A London Adventure--Day 7

Tasting cheese

Day seven in London found us adjusting our agenda a bit because the previous day we had learned that Miss K did indeed want to go to a cheese shop and she wanted to see the Rosetta Stone! 

This time, we rode the bus to Borough Market. We arrived as Neal's Yard Dairy shop opened which was 9:30am. There are rounds and bricks of cheese stacked on shelving in the shop that has ceilings as high as one would find in a warehouse. 

You can sample cheeses. The staff are knowledgeable about where the cheese originated. If you are looking to pair cheeses for a meal or charcuterie board, the staff offer great suggestions. 

I'm a non cow cheese eater. Cow dairy disrupts my digestive track. I can eat goat and sheep cheeses so there were plenty of options for me to try too. 

After we had sampled the cheese and purchased several, we were off to the British Museum. Yes, we had already been there; but, we didn't know that Miss K wanted to see the Rosetta Stone. We hopped on a bus and rode to the museum.

Viewing the Rosetta Stone

In my previous visits, I had only seen the top of the stone because there were a lot of people also viewing it. This time, each of us was able to walk all around it! Daughter Nicole folded in these additional stops as if we had planned it all along. She is an amazing tour guide.

Display of Easter eggs at Fortum and Mason

We did a little shopping at Fortnum and Mason. This is where the staff who supported Queen Elizabeth purchased the tea she drank. In fact this establishment has centuries long history of supporting the royal family. When King Charles was in school in Wales, his uncle Dickie would sometimes bring a goodie basket/hamper from this establishment.  Easter was a few weeks away when we visited. Miss K was surprised at how many different ways eggs and bunnies could be displayed! I bought a container of herbal tea.

Documenting the ride in a Black Cab

One item on Miss K's list was to ride all the different types of transportation available in London. We took a black cab to The National Gallery. This was the last type of transportation for her to ride! Black Cab drivers are unique in that they have studied the shortest/fastest routes in the city. It may take them four or five years to gain this knowledge. They receive a knowledge test.

Approaching the rear of the National Gallery

When we gave the Black Cab driver our destination, he said that there was construction in the area. He said that he was unable to drop us at the front door. He asked if he could drop us at the back of the building and that it would be less than a block walk. We benefited from his knowledge of alternate routes!

A selfie to capture the roof

The roof line inside the building is a work of art itself. 

VanGogh's Sunflowers

Inside the gallery, I wanted to see the Van Gogh Sunflower painting that was restored after oil protestors threw tomato soup at it. It looked at least as good as it did before the incident. In reading about the soup incident, the frame was what caught the majority of the soup.

Trafalgar Square

After seeing some of the art in The National Gallery, we looked at Trafalgar Square. I'm partial to the Lions. Miss K liked the water feature. From here, we walked to a small restaurant for lunch before we saw an afternoon performance of "Matilda."

Waiting in line

There were a lot of school kids at the performance. Our tickets were a long way away from the stage. But the theater was arranged so that we still had a good view of the stage. Youth made up the majority of the musical cast. I marveled at their abilities to sing while delivering a choreographed routine on razor skateboards. How fun to be paid to ride a razor skateboard!

Our bird's eye view of the stage

After the performance, we walked to Covent Garden. It was near the theater. Covent Garden is the former vegetable and fruit market. Adjacent to the market area are many cute shops and eateries. Of course, we ordered a coffee/hot chocolate from one spot and enjoyed it as we walked through the area.

Sculpture at Covent Garden

This is also a place I like to visit. The interior of the former vegetable stalls is a huge space now filled with an assortment of shops. Vendors are crammed into the space and sell all kinds of items. Many of which sport the Union Jack!

Shopping the vendor mall

There is a place in the vendor mall to take a photo between a palace guard and a police bobby.

Taking advantage of a photo op

In front of one of the stall areas is a replica of an old fashioned cart that is artfully filled with blooming plants. It doesn't matter what time of year it is, this cart is always full of color and texture. 

Posing with the flower cart display

Again it was another fun filled day.