A tube station, a museum, and an amazing marketplace...

So yesterday ended up being stormy and I gave up all my explorations when I kept getting soaked going from place to place. Plus, I had a sniffle and felt a bit run down. So on the way back from wherever I started, I stopped off at the Marble Arch Underground (Tube) station because I had seen it in passing and wanted to take some photos of the tile work inside...



Most tube stations just have white tile and the traditional red circle with blue station name. This one however, has very elaborate arch tiles along the name plates...





Today I started out, again on a rainy day but determined to get to the Tate Modern Museum to see the huge Miro exhibit. I had seen a lot of his works in Spain already but I really like his work so decided to pay the cost (15.50 pounds, around $24) to see this huge retrospective.



So passing through the other exhibits of Modern Art (unfortunately even though they allowed photos, the rooms tended to be dark and flash was forbidden, so my photos mostly did not turn out)...





To finally get to the Miro exhibit which was wonderful!



So then I walked along the Thames river in the light rain...





until I got to Borough Market...



The most incredible smells of foods cooking and enticing visitors in, along with displays of all sorts of edibles...









Made me really wish I had a proper kitchen this week (I do have a microwave and a fridge in this hotel but that doesn't work for burgers)...



Eventually I gave in and had a lamb kebob on salad for my lunch...



All in all, a wonderful day!

More London...

Today I went on a few quests...

First I went looking for an obscure CD that Andy wanted which brought me to Oxford Circus area. Decided it was too pricey and didn't get it.

But since I was there I went over to the imaginary site from one of my all time favorite movies...



If you don't know the film, 84 Charing Cross Road is a lovely movie! I also read the book but I loved how Anthony Hopkins and Anne Bancroft portrayed the characters.

Then I went over to a wonderful little shopping enclave...



Oh did I mention it was a bright and colorful shopping square?







And notice if you will it was dry before I went into the shop I mention below and then started raining... an hour later, all clear again! That's London weather!

With one of the greatest herb and oils shop...







And great quotes on a side wall of the yard...



And an incredible cheese shop around the corner...





This photo is for you Andy...



I remember this little square from one of my first trips to London. The rubber stamp store Rubber Blade used to be in here as well. It has since moved over near the British Museum and I visited it as well last month when I was in London the first time.

I hate the large crowds, extreme prices and the annoying tourist noise of a lot of London places, but there are little sections like this (and the garden I already wrote about earlier) that remind me how much I also love this city!

A Secret Garden in the middle of London...

I found a treasure in London today -- a secret garden that has risen from the ashes of an empty unused space thanks to the residents and volunteers around it. From what I was told, the whole garden was made by volunteers (adults and kids alike), full of nooks and crannies and hidden gems.



It's called the PHOENIX GARDEN -- a secluded tranquil spot in the middle of busy crazy London...



It is full of the flower I have been gushing over lately, the lovely hollyhock!!



And many other lovely species...





I am noticing most of my flower photos today are purple flowers -- there were a lot of other things, but it seemed the predominant color in bloom today was purple...



What a lovely way to spend part of my day today!

Hollyhocks and a strange little statue...

I have been coming across the most magnificent batches of hollyhocks this trip!



Hollyhocks have got to be one of my favorite flowers -- great in an old-fashioned (English) country garden. HERE is some info on these gorgeous flowers!



I have grown them in the past but not recently. Now I want to be sure to plant some this fall and have them again next year! Even though they don't smell they are big and showy and last a long while...



So I am pooped from going to museums and wandering around London and this evening after I talked to Andy on Skype, I happened to look out my hotel window as the rain started again and I saw this little guy sitting up on his concrete pillar:



Look closely -- see him in the middle of the photo?



What a cool thing to have looking down on the courtyard below! Wonder why he is there?

Croydon and Brighton...

Yesterday when I first walked around Croydon (a southern suburb of London) I stumbled upon this little street market...





Then continued on to the Croydon museum...


Past the Wimpy burgers... (I remember those from my first time in England nearly 40 years ago!)



And finally to the library/museum in this amazing clock tower building...



Photos weren't allowed inside but I did talk the guard into letting me take this one photo. Even though of course we teach about Darwin and the Galapagos Islands I never knew anything about the Captain of the Beagle, who was apparently from Croydon!



I am always amazed when I learn something new that I can actually use in my teaching!

So a little more exploring shops and such yesterday. Oh and got my hair colored since so much gray was showing after a month away from home! Decided not to do it myself in a hotel bathroom with a not very good shower and not enough towels, so it was nice to pamper myself a little! Didn't even think of having them take a photo of me...

Then this morning decided to go to Brighton. Took the train, easy-peasy, and got out at Brighton, which still has one of those fabulous iron train stations...



I headed out first to the Royal Pavilion ... (well me and a few hundred other visitors!)





They don't let you take photos inside and are VERY strict about it so I have to refer you to the website above for more info, but it was rather over the top!

This is the back view -- the place is huge!!



Then down another quarter mile or so to the Pier, past a lovely fountain...



and the shopping area called The Lanes. Now I know where JK Rowling might have gotten the idea for Harry Potter's Diagon Alley!



Until I got to...



What was I thinking? The sun... the crowds... the noise...???







I actually did not stay long as it was just too overwhelming and I had a sudden desire for some peace and quiet. But I was glad to see Brighton again. Last time I was there was around 39 years ago! Aside from the prices and modern buildings I am not sure much had changed!

Sunday in England...

I got back into the UK on Friday -- flight from Vilnius to Gatwick (via a 2 hour plane change in Riga, Latvia) went ok, but it was the 3 HOURS (yes you read that right) waiting in line to get into the UK that really wiped me out! Apparently there had been a work stoppage (strike) the day before and for some reason it still seemed to be occurring at the airport on Friday and we all had to inch our way up to the Passport Control. It was hot, stuffy and I nearly fainted more than once and I kept asking myself -- why am I here?

But I finally got in, got to my hotel in Croydon (where I had to book for 3 days because I actually had changed my plans and come back to the UK 3 days earlier). Since Wimbledon was going on (they take tennis seriously here!) there was absolutely nothing available in London that I could find (or afford -- rooms as high as $600 a night for the weekend! Ouch!) so I am in a southern suburb for a few days. That is fine though because it will be relatively easy to get into London proper on Monday to my other hotel and in the mean time I get to explore an area I have never been in.

So the rest of Friday I totally vegged out, yesterday I explored Croydon and today is going to be a bright sunny day so I am heading off to Brighton to the beach. I will post photos when I get back in later today.

Then I will be sort of caught up with the blog! (although I think when I get home I will be posting at least more Eastern Europe photos on Flickr even if I don't write about them here)

Home in 10 days!