Strolling the Embankment

The day I idled on the Embankment, walking walking walking and visiting the Tate Modern was much like today in Montreal -- suddenly spring, sunny and warm with an umblemished blue sky. Here's the little video I made just to remember the day.

Greenwich: In the village

Like so many London boroughs, Greenwich too has a large popular market in the center of the village. We browsed, bought some books at a well stocked book stall, and then strolled over to a charming tea shop Ben knew about.

Harry Wick, bookseller

The teashop was entirely English, including a sleek, contented English tabby, although the proprietor was a French ex-pat and the music playing was French chansons of the Trenet era

Farther down the street, a pub filled with rugby fans. We idled out back on the terrasse.

Ben in triplicate, sipping a fine scotch

Greenwich

A perfect sunny Saturday for our trip up the Thames to visit Greenwich. We moved along at a surprisingly brisk clip and the trip was only 20 minutes or so. A familiar face among the passengers.

Riverside views: the Gherkin and the Tower

The Canary Wharf complex

Major shades

Our "clipper" departing from the Greenwich wharf.

From the wharf, beyond the Cutty Sark which was enduring renovations in preparation for the Olympics and the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College, it was dramatic climb up to the Royal Observatory. No smiling tourist photos.

The view on the way up

The Royal Observatory

The good weather brought out throngs of Londoners, and the local pug lovers.The Greenwich meridan

Another landmark measure: Greenwich Mean Time

Lo and behold! General James Wolfe's statue was in front of the observatory. Wikipedia to the rescue, once I got back home. He is honored there because his formative growing up years were spent in Greenwich.

But the inscription below the bronze statue is the kind of talk that could start another war!

Estorick Museum in Islington

One of my first discoveries in Islington was the Estorick Collection, a small private museum focusing on modern Italian art. I followed Upper Street, one of the main thoroughfares in Islington, up to Canonbury Square where the museum is housed.

Upper Street

Upper Street church and practically next door the neighborhood atheists

Canonbury Square

The courtyard of the Estorick Museum

I had expected to see work by Giorgio Morandi, a painter I have long known and loved, and there was,indeed, one small oil on display. But his stunning etchings were the surprise discovery for me. In some ways, especially in his signature still lifes of bottles and various vessels, the severity of black and white is almost more expressive.

Each small viewing room had one of these exquisite benches. too beautiful to sit on

A sculpture by Emilio Greco