Victoria Embankment Gardens & The National Galleries

For this week's nice day out, I went up to London again. I was a little tired & didn't quite feel up to exploring lots of new places, so I decided to revisit some places & galleries I've been to before. First stop, the Victoria Embankment & Cleopatra's Needle.

 

Then I had a relaxing walk through the Victoria Embankment Gardens...

... I've had a lot of impromptu picnic lunches here over the years on my way in or out of central London, but I've never walked the whole length of the gardens or paid much attention to the statues and memorials dotted throughout them. It was very nice to take the time to stop and look at everything closely, to read all the inscriptions...

 

... and discover things like the fact that this gate at the edge of the gardens marks where the bank of the Thames used to be before the Embankment was built.

Then I walked to Trafalgar Square - looking at Nelson's Column, of course, ...

... but also taking time to look at all the interesting architecture around the square...

 

... and cracking bits of street furniture, like these intricate street lamps:

I went to a little exhibition of contemporary Inuit art at the Canada House Gallery which was rather interesting (I loved the sculptures).

Then I got out of the rain & went to The National Gallery for lunch (they sell some amaaaazing cakes)...

 

... and for a look at some of my favourite paintings. I've been to the National Gallery a lot over the years - one of the great pleasures of free galleries/museums is being able to go back again and again to revisit your favourite displays. And, of course, discovering new favourites on each visit!

Finally I went to visit some more old favourites at the National Portrait Gallery - the Early Tudors & Elizabethans galleries - & to see the pictures in this year's BP Portrait Award exhibition.

Excellent stuff all round.