Boog's Blog

Regents Canal, an arm of the Grand Central Canal

Points of interest on the Canal:



First, a bite at Gail’s

Started the walk at hotel, then to Merchant Square and onward.

QB rest day: maybe with some shopping. Boys to the British Museum.

We didn’t see any Easter hats in London

museum was very crowded. This doesn’t show it enough.

Due to reading Michener’s “Source” thought I would look into this as he covers this in fictional form.

The Siege of Lachish was a major military event in 701 BCE during the reign of the Neo-Assyrian King Sennacherib. The Assyrian army besieged and conquered the heavily fortified city of Lachish, which was the second most important city in the Kingdom of Judah, after Jerusalem. ..Gemini

Also covered in the bible.

The relief shows the slaves being taken into captivity.

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:

• Get to a private doctor. John Bell,a pharmacy, called the pictured private doctor who accepted a cvs image of the Rx on the phone.
• This doctor said she would have accepted an email from our usa doctor. Hence the picture as it has the email.

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.