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The sun was shining brightly on our final day in London….although the high latitude of London means the sun starts low and ends low…resulting in dramatic lighting all through the short day. Jeff and I started the day at the Victoria and Albert Museum with a temporary exhibit that Jeff had been hoping to see…Magnificence of the Tsars. Dozens of outfits from the Russian Imperial Court… mostly ceremonial… all lushiously tailored. Even a couple of pairs of imperial underwear. Afterwards, we wandered through a few of the numerous permanent collections, including a famous collection of plaster replicas of art wonders from around the world…assembled to bring the world to London's residents.

After a mid-morning latte, met up with Chris and Sherie to walk down Bond Street. Destination…Smythson… the renowned stationery store and purveyor to the royal household. A historical stationery display showed letterhead of royalty and famous politicians.

Next stop was the historic Aspley House…home to generations of the Dukes of Wellington. This stately house sits right off of Hyde Park, and holds an impressive art collection acquired by the 1st Duke of Wellingtion, Arthur Wellesley, famous for his defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo. Many items in the home were gifts from grateful monarchs and spoils of war. One strange item of note was a giant Canova statue of a nude Napoleon wearing only a fig leaf in the circular stair hall. Oddly enough, the statue was a present from a grateful Britain to it's illustrious general.

Took a walk along Green Park…quickly past a loud mob protesting the Israeli actions in Gaza…on to a couple of tacky souvenier shops on Piccadilly. A quick snack of sushi and noodles. Jeff and I took a short walk to St. James Palace before heading out for the evening.

Our evening event was the musical Billy Elliot at the charming Victoria Palace Theatre. A classic three-tier theatre with bright red velvet seats and gold-painted wood ornamentation. The musical based on the award-winning book and movie… lively and moving… we all enjoyed it immensely. The teenager who played Billy was wonderful.

Dinner in Soho at Bertorelli. We all savored pizzas, wine, and yummy mojitos for our last dinner in London.
After wishing Jeff's sister Lisa a happy birthday and instantly getting a picture of her traditional banana split cake, we settled down to our last night of slumber in London before our flight home tomorrow.

Took an early morning stroll through nearby Berkley Square Park, bordered by beautiful row houses. Gray skies showed the promise of breaking sometime during the day. Breakfast at Starbucks…a grande latte cuts right through the cold morning.

A short taxi ride to majestic St. Paul's Cathedral. Christopher Wren's masterpiece is bright and (somehwhat) cheery…in contrast with many of the grand Catholic cathedrals we have visited…those tend to reflect a more weighty, somber elegance. Snuck in a couple of forbidden photos of the ornate interior, before descending into the stuffy crypt…home to many famous remains including Florence Nightengale and Admiral Lord Nelson. Climbed winding stairs up into Wren's famous dome. First to the interior Whispering Gallery high above the cathedral floor. Then up tiny confining stairs to the exterior Stone Gallery, with 360 views of London.

Returned to Earth and crossed the Thames on the modern Millennium Bridge…its gleaming metal shone as the clouds began to break for dusk. (FYI sunset is quite early this time of year…today it was at 3:52.)

Directly opposite of St. Paul's was our next destination…the Tate Modern museum. An imposing, brick former power plant…reclaimed to house a world-famous collection of modern art. The building was packed with art-lovers…and we headed to the glass-enclosed top floor to eat lunch. As we waited for our table, the clouds parted and St. Pauls lit up brilliantly against the gray skies behind. An inspiring postcard. Lunch with floor-to-ceiling views of the Thames. Four blackcurrant iced teas. Four big fish and chips. Four huge satisfied smiles.

Bought tickets to see a special Rothko exhibit, covering some of his late works. Crowded rooms for admiring huge canvases…orange on red…black on black…grey on brown. Striking similarity from afar, but mesmerizing variations up close.

Took a long walk back to the hotel along the south bank of the Thames. Lights from buldings and boats twinkled on the gently rippling river.
Walked beneath the towering London Eye, lit up in white and blue. A nearby carrousel twirled as well…but in rich red and gold. Crossed the Thames beneath the tower of Westminster and iconic Big Ben.

Took a winding walk through St. James Park, which lead to Buckingham Palace. The park's serpentine path was bordered with old trees, lit from below. A long, central lake housed ghostly-lit waterfoul floating for the evening. Another glimpse of Buckingham Palace before crossing through Green Park to our hotel.

Dinner at the Club Bar and Restarant in Soho. Drinks after in the pulsing simply named Soho Bar.

Tired feet from a long day. Fell asleep watching a documentary on Harrod's. My favorite factoid, was that writer A.A.Milne bought a bear at Harrod's for his son Christopher Robin which became the inspiration for Winnie the Pooh.

Oh Pooh. That makes me smile.

Slept in this morning to begin the new year fresh. Awoke to the sounds of a marching band below our window…part of London's loud and colorful New Year's Parade. Brunch in the hotel and then out into the parade crouds. Seemed like all of the marching bands and cheering squads were from the USA.

Retraced our walk from last night…through Green Park to Buckingham Palace. With temperatures in the mid 30s, the iconic palace guards were dressed in warm grey overcoats. Visited the Queen's Gallery bookstore…Sherie picked out postcards of. Prince Harry…grrrrrrrrr. 🙂 Jeff found a cool book on royal hounds. I picked out a cute Christmas ornament for next year's tree.

Took a leisurely walk around the walls of the Palace Mews and along the edges of Hyde Park to Knightsbridge…with noisy streets filled with sale shoppers. Visited both Harvey Nichols and Harrods…both teeming with bargain hunters. We left with bottled water.

After dark, entered Hyde Park and its festive Winter Wonderland canival. Bright flashing lights, pulsing colors, and screaming children. We opted for the towering ferris wheel, glistening with white and blue lights. Our first glance of London's iconic skyline…Big Ben, Westminster, and the London Eye were lit up against the night sky.

Took the Tube back to our hotel to freshen and plan a late dinner (a stunning 4£ ride each). Ate wonderful dim sum in SoHo at Ping Pong. My vanilla lemon vodka drink was totally yummy. All of the food hit the spot…a spicy chicken dumpling was my personal favorite.

Walked back to the hotel through holiday-lit streets and the flashing lights of Piccadilly Circus.

We began our New Year's trip to London where all good trips begin…in the international Red Carpet lounge. Little nibbles and sparkling wine soothed pre-flight stress. Chris handed out Airborne.

Jeff and I snagged seats 12 H/J. A poor movie choice sucked us in…Fred Claus…a weak moment of post-Christmas blues. But wine, dinner, dessert, and Bailey's sent us right through the no-laugh movie and into dreamland.

Awoke as we entered UK airspace. Bright sun glistening off Northern Ireland's lakes mixed with low, misty clouds. Landed at London Heathrow…Terminal 1. On through passport control.

Met Sherie in the terminal, fresh from her flight from LA. An easy 25min hop on the Heathrow Express train to London's Paddington Station. Then a quick cab ride through central London to the hip May Fair hotel…in Mayfair.

While Chris and Sherie napped, Jeff and I took a brisk walk through nearby Green Park to see Buckingham Palace at night. A shimmering Christmas tree front and center. We also spotted the towering London Eye, glowing with purples and blues. Back across Green Park. Popped into the Ritz…the friendly bellman politely reminded us that the area past the lobby was dinner jacket only. Still the tree and lights in the lobby were beautiful.

Strolled through local Mayfair, including a walk down the famous Bond Street shopping area. A final glimpse of Christmas glitter.

Returned to the hotel to shower and dress for New Years Eve on the town.

Reservations at a hip little restaurant called Avenue. On the walk over, Jeff was accosted by a beggar who called him a 'wanker'…even the homeless are funny in England :). Festive decor…orange and white ballons packed the ceiling. A jazz quartet and sultry singer entertained. Colorful cocktails. A yummy pre fixe menu full of creative dishes.

We rang in the New Year with big glasses of champagne, silver streamers, and bottle poppers. Finished up the dinner with scrumptuous desserts…apple toffee sundaes were the favorite. Oh and Chris tried to light Jeff on fire with a flaming streamer.

Walked back to the May Fair with throngs of revelers. Concluded our day with after dinner drinks as the happening May Fair Bar.

Happy New Year! 🙂

Well, I’m kind of ending 2008 in the same fashion in which I spent it…taking pictures without posting them 🙂 I had purposefully left a little time this afternoon to post some photos from Christmas: my wonderful family visit in St. Michaels, our relaxing Christmas morning in San Francisco, amazing Christmas meals, singing and dancing. General jolliness.

Ah but no…I left those photos at home today.

So, I pledge to be a better blogger in the 2009. To bring my A Game to every post. To let life’s trivialities flavor my ramblings.

But for now, I wish everyone an early Happy New Year. The next few posts will (hopefully) zip across the Atlantic with a distinctive British flair…as we celebrate the new year in London with our dear friends Chris and Sherie.