just back from a recent stay around trafalgar sq/london

i recently had a great visit to london, staying at the club quarters at trafalgar sq. it was one of my best london visits. i enjoy the museums around trafalagar, as well as a number of theaters-particularly the national. so it was great to have my hotel be right there, so i could drop things off or whatever. plus the AC was good, which was nice during the heat wave. adn the room was quiet adn there was free internet in the lounge.

on monday i went to a small antique market at covent garden at 9-ish where i picked up some gifts. i then went to the courtauld gallery (free on monday til 2) and the tate, which until the end of the month has the rothko seagram series, which is interesting to see next to turners. i discovered a nice breakfast spot near covent garden --a place called the "All Bar" at the corner of bedford and henrietta. you can slice yor own piece of bread and make toast. I got a groundling place at the globe--i didn't totally understand that one has to stand all night with a groundling ticket. so i didn't make it the whole play, but it was fun to see the globe. there is a lovely place to eat dinner just outside the tate modern on the thames where you can watch the thames and all its activity--quite reasonably priced too.

on tuesday i went to the british museum. I had not been there since the redo. it is great. so many interesting things. i was taken by the egyptian stuff particularly. then i went to the national gallery, which is always a pleasure.. the big treat was that during the evening that evening's royal opera performance of la traviata was broadcast in trafalgar square. Renee fleming in all her glory. quite fun and very special.

for dinner before the opera i ate at bistro 1 on southhampton just up from the savoy hotel on the strand. pretty good and reasonably priced--they have a fixed price 2 and 3 course meal. i think 9 pounds for 2 courses and 10 or 11 for 3.

another thing that made this trip special is that i made an effort to take buses rather than the tube places. buses are slow but you get to see the sights and londoners on the street. the oyster card was a geat help-just swipe it and jump on.