Got up at 7.30. Jenny ill during the night. Did not sleep well Blue skies with Jet streams. Blood Pressure 99/68 Pulse 95. Today we went to Chiswick House in Chiswick. We went to Hammersmith on the Hammersmith and City Line and then took the bus. We had a slight mishap in that we got on the right numbered bus but were going the wrong way. The driver generously gave us a free ride ticket and we went to the other side of the road and got on the right bus and went the correct way. Before we went into Chiswick House we first went to the Chiswick Town Market. I had some Moroccan meat concoction. Very bland. I must say I am disappointed at the standard of street food that I have sampled in London. We did get talking to a couple - he's from Ireland - she's from Mauritius - over lunch. But the thing that was interesting was - he came to London at the same time I did and he has never left. He loves London. And he lived in Earls Court when I did. They live in Chiswick. He works at Heathrow. What a place to work. I told him how lucky he was. He says no Australians live in Chiswick now. 45 years ago Chiswick was the preferred choice of Australians. Chiswick House is unusual. Lord Burlington went on a European tour when he was 20 (as you do) and fell in love with Italy. He had 120 crates of artworks shipped back and when he came home he determined to build an Italianate House to rival anything in Italy. He did. The bloke must have had unlimited cash. Where did he get it from? Its never said. The House can only be describes as Italianate. Maybe Roman. Lots of columns. Lots of statues. Lots of concrete. A very Italian looking garden. Set in 65 acres. All remodeled to include hothouses, lakes, cypress hedges etc. Money was no object. Some paintings inside the house. None of them any good. As usual with these people he had more money than taste. But he loved the house. In his time Chiswick was a fair way out of London. He also had a house in Piccadilly but he preferred to live in Chiswick. He loved it. We can forgive him. Very extensive grounds - warm day - lots of people taking advantage of the grounds. Lot's of Italians looking at the house and grounds. To be precise the great majority of people looking were Italian - all very excited. Maybe the House is famous in Italy. Italians like all Europeans love London. And I mean Love London. And why not. But will they still come when Britain exits the EEU. I saw a woman asking why she did not get her change in Euro's at the cafe. The waiter explained she could pay in Euro's but he would have to give her change in sterling. I'm not sure she understood. No doubt his bosses would have made a killing in the exchange rate. We took the bus back to Hammersmith and then The District Line to East Putney to look at where James stayed when he was in London. A very nice place. Very handy. I could easily live there. Nice surroundings. I knocked on the door but no one was home. We took photo's. A diversion in Putneys Library which was open on a long weekend. Lots of students studying hard. Some hard nosed Library lovers. One old woman could hardly walk but was determined to read The Daily Telegraph. I have to say they have better books than Benalla. Many more new and up to date books than Benalla. A wider range as well. More and better books on popular culture. We then caught the bus back to Piccadilly Circus. An interesting journey along a road I used to jog along 2 or 3 times a week. Of course I cannot remember a thing about it. There are lots more shops. More people. The road goes back through near Earls Court. After that meanders through various interesting places that are now familiar to us. Hyde Park. Green Park corner. Knightsbridge. Chelsea. And so to Piccadilly Circus. The centre of London. Except there is no centre. On the way we had a first. The driver accidentally strayed off his route and had to turn around. Try turning around on a Double Decker bus in London's narrow streets. But he did it. So to home. Our last day in London. Tomorrow we leave. Blood Pressure 156/80 Pulse 81.
1 Comment
Liz O'Byrne
2/5/2016 07:20:19
Travel well on your way home. I've enjoyed your blog. Thanks. Liz
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