Our day yesterday was bookended by two planned activities - a late breakfast at the Wolseley with a former student of mine and tickets to see a performance of Handel, Bach, and Vivaldi by candlelight in St. Martin in the Fields. Since we would be near Buckingham Palace we decided to wander about in that area.
The Wolseley’s glorious past is reflected in its black and white marble and its towering, Venetian-inspired pillars, arches and stairwells. Inspired by a Boston bank, it was built in the 1920s as a car showroom, before becoming an actual bank – Barclays – until 1999. It was refurbished and opened in 2003 as a “café-restaurant in the grand European tradition”. It really is the type of restaurant that reminds one of past days with servers in starched aprons, linen table cloths, impeccably plated food, lots of people murmuring quietly to their table mates.
Leith was late so Paul and I enjoyed the people watching . . . well, and a really, really good Bellini. When Leith arrived we ordered food and had a great time taking about life, London, and politics. Leith has been in London for 18 years and had plenty of tips for things we should see and do (although how is it possible to live in London all of that time and never visited the British Museum??? :-) )
After lunch we wandered through Green Park to Buckingham Palace. The Union Jack was flying over the palace which meant the Queen wasn't present. So much for staring at the windows to spot a hand pull a curtain aside and peer out . . . a glimpse of royalty (or a curious servant).
Anyway, we wandered to the south side of the castle where the Queen's Gallery is located. The Queen’s Gallery is a permanent space dedicated to changing exhibitions from the Royal Collection – an astonishing and wide-ranging collection of paintings, sculpture and other works of art as well as a glittering array of priceless treasure held in trust for the nation by the Queen.
The exhibit we saw was Russia, Royalty & the Romanov’s Regal History Through Art . This exhibition at the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, traces the royal alliances and dynastic connections between Britain and Imperial Russia. From Peter the Great’s 1698 visit to London, to the marriage of Tsar Nicholas II to Queen Victoria’s granddaughter, every artwork tells a story.
All of the pieces on display – including portraits, sculpture and Fabergé miniatures – are part of the Royal Collection, one of the largest and most significant art collections in the world. What is most fascinating about this curated set of objects is that many of them were made as grand gestures to mark historic events or as personal mementos of diplomatic visits. When viewed alongside the archival photographs and documents on display, they offer a glimpse into the history of these two nations and their royal families.
Later we walked along the Mall to Trafalgar Square. Over the years I've seen this route plenty of time on TV as cameras panned the route following dignitaries on various life's journeys, it was a bit odd being there in real life.
We were thirsty at this point so we headed to a pub we had wandered past - the Admiralty. Located on the S/W corner of Trafalgar Square this may be london's most central pub. It may also be its busiest. I am sure fire codes were broken while we were there!
The menu looked good so we decided to stay for dinner. With the exception of the crowds and noise it was a great choice for our first English pub food.
After dinner we made our way through the throngs of people in the square (it was a protest against violence and terrorism) to St. Martins in the Fields.
There has been a church 'in the fields' between Westminster and the City since the thirteenth century, but the current church was built in 1726 by James Gibbs, using a fusion of neoclassical and baroque styles. The parish church for Buckingham Palace (note the royal box to the left of the gallery), St Martin-in-the-Fields benefited from a £36 million, Lottery-funded refurbishment, completed in 2008. The bright interior has been fully restored, with Victorian furbelows removed and the addition of a controversial altar window that shows the Cross, stylised as if rippling on water.
We were there to hear Bach, Handel, and Vivaldi played by the Trafalgar Sinfonia - one of the UKs best ensembles. It was an amazing experience listening to wonderful music played in an old church lite by the flickering lights of candles.
After the concert we made our way to the Tube and headed back to the apartment. We had been on the go for over 12 hours and we were both exhausted. It had been a brilliant day!
Comments