From west to East

We all slept well, Abi and Paul went off to work and we took ourselves to Kit Kemp’s Dorset Square Hotel for breakfast. Refined elegance and a soothing way to start the day.

They know how to do hotels and restaurants and no detail is overlooked.

We had nothing scheduled and Kirsten wanted to see Battersea Power Station and Brad wanted to ride on the Thames, so we made a day of it. We started at the Battersea development and explored the neighborhood and mall. It’s a world class redevelopment, with a cool vibe and lots to explore.

It’s supposed to rain tomorrow, so we may be back here for a good part of the day.

Of course Brad found out who developed and financed the project (a Malaysian public company) and looked at real estate. We picked up the Uber Boat and headed East on the Thames all the way to Greenwich.

Greenwich was a breath of fresh air. The home of the British Navy and the Observatory with the Prime Meridian of Greenwich Mean Time fame, it is a gorgeous complex where Henry the VIII was born. Great buildings, green space, a sweet town, museums and art work.

We wanted to see the Painted Hall and got there in time for an a docent led tour. It was a little too much information for us, so we skipped out early, but not before getting a bit more information on William and Mary, who commissioned the Painted Hall. We are expanding our knowledge of British Kings.

We hit the Greenwich market for lunch and then decided to head home. We took the bus to the subway and crossed the Thames underground and arrived back to Baker Street.

Kirsten went out for a walk in Regent’s Park and brought back these pictures.

Have I mentioned how stellar the weather is? It’s been a dream.

We dressed and trotted off to the Savoy for a drink before dinner at Toklas.

A proper martini from our lovely bar tender.

Off to Toklas to meet Abi and have what we hoped was a fine dinner. The reviews had been great, the food was fantastic. Every dish encompassed the finest ingredients and was artfully prepared. Roasted tomato risotto with mint, tagliatelle with chanterelles, pork tonnato, hake with courgettes, and great chips and sourdough bread. The best dish was green beans with peaches and onions in an almond sauce.

Lovely.

We walked back on the Strand admiring the architecture.

It was a perfect night for a walk.

We headed home happily and sated. Another lovely day in London.