In mid-January we took the short flight over to London to see our friends, Rich and Yasemin (and their two adorable kiddos, Theon and Ophelia). They had moved back from Dubai in the late fall, and we hadn’t seen them in person since we had met up in Hawaii in 2019! Needless to say, 2 kids and several countries later, it was time to catch up.
Rich and Yasemin live in Kensington, so it was an easy direct train ride out from Heathrow. After a good bit of time bestowing adoration upon baby Ophelia, Rich picked up Theon from preschool and we all went to the National Science museum together. You could honestly spend days there before you’d take it all in. Astounding exhibits ranging from how steam engines and lighthouses work to models of the iron lung and DNA. In the medical section the kids “performed” a gastroscopy. Finished off with some hot nuts from a street vendor (which felt delightfully perfect) for the walk home.
On Saturday Sally and I checked out a couple of things Yasemin had pointed out on Friday. We admired the narrowest building in London (there’s many close contenders, which we saw walking around). We talked about WWII as we looked at the bombing damage to the wall of the Victoria and Albert museum. We finally learned what “the mews” are (the smaller houses behind the big houses that would have comprised the servants’ quarters and stables). We have these in Dublin as well but I never knew what it meant! Of course now these “smaller houses” are incredibly fancy and costly as well, and comprise charming little meandering streets.
Then David and Sally and I explored the Natural History museum - another gargantuan (and beautiful) building in which one could spend days. I especially liked the full blue whale skeleton and the mammoth skeleton. I think Sally and David were most taken by the dinosaurs.
From there we wandered through Hyde Park, past the very gaudy Prince Albert memorial, past Kensington Palace (no Wills and Kate sightings, unfortunately), around the Round Pond, and met up with Rich/Yas/the kids at the Princess Diana memorial playground. The weather was a perfect cool, crisp, sunny day for this type of exploration. In the late afternoon Yasemin had booked us for a quintessentially fancy tea at the Kensington Hotel.
On Sunday we had an exemplary Sunday roast at their local, The Kingsman, which is directly across the street from their house. I was delighted because they do a nut roast (vegetarian), so it was the first time I’d been able to enjoy a Sunday roast in true fashion! We sat by the roaring fire, drank some pints, and felt very settled in. This was followed by a stroll around Bromptom Cemetery, filled with ravens (I’m quite sure I heard them crying “Nevermore!”), moss, and stones embossed with names now difficult to read due to the passage of time. We did find Emmeline Pankhurst’s grave (famous UK suffragette) but unfortunately were a bit short on time. I look forward to meandering through here again.
Much of the weekend was spent “merely” enjoying each others’ company. Theon and Sally got along swimmingly, and his use of “you guys” and extensive knowledge of cars is most endearing. Sally was especially enamored with Ophelia (she’s got baby fever), who is impressively engaged and chatty for a 3-month-old. On Sunday just before lunch Sally handed Ophelia a block and she was, for the first time, able to grip and hold it! The look of sheer joy and pride on Ophelia’s face is something that I think will stick with all of us.
For me, this was a new part of London, and I really relished in being able to explore it with good friends who are also locals.
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