My quest for Victorian statuary and funeral art lead me to what may be considered the best display rt: Highgate in North London.
My goal is to visit the 7 best cemeteries in the London area know as the magnificent seven, but if I do not reach many others, I have found a wonderful assortment of angels. The poses may be similar but the faces and expressions change as the light and shadows pass over this peaceful place.
Never an angry angle
Wide open wings that have survived for decatdes
One of the only examples I saw where the angle reaches upwards
It should be no surprise if I tell you it rained today….. what do you expect in London.
and once you are wet there is nothing to stop you from pressing on. You can not sit in a hotel or B&B all day just because it is raining.
St Paul;s London
Instead of choosing a museum to hide out in, I went to join a walking tour in the ‘City’. As usual plans change and mostly with a nice surprise. As I made the inevitable wrong turn I was too late for the tour but stumbled on St. Paul’s cathedral.
I don’t write about the wonderful sites, monuments and churches you can visit all over the world. There are other better sources for this information, companies with the resources to spend months gathering information.
My topic this day was where a shy solo traveler might eat lunch or dinner. I try to find one hot meal a day but when you find it difficult to go into a ‘sit down restaurant’ your choices are limited.
In London there are many choices and this day I found the Café in the Crypt at St. Paul's.
I have developed a plan on how to manage ‘eating out solo' since I find it difficult to walk in and join a crowd of 2 x 2’s or as they call themselves, couples eating in a formal restaurant. Some restaurants are easier than others for a solo to enjoy a hot meal. I found St Martins in the Field years ago and return for lunch or dinner on ever trip.
This is a great central location to sit and rest in the church, listen to a concert, shop in their store, while having lunch or dinner. There are salads, cold meals and two hot choices and soup and a 'pudding'. I find the meals here 'inventive'. Sometimes I have to ask what they are serving but it is well seasoned with fresh ingredients.
Both St Paul's and St Martins in the Field are reasonably priced. Most meals are under 10 pounds without wine and desert.
St Bartholomews' café was a new option for me. Tucked behind an ancient tudor exterior you enter a quiet green courtyard. On this sunny day you would never say you were in London.
What a great surprise when I returned to London after many years that there are now cafes and restaurants that are one step above fast food but not always table service. An example is the
Pret e Mange chain. You select your meal from the cases of prepared foods: sandwiches, salads and more. You select a beverage and a side perhaps of chips, pay for the lot.
You can ‘take away your meal’ or eat at one of the tables. No problem if you are solo or even if you linger.
I found other restaurants that featured ‘healthy food’ the Wasabi chain I think, noodles, the endless curry restaurants and a very few fish and chips.
Other resources I wanted to investigate on this trip were:
1. the cafes in many of the department stores and museums.
2. the wide assortment of ‘take away’ meals in the food halls of department stores or super markets
I had visited several and am expanding this list.
When in London I try to visit the markets held most days, throughout London. Covent Gardens is usually the first market I visit. There are yearly changes at the market, but often the same vendors are there for each of my visits. Of course they do not remember me, but I recall anyone who takes the time to have a conversation. Meeting someone who lives and works in the town or city you vist, far exceeds an endless experience of visiting museums.
When I stopped to admire the antique jewelry at a booth I had visited before, I chatted with the owner Annette Jones. This was 'one of those days'. We all have them. But I really liked her positive attitude even in a 'down day', so I offered her one of my Ben's Cookies. http://maturesolotravel.blogspot.com/2013/05/8000-miles-for-cookie.html
Some of the BEST cookies baked fresh I have tried and will cheer up most people.
Annette agreed to a short interview at her market stop on Tuesday.
There are hundreds and hundreds of pins, necklaces, rings in all colors and styles. It takes hours to set up the booth! Customers appreciate the pieces being arranged in an attractive and organized manner. This is not a jumble sale, Annette's pieces are often original designs and/or reworked pieces.
In addition to her artistic talents Annette breed Bengal cats, a beautiful animal. Take a look at hamsteadbenagl.com and visit Annette on your next trip to London.
