Autumn holiday Part 2 - London

 We had flights booked to Vienna, so we decided to head across to London and have a few days there before we were due to fly. I know its a cliché to say this, but I love London, there is so much to see and do there, you could spend a lifetime there and still not see and do everything!

The first thing we did is visit the infamous Banqueting House. I say infamous, because it was the site of Charles the 1st's execution, he reportedly stepped through a window on the first floor and onto the scaffolding to be beheaded in front of it. The building is a survivor itself, a colossal fire in 1698 burned the entire palace to the ground, save the Banqueting house and some of the Gates. It is therefore our only link with the previous Whitehall palace. 

The building itself is sumptuous, its the only words I can use to describe it, with a stunning Ruben's painting in the centre of the ceiling, which was painted in the Netherlands in sections then shipped across to London.

The building has this curious feeling of being very expansive, yet very intimate. The light streams through the windows, and you feel very welcomed there, despite its size. Well worth a visit if you're in the area. The only caveat is that its currently closed for restoration & conservation work, and will reopen in 2025. Keep an eye out for updates on thier website at www.hrp.org.uk/banqueting-house

We had a lovely walk through the park, passing through the wonderful archway (why don't we build more beautiful arches anymore? I feel like our lives would all be greatly improved with a few more triumphant arches in our communities)

We were headed over to Wembley arena, for my first ever American Football match. James is a big fan, and tried to get to see a game when they come over. I was very non-plussed by the experience. I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of sports, but this was very confusing. American Football seems to be like a watered down version of Rugby, although there seemed to be very little actual playing time. There seemed to be more time spent with cheer leaders dancing, mascots running about and a considerable amount of time watching replay after replay of the same thing, without any real explanation of what's going on. The saving grace was a very delicious giant hot dog that cost me £24, (Yes £24!) But we got a free flag out of it, so I shouldn't complain. It was then an organised march with tens of thousands of people through the streets to the poor underground station, which almost seemed to groan under the weight of the amount of people trying to enter the station. There was a lot of police keeping order and no trouble, and things seemed to be under control. I'm not a fan of big crowds, especially like that, it can be unpredictable. But never mind, we headed on the tube out to where we were staying, and grabbed ourselves the most delicious dinner.

We headed over to the Wilmington on Roseberry Ave, for this most incredible roast dinner. The beef shin was so tender, it was falling off the bone even as you looked at it. The service there was brilliant, and I am desperate to return for another sharing roast. As you can see, James was eager to tuck in while I was taking the photo!