London, June 5

He said:

We're done with our visit to the Lake District and have arrived in London.  Today, we paid a visit to the Science Museum, which has a large collection of historical items from many fields of science, including the last few centuries.  We are back in our room looking out of the window into the gray rainy gloom.  How fitting that I should now have a worse cold in preparation for our flight back home.

She said:

June 5

Park International Hotel, London

Morning

As expected, we had a dreamy, relaxing train ride yesterday from the Lake District to London.  Our taxi from Rothay Manor to the train station at Windermere drove us by Lake Windermere, a beautiful sight.  It’s easy to see why the British are gaga over the Lake District – most of their country is flat or with very small rolling hills.  The Lake District has some good-sized peaks and, well, lakes.  It is a huge tourist destination for Brits and we did find it somewhat clogged.  Put us off a bit as we expect clogged in London but clogged in the countryside seems wrong.  All that nice Nature gunked up by humans.

London hotel good – worked it and got a better room than first shown to us.  We walked in our posh neighborhood then hightailed it to the nearby Waitrose (like Safeway) and bought a roast chicken, salad stuff and, glory of glories, Sonoma Cutrer chardonnay.  Ate in our room overlooking the busy street below.

R now has my bad cold.

Things are quiet on the street this morning – Sunday. 

We plan to visit the Science Museum this morning and the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea this afternoon.  I was at the Saatchi in April and loved it.  They have a new exhibit – entirely large-scale sculpture, which is my favorite – so I look forward to that.

Now, shower and breakfast.

Afternoon

Back from the Science Museum – good stuff, similar to our Smithsonian Museums in D.C.  Wandered through a James Watt exhibit – giant steam engines, Industrial Revolution timeline and how everything now is because of then (75% of power is still generated by steam – I did not know that.)  Another interesting exhibit was the History of Medicine.  On that one, suffice to say that it’s a good thing to be alive now.  Medicine leading up to now was superstitious at best and barbaric at worst.  (The OB/GYN instruments were scary.)

We’re in our third room here at The Park International – first was too small and looked out at the giant air conditioning fans, the second was too hot (giant air conditioning fans didn’t work for that room) and the third (present) is just right – top floor, lots of room, big views, good temps.

Had hoped to see the new Saatchi exhibit but now R is sick and since it’s pouring rain I’m happy to stay in for the rest of the day and read.  The French Open is on and we are cozy.