Catching up

On Sunday morning we visited the Queen's Gallery, but the high point was seeing the Royals returning from the wreath-laying on the Cenotaph, and witnessing the parade of veterans.

In the afternoon we did another London Walk, this one to the Little Venice area. Named by Robert Browning, it was created just before trains took over. Our guide, Shaughan, who sang and recited poetry and jokes at the drop of a hat, told us that you can navigate for miles by canal, as far up as Birmingham.
Here's a view, with Richard Branson's canalboat on the left.

 

Today, Monday, we followed a walk through Kensal Green Cemetery, a Victorian-era cemetery, still in use, that includes gravestones from, among others, Anthony Trollope, the accoucheur who delivered all of Queen Victoria's children, and, most movingly, little Marigold, known as Duckadilly, daughter of Winston and Clementine Churchill, who died at age two. The calligraphy is by Eric Gill.

 

It was a perfect day for a cemetery walk, cool and grey and damp. The cemetery seems to be falling down in a gentle way, with stones askew or missing. Our guidebook, "TimeOut Book of London Walks," included a rant by Lucinda Lambton against the poor quality of current funerary art, and I must agree.

This afternoon we made our way to the Portrait Gallery for a special exhibit, "From Beatles to Bowie," photos of the Stones, the Beatles, and other ancient luminaries. My favorite was the photo of Robin Williamson and Mike Heron who made up The Incredible String Band. Did not know that it had been taken in Frank Zappa's garden... Keith Richards looks remarkably young in the early pictures - hard to believe he turned into the ravaged pirate he is today.

We limped gallantly home, getting ready for the BM and Darwin tomorrow.