Hammersmith - Thursday, 14 May 

Weather - Cloudy then rain, clearing, late sun, cold, more rain - Min 6 Max 12

Overnight the 70% forecast of rain changed to cloudy weather so we took a chance and headed to Covent Garden. As soon as we arrived we liked it a lot with its markets, many plants, little laneways, speciality shops, restaurants and cafes. 

On our arrival at ten o’clock things were just getting underway so we found a fantastic cafe, the EL&L Deli and Bakery. Henk had a Victoria Sponge and I had a Strawberry Diplomat Cake with puff pastry, sponge, diplomat cream and strawberries. It was difficult to choose from all that was on offer in the shop front window. We sat next to an Australian couple from Grafton and gave each other tips on what to do in London. 

We walked around the two markets which included the Jubilee Market where I bought a lanyard for my phone so it can’t be snatched from my hands whilst I’m taking photos. We have been very careful but London is the epicentre of phone theft with about 120,000 stolen last year. The most common way of losing a phone is when a bike or moped go by. 

We watched a performance in the piazza outside St Paul’s Church and found the London Transport Museum. This is located in part of the old Victorian iron and glass building that belonged to the markets. It started to rain so it was good timing to visit the museum. 

We didn’t plan to stay so long but we found the evolution of urban transport in London to be fascinating. It included the building of the many bridges over the Thames River and the establishment and enhancement of the London Underground through the decades. I enjoyed seeing the development of the iconic London map of the Underground. It was first designed by Henry Beck way back in 1931. Henk had a try at driving one of the Underground trains.

When we came back onto the street it had stopped raining and to our amazement it was 2.00pm so we needed lunch. We went to Harry’s Italian Restaurant which is situated on a corner between the museum and the Royal Ballet and Opera. The street level part of the restaurant was full so we were taken to an elegant part on the lower floor. We both enjoyed a pasta dish. The plates and serviettes had the name Harry on it. We thought Harry, Henk’s father might like a set!

Before making our way back to the flat we walked around the wonderful little lanes of Covent Garden with its quaint pubs, gardens and shops. It is a lovely area. 

Neal’s Yard was looking a picture with its brightly painted windows and gardens.

We were back at the flat at 4.00pm so it was another long but great day. We had a quick nap, regrouped and headed out at 6.30pm to go to the Royal Albert Hall to see Paul Simon. When we were waiting for yesterday’s carriage progression we looked for something we would like to see at the hall but nothing appealed except Paul Simon. The only tickets left were standing tickets in the upper gallery and we thought that would be an experience. 

We arrived at the Royal Albert Hall at 7.15pm just in time for the doors to be opened. We raced up many flights of stairs to get a good place overlooking the theatre. Unlike the other day when we did a tour we could now take a photo. 

Paul Simon is now 84 years old and his voice isn’t what it used to be but he is a legend and he sang all his hits as well as 33 mins of a recently written continuous piece, ‘Seven Psalms’. Interval was after the 33 mins and Henk and I sat on the floor against ‘our railing’ so we didn’t lose our spot. The woman next to us offered to take our photo. I thought we would have tired legs after standing for 2.5 hours but we felt good. 

When the concert finished we raced to the bus stop outside the Royal Albert Hall but unfortunately after waiting for twenty minutes in the cold our bus to Hammersmith arrived full and was not taking anymore passengers. We gave up and walked very fast to Gloucester Station to get the train home. This took us fifteen minutes and warmed us up considerably. Once we got onto the train we were quickly home. 

Tomorrow will be a different day from touring as we are visiting an old friend of mine in north London.