London and the Shropshire-Union Canal

Yesterday, on Thursday, June 30, we had breakfast with Wendy, Don, William and Kaitlyn and then the four of us walked to the Underground station in East Finchley to head into the heart of London.  We had decided to spend all our time outside (rather than go inside museums) since the weather was mild and, miraculously, it was not raining.  It was not a sunny day by any stretch of the imagination, although there were occasional patches of blue sky early in the day.  We got off at the Charing Cross station and went first to Trafalgar Square, where Katya made friends with the lion statues guarding Nelson's Column.  

Katya and a friendly lion in Trafalgar Square

We then started to walk to St. James Park but noticed royal guards on horseback in a large open space just to the left of the Admiralry Arch and the Police Memorial, so we walked that way.  It was serendipitous!  There was not a large crowd, and we were able to get very close to the horses and their riders.  We stayed and watched the changing of the guard, which was quite impressive.

Queen's Life Guard

Katya and Matthew with one of the Queen's Life Guards

After that we walked out to the Thames waterfront from where we had a great view of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, which chimed out the noon hour as we watched.  

Big Ben

We then wandered around the City of Westminster and passed by the enormous Westminster Abbey, finally arriving back at an entrance to St. James' Park.  The rest of the day we spent walking around that park and then through Green Park, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.  

In St. James' Park, there were a lot of birds, some descendents of gifts to royalty, others just regular ducks, geese, coots, moorhens and swans.  

Egyptian goose

heron in St. James' Park

At the western end of the lake in St. James' Park is Buckingham Palace, surrounded by a tall black fence decorated with gold.  The guards in there oversized beaver fur hats marched stiff-legged to and fro and then stationed themselves in front of their guard houses.  (Do they escape into these when it rains?)  

Gate to Buckingham Palace

Passing through Wellington Arch and by the statue of the Duke of Wellington, we stopped for lunch at a cafe at the entrance to Hyde Park (Katya keeps insisting we find a Subway!).  We then enjoyed the vast array of colorful flowers in the formal gardens in the southeast section of the park.  The view at every turn demanded a photo.  As we passed out of this garden, we heard loud bird calls and discovered a population of green parrots, carefully camouflaged in the leafy green trees.  

poppies in Hyde Park

Katya photographing flowers in Hyde Park

Formal garden in Hyde Park

Swans, geese and ducks, along with their young, dominated the shore of the Serpentine, sometimes blocking human pedestrian traffic.

Stretching swan and a coot

Swans, geese, ducks and a seagull in the Serpentine

Crossing over into Kensington Gardens, we came across a series of four temporary architectural installations of 25 sq. meter summerhouses, commissioned by the Serpentine Gallery.  The first was constructed in front of the Serpentine Gallery and the others were arrayed around Queen Caroline's Temple.  

Peter, Matthew and Katya in one of the summerhouse installations

We then took circuitous paths, stopping to admire the Physical Energy Statue, the Italian Gardens and the statue of Peter Pan featuring squirrels, mice, birds, rabbits and fairies.  It was donated by the author J. M. Barrie and erected in 1912 by the Long Water.  

Italian Gardens in Kensington Park

Matthew beside the statue of Peter Pan

We finished our tour of parks at the northeast corner of Hyde Park, hoping to hear someone orating at the designated Speaker's Corner.  To Matthew's disappointment, no one was there.  So, we admired the Marble Arch, which was originally designed as an entrance to Buckingham Palace and now stands at a former Roman crossroads.

Marble Arch

With tired feet and weary bodies (But at least we weren't cold!), we rode the Underground back to East Finchley.  Our luck had run out in terms of weather.  Drops started to fall as we walked from the subway station to the house, where we collapsed on beds and couches.  Peter and I watched a Wimbledon match (Bouchard vs. Konta) as we relaxed.  

After Don returned from work and had a cup of tea, Don, Wendy and the four of us had a pleasant walk to nearby Muswell Hill, where we had half-pints of cider in a pub as we awaited a table at Franco Manca.  This restaurant is part of a growing London chain that is partially owned by one of Wendy's brothers, David.  It is a comfortable, well-designed and well-managed eatery with great pizza.  As we walked back to the house, with our bellies full, the English rain began to fall again, so we were a bit damp upon our return.

Peter, Katya, Wendy, Sherri, Matthew and Don

This morning, Peter and I repacked our suitcases, leaving out items such as swimsuits and summer clothes, and left the kids in London on their own for a week and headed off for the West Midlands.  In the small town of Market Drayton in Shropshire, we met up with our friends from San Francisco, Paula and Andrew, who are spending four months living on a canal boat in Britain.  (They are also a bit tired of the rain, which seems to have been above average for June.)  We will be living aboard with them for a week while Katya and Matthew entertain themselves in London.

We are travelling on the Shropshire Union Canal.  Sunshine and rain took turns as we motored slowly through the countryside, past fields with cows and sheep and through sylvan tunnels of foliage.  Peter and I learned how to operate the locks as we passed through a series of five, the Adderly Locks, before mooring in a quiet place just as heavy but brief rain began to fall. 

Andrew steering Pegotty along the canal in Market Drayton

The bow of Pegotty entering a lock 

Andrew and Peter operating a lock

The sun is beginning its slow descent to the horizon as birds sing in the trees where yellow rays illuminate the verdant green growth surrounding us.  It's time for bed on the boat.