Day One in London.

A slow rising, followed by a leisurely breakfast and plenty of chat, on a day which dawned with not a cloud in the sky. Once we got moving we found a brisk cold wind blowing bu the sun was still shining. We decided to head for the river and left the tube at Westminster. The crowds of people were amazing. I had imagined that as it was winter there would be fewer people around. I swear that on Westminster Bridge there were more people than when Helen and I were their in September a couple of years ago. Crossing the bridge was like coming out of a packed stadium after and All Blacks' Test Match. We headed down river, past the long queue for the Eye heading towards St Paul's and the Minell........(oops) the Millenium Bridge. Rumbling stomachs getting the better of us we slipped in to a riverside pub for a pint and a plate of sausages and mash, at least that's what I had!
Full and satisfied we continued down river to The Tate Modern. London's temple of modern art is housed in the old Bankside Power Station and it is the building itself which is the best exhibit. The vast Turbine Hall is the entrance space. Currently is has a crack running down the entire length of its floor. Put in there by the artist Doris Salcedo (no I haven't heard of her either!!) it is strangely fascinating. (http://www.tate.org.uk/tateshots/episode.jsp?item=12198)
A wander around the various galleries often left me cold. A lot of the stuff in my opinion is just a load of Jackson Pollocks (arty joke!!) but it was interesting to see works by Picasso, Mondrian, Miro, Braque, Pollock, names which even I was familiar with. In spite of my cynicism this place is definitely worth a visit and if I was in London longer I would go back.
Over the Millenium Bridge, past St Paul's, we decided to walk to Covent Garden. This took us down Fleet Street, past the Royal Courts of Justice. Covent garden was buzzing as usual and we spent some time listening to a quintet, strings and a flute, playing various classical pieces in a very entertaining manner.
A quick pint, a visit to a book shop devoted to travel books and maps (I'll pick up a map of France, Michelle, to help us follow Le Tour) and we joined the crowds again as we struggled through Leicester Square and then to enter the tube at Picadilly. I never remember crowds like this on my previous visits. On the way home we stopped off at Gourmet Burger Kitchen in West Hampstead for dinner.