I crave CHINESE FOOD.  And I really crave Chinese food when I am in London.  I have been collecting Chinese works of art for about fifty years and have extended my cultural interests to Chinese Food.  As a young man, I made my way to Chinatown in Soho where I found  Chinese grocery stores, china dishes shop, and of course the “cheap” shops that Chinatown is always known for.  I have walked Gerrard Street many times, and I searched a bit further afield and have found wonderful Chinese Import Shops and shops where the family sit around eating noodles while selling their goods.  It is fascinating.  Last year, I found a wonderful old Chinese gentleman who had been importing fantastic porcelain from China since 1947.  He had garden seats, bowls, teapots, dinner plates, spoons–all beautiful period patterns.  I walked away with a figure of an IMMORTAL which I wanted very badly.  I knew I would have to carry it home, but it was worth it for me.  It sits beautifully on the mantle of our mountain house high up in the Rocky Mountains.  I enjoy it very much as do my guests.   I could wander in Chinatown, up and down the lanes, for hours.  AND THE FOOD IS WONDERFUL–lots of many choices.

I am for sure on this thread of food, but I can’t jump subjects until I tell you about my experience at PAUL’S PATISSERIE AND BOULANGERIE.  Often, I stay in a flat in Covent Garden, so restaurants, sandwich shops, boulangeries, and patisseries are on every corner.  It is a paradise of fantastic eating.  I eat at Pret-a-Manger when I have only a few moments to grab a sandwich or a cup of soup.  But, if I am just grabbing a snack to tide me over, I love to go to PAUL’S PATISSERIE AND BOULANGERIE.  Hot fresh French bread–oh, goodness me!–draws a passer-by into the shop as it has me for many years.  Their lunch sandwiches are amazing–yummy filling in wonderful fresh bread right out of the brick oven.   LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT MY LAST VISIT TO PAUL’S TO GET A SNACK.  I went into the shop on Garrick Street in Covent Garden.  I was gathering information in the main square of Covent Garden which I will post in the next few days, but I wanted just a quick “something.”  I had my camera and decided that I would post a blog on this patisserie so I starting taking images.  With my Paul patisserie–blueberry– in my mouth, the manager came over to me and started to rip a strip for taking photos.  I responded that I was writing an article about how I enjoy their shop.  Without thinking, this lady manager puffed up like an angry rhino with jaws opened full stretch.  While she was having a good time yelling, I continued to take photos by turning my back and clicking the camera.  Finally, she took off her white baker’s cap and was about to swat me when I swiftly took my last bite and flew for the door.  When I got outside, I had to chuckle to myself–WHAT I DO FOR THIS BLOG!  Anyway, PAUL’S is still the place to grab a beautiful French pastry.  You will be tempted to photograph the beautiful store, but I warn you now, you might get the flapping jaws of a rhino manageress.  It was worth the commotion, and I will continue going back with full intent to enjoy French baking.  (I can just hear Julia Child say:  ”Ah, butter;  yes butter”!)  Really good.  When you are there, tell them you read about them on the blog posted by a gentleman who was shooed out the door with a camera in hand and a pastry in his mouth and a huge SMILE on his face.  French tarts!–Ouch–they are divine! Have a look at sone of the stolen photos taken on the sly on    blog.londonconnection.com Enjoy!  Tell us about your favorite patisseries.  I will blog about PATISSERIE VALERIE soon.  There are many Paul’s and Valerie Patisseries all over London, in almost every location.

I dedicate this posting to our friend David Willis who loves to eat.   You are a lot of faithful readers who have followed me on this journey and the beginning of our London Connection blog.  I can’t wait until the site is interactive, and it is not only I posting.   I hope you have been having fun, and perhaps the postings have been helpful for your planning your trip to London.  I have enjoyed writing these entries because I have been going different places and seeing different parts of London which are new to someone who has almost been a resident in this city for many years.  And I have loved your emails which keep me going.  So, let’s talk about my Sunday.  The Sabbath?  Hm! Don’t report me, but it was really fun.

I attended my church activities for only an hour today because I love to sing my songs and I enjoy being with my people when I am so far away from home.  It is always like charging the batteries, and after this schedule, I need it.  I knew I was going to have a full, full week ahead, so these moments are as always a good investment.  I bolted after my first meeting to arrive at my first appointment for the morning which was to view a small and budget flat in the heart of Chelsea on Smith Street.  It is a perfect spot for younger people who like to be near the activities of the King’s Road:  restaurants, shopping, clubs, and gathering places for young people.  I came to this property to discuss with the owners the necessity to redo the shower and tile the bathroom floor. What a charming couple for sure.  Petronella is a lovely English lady who lives in the beautiful house on the upper floors.  Her husband is Riccardo who owns Riccardo’s Restaurant on the Fulham Road.  I will attach a link of the flat so you can enjoy it.  It isn’t grand, but it is perfect for a couple traveling on this budget.

I am not a great gourmet, and I am certainly not a famous cook.  But, I have my few favorite restaurants where I go back and then again.  At home, when real, real hunger strikes, my car just flies to the Red Iguana in Salt Lake.  That restaurant and I have been friends for a long time, and I have found the trick to avoid the long lines in front.  I call the Red Iguana manager Israel as Stephanie and I leave Ogden;  by time we arrive in Salt Lake, our table is ready.  I learned to do this because for years I suffered back pain and couldn’t drive for 45 minutes and then stand waiting for 45 minutes.  Well, now I no longer suffer this horrific pain, but the Red Iguana “style” carries on.  Riccardo’s is becoming my London habit–Riccardo’s Tuscan Restaurant.  Yesterday, I met our company’s long time friend Maureen here for laugh and talk about old times but also to taste the food.  Anyone who comes to London should try this food.  It is fresh, made almost in front of your eyes, and a far cry from my favorite bolognese which I am sure one day will be sculpted on my headstone.  Imagine, a headstone with spaghetti carved into the stone.  Well, it would fitting in my case.  This restaurant is not just bolognese;  the recipes are Tuscan, northern Italy where Riccardo is from. We ordered the special of the day which was an amazing linguine with prawns, clams, chilli and tomatoes, and 1/2 Canadian lobster.  I will send you a photograph, and you will see what I mean.  I couldn’t believe the flavor.  Amazing.  But, the apple juice amazed me.  All fruit juices are made at the counter.  There was the cook pressing all the apples right in front of my eyes.  I had heard of doing orange juice this way, but apples!  Again, the flavor–wow!  The other real hit of the visit was Maureen’s Fish soup with scallops, lobster, clams, prawns, tomatoes and chili.  I tasted it, and I have to say I have never had soup like that before. There was a very long Italian wine list as Riccardo brings his own wines from Tuscany and the cellar is reported to be one of the best in London.  I really recommend Riccardo’s.  The waiters are wonderful, and the owner is very much a part of the daily activity at the restaurant.  I will attach a photo of Riccardo and a few shots of his restaurant;  I arrived moments before the restaurant opened so I could visit with Riccardo and see his operation before the Sunday morning mob began to arrive–just like the lines at the Red Iguana.  ”It ain’t cheap” but it is worth it.  Lobster linguini–imagine that, Julia Child!

Maureen was my chauffeur because I was running between appointments.  I rushed off to meet Laura Beare and to see her exciting flat in Maida Vale, a wonderful part of London near The Prince Regent’s Canal and St. John’s Wood.  This is a part of London I have not known, so I was having a new adventure.  I arrived at the property to meet the owner and check out her home where she lives part of the time–living in Portugal the other part.  Her flat was on the first floor of a period building with those beautiful French windows and balconies.  The house is full of African art, Persian rugs, contemporary art with incredible color.  I was right at home, for sure!  I have sworn that I am going to get five huge canvases all stretched with linen, five buckets of paint–all bright colors–and away I go!  It won’t be Picasso, but it will be Tom!  I photographed the flat, had a glass of sparkling water, and off we went.  Great experience!

Well, the serendipity.   As we walked down the stairs, the owner of the house asked if we had ever been to Abbey Road and the Apple Recording Studios.  Yikes!  It was a flashback to the 60′s, and all I could hear was ALL WE NEED IS LOVE–bang! we were off!  Abbey Road.  Well, it wasn’t hard to find it–only a few blocks from Laura Beare–because groups of people were still coming here, taking photos, and writing memories of the Beatles all over the walls of the gate posts.  It had become a mecca with people talking about this huge music history which literally changed modern music.  There I was remembering those songs and listening to young people talk about the Beatles–youngsters who weren’t even around when the Beatles were singing.  It was easy to understand that this destination would soon be a shrine.  Well informed Beatle fans were all talking about the details of this music group as if it were all happening again today.  Really a fun moment for me–a bit like going down memory lane.

Well, I had been to church, visited a flat on Smith Street, ate an early lunch at Riccardo’s, visited Laura Beare’s flat near the Regent’s Canal in Maida Vale, ran into the Beatles, and then went to visit what is considered one of the most famous wine shops in this part of London.  I photographed the interior of the wine shop, but the exterior signed really made me laugh: WINE FLU?  WE HAVE THE SOLUTION.  It made me smile;  aren’t people clever?  Words..Words..Words–aren’t they a fun part of our lives!  Some of them are anyway!

The day continues as we drove down Park Lane on the east side of Hyde Park.  TRAFFIC YOU CANNOT IMAGINE around Marble Arch!    There were mobs of people everywhere celebrating Ramadan.  There is a very large and active Moslem population in London, so the festivities of Ramadan have become an established part of the London calendar.  The traffic was moving so slowing through the crowds, and my eyes were like saucers, trying to take it all in.  Wow!  Very interesting and exciting!  Right here in river city–London!  A lot went through my head, I assure you.  I felt ashamed of myself because I know so little about the Arab world, but I left that experience determined to learn more.  So, so interesting!  We had to press on–frankly, I had to go to the loo and spend a penny!

By now, it is late afternoon and nearing dinner time.  No one in London eats before 7:00 pm.  I knew this would be the only night I could have my steak and kidney pie at Rules on Maiden Lane in Covent Garden.  I have been coming here for years and years, and the same high quality service and food have not changed.  Rules is the oldest  restaurant in London, established in 1798. King Edward VII dined here with Lilly Langtree in a private room on the upper floor which now has been redesigned into a before dinner drinks bar.  Same 18th century wood walls and fireplace, but just moved around a bit.  I walked upstairs because the manager suggested I photograph it before the evening mobs arrive.  My eyes could not get over the trays of salmon, smoked venison, oysters, cheeses, on and on.  Best capers I had ever tasted!  We went downstairs to the restaurant to take some photographs before it became too busy.  I was cautioned to take photos at angles which did not disturb the arriving guests.  Well, I knew I didn’t want to get thrown out of here–Where would I go to get my steak and kidney pie?  Certainly not at the local pub for a 4 pound Sunday special!  No way.  I was tempted to stray a bit and try something different on the menu.  Maybe grilled calves liver and bacon with spring onion mash?  Hm, perhaps breast of Telmara farm duck with black cherry and artichoke?  Hm–roast squab pigeon with summer cabbage and smoked Cumbran ham?  Oyster pudding with runner beans?  No, I am sticking with my routine: stilton and watercress soup, steak and kidney pie, and golden treacle sponge pudding with custard!  NOW THAT IS THE WAY TO END A DAY! I won’t count the calories because they too will add up as large as telephone numbers.  Oh, we will worry about that later.  When the blog is up and running, I am going to put Rules Restaurant on the side bar.  This is hallowed ground.  AND THE ATMOSPHERE.  All those VANITY FAIR engravings of 19th century politicians–caricatures, rather–on the walls! Goodness me.

Coming home to Basil Street on the tube, propping up my feet to watch a new Buckingham Palace video called FOR THE ROYAL TABLE, and enjoying memories of a very exciting and profitable day–it was perfect. A perfect day!  I have to say, you could get used to this kind of life, but only if you could keep up with the waist line.  You would spend half the day having fun and the other half the day working off the calories.  Oh well, the answer is WALKING, walking without a worry in the world.    These are moments we dream about, and I am grateful for sure.

I couldn’t get to sleep.  All that steak and kidney pie!  Incredible.

You are brave to keep reading.  I hope I have left you hungry and smiling.  Amazing, just the end of day 14 of an amazing trip, and you have been gracious to come along with me.

What I do for my readers!  Several readers and their readers have emailed me about their shopping at Harrods Department Store in Knightsbridge.  It seems that this store has taken on a legendary life of its own.  It is one of the few places in the world where all that glitters is gold.  I write about Harrods, not because I intend to buy very much in the store, but because all the newest fashions and displays are remarkably presented.  Everywhere it is a work of art.  First, however, let me give you some of the history of Harrods.  Henry Charles Harrod opened a small grocery on Brompton Road in 1849 which was an immediate success because of superb service and the best quality merchandise. In 1851, the owner moved the store to where it is located now. At one time, it was reputed that Harrods could supply anything from a box of pins to a live elephant–not today, but not far off.  The department store carried the Royal Warrant blazoned up the front of the building for many, many years indicating that this store had Royal patronage.  During the later years of the 20th century, Mr. Mohamed Al Fayed became chairman of Harrods, a department store which thrives there today and has become a beacon for luxury goods all round the world.  I go to Harrods to be dazzled and amazed.  The rooms of the finest porcelain, furniture, glass, household items, and the newest technology are seemingly unending. I was admiring a vase in the porcelain department today, and I said to myself that the price looked like a telephone number.  I wandered through the men’s fashions and then into the jewel collections.  That is where the trouble started.  I was happy shooting pictures of the displays and was thrilled with the images which were capturing this beautiful commodities.  Suddenly, a security man approached me in a very abrupt manner and told me NOT TO TAKE PICTURES.  Well, there I was in the middle of my play and a man twice my size was playing very rough with me.  I told him I had taken wonderful photos and wanted to share them with my blog friends.  I showed him my photos, and he let me continue.  I think it is the gray hair and the ability to charm the birds out of the trees–well, so to speak.  So, I carried on a bit more discretely.   I don’t buy at Harrods, but I enjoy the inventory and stand amazed at the work of the designers.  It is the store which is designed to satisfy those who have an insatiable need for luxury–the best luxury for sure.  I prefer to wander through Harrods and then buy at Harvey Nichols.  I am attaching a few photos.  Be warned, don’t get thrown out because of a natural inclination to photograph beautiful things.  Yikes.

Let me share with you a new flat we have for the visitors of our company.  It is on Basil Street in the heart of Knightsbrige, immediately next to Harrods.  It is one of those beautiful properties owned by a property developer who has retired and is now training his horses at his breeding farm in Ireland.  The quality of the property is amazing.  There are two wonderful bathrooms which are beautifully done.  Both have bathrooms with showers and tubs.  You would find this quality of property only at the Ritz. The living room is luxurious with fireplace, large white sofas, large television  (not common in London), and an amazing kitchen with granite counters, American style refrigerator, hob, microwave, and wonderful utensils.  There is a porter to this outstanding property.  When considering its location, its quality and comfort, it is an incredible destination to spend your holiday in London. Take a look at the photos.

Well, by time I had been nearly thrown out of Harrods and then adding a new property to our offerings, I was ready for a change, and a change I got.  Stephanie and my old friend, Maureen Walker, called me to have lunch.  Hilarious!  She asked me if I had ever gone to the south bank near the Old Vic to a pie and mash shop.  This meal is the favorite dish of the Cockney community of London.  So, off we went.  I had a plate of mash and two beef pies covered with green sauce.  I had heard of pie and mash, but I had never seen or eaten the delicacy.  But the pie show was amazing to me.  We arrived just at the right time, before the Saturday clientele arrived.  When we left the restaurant, the line went all the way down to the corner.  I heard language and that wonderful cockney accent like I had never heard it before.  Cab drivers were parked up and down the street enjoying their pie and mash and speaking to each other in a language which was very foreign to me.  Amazing and very enjoyable.

We were driving back to the West End and home; spontaneously, we decided to drive to Oxford.  I have always wanted to attend the summer literature lectures at Oxford, and maybe one day I will.  But those buildings with students in their uniforms and caps/capes walking up and down the streets is a wonderful sight.  These are the halls of a privileged few, and for a moment I was very happy to be among them.  The age and tradition of the setting was amazing;  the architecture of the various schools at Oxford was beautiful.  It was a moment when you suddenly wished you could do it all over again.  I bought Thomas Jr. an Oxford sweat shirt with hood for his biking activities but also to keep that name OXFORD  in my grandchildren’s eyes hoping that perhaps someday, maybe, one of them might be curious and perhaps eager to come to Oxford. I would certainly be for it.

Well, we returned to London, and I am catching up on my writing to my faithful readers.  I hope some of these tales and events might interest you as you plan to come to England.  It really is a world apart.  I just stand by the lamp post and wonder about it all.

Today is a Bank Holiday in London.  What does Bank Holiday mean?  That means the entire city closes down for the last family time of the summer.  The City seemed deserted.  The only activity in the Capital is the Brazilian Carnival in Notting Hill which has become so large in recent years that millions of Londoners have joined the Carnival partying, especially for the dancing and certainly for the fantastic food.  But, I am not in London for Carnival, so I will go elsewhere.  Thomas Lawrence in 1935 said that “all men dream;  but not equally.”  For whatever that is worth, I have chosen to spend the day at Kew Gardens, outside London about half an hour by tube.  England and its gardens have a long history;  English sailors brought plants back to England from all over the world including Captain Cook and many others.  Since England is an island with a powerful Royal Navy sailing the world, access to rare and exotic plants came first to those living in London with hot houses and green houses.  King Louis XVI of France and King George III of England shared their plants and in particular their trees.  Green Park in London, next to Buckingham Palace, is called Green Park because it once exhibited the tree collection of the King with not a flower in sight!  All Green–thus, Green Park.  When Fredrick Prince of Wales, father of our King George III, began spending more and more time at his Palace at Kew about 1760, his exotic plantings went to Kew instead of to London.  In 1758, Princess Augusta created the first small garden here on 9 acres and thus the history of this world destination was born.

Don’t be tempted to take a cab to Kew.  The Tube is an easy ride.  Grab the Tube at Embankment Station in the direction of Richmond.  Kew has a stop on the line, and it is a five-minute walk to Kew Gardens with entrance at Victoria Gate.  When you walk in those gates, it is ALL GARDEN and plants.  For someone who has had his hand in the dirt all his life, Kew is the ultimate plant experience.  It is a large  park with interesting aspects everywhere.  I suggest you take the Kew Explorer for an overview of the gardens and then return on foot to the displays which interest you most.  I love the large glasshouses including the Fern House and then Temperate House which is home to the world’s largest indoor plant.

Everywhere,  there are planted beds of perennials.  I love to go here to get ideas.  I first saw Prince Charles’s experiments with planting vegetables among his perennials at Kew.  I tried it at home in my own gardens in Ogden, and the cabbages and kale add great variety and texture to my gardens.  Thank you, Kew Gardens, for that idea.  This year, hundreds of flower beds are planted with succulents of all kinds.  I stopped to see how the begonias had been planted among the cactus plants.  Kew definitely breaks the barriers of traditional planting.  I am going to try a few large cactus plants in my roses next summer.

Tomatoes staked on tall poles gave height to the beds, and the tomatoes themselves gave interest and color.  But, the cabbages with patches of kale are my favorite.  The colors are just wonderful.  The beautiful English boxwoods are trimmed to an inch of their life but give that rich green and a sense of formality to these gardens.  In many parts of the park, entire gardens are lined with boxwoods with English laurel as backdrops and English yews extending into the woods.  It is like somebody really knows what he is doing!

As I walked through the park, I asked one of the rangers what the small patches of hornbeam fences were for.  To my absolute delight, I was told that there are now 35 bee plantations placed in the gardens, all behind those hornbeam hedges.  Obviously, the hornbeams are there to keep the visitors from disturbing the bees.  Like everywhere, gardeners cannot depend on spontaneous hives of bees,  so conservationists everywhere have become beekeepers.  Mick, the ranger, unlocked one of the gates to show me inside the hornbeam shelters.   I can tell you that I was dazzled:  bees, bees, and more bees all going and coming, actively, with their loads of pollen.  Some of the hives are two levels, some are three.  The Ranger told me that the Prince of Wales has led the national campaign to save the bees and has placed a large bee shed near the perennial gardens–26 hives.   The Ranger was kind enough to walk me to the area, and when we arrived I was taken aback with all the boxes filling a shed, each hive a different color so the bees could distinguish their own hives.  Even the bees have a sense of color as do all good gardeners.  I was thrilled as I thought about the beehives in my garden and in the garden of my friends Lisa and June Gibson.  I think we have 19 beehives in place in our gardens.  So we are doing our share.  I bought a book called KEEPING BEES AND MAKING HONEY.  What an enjoyable read.

Kew is not only a world famous garden.  There is even a royal palace in the grounds:  Kew Palace.  Kew Palace was first built in the late 1600′s and was later acquired by Fredrick, Prince of Wales who loved to get away from royal protocol in London.  He and Princess Augusta built a large palace called The White House where they entertained and enjoyed their large family.  Their son, George III, the last king of America, also had a passion for gardening and spent many years planting his gardens and experimenting with trees.  He was living at Kew Palace when the American Colonies decided they wanted to be free–the 4th of July, 1776.  Interesting to note that the King wrote in his diary for that day:  NOTHING HAPPENED TODAY.  Well, two hundred and fifty years later,  Kew Palace is open to the public.  A visitor is amazed by the King’s simple tastes and by his love of intimate spaces where he could enjoy his large family and his many, many plants and animals.   When you are walking through the gardens, enjoy the 18th century Pagoda–so typical of English 18th century passion for the oriental.  Also, the Japanese Gateway and King William’s Temple.  These “follies”  were all the fashion in the 18th century.  If the gardeners are working in the compost garden, watch what they are doing to recycle the plantings.  It is really lovely.

Your feet will be killing you, but your eyes will have had a real feast.  Exit the park at Victoria Gate and walk the two blocks to the small village of Kew.  There are small cafes and shops there as you wait for your train.  There is a train returning to London every 15 minutes so don’t rush.  Enjoy the village.

Kew is a World Preservation Site.  It is the best of the best.  It is not just a garden; rather,  it is a garden that tries new things and leads the way to even better gardens of the future.  For our visitors who are gardens, add this site to you visit.  Fabulous.

Well, I am off to see new flats and meet owners.  So, if you can keep reading, I will keep newsy stuff on our blog.  Thank you so much for coming along.  I have enjoyed it.  I hope you have. I am visiting new flats tomorrow, and I will post photos and make recommendations for your next visit to London.

Patient Readers, are you still up for more?  I hope you are enjoying the ride;  I am finding great joy in sharing this trip with you all. I hope it isn’t more BLA than BLOG.  Hopefully, there are hints of things you might like to do, places you might like to visit, and questions you might have about that ever-present problem:  FOOD.  This is the Sabbath, and Church and churches are the focuses of the day–with a bit of history and architecture slipped in between.  Pretty hard to be in London without all forms of culture melting together to create the most powerful experience, especially when it comes to churches, cathedrals, and abbeys.  Certainly London is an environment of culture with an immense sense of history.  I rushed out early, at 7:00 am this morning to hear The National Academic Choir of Ukraine perform Tchaikovsky’s LITHURGY OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM.  Last night when I found that they were performing so early, I realized I could add this performance to my long day of experiences.  It was magnificent with lush sounds, amazing voices, and really romantic overtones.  It was so “religious” and perfectly beautiful inside the walls of St. Paul’s.  I just couldn’t imagine such a spiritual piece ever being written by Tchaikovsky, but I suppose even he had his moments.  When I left the Cathedral, I felt like I was floating.  Right!  Right into the cab for Westminster Abbey for Matins at 10:00 am.  Since this is a Bank Holiday weekend here in London, the Abbey had a small attendance.  We sat right in choir stalls with the choir.  When that organ started to play all those notes, there was not one stone in those walls that wasn’t smiling and dancing with bouncing beauty.  Oh, the voices!  Oh, the voices!  The sermon was on how government should see that wealth should be evenly spread among all people and how this even distribution is the basis of the Western Civilization.  Well, I won’t go into that sermon now except to say that if we had followed that sort of thinking, we would all be ploughing our fields behind a mule.  I may be plowing my fields, tending my bees, planning for chickens, but it would be by choice.  I just wonder when the world started thinking everyone deserves to share in the richness of national life, even without contributing to it.  Well, you can imagine how thrilled I was when the choir started to rattle my bones again and bring huge smiles on my face.

When the service was over, I had time to walk round Westminster Abbey and take a few photographs which I will send along. Imagine, the inspiration for this Abbey was the death of Edward the Confessor in 1055;  it has been added to continuously until even recently when Martin Luther King’s statue was added to the facade sculptures.  Kings have been buried here along with musicians, poets, authors (even my beloved Thomas Hardy), sculptors and architects, and scientists.  There is even humor here: The Renaissance Ben Jonson is memorialized in two places (one says ORARE BEN JONSON — latin for Pray for Ben Jonson) and the other is humorous  O RARE BEN JONSON–and that he was, rare!)  It is like the building is a living entity, alive in stone and glorious in imagination.  It is the hallowed repository of history, glory, and abilities of man to create besides being a Abbey.    What a place to hear MATINS at 10:00 am each Sunday morning;  don’t miss it.  Nice way to start the week off.

Then, I grabbed another cab because I had only ten minutes to arrive at the Hyde Park Chapel to spend Church time with my own people, singing those old wonderful Mormon hymns and wondering and pondering how it is that a COME, COME YOU SAINTS ever ended up being sung in a London LDS Chapel by three African Zulus.  My mind began to wonder.  We sang our songs, called each other Brother and Sister, and then spent the afternoon.  It is a culture I know and feel in my heart as it has been my family’s way for six generations.  It warmed my heart to be counted among them in London.  And that is another story, fun and mystical.

I ran around the corner to the Brompton Oratorio to hear afternoon Mass being sun.  Again, it was walking back in time as the music, the incense, the chants, the statues, and the latin reverberated off those magnificent walls.  For me, it was supremely beautiful but in an historical and musical sense.  I realized that it was arranged to be inspiring;  for me, it was history in music and in literature and in tradition.  It was simply beautiful beyond words.

Well, I hope you will go to Westminster Abbey, to the Brompton Oratorio and then for evening vespers at St. Martin-in-the-Fields. Your day will be full of music and wonderment.  I can’t stop wondering how it is that we live in a world of wars, hatred, and armaments, and terrorists when these options are available to all of us.  I love to remember the words of Albert Schweitzer:  ”Here, at whatever hour you come, you will find light and help and human kindness.”  I can only imagine what life would like if these moments in these places were not here for us–even in our own hometowns wherever they are.

Sunday dinner in London is always Roast Beef and Yorkshire or Steak and Kidney pie.  And thus it was for me at the Chandos Pub, upstairs OPERA dining room.  There I ate my steak pie, ate my peas, and gagged down my orange carrots.  Custard pie with caramel sauce ended the day.  I have staggered home to write, call home, and share this day with you, hoping that it will give you an idea or two for your next trip.

How brave of you all to keep up with me, or even be interested.   Monday, tomorrow, is a holiday here in London.  They call it a Bank Holiday.  So, our staff will be working only to do let-ins.  So, I will tour the National Gallery and the National Gallery.  I hope you will come along.

I will end my day listening to Bruckner’s MASS NO.1 IN D MINOR.  I bought the recording on the recommendation of the lovely young lady MDC MUSIC AND MOVIE shop at the National Opera gift shop.  When it comes to gift shops, I have no resistance.  Do you?

Can you stand another day?  Actually, can I get the energy to record another day?  Come on, let’s do it together!  This camera is amazing.  My son Thomas bought a new Nikon digital for my use.  It just clicks away, and I end up with all these remarkable photographs.  Thomas has explained all the stops, but he tells me more than I want to learn.  The minute he walks to my desk and says:  ”Now, Dad.  let me explain this”–I know I am in trouble.  So, I carry on pushing this and that and somehow the camera realizes that a mechanical idiot, a dolt, is boss here.  It is hard to believe that the camera is smarter than I am.  But, Ah!  I am the soul of machine, and this camera does not forget that.  My recommendation?  Get a totally automatic camera, good quality, and record your visit to London.  Live with those memories;  record the events as they happen AND WALK THE CITY.  After all, isn’t life in essence anticipation and memory?  The moment passes so quickly.

As I said previously, this trip to London is partially a business trip.  So, I will take you along if you would like to see what my “business”  in London is really like.  A most magnificent house in Donne Place is owned by a gentleman who spends most of his time at his estate near Toulouse, so I have convinced him that I should rent his house out while he is away.  We have actually been offering the house for about 3 months on trial, but this visit will determine if he can let us continue.  Well, I put on my best blue blazer and blue and white shirt, camera in hand and headed off to Knightsbridge.  The street has amazingly charming little houses all painted different colors in the Regency style.  Pots are all filled with geraniums, and the wisteria goes up the front of the house where it has been happily living for many, many years.  When you dream of an English house full of antiques and beautiful things gathered for years for the interior of a house, this is certainly the place.    Well, the cab arrived, and I knocked on the front door. Yep, there was the gentleman in a blue blazer and blue and white shirt–exactly what I was wearing.  So, I wore the appropriate clothing, but I suppose I didn’t need to be quite so perfect.  Anyway, we had a laugh and then started to view the house.  This magnificent house is on three floors with the double lounge on the ground floor along with the kitchen, dining room, and amazing garden.  When I looked around me, I was stunned by the beauty:  Madame Vigee-Lebrun portraits, a wonderful Reynolds’ portrait, several 17th century baroque pen-and-ink drawings, and the endless, fabulous furniture.  The shelves and mantles are covered in fantastic clocks, Meissen, enamels, and fine silver.  Oh, Well, the camera just clicked away.   By now, our London manager joined us for the remainder of the journey.  Upstairs we went to see a beautiful 1750 poster bed in a room filled with porcelain and more paintings, and the bed seemed comfortable as well.  I don’t know how I would sleep– being so distracted by all that beauty.  The bathroom was heavy in wood and was like a bathroom you would see in a gentleman’s club.  But the office/library!  Filled with beautiful things–beautifully done.  Then to the top floor and the second bedroom with its large queen size bed, fabulous watercolors on the walls–simply beautiful.  A second bathroom was again beautifully finished.  BUT THE TREATD was the fabulous small garden where trellises and plants give this property further privacy.  In London, residences are right on top of each other, but this gentleman knew how to live and how to protect his privacy.  One wonderful experience, for sure!  My camera did its job, and the flat is now up and renting for the next two years.  You can see it on our site under Donne Place.  Have a look.  If you want further photos, I have many.  Wonderful time.  When we got downstairs, his maid had sparkling water for us, served in beautiful old Georgian glasses on a silver salver.  What a wonderful place from which to visit London.  Amazing.

Well, we were late to our next appointment, but the ever-present cab driver rushed us to Cadogan Place.  Cristina and I jumped out of the taxi and rang the bell.  Suddenly this very beautiful Austrian lady answered the door.  Charm–talk about charm!  She invited us to the lounge, and discussed when this beautiful property would be available.  She said she spends from the 15th of December for 3 months at her home in Cape Town, South Africa, each year since her husband died.  But, she also informed us that she goes away other weeks of the year.  I didn’t have to explain who we are and how we work because we were referred to this lovely lady by another owner.  So, we got on with the house.  The fantastic thing with this house is there is a parking stall for a car.  Do you realize how rare that is in central London?  A car parking stall is worth thousands of pounds a year in central London–and there it was.  The main floor had a wonderful kitchen with every kind of machine–all wonderful, white, and clean.  She showed me a button on the wall and asked if I knew what it was.  I had an idea, but I asked her to explain.  When she leaves, she pushes this button and security screens come down over all the windows on the first two floors.  I knew then we were going to see a lovely home.  The dining room had a large cherry dining room table and seating for six–just beautifully lighted.  The second floor had a lounge which was done almost entirely in white.  Lovely furniture was placed in effective places.  But the master bedroom was wonderful.  It has a large double bed with the owner’s portrait above and an en suite bathroom with  tub, hand held shower, wash hand basin and loo.  Beautiful and convenient.  The third floor has a TV room and a small study.  She told me that she wanted only two/three persons in the house, and I could certainly see why.  I suggested there be no small children and rather appreciating adults.  I photographed the house and we made a deal.  So while this beautiful lady goes off to South Africa, nice visitors may enjoy her home.  Perfect.  You are all invited.  Check it out on the Internet under CADOGAN LANE.

With a lot of work under my belt, being the roving diplomat so to speak, I grabbed a cab back home.  I walked to the nearby restaurant Bella Italia and had my favorite bolognese and Italian mineral water.  I was going home to post on this blog and write up the two descriptions, but thought I would go by St. Martin-in-the-fields to see if there might be another concert.  By now the sky was getting red and dark, and it was doing my favorite thing:  drizzling.  I arrived at the church to see the sign:  MOZART AND HANDEL and then those wonderful words  TONIGHT.
They had three seats left from a cancelation, so I grabbed the chance.  THEN, I noticed that I had missed the future postings:  THE BAROQUE FESTIVAL tomorrow night AND the MOZART REQUIEM on 4 September.  I got good seats for both performances and almost bowed as I left that ticket window in the old crypt of the Church.  I asked why they didn’t advertise very much and received the answer:  ”We don’t need to,  Our problem is allowing London residents to beat the tourists to the seats.”  I thought about my association, THE SYMPHONY BALLET ASSOCIATION in Ogden, Utah, who has to lure people to come to the most astounding performances of international performers.  Oh well, it all happens one way or another.  But, goodness, I whistled my way home from St. Martin-in-the Field and decided I would post my recommendation for this summer musical series.  I was told this goes on all year round, so the summer festival is only one of the many activities.  Brilliant.

Tonight at 7:30 the sounds of the Mozart SALZBURG SYMPHONY, Handel’s WATER MUSIC SUITE, Mozart’s SYMPHONY 29, Mozart’s PIANO CONCERTO #14, Handel’s AIR FROM CONERTO GROSSO OPUS 6 NO. 10, and Handel’s CONCERTO GROSSO OPUS 6   begin to sound.  When I saw the length of the concert, I understood what they mean by FESTIVAL.   So let the concert begin !!  You can only imagine the sounds, coming from everywhere.  People from all over the world, all speaking different languages, were there sharing the one universal language we all have–MUSIC!  There were elegant couples with wives wrapped in fur, students hanging from the 6 pound tickets in the balconies, families with parents teaching their children.  I looked about as the players started the music.  For three hours 300 people were of one mind, of one quality, of one sense of joy.  It was magic.  I began to wonder about the effect of music and wondered if the words an sounds of what our children listen to today might explain how they behave?  Certainly, in the setting of St. Martin-in-the-Field, I knew where the thoughts of the audience were;  It was like a large group of people having one mind.  incredible moments.

When the concert was over, I walked to St. Paul’s Cathedral so I was really tired and would go to sleep quickly.  Wow!  St. Paul’s Cathedral, a baroque building lighted up like a bonfire, just moments after a baroque concert.  What an harmonious evening –all for 22 pounds for my concert ticket and good legs and ears!.  Only in London!