Our First Day in London

3 April 2007

Our first full day in London and, of course, we had things to do that had nothing much to do with sightseeing. The flats have access to washing machines and dryers without charge which is a real bonus. In the past we have always had to find a laundromat and often they were closed when we need them. Here we were able to get our clothes from the trip washed and dried! After that is was off to the shops. We started at Marks and Spencer where we got some food and then on to Boots for basic bathroom supplies.

The range of pre-cooked foods is enormous. One gets the feeling that cooking in England is a dying art. Perhaps that too explains why the number of good restaurants seems to be increasing. It wasn't that long ago that London was seen as the culinary disaster of Europe; now it is a city of varied, interesting and great restaurants. We also felt that the prices in restaurants was quite reasonable. You can get a very decent meal for two, including a glass of wine, for under $50 which while slightly dearer than in Australia for something similar, compares favourably.

Something else that has improved dramatically over recent years is the quality of coffee. There are lots of coffee bars selling an excellent brew. And the size of the cups is unbelievable. It used to be a running joke about the size of cups of coffee in America; they seem even bigger here in London. When we went shopping this morning, we went for coffee.

This afternoon we went to Kensington Palace which had several interesting exhibitions as well as being, itself, an exhibition. We were there for several hours and then wandered over to the Orangery for scones with clotted cream and homemade strawberry jam. That and a cup of tea and we figured we probably wouldn't need much dinner.

We drifted back toward the flat, stopping at our local for a beer and a glass of wine and then went home for a light meal. We are still a bit jet-lagged and will probably go to bed early. That is if I can stop playing with the remote control for the TV which has 1,300 channels! Tomorrow Virginia goes to Bath and I will have a day to myself in the city.