Last Saturday I was on my own for the afternoon. The weather wasn’t pleasant so I decided it was a good day to visit a museum. And I hadn’t been to the Natural History Museum yet. This museum is about a twenty minute walk from my flat. The afternoon turned out to be a fun adventure.
Isn’t this a lovely street.
This is the most intense scaffolding job I’ve seen to date.
Seriously, how did they even construct it?
A statue of Baden-Powell, the founder of the British Boy scouts. Ever wondered why their motto is Be Prepared. His nickname was B.P.–Be Prepared.
My destination–the Natural History Museum
Holy smokes–Look at the line!
Yep, I’m not joining that line.
Don’t fret, just a little further is the Victoria and Albert museum. All my plans are not ruined.
As soon as I walked in I was impressed. This is one of the most beautiful museums I’ve been to.
At first I was annoyed that this couple wouldn’t move–then I thought they looked sweet together admiring the work. Ah, young love!
I can’t buy books right now, but I can still admire them. This choir book dates back to the 1300s.
I love seeing kids at museums. I used to hate it when I was a kid, but now I appreciate it.
I love to people watch, no matter where I am.
Sir Henry Cole used to live here. He was the first director of the V & A museum.
A shot of the museum from across the street.
After wandering through the museum for a couple of hours I still had an hour and a half before my dinner date with The Better Half. So I decided to pursue one of my favorite hobbies in London: search for Blue Plaques. These plaques are placed on buildings to commemorate famous residents or to mark where an important event took place. I get a kick out of keeping an eye out for them. We’ve turned it into a game really, who can spot the most? These are the ones I found after leaving the V&A on my way to Harvey Nichols on Knightsbridge.
Stephane Mallarme, a poet, stayed here in 1863.
Francis Place, a political reformer, lived here from 1833-1851.
E. F. Benson, a writer lived here.
No one famous lived here, but I liked the door. Look at the bottom.
Clever
Not my car
Is that a pub? I’ll be right back.
Sir Benjamin Thompson Count Rumford, an inventor and adventurer lived here.
Sir Arthur Charles Wellesley, The 4th Duke of Wellington, lived here.
One of the Harrod’s window displays.
Time to meet The Better Half. I’ve been addicted to Yo! Sushi recently. I love the cucumber and avocado rolls.
Yum!
Until our next adventure.
50 Year Project 
Great tour TBM – thanks for taking us along :). I love your game of searching for the blue plaques! Now you have me curious though. Which museum is the one in Trafalgar Square? We never had a chance to go inside, but I remember it as being quite huge and impressive looking from outside.
That’s the National Gallery. I haven’t been there yet. This town has lots and lots of museums! And yes, it does look impressive! When you visit keep an eye out for blue plaques–but be careful. I keep bumping into things.
LOL!! Silly girl!
I usually have at least one bruise on my legs. The most recent was a good one! And boy did it hurt.
Ouchy 😦
The bruise is a nice green color right now. I ran into my bed in the middle of the night.
You were up getting chocolate from the kitchen weren’t you? LOL!!!
Dude I don’t spill your secrets!
Sorry dude!! LOL 🙂
I can’t imagine how much fun is have living in London! Every day is an adventure and when you so the unplanned in life it is all the
More fun! Btw, did you see the Daily Post topic the other day on self publishing? It was a great article and I thought you might like it. It inspired me to someday pick up my old manuscript and start writing again!
Yippie about picking up writing again! Are you referring to the piece on David G–can’t remember how to spell his last name. I did read that. And I’ve read David’s Let’s Get Digital book on self-publishing. His website is full of great tips and the book is available via PDF–or at least it was a year ago. And thanks for letting me know. You’re the best!
Yes that is the post and I just subscribed. Have no idea when I will pick up that dusty book again but next September my daughter starts full day school. May be an opportune time! 🙂
I wish you luck!
I’m glad you got to go to the V & A, where we spent some worthwhile hours in around 1997. (By the way, my wife makes sushi similar to the kind you showed in your picture. Yumm.)
I think I’ll add the V & A to my list of activities when guests visit–perfect for a rainy day. And I’m jealous your wife makes these. We are considering taking some cooking classes. maybe I’ll look into a sushi one.
Oh I did enjoy our walk! Right up till the sushi, and I’ll pass on that thanks. All the more for you and yours. London is the most brilliant city for walking and the V & A my absolute favourite museum. Even the tearooms are exquisite. Nice collector’s item, those blue plaques.
I love walking around London. Even my everyday walks are entertaining. I haven’t dabbled with tearooms yet–need to brush up on my manners. I’m glad you enjoyed the walk.
It was so fun to go walking with you! I always loved going to the Natural History Museum and the V&A Museum (I liked the gift shop too!). And the Yo Sushi! at the top of Harvey Nicks was the one I went to the most often so you really brought back some memories! Sometimes I would go to the cheese section in the food section next to it and treat myself if I was feeling homesick (I’m from France originally). Sounds like you had a lovely day!
I didn’t know you were from France. I’m heading to Paris for a weekend this spring. I went last year and loved it. And the cheese and bread were superb. I plan to live off of cheese and bread while I’m there. And wine.
Sounds delicious! Have a crepe too!
Will do!
Great photos! I do miss the buildings and streets of Europe… Thanks for always bringing us along for your walks and visits! 🙂
They do have charming streets here. Even though I’ve been here over a year I still feel like a tourist. Snapping photos and staring. I wonder if I’ll ever get used to it.
Aah, your account of your walk made me realise a return visit is long overdue 🙂
I had no idea ‘Be Prepared’ was based on Baden Powell’s initials!
It’s a fun little fact. I hope you do return to London. So much to do here. I never get bored.
You found quite a few of the blue plaques. I find them so interesting. The architecture of that museum is amazing, inside and out. Thanks for taking us along on your walk.
I love finding the blue plaques. A lot of the time I don’t know the name but I like to go home and find out more. Seriously the museum impressed me inside and out.
A lovely Saturday. I think the young couple add a sense of scale and depth to that picture so glad you snapped them too 🙂
Thanks!
Oh, it’s nice seeing London this morning! I must visit the V&A next time we’re there. So much to see and do.
Cool tidbit about the Boy Scout founder.
I still feel like I haven’t seen much of London and I’ve been living here for over a year. This town is amazing.
I thought I recognized the Natural History Museum in a photo earlier this week/month, but I wasn’t quite sure. I remember the lines moving pretty swiftly from my visit.
And that book is gorgeous! Have you had a chance to visit the British Library yet? If not do it!!!! The books they have on display are overwhelming from Da Vinci’s diaries to Austen’s writing desk to some of the earliest illuminated texts it was just breathtaking!
Someone else recently told me to go to the British museum. I need to get there–sounds like something I would enjoy! Thanks for the reminder.
Oh you really would! And I might be wrong, but I’m pretty sure it’s similar to the BPL where if you live in London or the surrounding area you can get a library card! I desperately want to move there for the shortest amount of time possible (or forever) so I can add one to my collection!
A library card collection–I never considered that before. That’s a brilliant idea!
Haahaa. Well it’s just one from everywhere I’ve ever lived.
I should have kept mine from childhood–dang! I do miss the Boston libraries.
One of my favourite London Museums! Have to ever been to Lord Leighton’s House near Holland Park? I am a huge fan of pre Raphaelite Art and that whole movement/period and the house is amazing, so quirky and beautiful. http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/subsites/museums/leightonhousemuseum1.aspx
I haven’t been there yet. Thanks for the link! I’ll add this to my list of things to see.
Went past the NH on Saturday morning and the queue was huge!
I was tempted to get in the queue and see how long it would take. But it was cold.
If I’m not wrong, this is my first comment, am I right? lol I envy your sense of humor. n also good explanation x)
I’m glad you enjoyed and thanks for the comment 😉
your choice of museums within walking distance. how wonderful! i enjoyed the blue plaques. fun 🙂 i read some of E. F. Benson’s “supernatural” short stories back in october when i was on a “horror” kick, and he wrote some right creepy tales.
I haven’t read anything by Benson yet, but after finding his home I’ve added him to my TBR. I’ll have to remember when Halloween arrives.
Thank you very much! That was so much fun that I feel as if I was there. I love doors and the first picture of a beautiful street. I want to live there!! The museum looked exquisite and I loved the food later on! Especially the chocolate 🙂 I absolutely love your writing style 🙂
Thanks for the kind words and the chocolate dessert is so yummy!
the cat looks like one of banksy’s cats….
🙂
I loved this post! I miss my home city badly so it was really nice to see your photos and hear about your travels on Saturday. The V&A is one of my favourite museums, I used to visit often and take my sketchbook and pens, stopping to draw wherever there was something that caught me eye. I could spend hours there! And you are right, London is a great place for walking – it’s almost impossible to walk anywhere in Jakarta what with the pollution, non existent pavements and a zillion cars and bikes!
I love sushi too! Lottie 😀
I saw many artists at the museum–I admire those who can sketch. Haven’t been to Jakarta–sorry to hear that Saturday strolls are seriously limited. I’ve seen pictures of the traffic but I bet it’s a sight to see in person to really understand. I’m serious addicted to Yo Sushi at the moment. So tasty 🙂
Thanks for taking us along.
BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!
Happy to have your company, Francine 🙂
Aren’t we so lucky to have these museums for all to enjoy is what I think . I hope they can manage to keep the for free/donations going, as when they started charging the numbers dropped considerably and although that was perhaps a bonus if you wanted to have less crowds it meant that repeat visits would not happen so much and others less well off would never go in the first place . By golly there is so much to take in and want to see in these museums you have to keep going back 🙂
Great post TBM !
I love that the museums (most of them) are free. That wasn’t the case in the States, except for the DC area maybe. I’m a firm believer in education and I feel that having museums available to all of the public is a huge benefit. Just by wandering through for a couple of hours I learned so much. I do hope to go back and I’m lucky it’s just down the street.
What a great tour! The V&A Museum was my favorite. I remember the stained glass and the wrought iron areas – just marvelous. When I was there, they were hosting an exhibit on ladies’ attire through the ages. It was fascinating to see how styles and materials have changed over the centuries.
Yo Sushi is so much fun. Have a conveyor belt deliver my food? Yes, please.
PS – I wouldn’t have waited on that line at the Natural History Museum either. 😛
There was a section on fashion but it was packed in there so I didn’t see much. I loved seeing all the jewelry through the ages. And how fantastic is it to have food constantly fly by on a conveyor belt!
Quite a nice adventure you had for the day! I enjoy visiting museums as well. The University of Utah has a new and impressive Natural History Museum. I’ve been through part of it and need to return to go through the rest.
Your sushi dinner is making me very hungry! Mmmmm
I do love Natural History Museums. I need to go back to the one here, but not on a Saturday. I hope you make a return visit to yours soon.
“Is that a pub? I’ll be back.” HA! Pubs are good in any kind of weather. Looks like you had a great day in spite of the weather. And your meal … duuuuuuuuuuuuuude. I’m loving that chocolate 🙂
It was so hard not to grab all the chocolate desserts that whizzed by. So good.
Some great shots – it seems you can walk anywhere in London and find something of interest.
Lynn 😀
I don’t get bored while walking in this town. So much to see and take in–even the little things.
I loved the V&A museum shop 🙂 And I saw dinosaurs when I visited NH museum, amazing! 🙂 And many pictures in this post, thanks! Now I miss London 🙂 I never tried Yo! sushi in London, but finally tried it at Oslo airport :)) And blue plaques, I just remember I spotted where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used to live. Yeah, it is so interesting!
I haven’t spotted Doyle’s plaque yet, but I want to. It’s a fun game to see how many I can find and I learn so much about people I’ve never heard of. It’s a nice history lesson. I didn’t know they had Yo! sushi in Oslo. I’ll remember that the next time I’m there 🙂
So much fun to see your pictures. Definitely a fun place to walk around. That scaffolding looks like something is growing out of the building. Crazy.
That is a really clever idea to paint that little critter and number on that door. I can see why you like it.
I was floored by the scaffolding. I would have enjoyed watching them put it up–I bet that took weeks. I see scaffolding go up in my hood once a week, but nothing like this.