Fair is foul and Foul is fair

Well, maybe not so fair for the last couple of days with rain and wind to chill to the bone.  Nonetheless, we have done a number of things although they have been mostly indoors.  Yesterday we went to the National Portrait Gallery (Virginia wanted to see the portrait of the Duchess of Cambridge and Bruce wanted to see the portrait of Fredrick Gustavus Burnaby).  Her luck was better than his. The Duchess was exhibited but Fred seems to have been packed away.  Ah, such is life!

We walked next door to the National Gallery where we had a pleasant lunch and then spent some time looking at their collection of impressionists.  That sounds easier than it was.  Yesterday was St Patrick's day and there was a big show on in Trafalgar Square.  Just getting to and from the galleries was no small effort.  But we succeeded.  After all "nor rain, nor snow, nor St Patrick's day crowds shall keep the intrepid travellers from their appointed rounds." Then it was back to the hotel until dinner when we went to a local (rather sleazy) pub where we shared the big meat platter.  It should be named the Coronary Delight with gammon steak, rump steak, chicken breast, sausages, egg, fried tomato, chips and fried onions.  After that we knew we would be eating much more sensibly for the remainder of our stay in London. Although the platter seemed to have everything, the real reason for ordering it was the Gammon Steak which Virginia constantly recalls with great fondness and reminds one that there is nothing quite like that particular cut in Australia. 

Today we took off in different directions.  Virginia hit the shops, going to Hamleys, the famous toy store on Regents Street and from there to Harrods and Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge.

One of the worlds great toy stores

 Bruce went to the Royal Academy to see the exhibition of paintings by the American artist, George Bellows, probably best known for his painting, Stag at Sharkeys.

The Royal Academy

In the afternoon (and still in the rain) we walked to the statue of Peter Pan in Hyde Park. We are happy to report that he has still not grown up. 

Peter Pan in Hyde Park

Detail from the Base of Statue

The walk to the statue took us past the Italian Gardens which we have seen in their glorious spring flowers in the past.  This year the Gardens were bleak with only the occasional crocus or daffodil sticking a head up to see if spring had arrived.  Had they asked us, we could have told them that it definitely has not!

The Italian Gardens

A much smaller and more sensible meal concluded a day in which we attempted to assuage our food guilt by walking much further than usual.