Kew Gardens. Early, for us, start. Took the Tube.
A few green and purple asparagus shots. Really few- almost too few to mention. Some spring onions and some varieties of garlic.
Café has gone downhill. Used to have a great selection of baked goods, but no longer. Did not even take a pic.
Easter dinner at Bobbikins’.
Saturday. The important laundry doing finished last night.
Breakfast at Bobbikins.
Walked over to V&A. Wanted to see the Cartier exhibit. Sold out for June so no. 
Muru’s malay dinner for me.
Zubin birthday dinner. Bach
The pan raison is equal to France may be better, at least to my taste 
Royal Academy for afternoon tea. Birth of modernism of less interest. So, we just had tea.
One of the items at this one star Michelin restaurant for Zubin‘s birthday party. I really lovely get together that we were invited to two Peters Chris, Bobbikins, Zubin and us. Spirited and lovely conversation with one fine magic magic trick. Peter had some good tricks to show as he is a very accomplished sleight-of-hand magician.
Friday: st Martins Passion
first: double wedding
Muru f found some cardboard in the hallway and transformed it.
Bobbikins with his fish creation, a more edible one.
Dinner at Bobbikins club.
St Martin
Wallace collection special exhibit: Grayson Perry: Delusions of Grandeur
Gambian singer: Sona Jobarteh & Philharmonia- Very special commissioned concert
First, breakfast at the Wallace. One of our fav museums. Small and pieces we don’t you’re of.
we had to leave The Wallace restaurant because they were not serving breakfast so we went over to Paul’s where they were not serving breakfast. Fine success so far. Ham sandwiches were acquired.
“Shirley Smith” is not a real historical artist or a Wallace heiress.
Shirley Smith is a fictional artist created by the contemporary British artist Grayson Perry as part of his exhibition “Grayson Perry: Delusions of Grandeur” at the Wallace Collection in London. The exhibition runs from March 28 to October 26, 2025.
In Perry’s fictional narrative, Shirley Smith is a woman who experiences a mental health crisis and wakes up in the Wallace Collection believing she is the rightful heir to its treasures, imagining herself as the Honorable Millicent Wallace.
Through the persona of Shirley Smith, Grayson Perry has created over 40 new works in various media, including ceramics, tapestries, furniture, and works on paper. These pieces are displayed alongside masterpieces from the Wallace Collection that inspired them. The exhibition explores themes of home, identity, gender, perfectionism, and the transformative nature of art, all through the imagined perspective of Shirley Smith.
Therefore, when you encounter the name “Shirley Smith” in the context of art and the Wallace Collection, it is referring to this fictional artist created by Grayson Perry for his current exhibition.
One reason we come to the Wallace collection is to see the Canalettos
This venue holds up to 1500 depending on how it’s configured sometimes it’s configured as a dinner place sometimes as a cabaret, etc., Circus or theater
The concert
https://www.roundhouse.org.uk/whats-on/sona-jobarteh-philharmonia/
Western classical and African musical traditions come together in a programme where music by Bach, Elgar and Vivaldi meets compositions for the kora – a West African stringed instrument.
The Philharmonia is joined by Gambian kora virtuoso Sona Jobarteh for an extraordinary one-off concert which will chart the musical journey of her life from the Western classical repertoire to a special guest appearance from her father and kora teacher Sanjally Jobarteh. Closing this captivating collaboration between the Philharmonia Orchestra and Sona Jobarteh is the world premiere of Na Baluwo, an orchestral composition in which she explores her deep connection to her Mandeng heritage, uniquely bridging between the African and the Western world, as well as incorporating themes from some of her most popular stage songs.
Programme
Bach – Brandenburg Concerto No.3
Tunde Jegede – Still Moment (solo kora)
Elgar – Sospiri
Vivaldi (arranged Coult) – La Follia
Sanjally Jobarteh – Miniang Ba (solo kora)
Tunde Jegede – Overture – Hopes on the Horizon
-interval-
Tallis tonight.
Post breakfast walk Stopped for coffee at Italian place. Their version, not so much.
After some shopping, nap, tea with Bobbikins- he brought homemade bread made from pizza dough and homemade orange marmalad: quite good. Then we were ready for evening walk to st Marin.
we intended to have dinner at the crypt in Saint Martin. Nope. closed for some transition from outdoor to indoor will be open on Friday when we come back yes maybe unless it’s sold out for an exhibition for an event. Thank you very much. 
greatly out of practice with pub food. Did not realize everything would be breaded. Duh. Samuel Smith, bitter pretty good. that said we could not finish a pint between us. Pathetic.
Very popular. We got tickets in March and could only get restricted seating.
Fab voices as to be expected. But…even better.
walking back, we passed the windows of Fortnum and Mason
Expand for better view.
Monday 14th. Cooler but not cold.
But first a bit from yesterday. Good reminder for us and advice for others visiting the UK.
Some needed medicine was left unpacked. The process to get an emergency supply is:
Back to today
National portrait gallery after breakfast.
Sharon, not a fan of portraits, joined and dutifully when through the exhibit. I enjoyed it as did Bobbikins.
if you review the work of munch on various places, such as Wikipedia, you will see that his portraits are remarkably happy compared to the rest of his work. 
Some famous persons with decent portraits outside of the exhibit.
Now outside the exhibit
Off to the Bobbikins club. Food excellent and inexpensive. Hopefully we will return.
Regent street for shopping. Drone Impressive collection with, hold on, AI.
A fav eatery of Bobbikins.
Dinner: Tom yum soup, Muru style, made for me. Noodles and pork curry. Hard to do the latter for a Hindu
A remarkably good night sleep, didn’t get up until afternoon. Certainly escaped jet lag this time so far.
Lovely wandering day and what was left of it before smcg phone call tonight
Pizza and crudities ala bobbikins.
Sunday, another late sleep and a 10 degree drop in temp. Wandering s usual. Nice japanese dinner.
Tomorrow Munch exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery.
A long trip with return to Cali not until after Thanksgiving except for a couple of eeeks in July.
Easy flight very little turbulence and very fast getting through immigration except it took 15 minutes to get there maybe 20 minutes.
I don’t know what the hell they did to this airport but we’re at least 30 minutes after getting through immigration and still trying to get to Heathrow express one area after another miles and miles insane I don’t know what the hell they did here
Bobbikins said “Terminal 3 is an exercise program not a plane terminal”
Spa was 37 degrees. Ugh.
Dinner with Dee,UK Dee, and Bobbikins
Restaurant was in walking distance.
Day started off with a wonderful breakfast and a big apology and comment from the management. So what happened?
Well, the service last night was terrible. The food quality was outstanding; so after dinner, I politely went over to the manager and explained both points. And that this would not be up to their standards and that I usually talk to managers when service is both good and bad. we had the usual good conversations and the usual amount of apologies.
this morning after I finishrd breakfast and Neil had left the general manager came over again to apologize and discuss training and then said they compped last night‘s dinner except for the alcohol
Lodi Art walk: section of New Delhi with painted murals.
Wallart in Lodi with signs both date and artist. notice that a number of them have signage not all took pictures with signage where possible.
Took Uber over to national Gallery asked for directions in the museum. Ran into guide and he said join my guided tour so we did.
it is a Shiva birthday holiday today, but he was forced to work got into an argument with people who wanted it to be done in Hindi and he explained he was brought in to do it in English. He moved rapidly through 15 galleries walked fast, but gave good explanations had a few pieces in each gallery. It actually worked out quite well. Both Neil and I were pleased. We got to see virtually the whole wing.
Had a discussion with the restaurant manager. Usual questions. What do you think of America? What do you think of modi? Once again, virtually zero knowledge of America and virtually no interest in America except she likes the people thinks they’re open, needs some regularly in the hotel, etc. Once again, not finding any views of America unlike previous trips. I could solicit political views. But, those would be solicited.
Modi is plateauing. He was good for the growth. Now she’s not so sure. Avoided topics of nationalism. Gave a very nuanced view of Mahatma Gandhi Did not seem pleased with his womanizing Even though she recognized it was consensual
breakfast table – it really is excessive. Multiple multiple cuisines.
Due to some miscommunication between the driver in Delhi we will not have a driver today. Works out well. Neil and I will take a taxi over to a museum and then …
New Delhi is extremely easy to get around on foot, a little big, but not too big for walking wide lanes laid out the way the British would’ve loved to lay out any big city. They only got to enjoy it for a few years before they had to leave.
Another beautiful day. We have had phenomenal weather; or so the locals tell us. air quality has been poor but not disastrous.
the national museum of modern art. Large facility. Lots of space, annoyingly no photographs allowed inside. Could not find a catalog either. Quite a good collection however.
Another oddity of the museum is that while each piece of work was labeled by the artist name, neither title nor explanation nor date of the work was given. The collection was curated by periods and location in which case we could figure out many of them but it sure would have helped to have some dating.
As much art is representational of something that we tend to be familiar with in the west. Not so much here. Was this an attack on the British, or was it Krishna and the ramayana story or both?
Could see the effects of impressionism here again. What was the date.
guides have repeatedly told the story not in a pleasant way. 
Leaving we took a stroll that turned out to be a long walk over to the gate of India and then to the parliament. About 4 MI on my watch
The heat was getting to us so Neil called an Uber. 170 rupees,$2, for about a 20 minute or so ride back to the hotel. Could have taken the bus for 20 rupee.
Neil went off to watch cricket on the tube. I decided to have some coffee in the room and take a nap.
Dinner lamb in the middle
very fine restaurant, but very uneven service to the point that I didn’t get the water I ordered with the sparkling water. Spoke to the manager afterwards explained they need to run a better restaurant, I did it quite politely, profuse apologies. Poor Manager, even did not even offer me a free glass of wine, which I would not have taken.
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