May 3rd- London to Dublin

One last run in Battersea Park, dry the last of our clothes, eat the last of our food. Back to the Mason Arms for one more lunch and then it's off to Heathrow and Dublin. Funny how in just a few days a city like London can start to become comfortable. Just enought time to get a general sense of what it's about, enough to wish we could come back often and explore more thoroughly.

Quite a flog to get to our flight, but we knew it woud be. Only 1 hour+ a bit to get to Dublin. A much smaller airport, more casual security. We get a cute little Mercedes for our car and decide that perhaps its best after all for Lee to be the only driver which save us 20 euros a day, and both our nerves. I can drive on the left from our years in Hong Kong, but the thought fills me with anxiety. I make a much better navigator than driver.

We have a gps, plug in the address of our b&b, and an easy 30 minute drive later there we are at Ariel House. Its outside the little town of Ballsbridge right outside Dublin City. Dublin is much smaller and more compact than London. By the time we check in its almost 8, so we walk the 5 minutes to the town center and eat at a little French place, French Paradox, where they squeeze us in at the bar even though we don't have a reservation. Flights of wine, I especially like the white, a Spanish allbino, and a light red Cabernet. Duck terrine, leek soup. One of the best restaurants we've eaten at this trip!

April 30th London

Sun! We head to Westminster abbey first. My oh my, I feel like my Art History class from freshman year just came to life right before my eyes. We take the free audio tour and wander through the naves, niches, graves and memorials that fill the interior of the abbey. The Abbey is of course in a very touristy area of London. most of the time things like this don't bother me, after all, I AM a tourist! But when it comes to finding good stuff to eat I am more particular. We decide we have to try fish and chips at least once on this vacation. UGH! Well at least we got that out of the way. Walk through St.. James park to Buckingham Palace, with the Christopher Robin poem repeating itself in my head.

"They're changing the guard at Buckingham Palace
Christopher Robin went down with Alice
Alice is marrying one of the guards,
A soldier's life is terribly hard,
Says Alice."

We can't find the historic 15h bus, and after wandering all around the Abbey we finally decide that the guidebk lied. Back to apt, then early seafood dinner at J. Shecky's, another excellent meal. Then its time to see some London Theatre. We have opted for One Man Two Govnurs, a slapstick piece of British humor based on comedia del arte, and although this sort of humor is not really my cup of tea, haha, I end up laughing in spite of myself, and not always at the same time as the rest of the audience. I'm glad our English friends suggested it cause we would have never seen it otherwise, and now that it's been nominated for something like 9 Tonies I can say I saw it when, I suppose!

April 29th London

Jet lag means we don't go to bed until 2 and sleep til 8, 10:30 for Lee. I go for a run in Battersea park with families and dogs, never mind the rain. Because of the weather we decide this is a museum day, but first we walk out on Queenstown Road to the Mason Arms for lunch. In this cosy pub we have wine, beer and a Yummy veggie plate. Then we buy an Oyster card so we can start taking the buses and the tube the way the locals do. The tube is super easy to figure out, the buses more mysterious, so we mainly stick to the ones on Queenstown that get us from the tube back to our apartment.

First we take the tube to South Kensington and then walk to the Natural history museum where we look at lots of rocks, then stuffed birds and some fab dinosaur skeletons. Then we cross the street for a quick stroll thru the Victoria and Albert museum with its fashions, furniture and carved fireplaces but the weather starts to clear so we decide to go walking through Hyde Park instead admiring the strange birds and watch people feeding squirrels. I can't decide if Harper would be delighted or appalled. Personally I'm a little disgusted. They're just squirrels after all. After our walk we're ready to find a cafe. Its teatime! We split a scone with clotted cream and jam, and a lemon tart. We have coffee instead of tea, however. Then it's back to the apartment for awhile. We've booked a wonderful French restaurant for dinner, off of Slone Square. Le Poulet et pot? Charming, with dark wood, dripping candles, and the food is Very Good.