Sunday: London Calling

I missed London - so yesterday I went on a day trip. Covid infection rates are still quite low (although they may be starting to creep up again) and Saturday trains are not usually too busy, so I decided to risk taking the train and spending a day pottering in London. It was quiet. In a normal year, London would now be heaving with tourists. I walked down from Euston Station through Bloomsbury and Covent Garden. The road leading to the British Museum, which hasn't yet reopened, was eerily empty. Covent Garden was not as quiet as it looks in the photo below, but was far from its normal bustle and missing the usual street entertainment.  

I had planned to get myself some sushi for lunch, but most cafes and takeaways were closed. I imagine without the tourists there just isn't enough business to be worth opening. I ended up going into Boots to pick up a drink and a sandwich to make sure I had something to eat. I did find a Pret open in the Strand, but most branches seemed to be shut. I sat on a bench in Trafalgar Square to eat and enjoyed the relative tranquillity - it is just a shame it comes at such and economic cost. 

Most of the museums have not yet reopened, though will be opening over the next week or so, but I had booked myself a slot to visit the National Gallery. Everything was very well arranged. Visits are free (except to their Titian exhibition), but need to be booked in advance online so that they can limit numbers. I had a 12.45pm time slot and spent a couple of hours there. Three one way routes had been set up for different sections of the main galleries, and there was also a free exhibition of paintings by the Dutch painter Nicholaes Maes. I saw quite a few old favourites and discovered some new ones, like this self-portrait by 18th century French portrait painter Elisabeth Louise Vigée le Brun. I have the Smartify app on my phone which allows you to scan a painting with a phone camera, identifies the picture and the artist and gives information on them - easier than peering at captions on the wall, and very helpful for social distancing! The National Gallery offered free Wifi which was very helpful as the 4G signal wasn't great.  

After lunch I bought a slice of vegan salted caramel and chocolate cheesecake and a coffee with soya milk from Cafe Nero and took it down to St James Park - although I am not currently eating a plant based diet, I do still try to avoid dairy, both on ethical grounds and because I don't think my body likes it much these days. After my coffee and cheesecake I walked down The Mall to Buckingham Palace - literally down The Mall, which was only open to pedestrians and bikes. 

I walked through Green Park and Hyde Park, past Kensington Palace and then up to Notting Hill tube station, about three miles altogether. I noticed that as I walked it got gradually busier. The tables outside the large Serpentine Cafe in Hyde Park looked pretty full, there were a lot of pedals on the lake, and at the western end of the park quite a few groups of people picnicking or (in at least one case) partying. I also saw a couple of family groups who I think were celebrating Eid a day late. Although they weren't sticking to social distancing, at least the groups were outdoors and not indoors. My favourite discover in Hyde Park was this statue, called Serenity.   

I was a bit unsure about taking the tube, but couldn't face an hour's walk back to Euston so settled on taking the Circle Line which is a high level line - no escalators, and more open platforms. It wasn't too bad, though I had to change at Edgware Road and waited a while there for a train so the platform got busier than I liked. Most people were wearing masks, though there were a few chin-maskers (why do they do that? Answer, I guess, is so that if they spot anyone in authority they can pull it up and pretend they were wearing it all the time!). My train carriage back home also had chin-maskers and no-maskers. Fortunately it was quite empty and I was able to put plenty of space between myself and the idiots. I'm glad I went, as I suspect that once we get into the autumn things things will get worse again and I will be much less likely to want to travel on public transport. With that in mind, I'm trying to make the most of the summer while the risks are low enough to feel safe going out and about.