Spam, Spam. Spam, Spam...

Monday 23 October

I spent the day in or around Covent Garden today just looking at the markets, doing a bit of shopping and taking in the atmosphere.

I got back to the apartment, had a shower and changed then headed out for an early dinner before heading up to the West End to see Monty Python's Spamalot - the musical! This was my first West End show. They've never really interested me but Spamalot is a perfect fusion of Python and the holy grail legends!

Now, I've been a Monty Python fan since my early teens and I was so happy that a show of theirs was on during my time in London. And I got to see Tim Curry (mmmmm..... Tim....).

Ahem. Anyway, the show was fab! All singing and dancing and amazing Pythonesque animations. The characters were copied from the film and the show must have lured out all the Python fans from hiding (like me) as we all cheered at the start of famous scenes from the film like the French taunters, the Black Knight and the killer bunny (a cheap and nasty hand puppet with fangs and you saw the guy with his hand up the puppet because the scenery falls down!). It was just fantastic. I was buzzing after the show so had a coffee and txt'ed a bunch of people saying how I was in the West End... 'just having a coffee after the show don't you know..'.



Tuesday 24 October

Today I went to the Museum of London and the National Portrait Gallery. This took the whole day as there was so much to see.

The Museum of London was awesome. You walk in and start at prehistoric London then walk around through Roman occupation, Saxon invasion, Norman conquests and all the various stages in England's history and how this affected London. It is a hands-on museum like Te Papa and you get to touch flintstones and things. I recommend it to others as it's not listed as a highlight in some guidebooks (I found out about it by chance).

Then off to the National Portrait Gallery which was great. Very well set out and spacious. There was an exhibition of Beatles photos including original record sleeve photos like Abbey Road! Caroline and I went to dinner in the West End that night.


Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 October

These days I took it easier. I wandered through Carnaby Street, thinking of my Mum who lived in London 1961 to 1965 and was very chic (why didn't you keep those Mary Quant clothes, Mummy?!). I browsed through a vintage clothing store and wondered if anything in there belonged to Mum!

I bought presents for various people in Carnaby Street as it's crammed full of funky and quirky stores. I also spent some time in Fortnum & Mason which is a sumptuous department store but with a lower profile than Harvey Nichols and Harrods so was far less crowded. I got permission to take some photos of the lovely ornate architecture and their Christmas shop.

I went to dinner with Caroline and her niece Sian who I last saw when she was fourteen (she's now all grown up at 24). We had a great time and Sian is lovely.

Friday I'll be experiencing Portobello Road then in the evening, Caroline are seeing La Boheme at Covent Garden!