Wednesday May 28, 2025.
Following yesterday's walk with Keilyn, today was Erin's day. Not usually one for walking, Erin had set her heart on visiting the Victoria & Albert Museum, so off we set.
A taxi dropped us at Watford Metropolitan station, where, while we waited for our train we spotted a fox and a cub on the banks besides the tracks. Then a Robin flitted by us, carrying food for its babies, high up in the rafters of the station. Our train soon arrived and off we went, exiting at Baker Street, from where we caught we caught the Number 74 bus, towards Putney, alighting outside the Victoria & Albert Museum.
This was our first visit to this museum, so we wasted no time crossing the road and headed inside.
Entering through the Cromwell Road entrance we were both amazed at the domed reception area and, feeling a bit intimidated by the scale of the building, turned right, heading into the Medieval and Renaissance Gallery.
After this we headed to the Cast Courts, which were amazing.
From here we travelled through the Korea, Buddhism, Japan, China, Islamic Middle East and South Asia Rooms. Then we were off through South East Asia and the Raphael Cartoons and Porter Gallery.
Then it was upstairs to the Europe (1600-1815) Rooms, before meandering our way back down to the Sculpture Rooms and some of the smaller rooms. Unfortunately, the Fashion Gallery is closed, until Summer 2027, which was one of the rooms that Erin especially wanted to see.
Because of the size of the museum, I think we only got to see about two-thirds of it, before we had to leave, via the shop, as we were both in need of some food, promising to return to see the rest of this amazing place, some time soon.
On leaving the museum we headed towards the Natural History Museum, just to check out the newly landscaped gardens, with its new dinosaur skeleton, so that we could have a photo with it. Then we were off to catch a bus back towards Piccadilly.
London Transport buses are simple to use, as each bus stop, especially in the areas that I have visited, always have a diagram map showing what buses the stop serves and where they go. So, we caught a Number 14 bus, towards Russell Square, and alighted at the Old Park Lane/Hard Rock Cafe stop.
From here we headed north along Down Street, onto Stanhope Row, Derby Street and then South Audley Street. This was fortuitous, for me, as I was able to get a photo of the disused Down Street station.
On South Audley Street I pointed out a lamppost, on the corner of Audley Square, to Erin. It looks like any ordinary lamppost, but it has a secret that goes to the 1950s. This lamppost was used as a 'Dead Letter Drop', by Soviet spies right up until the 1980s. Ironically, next door, at number 3, Albert 'Cubby' Broccoli and Harry Saltzman were in their offices, working on the first James Bond film, 'Dr No', oblivious to the goings on outside their window.
South Audley Street brought us to Grosvenor Gardens, where the old Embassy of the United States is gradually being changed into a hotel. North Audley Street was next, leading us to Orchard Street, Portman Square and then Baker Street. It was here that we stopped for some lunch. Erin decided on 'KFC', instead of her usual 'Wok to Walk' craving.
Full of energy, once again, we crossed Marylebone Road and headed for the letter box that has the 'Danger Mouse' blue plaque affixed to it, before visiting 'Baskin Robbins', where ice cream was purchased. We ate this while wandering around The Regent's Park, where herons, geese and their goslings, ducks and parakeets could be seen, or heard in the case of the parakeets.
After a good walk we headed back to Baker Street station, narrowly missing our train, so we bought some snacks while we waited for the next train. This, however, was boring. So, we jumped on a semi-fast Amersham train and alighted at Moor Park, where we didn't have to wait too long for a Watford train.
It was a great day out, and Erin really enjoyed herself. We saw some interesting things, discovered new places and had a lovely walk together.
Distance travelled:
- Bus - 3.8 miles
- Cable Car - 0.0 miles
- Car - 0.0 miles
- DLR - 0.0 miles
- Ferry - 0.0 miles
- Overground - 0.0 miles
- River Boat - 0.0 miles
- Taxi - 0.7 miles
- Train - 0.0 miles
- Underground - 35 miles
- Walking - 3.8 miles
No comments:
Post a Comment