Phew!! its there now \\:D/

Forgot to mention - Another benefit of V&A membership is a 10% discount in the wonderful gift shop. Except unbeknownst to me, I happened to be there on the last day of 20% off most things and 25% off textiles/clothing/leathers. I managed to finish my Christmas shopping and buy a couple of things for moi :)

Thursday Dec 2: Michelin star birthday lunch, Tate Modern exhibitions & dinner and getting lost in an empty museum

This was a different sort of trip -- I was only in town four days so more like a long weekend than a week in London with sightseeing or 'new' experiences. The sort of short trip I'd take if I lived on the East Coast and could take a daytime flight and pop across the pond for 3 or 4 days every few months.

Today's plan is really just two 'do's' - a special birthday lunch at Seven Park Place by William Drabble and then spending all evening at Tate Modern for Cezanne, the Infinity Rooms and late night supper.

I woke up early and had yogurt/tea/juice/croissant from the buffet and went out for a morning walk -- again it was a cold but sunny day and I walked up towards St James's Palace, through the park around Horseguards Parade, past Buckingham Palace, through Green Park and back to the hotel. I had the saddest feeling walking past the Victoria memorial/the Palace - that we'd never again see the Queen waving from that balcony. Whenever I'm in St James's Street I pass Lock & Sons hatter -- it's a beautiful storefront and the oldest shop in London - years ago at a country auction in Banbury I bid on/won a mid 19th century gentleman's silk top hat including the original paperwork/receipt and Lock & Sons fitted hat box. I have the hat hanging on a victorian hall tree in my entry.

Got back to the hotel around 11 and had a pot of tea and relaxed a bit before dressing for lunch downstairs. My booking was for 1:15 and its great having a 2 minute commute down three floors in the lift. This is a 1 star Michelin restaurant - which I booked for 2 reasons really. 1) it is in the hotel, and 2 . . . it actually accepted a booking for one without jumping through hoops. And it was absolutely sublime! From food to service. The room is lovely but not at all flashy or over the top -- comfy. They do have a set lunch menu but every dish on the tasting menu sounded better than the dish before. Dinner isn't until 9PM so I thought 'go for it!" Only slight hiccup - they sat me next to a table of five thirty-something men -- one wearing a backward ball cap -- none of whom had a indoor voice (and they were't even Americans LOL- one Brit and the others sounded mostly German and eastern European. They were really annoying and I quietly asked if I could be moved to a different table -- no problem.

This is what I had for lunch . . .

• Canapé: Lobster croquette & a teensy pirogi
• Amuse-bouche: Chicken consummé with celeriac and apple
• Starter: Diver scallop with caviar with crispy leek and salsify purée
• Course1: Langoustine with sweetbreads
• Course2: Quail breast, confit leg, hazelnut, orange
• Course 3: Lamb 4 ways - breast, rib, saddle, and a teeny tiny shepherd's pie
• Cheese course: Brie with tawny port
• Dessert: Chocolate ganache, clementine sorbet, gingerbread biscuit
• Sweets plus chocolate 'birthday plate' and card.

. . . something just came up - I'll post some photos of the meal but will have to get back to the rest later . . .

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Quail Course


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Lamb 4 ways


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Chocolate, sorbet, gingerbread -- 3 basic food groups :)


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I only mentioned it was my birthday casually in passing to the sommelier when picking my pre lunch champagne



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oh I love the birthday plate and card. What a lovely gesture. great looking meal too. and Happy belated birthday.

jj, you certainly know how to celebrate a birthday! Happy belated one.

. . . Friday continued: (Just noticed I typed 'Thursday' Dec 2 on the prior installment . . . it definitely was Friday)

Wanted to get to Tate Modern by about 5PM so I could get into the Cézanne exhibition except is isn't Cézanne -- its Cezanne because apparently he didn't use the accent himself.. The gallery closes at 6PM then later is a members-only evening for the Infinity Mirror Rooms and late dinner in the Kitchen after the exhibition. This worked out great - after lunch I went up stairs, had a cup of tea in my room and put my feet up for a bit, then got my coat and scarf / changed shoes and headed out. Didn't get to the Tate until 5:15-ish so only had about 45 mins in the exhibition which was obviously not enough but at least I did see the highlights. This is one fabulous homage to his entire career - more than 80 paintings - landscapes, still lifes, portraits, nudes, plus photographs of his family, home in Provence, sketch books - even his oil and water colour palettes / brushes. One landscape blew me away - Francois Zola Dam. So vibrant and very modern looking. That the artwork wasn't displayed in a linear or chronological order made it a bit confusing at times. In the same room would be works from the 70's and the 90's. There are amazing portraits of his wife and son which along with some of the Provence landscapes were among my favorites . . . There is a Picasso quote on the wall "the father of us all". Runs thru mid-March.

Then I left the bldg and walked 5 or 6 minutes up river to Sea Containers and went up the the 12th Knot rooftop bar - was able to sit outside. Amazing views, similar to the Oxo Tower. Nibbled on mixed nuts and had a "Bubbles in the Air" - Champagne, HennessyVS, and honey. This was just a 'place holder' until I could get back into the Tate at 7PM.

Walked back to the Tate - once I was checked in, had to walk all over through two buildings and two lifts . . . and there were almost no people anywhere -- spooooky. The exhibition was much more than just the two infinity rooms but they were the center pieces. I thought the rooms were absolutely mesmerizing!! I had read several reviews in the London press which ran the gamut from "Endlessy entrancing" to "For God's sake - book!" to "An instagram experience posing as art" :) As you can see - the critics are divided LOL. I didn't take a selfie, didn't take any photos- just sort of floated through.

The rest of the exhibition is is an extensive retrospective of her career primarily in the 60's and 70's New York avant-garde art scene. Some was fascinating and some was w.i.e.r.d weird. ;)

Then a trek back through the two buildings and other lifts - with even fewer people and even spookier to the Kitchen & Bar. I wasn't very hungry but being after 9PM I knew I should eat something. Had champagne, celeriac & apple soup with potato straws for a starter, and Hake & Jerusalem artichoke fo the main. Loved the soup, and the fish was very good but only ate maybe half of it - passed on dessert but did have a pot of tea. It was actually just perfect close of the day.

Back to the hotel

Next: Saturday - Checking out of St James's and heading out to the Stratford and ABBA Voyage and the VIP Departure Lounge

. . . to clarify -- the Departure Lounge is a special lounge in the ABBA arena - NOT the one at the airport.

New HVAC, new kittens, tenant issues, bank issues . . . Jeeze Louise - I want to leave the country again!!

Saturday - Checking out of St James's and heading out to Stratford and ABBA Voyage and the VIP Departure Lounge

This is my last day in London and it will be spent out in Stratford. I slept in til about 9, had a light breakfast from the hotel buffet, threw everything in my rollabaord, checked out and walked down around the corner to Green Park station. Took the Jubilee line all the way out to Stratford, it was a fast 25 minute journey and the station is right at the entrance to the massive Westfield Stratford City shopping centre. I booked tonight at the Hyatt Regency which is in the center of the complex. I didn't expect my room to be available at 11AM - and it wasn't. So I left my bag with the front desk and asked for a text if the room would be available by 1PM. The matinee ABBA concert starts at 3PM and my booking for the Departure Lounge gives access from 1:15 so the plan was IF I could get into my room by 1 PM I'd do a quick change and walk over to the arena - and if not, I'd walk straight there and check in after the concert. The lobby of the hotel was quite a sight . . . ;) apparently there was a wrestling (legit wrestling not WWE rasslin') tournament in one of the remaining Olympic venues . . . and the lobby was chock-a-block with probably 100 very fit (and attractive) young men with pecs and biceps as far as the eye could see ;)

I wandered around the shopping centre for a bit, visited John Lewis and a few other stores. The Departure Lounge includes ". . . a charming selection of cold platters & desserts as well as unlimited drinks" -- their words, not mine ;) so I wasn't really sure how much actual food I'd get. I saw a Caffè Concerto between JL and the hotel and figured I should eat something 'just in case'. They wouldn't let me order lunch items until exactly noon so I ordered a glass of Prosecco and waited about 10 minutes til they could bring a lunch menu. Had a very nice caprese salad and tea then wandered back to the hotel -- no text message but had my fingers crossed. It was about 1PM and they said the room would be ready in5 mins . . which became 10 mine and eventually 15 mins. I dashed up to the room, quickly changed and ran back out - the area is a 10-15 minute walk from the hotel..

When I got there the security line was enormous - like TSA on a bad day. The signage wasn't very clear and I was unsure if I should join that queue or if there was another entrance for the Lounge. I found a staff member and showed them my Departure Lounge pass and he handed me off to another staffer who gave me a wrist band and lanyard and whisked me around several hundred people giving me the stink eye and to the front of the line, then escorted me to the Lounge . . . which was quite nice. Attendance is limited to 150 people and apparently evening performances sell out months in advance, but for matinees passes are often available within a week or two. There was generous seating, with banquettes, couches, cocktail tables etc and unlimited beer, several types of wine, champagne, and a few pre-mixed cocktails both passed by wait staf and from a bar. Same with charcuterie, cheeses, sliders, sausage rolls and lots and lots and lots of cakes, sweets, biscuits,. Easy to make a meal grazing the tables. Shared a corner banquette with about 8 others and everyone was having so much fun.

Then it was tine ti enter auditorium - photos are not allowed during the performance so this is the only picture I have


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What can I say -- this wasn't audio animatronics, it wasn't holograms, it wasn't some magic illusion . . . it was ABBA circa late 70's - the real people. At least that is what it looked and felt like. Real (human) back up band and singers accompanied the 'images', who were somehow able to actually move around the stage - and on the jumbo video screens ABBA looked for all the world like real people. The only thing I felt very slightly 'off' was something about Agnetha's face looked just a bit less 'real' than the others. But talk about a technological wonder - even if the music wasn't so much fun it would have been worth the price of admission. The only contemporary tape of them was their original EuroVision performance -- every other number was performed by the 'images'. The arena holds 3,000 and almost every seat has been filled since it opened early last summer. Some in the audience dressed in their best 70's disco gear, Platform shoes, and there were lots of spangles and sequins (but NOTHING like the Elton John Concert I attended in October) but most were just in every day 'civilian' clothes.

It was soooooo much fun. :)

Afterwards I walked back to Westfield and stopped in a mini mart for a sandwich and crisps in case I got peckish while packing.

Next: Sunday -- the Elizabeth Line to LHR -- a great idea - but better have a plan B. LHR Lounges and flying home.

So glad you had a fun trip, janis. Happy birthday!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, Hanukkah or whatever else you might celebrate.

Just some final loose ends.

The Hyatt Regency is very modern my room was very nice, and most important - the bed and linens were really comfortable. Though the hotel didn't have much 'Regency aura' and seemed more like a Hyatt Centric or Hyatt House. Hyatt Regency is considered 'upper-upscale' and a cut above Hyatts, Centrics, etc. I checked around 9:00 for my 12:35 flight out of LHR.

Seemed weird staying all the way out in Stratford the night before a flight but with an Elizabeth Line station within a few hundred yards of the hotel it would actually be as/more convenient as places near Tottenham Court Rd or in Mayfair. The journey takes 19 minutes to Paddington, a 6 minute transfer at Paddington, and then 30 mins from Paddington to LHR. So 55 minutes total which is exactly the same time it takes on the Piccadilly Line between Green Park station and T-3. OR -- that's the way it is supposed to work. When we arrived at Paddington and walked to the Heathrow train platforms . . . there was nothing/no staff/blank departure screens/nada. No one ever gave an update or explanation but no LHR trains came -- several arrived and left for Reading but none for the LHR route. Waited 45 minutes with the platform filling up with a lot of stressed looking travelers. I debated getting a cab (which would have cost BIG £££). I wasn't too worried (yet) because I'm flying Business and have expedited security. But was this close [ ] to bailing out and running for the taxi queue. Just then the screens went 'live' listing a train for Terminal 4 only in 2 minutes. Jeeze -- T-4 is a looooong way from T-5 where my BA plane is sitting. But I know that the tube is free between terminals so I was still OK-ish time-wise.

NOTE: While transit on the tube between LHR terminals is free, one still has to use either a contactless credit card or Oyster to enter/exit. You just won't be charged once the system sees you exited inside the LHR complex. Unfortunately my Oyster balance was just enough to get to LHR. It would have been fine if the regular route was running, but because I had to exit at T-4 there was no ££ left on the card and it was rejected when I tried enter the platform for T-5. An agent had to let me through. Lesson - don't cut things so close ;)

Even though I had not checked in on line, I still have plenty of time - used a kiosk, which spit out both the LAX and SMF boarding passes and I was through 'elite' security in less than 5 minutes ( the regular line was quite long). Even had time for a pastry, tea and champagne in the Lounge. T-5 has lounges at both ends of the enormous terminal and because they don't post departure gates until right before boarding begins - its always a crap shoot which Lounge to use. I flipped a coin (figuratively) and chose the north Lounge . . . wrong of course. My gate ended up all the way at the extreme south end - about a 15 minute walk.

Boarded and settled in to my 'suite' -- they were passing champagne and orange juice - because I'd just had 1.5 glasses on champs I opted for the juice. The first meal was really good -- better than on the flight from LAX. Bulgar and carrot salad. Then a REALL tasty starter of smoked salmon tartare with avocado and lemon pepper crème fraîche. For my main I chose the short ribs with peas, carrots and parsley potatoes. Finished with a cheese course -- 3 cheeses, bread, crackers, dried apricots and plum chutney.

For the 'light meal' before landing at LAX the menu was weird -- a Ploughman's lunch was listed as one of the starters?? Because it was a 'starter' I assumed it was small (teensy maybe) so I ordered that along with cottage pie as the main course. I wish the flight attendant had warned me . . . because the ploughman's was a regular full on pub-worthy ploughman's (ham, Scotch egg, cheddar, pickled onions, Branston pickle - the whole nine yards) and the two courses made for a huge amount of food -- should have asked I guess.

Flight was wholly un remarkable (except waaaaay too much food :) ) with almost no turbulence, responsive cabin crew, good selection of movies/TV. Nice flight.

The only bad part of my entire transatlantic itinerary that wasn't great was the 5.5 hours on the ground at LAX. Having Global entry etc -- the formalities took absolutely NO time at all. Not sure if it is at every port of entry -- but at least at LAX TBIT you don't even have to scan you passport in the GE kiosk nor answer the customs questions on the screen. The kiosk takes your photo and you are done -- 10 seconds total!!

Spent time in the One World Business Lounge in TBIT, then even more time in the AA Flagship Lounge in T-4, and finally about 45 minutes in the small Admirals Club in the Eagles Nest (the remote terminal that most AA SMF flights uses).

Boarded at 9:28 PM and walked in my front door at 11:05 . . .

Just a couple of flight pix:


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This is Yosemite Valley and Half Dome on my flight from SMF down ro LAX. Soooooo clear you could reach out and touch El Capitan.


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Salmon tartare on LHR > LAX flight -- I really DO love business class :)



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Yummy shortribs

Great report Janis, thank you.
It brought back memories of driving down from Suffolk, where I lived at the time, to London in the late 70s to see ABBA perform at Wembley. I confess that I didn't like them then (my boyfriend at the time was the fan) and I don't like them any more now. But I do recall how slick and professional the whole show was. I'm glad I went even though Pink Floyd and Led Zep were much more up my street!
Any plans to return to North Yorkshire? The Yorke Arms might not be a restaurant any more but Grantley Hall is very fabulous!
Luxury Hotels Yorkshire | Grantley Hall

OOH -- Grantley Hall does look scrumptious! I had seen a review in the Telegraph in one of their regular 'best hotels in yada yada' lists but hadn't paid that much attention.

I hope to visit Venice in either late spring or October for the biennale which would be my 'big' '23 trip.

But I do have a £130 London theater voucher (long story) which I have to use before November 5 so I'm thinking of a trip something like Edinburgh (or Glasgow or maybe Manchester) for a couple of days, York/N Yorkshire for 2 or 3 days, and London for 3-ish days -- all car-less other than any days I decide to stay in the Dales. Grantley Hall sure is enticing.

Some of the gowns from the Africa Fashion exhibition at the V&A:


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love your trips to London reports.
Happy belated birthday ,Janis.
I just read a story about Anni Frid and her being one of the Lebensborn -the scheme run by Himmler..Thye took their fight to the European Court of Hunan Rights. A sad story indeed.

Hi Northie

I hadn't known about the Lebensborn until maybe a couple of years ago but didn't realize Frida was one. What a sad story. Those who remained in Norway really had little chance in life.

key segue music ((8)) ((8)) ((8)) on a lighter note -- apparently Queen Camilla attended ABBA Voyage a couple of nights before Christmas and was seen groovin' in the aisle.