it is humongous and as we sauntered from one room to the next, I seriously wondered when it would end—it was so tiring! The tour guides in every room were amazing. As they spun out the complicated history of the estate that spans a lengthy period of five centuries from the Tudors to the Edwardians, we were left aghast. Each room was opulently appointed as it was a royal residence and, on many an occasion, had hosted the reigning monarch. There were the usual rooms we associate with such estates in the UK—a massive hall with a carved wooden screen, in which the portraits of the main players in the game were on the walls (among them, Lord Audley who was a lawyer that helped draft some of the most important historical documents of the Tudor period—I guess he made most of his money in this way, like all lawyers, even today).

This room done (and we spent the most time here as the guide gave us a very comprehensive idea of the history of the House at this point), we took an ornate curved staircase to get us to the top floor. This staircase was itself intriguing as it was designed and created by John Vanbrugh. Everyone knows that Vanbrugh was one of the most prominent dramatists of the Political Restoration period and made concrete contribution to Restoration Drama (drama created when the theaters re-opened in 1660 after Charles II came out of exile in France and returned to claim back the throne of England so that the Monarchy was restored after the reign of Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans from 1642-1660). Well, Vanbrugh had never taken one architectural course in his life and yet he was capable of creating these exquisite architectural features in stately homes. He is also responsible for the design of Castle Howard in York (another fantastic building that is jaw-droppingly gorgeous). How??? I simply cannot fathom what special sort of talent it takes to be gifted in such a diverse range of fields!

In the next room, we went through a long gallery lined not with oil portraits as is the convention, but with glass vitrines filled with taxidermized animals and birds. There is also a parlor where the monarch met nobility, a gorgeous dining room with a pendant ceiling, multiple bedrooms, at least two libraries, a water closet (the first of its kind in the UK) and even a coal scullery.

But, for me, being such a massive fan of 18th century architect and interior designer Robert Adam, I was fully taken by the superlative Adam Rooms where the Jasperware style of plasterwork, popularized by Josiah Wedgwood in his pottery factory up north in Stoke-on-Trent, is given fullest reign. In lovely shades of pastel pink and green, the symbol of the members of the family, the griffon, is worked into the plasterwork on walls and ceiling. I was enthralled.

Stopping for a Bite with Our Friends, the Fradleys:

When we were almost through with touring the house, we were ready for some sustenance. It had been amazing but we were hungry (having had very light breakfasts and no lunch), So by the time we made telephonic contact with Rosa to coordinate meeting her and her family, we were ready for some food. It was almost tea time and they looked forward to tea and cake—but we wanted something more savory. We were browsing in the gift shop from where I bought a book on the house and gardens (so that I could read more about the history of the house at my leisure, once I returned home to Bombay)

.

So, despite the fact that the house was so breathtaking, the best part of the outing for us was meeting our friends, Rosa and Matt Fradley, who live nearby and joined us there in the afternoon with their teenaged sons, Daniel and Jacob, and their dog, Charlotte. What a happy group we made as we sat outside overlooking the vast green stretch of parkland and were treated by them to hot chocolate, delicious cheese scones with butter and onion relish and cake.

Touring the Gardens:

Later, Rosa led us on a terrific walk through the Kitchen Garden and the sprawling acreage punctuated by follies in the form of bridges and temples and well-established oak and maple trees whose foliage was beginning to turn copper and gold as we bent under their boughs. We loved the many follies in the shape of Greek temples and curvaceous bridges (all classical features of English estates). There were also espaliered apple and pear trees in the kitchen gardens and many of them actually had miniature apples on then—which, I understand are still used in the kitchens of the cafeteria today.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time together with the Fradleys including the long walk back to the parking lot, right across Capability Brown’s landscaped parkland as the house receded into the distance and allowed us to take many pictures of a piece of English countryside that is unique and amazing.

Once in their car, we realized that we had about 8 minutes before our train drew into the station. We made it by the skin of our teeth because Matt knew the way well and was a skillful driver. It brought an end to our wonderful day together—certainly one of the highlights of this trip for us!

Seeing London By Night:

An hour later, we were back at Liverpool Street Station where our day trip had begun. Twilight was already falling gently upon the East End and we decided to have something to eat—a sort of pre-dinner snack as we had told our friend, Bande Hasan that we would have dinner at home with him today. Hence, I suggested we go into Gregg’s so that we could taste their famous Sausage Rolls—these are pork sausages wrapped in puff pastry. Apparently, they are a very popular lunch box addition and millions of them are sold all over the UK every day. We got a sausage roll each, which we munched on the bus that took us right across London from the East End to the West. We were able to see the main landmarks (from the Bank of England and Mansion House) to Farringdon and Fleet Street and then through Piccadilly Circus and Green Park. We thoroughly enjoyed this part of our day as we had a chance to see London By Night.

Indian Dinner with Our Host in Paddington:

And since we reached home at a decent hour (it had just gone 9.00 pm), we were able to join our friend for dinner. He gets really delicious food from the Indian sub-continent delivered to his home each week from a famous restaurant called ‘Royal Nawab’ and indeed, we had lamb seekh kebabs with mint chutney and parathas for starters, Chicken Biryani and Lamb Rogan Josh (a really delicious thick curry) with salad for our mains. For dessert, there was kheer (really delicious) and Sainsbury’s Tiramisu which I always buy when I am in the UK and with a little bit eaten each evening, I am a happy camper. So indeed, it as a meal fit for royalty and we ate well.

And on that happy note, another lovely day in London came to an end. We had such a splendid day that I am really so glad we planned to have a day out. We could not have chosen better.

Until tomorrow, cheerio…

London, UK: Stroll Around Covent Garden; Visiting the Transport Museum; Lunch at ‘Bill’s’; Visit to National Portrait Gallery; Visiting the ‘Renoir and Love’ Exhibition at the National Gallery; Dinner in Chelsea with Close Friends

Friday, October 9, 2026

London, UK

Stroll Around Covent Garden; Visiting the Transport Museum; Lunch at ‘Bill’s’; Visit to National Portrait Gallery; Visiting the ‘Renoir and Love’ Exhibition at the National Gallery; Dinner in Chelsea with Close Friends

We had another fabulous day in London. Waking in our friend’s home in Paddington, we washed, showered, got dressed for the day, had lovely toasted Marks and Spencer croissants with cappuccinos at breakfast with our friend. Then, at a much earlier hour than yesterday, we set out to go and make the most of another day in London. The weather was mild and pleasant but, unlike yesterday, there was the threat of light rain and we hoped for the best.

Off to Covent Garden:

We realized pretty quickly that while the Tube can be fastest, if you are not in a hurry and really want to see as much of London as possible, the buses are your best bet. Once you know which buses serve your area, you can use them and then make connections as you go along. Thankfully, I have still preserved copies of Bus Maps for London that I have had since I lived in the city myself (2008-2009 and then for many long 3-6 month stints over the years), so I can use them quite effectively to find out which connections I can make. Of course, I do admit that bus routes change, never ones are added, regular ones are removed…but, for the most part, they still help enourously.

So, yes, the buses we boarded today took us to Oxford Street and (after a connection) to Regent Street and then on to Shaftesbury Street and from Trafalgar Square to Covent Garden along the Strand. Once there, we strolled around the different streets. It was heaving as tourists are still enjoying the city in the autumn. After we’d enjoyed the atmosphere of John Nash’s wonderful architectural gems in the area, we popped into the Royal Oper House to see what was on and if there was a still a chance we could get cut-price tickets on the day of the opera itself (as I used to get when I lived in London). But a guard there told me that those days had passed and, after Covid, that practice has stopped. Now it is only possible to get day tickets if other patrons have returned their tickets to the box office.

Off to Visit the Transport Museum:

I was under the impression that I had never visited the London Transport Museum before (Certainly Llew had never seen it); but when I looked up my blog, I found that I had visited it in 2010. Gosh! I have only the vaguest memory of it and the reason it has been almost erased from my mind is because it seems not to have made any kind of impression on me. So, believing that I was going there for the first time, Llew and I entered the Museum which is tucked into a corner of Covent Garden’s Square precincts.

This time, it certainly made a better impression on me. I loved the entrance which had huge maps of underground networks from other parts of the world (including Paris and New Delhi). Once inside, we took the elevator to the top and slowly made our way down. The museum is quite interesting and certainly would keep children enthralled. There were loads of kids with their parents when we arrived there. So here are some of the items in a really vast museum that caught my fancy:

1. We saw the oldest form of transportation—long before motors. This was a sort of palanquin that was hand lifted by two carriers to transport people across London. Seemed very cruel to me!

2. You could actually mount an old omnibus (such as plied in Edwardian times—early 20th century—and take pictures inside). Most of the old vehicles were out of bounds to visitors.

3. We saw omnibuses that were pulled by horses. It brought back to me the Victorian use of horses for everything including transport.

4. Tube trains of the 1960s—you could see what they looked like inside (not much different from now).

5. Wonderful black and white pictures of London through the ages with buses plying through them. Again, not much has changed in the basic layout of the city (which I love).

6. A vast hall with many old red buses through the years—different models of double-deckers from the old Routemasters to the present.

7. Commuter Trains that plied outside of London into the suburbs with maps everywhere to show you which routes they took. As someone who loves geography, I found these fascinating.

8. A whole gallery devoted to Posters, through the years, advertising various train/bus routes outside of London. These were reflective of the various art movements through the 20th century such as Art Deco and Art Nouveau. I found this part of the museum the best. It’s amazing how many fabulous series of advertising posters were designed and created and put into public use, through the decades.

9. The Shop. It’s quite wonderful what you can buy here. Very unique gift items. For example, you can buy cushions for your home made with the fabric that covers the seats of the Tube trains—through the years including the current pattern! You can buy copies of the posters used to advertise the transport service. I bought one that I have always loved and always thought of as very clever: It says “The Tate Gallery By Tube”. And it depicts the London Tube map created through various colors of tubes of paint—each tube line in the appropriate color of paint! With this treasure rolled up under my arm, we left the museum and went out in search of lunch.

Off to ‘Bill’s’ For Lunch:

‘Bill’s’ is one of my favorite chain of British eateries. Once upon a time, there used to be many more of them (there was one on Kingsway, for instance, but it closed down recently). The one at Covent Garden (tucked away in a picturesque corner but really hard to find) is still open. ‘Bill’s’ chain was introduced to me by my English friend, Rosa (whom we would be meeting again soon) in Essex. I had opted then for the Fish Pie and had loved it so much that every time I am in the UK, I have at least one meal in Bill’s and I always go for the Fish Pie.

By this time, when we arrived here, we found that they had a special weekly Friday deal—all day. They had unlimited pancakes for just 5 pounds per person, if you also ordered a drink (it did not have to be an alcoholic drink). Well…this was too good of a deal to pass up (we would simply return to ‘Bill’s’ again, if we had the chance, I thought) and so we chose the pancakes.

There was quite an extensive collection of pancake options and we decided to get one savory type and one sweet—a meal and a dessert—that we would then share between the two of us. So, I chose the Pancakes with Streaky Bacon and Maple Syrup (a very American convention—mixing sweet and savory flavors on the same plate) and Llew chose the Pancakes with the Mixed Berries Compote. Both were really good. We got three thick pancakes each and there was butter and enough bacon and compote on both. Honestly, if you thought you could eat more than they put on your plate, you’d be mistaken. They are so filling that you cannot eat any more than served. I had pear cider and Llew had red wine to go with our meal and I have to say that it was a delicious, most satisfying and super economical meal. Where in London could you get a meal like this for 5 pounds??? So, no, I did not get my Fish Pie after all, but I hoped there’d still be time to get it. The funny part was that we had a guy who looked just like Stanley Tucci sitting right besides us. We took his picture and sent it to so many friends who were all completely fooled!

Off to Trafalgar Square:

Having strolled a little bit more (it had started drizzling), we hurried to find a bus stop and a bus that would take us to Trafalgar Square—we found several that sailed down The Strand. Once at Trafalgar Square, we found that we had time before we could enter the National Gallery to make use of the tickets, we had purchased for a special exhibition on Renoir (our tickets were for 5.oo pm).

With about an hour to kill, we went into the next-door National Portrait Gallery. I return here every year to see the new portraits that have been added in the past year. And so among the ones that caught my attention this year were a family portrait of Elton John and his husband, David Furnish, with their two teenaged sons and two dogs; Amy Winehouse; Judi Dench; Darcy Bussel; a self-portrait of the late David Hockney and his friend (lover?); Princess Diana; the royal family in the 1950s and then in the 2000s, etc. So, on the whole, it was a good idea to pop in there to kill some time.

There were huge crowds on the Square. We also got to see the controversial new Fourth Plint sculpture currently on by the American sculptor, Tschelabala Self entitled ‘Lady in Blue’. I have to say that the sculpture has met with very negative response Most people see it as ugly. I did not find it exceptionally appealing either. There was also a big crowd because the American football NFL matches were on and there were attempts to attract a British audience.

Viewing the “Renoir and Love’ Exhibition at the National Gallery:

And so, just before 5.00 pm, we entered the National Gallery and went through the main shop on the ground floor before we made our way upstairs to the Renoir Exhibition for which we had purchased tickets online from Bombay. Well, I knew we would love this one: what’s not to love about a huge bunch of paintings by Renoir, all exemplifying the highest achievements of the Impressionist Movement? There were so many that I have seen before, on several occasions, at the Musee d’Orsay in Paris or in the National Gallery itself. There was the famous ‘Luncheon of the Boating Party’ that came from Washington DC where we had seen it, a few years ago. It was just wonderful to see how enchantingly Renoir presented his 19th century world in the softest of blurred lines, the subtlest shades of primary colors, the hazy outlines of items far away in the distance, etc. There was a striking self-portrait of the artist, a bunch of portraits of his closest family members and then so many presentations of places that he had frequented in Paris and its outskirts. There were also loads of paintings of family members of his close friends who posed for him (eg, Madame Monet, Monet’s children, etc.). It was all truly lovely and we enjoyed every second in this space.

Dinner with Our Friends in Chelsea:

And finally, with the time being well past 6.00 pm, we left, took the Tube to Sloane Square and then walked through Chelsea along Sloane Street to get to the flat of our friends, Michael and Cynthia, at Cadogan Gardens. It is always a great pleasure to see them (I consider them my family in London for I look upon Cynthia as my sister). Of course, they did make us feel very welcome and settled us down with drinks (red wine for Llew and a gin and tonic for me). Later, we adjourned to their dining table where we enjoyed one of their simple but very delicious home-cooked meals: we had a tuna pie with a mashed potato topping, with a side of steamed carrots and broccoli and for dessert, Michael had made an Apricot Crumble which we ate with French Vanilla Ice-cream. Throughout the meal, we chatted about so many things: our latest news, their health, their son Edward and his family; my family members in Bombay and the US; our mutual friends; the quiet pace of their retired lives, etc. Truly, I wish I could have had much more time with them, but with so much to do and so many people to see, I am so glad that we had at least one uninterrupted evening with them over a really lovely meal.

Soon, it was time for us to leave—at about 9.00 pm and they told us exactly which buses we could take to get home. It was really very easy indeed and after making a change at Park Lane (outside Hyde Park and opposite the Dorchester Hotel), we arrived at Sussex Gardens and found our way, one block away to our building.

As I said, the day began with promise and we fulfilled all of our plans for it.

Until tomorrow, see ya’…

London, UK: Our First Happening Day in my Favorite City: Crossing Wobbly (Millennium) Bridge; Walk Along the South Bank; Frida Kahlo at the Tate Modern; Pie and Mash Dinner at M. Manse; “Oliver The Musical” in the West End

Thursday, October 8, 2026

London, UK

Our First Happening Day in my Favorite City: Crossing Wobbly (Millennium) Bridge; Walk Along the South Bank; Frida Kahlo at the Tate Modern; Pie and Mash Dinner at M. Manse; “Oliver The Musical” in the West End

When Llew and I awoke this morning, we were in a British Airways aircraft, only a few hundred miles from London. It was nearing landing time (7.30 am) and, as we were awoken up with a filling snack, we felt ready to take on the challenge of going from Heathrow airport to our friend Bande Hasan’s place in Paddington.

Once outside the airport precincts, we followed the signs to the Uber stand and called for one. It arrived quite smoothly and took us to Paddington where we arrived at the ‘Devonshire’, our friend’s building at 9.30 am. He greeted us in the lobby of his building and, with the help of his doorman, we were able to take our cases up to his second floor flat. There, in one of his bedrooms, we stashed them away and settled down to steaming cups of cappuccino and a long catch-up chat as we were seeing him after one whole year.

But as we’d been on the red eye flight and did not have much shut eye, we were pleased to excuse ourselves, after a while, to take a short nap. But we set our phone alarms to 12 noon and after quick showers, we set out to salvage at least half our day.

On the Tube to St. Paul’s and Exploring the South Bank:

We left our friend’s flat and walked to Paddington Tube station from where we both replenished our oyster cards by filling it with a Travel card valid for unlimited travels on buses and Tube trains within zones 1 and 2 for a whole week. Once we had those in our possession, we took the Tube to get off at St. Paul’s Station. I have to say that it was super exciting to ride the Tube trains again; to figure out the direction in which we needed to move; to look at the passing ads in the sunken escalator wells; to arrive at the platform and then to board those familiar red, white and blue trains. It’s amazing how quickly someone who knows the drill gets back into the groove again and soon it feels as if you never left! We took the District line and arrived (after making a change) at our destination—St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Our First Glimpses of London on a Glorious Day:

vLondon sunned itself under benign blue skies as we took our first tentative steps into the city. St. Paul’s stood before us in all its magnificence. Once we got our bearings, we found our way to Wobbly Bridge as our destination was The Tate Modern Gallery where we had tickets for 2.30 pm to see the special exhibition on Frida Kahlo called “The Making of an Icon”. But even before we arrived there, just the act of walking along Millennium Bridge (which I generally think of as Wobbly Bridge—thanks to my former neighbor Tim who had once christening it so), was a real thrill. I stopped frequently to take pictures (but, of course!) as the Thames glistened below us and the far reaches of the city’s landmarks just waited to be recognized and picked out: the Shard, London Bridge, Tower Bridge, Shakespeare’s Globe, etc. We took our time walking over it, joined by hundreds of other people, all enjoying the exhilaration of a glorious autumn day in London. And yes, when we did get to the Tate (Modern), all we had to do was go through bag inspection at the entrance and then ride up to the upper floor where the special exhibition was being held. We showed our tickets at the entrance and in we went.

Visiting the Frida Kahlo Exhibition at the Tate Modern:

Frida Kahlo is one of those artists who has such a distinctive style that you simply cannot mistake any one of her paintings for someone else’s. She exemplifies the country from which she hailed, Mexico, with such a strong identity, thanks to her choice of colors (strong, vibrant), her use of motifs inspired by the clothing of her land (some of her own outfits are also on display), her religion (Roman Catholicism), the customs of her people (observation of the Day of the Dead, for instance, on November 2) and her travels. Like Rembrandt, she spent her artistic life undertaking many self-portraits and I think it is these works that help us piece together the person she was and into which she evolved. Of course, her marriage to the equally talented Diego Rivera, had a huge impact on her work as were the relationships she had with well-known figures such as the Russian Trotsky. Her canvases are characterized by a burst of color as well as a crowding of patterns and motifs as to make every single one of them seem very busy. But this is deliberate as they are reflections of her very busy mind and the number of impressions and sensations that she attempted to capture in each one of them. Yes, it is a fascinating exhibition and a wonderful retrospective of her work and Llew and I liked it very much indeed. It was worth every penny we paid for our tickets (purchased online) as while the rest of the Tate’s permanent collection is free, there is a ticket for special exhibitions.

Our exertions called for a coffee and the two of us went down to the café overlooking the river outside to have a café latte each before we decided to take a lovely long and leisurely walk along the South Bank towards Southwark.

A Walk Along the Souith Bank:

London’s South Bank from the Tate to Southwark Bridge provides a lot of interesting sights for the visitor. First, of course, there is the Tate itself. I did not have the time to take a look at any items in the permanent collection, but I intended to return again at my leisure. Next, you pass right by Shakespeare’s Globe Theater which give you the opportunity to take a look at their current season’s programs and find out if you are interested in attending any of the shows and booking tickets. We took a few pictures and walked right past.

The next spot you pass are the ruins of the former Cathedral where the Bishops of Winchester were once base. It is now in such a ruined state that only one wall with the frame of what used to be a stained glass window is seen. However, the floor of the Cathedral has been turned into an attractive garden. We went past it and arrived at the Clink Prison which is the site of an actual prison in Elizabeth times. It has been turned into a site of tourist interest but somehow the thought of seeing torture instruments is too gruesome to me—so I have never visited it. On we went till we reached a dry dock where ‘The Golden Hind’ can be seen. This is the ship that Sir Francis Drake used to circumnavigate the world in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. It is amazing to us how well all these items are preserved and how much can be seen in a single, short walk.

If you go a little ahead, still along the South Embankment, you arrive at the famous Borough Market. This is the place that has soared in popularity as the years have passed by. When I lived in London, it only came to life on Saturdays when vendors would bring their produce from all over the counties close by to be sold—pies, cheese, olives, pickles, bread, preserves, vinegars, chocolates, pastries, etc. Well, with the tourist demand being so great and London’s tourist population having increased, I understand that there is now a market every day of the week—although not as thriving as the Saturday ones. So, yes, we could see trading going on. In the far section, there is fresh produce (Fruits, vegetables, wine, cheese). There are also usually generous ‘tasters’ (samplers) doled out, depending on when you arrive—most are given early in the day. We did not look for them or eat any as it was the end of the day and most vendors were packing up for the day.

We also had other plans: we wanted to eat a very traditional British dinner and it was there that we were next headed.

Pie and Mash Dinner at M. Manse:

In the days when this part of London (Southwark and the area close to Bermondsey) was inhabited mainly by a class of Londoners known as the Cockneys, the staple food of the region was Pie and Mash. There were several pie shops all over this area and since a pie and mash meal was very inexpensive and very nutritious, it was the food of the poor. There is only one place now in this part of London that is still a pie shop—M. Manse on Tower Bridge Road. And it was there that we wished to sample the food of a past century.

We hopped into a bus that took us fairly close to the venue and then walked a couple of blocks before we saw M. Manse across the street. There was a lovely lady inside who took our order—there isn’t much variety here. The menu is up on a board and the most popular items continues to be the Pie and Mash. Pie is always a beef mince pie and the mash is mashed potato. This is livened up with the addition of what is called Licour—it is a thick, pale green sauce that gets its flavor from Parsley. The lady who served us our platters told us to douse the whole thing with chill vinegar which was on the table—and a good thing she told us too. It was extremely bland and very tasteless without it. I don’t think we could have found it palatable without this condiment. For the more gastronomically adventurous, there were also Jellied Eels and Stewed Eels—this too is old-fashioned Cockney food and I had once tried Jellied Eels in a similar Pie Shop in Greenwich. However, I remember not liking them at all—too slimy in texture for my liking. What would have appealed to me were the old-fashioned Steamed Puddings—you don’t seem them very often these days (Jam Pudding, Lemon Curd Pudding and Syrup Pudding and Spotted Dick). Perhaps on another visit, I shall only order a pudding. Oh and there is Bread Pudding on the menu too. Another time…

The shop dates from 1892—the late Victorian Age. Its interior décor has not changed or been updated since then—which is what makes it historic and charming. The lady informed us that Dickens once lived very close by and was very familiar with the Cockney folk who then became characters in his novels. She also informed us that in Oliver Twist, Fagin’s den was probably in one of the lanes close-by and that Bill Sykes was murdered under the arches of London Bridge which was very close by.

I found all this literary history fascinating and such a coincidence! Because, by happy accident, we happened to have tickets that very evening for ‘Oliver: The Musical’ at the West End (at the John Gielgud Theater). So, just imagine, we’d be seeing the enactment of the murder of Bill Sykes in only a couple of hours! How coincidental was that!? Anyway, after we’d taken a bunch of pictures to immortalize our visit, we left. I had received information about this place from You Tube influencers—so I have little doubt that a lot of tourists come pouring in these days to eat these foods (not just the local people alone).

Bus and Tube to Our Theater Show:

Well, replete with our novel meal, we hopped into the bus that went across Tower Bridge and arrived on the opposite bank. From there (Tower Bridge Tube Station), we took a Tube to The Strand for our Theater show, ‘Oliver: The Musica’ which was on Shaftesbury Avenue. We got off at Piccadilly and walked, in the midst of hundreds of tourists, for night had fallen and the darkness brought more droves of tourists for a night on the town. Our show began at 7.30 pm at the John Gielgud Theater and we were well in time for it.

I cannot even begin to describe how much we enjoyed the show. For one thing, we were right in the first row! Can you even believe it? I mean, we could not possibly have had better seats! For another, the show was simply superb—such amazing acting, dancing, choreography, music, singing. We knew so many of the songs and felt greatly tempted to sing along: “Food, Glorious Food”; “You’ve Gotta Pick a Pocket or Two”; “Consider Yourself”; “I’ll Do Anything”; “Om Pah-pah”, etc. We just loved every minute of it. During the interval, we had chocolate ice-cream cups (another die-hard British theater tradition that we honor and love) and got up to stretch our legs.

One of the interesting things we noticed was that the conductor, who was standing in the pit just a few feet in front of us, was only pretending to conduct an orchestra There were no musicians in the Pit! The entire soundtrack had been recorded earlier and he was just pretending that there were live musicians down there! This was a first-time thing for both Llew and me and we were very surprised. But this strange phenomenon apart, we really loved every bit of the show and felt very glad that we had made a good choice.

On the Buses Back to Paddington:

We thought we’d take the Tube back and then we felt that we would see nothing, If we took a bus, we’d see London by night—the lights, the sound, the excitement. So, we jumped into a bus that sailed along Shaftesbury Avenue and went all the way to Marble Arch from where we crossed the street and took a connecting bus that went also Edgeware Road and all the way to Sussex Gardens where we got off and walked one block to our building. We had the keys and were able to let ourselves in—it was past 11.00 pm.

What amazing first day we’d had in London! And I can assure you, that based on the way I had planned it, very single one of them would be just as happening and just as much fun.

Until tomorrow, cheerio…

Fairfield, Connecticut: Attempting to attend a Thanksgiving Mass at St. Anthony’s Church; Meeting our New Realtor; Taking ‘Before’ Pictures of our Southport Home; Finishing the last Bits and Bobs of our Packing; Driving to JFK Airport and Leaving the USA

Wednesday, October 7, 2026

Fairfield, Connecticut:

Attempting to attend a Thanksgiving Mass at St. Anthony’s Church; Meeting our New Realtor; Taking ‘Before’ Pictures of our Southport Home; Finishing the last Bits and Bobs of our Packing; Driving to JFK Airport and Leaving the USA

And so the day finally dawned when we’d be airborne again, winging away from the USA to the UK—fortunately, at the very end of the day. Our flight was at 6.00 pm (which left us the whole day to tie up loose ends).

Proposed Mass at St. Anthony’s Church:

I, a daily Mass-goer, could not believe that I had not yet visited my former parish church of St. Anthony of Padua at Fairfield. This was partly due to the fact that I was teaching online most mornings (hence, no chance to go for Morning Mass) and because we were on Long Island on Sunday at the home of our friends, John and Doreen. And so, I made a valiant attempt to get to the 7.30 am Mass this morning. As we no longer had a car, I resolved to walk there and to stop at the Gas station on my way back to pick up some breakfast and coffee for Llew and me, on my way back.

I really enjoyed the walk to the church—it was another lovely, perfect autumn morning, with a crisp nip in the air. It reminded me very much of the times when I used to leave for work in New York on such mornings in September and October, warmly clad in wool blazers and cashmere sweaters and with panty hose to keep me toasty. Well, today, too, I dressed comfortably and stopped en route to take some pictures of the rising sun across the Tide Mill River.

However, when I got to the church, I had a nasty shock. There was no morning Mass. It would appear that only Sunday Masses are now said at St. Anthony’s. I was disappointed but I walked around the property for old times’ sake and then walked to the gas station. There, I picked up muffins and coffees for Llew and me and walked back home.

Meeting our New Realtor:

After we’d munched on our breakfast and enjoyed our coffees, we got ready to across the fence to our own former home as we had a meeting scheduled with our new realtor from William-Raveis, Betsy Banks. She turned out to a very nice person (and someone I vaguely remember having met before although I cannot place her). I used the opportunity while there, to take a few pictures of our home. They would serve as the ‘Before’ pictures and would enable us to take ‘After’ ones after the entire ground floor of our home has been renovated.

Rawley’s for Hot Dog Lunches:

As it was close to lunch time, we decided to stroll across to Rawley’s, the famous Fairfield hot dog place where we ordered the hot dogs with The Works (ketchup, mustard, relish, sauerkraut) with Cokes. And, of course, since I’d already had a chocolate blizzard yesterday, I passed on another. It was simply time for us to go back home. Llew went across to meet our friend Tommy at the True Value hardware store, just a few steps down and when he was done, we set off for home.

Yes, I am happy to state that all our stuff fit into our suitcases without any difficulty and that weight-wise too, we were in good shape with at least a few kilograms left in each bag for us to stuff with a few buys in the UK. Since we had reserved Prime Time Shuttle seats on a van that would come and pick us up at 1.30 pm, we just had enough time to ring the bell of our lovely neighbors, Ken and Pui, to say Thanks and goodbye to them for so kindly permitting us to use the mother-in-law apartment attached to their property. Sadly, Ken was working in the city today and so we missed him—but we did have a chance to give Pui a last hug and to cuddle our favorite pooch, Gus for the last time before our departure.

Off to the Airport on the Shuttle:

And, much before schedule, the Shuttle did arrive but the driver acknowledged that he was early and told us that he would wait. When we ensured that we had taken care of all the last-minute items that one needs to worry about before leaving (emptying fridge, throwing away garbage, taking away all chargers--the most commonly left items in hotel rooms), we took a last photograph together in front of our home, entered the shuttle (there was one other couple inside) and were off. We were really relieved that we had returned our car yesterday and resolved to take the shuttle because that eliminated the hassle of filling gas en route to the airport and then returning our car at the airport before taking the monorail to our terminal.

It was a very pleasant ride to the airport. I felt sad that we were leaving the US (especially as we’d had such a good time and because the weather had been so perfect). But we were leaving with superb memories and most of the items on our To-Do List ticked off. The only thing we had to leave out was a visit to New Jersey to see our friends there. Hopefully, we will do that next year.

After making one stop in beautiful Greenwich (to pick up another passenger), we arrived at JFK Airport at just the right time for our departure , i.e. at 3.00 pm (our flight would leave at 6.00 pm). We went through all formalities, relieved to find that there was no issue with the weight of our bags. However, there was an issue with our seats. Even though we had booked our seats months ago, we found that we were bumped off the flight because British Airways had overbooked. They were downgrading us to Economy but we would have none of it. Llew asked to speak to the manager and after an assertive conversation with her, we were reinstated into our rightful seats. After clearing Immigration, we then made our way to the duty free shops where we browsed for a little bit before getting to our gate. Both of us made a few last-minute calls while waiting for our flight to be announced. It was on time and we had a very pleasant boarding experience.

A Very Pleasant Flight Across the Atlantic:

Both Llew and I were excited as he embarked on the third and final leg of his travels on this trip (while for me it would be the second leg). We’d be spending six days together in London and for me it is always a joy to be in London (my favorite city in the world).

The flight, being the red eye, was very pleasant indeed. We both finished watching ‘The Magic Faraway Tree’ which we had both started on other flights. It is a childrens’ film but definitely appeals to adults as well. Dinner was served after the drinks trolley passed by. I had a glass of sparkling white wine while Llew had red wine. Dinner was a Beef Pie with a sweet potato topping and ratatouille. There was also a green salad with a bread roll and cheesecake for dessert. Indeed, a very satisfying and quite delicious meal too. Both of us managed to gain some shut eye on the flight and looked forward to what the morrow, our first day in London, would bring.

Until tomorrow, see ya’…