Category Archives: England

Discovering Islington Square

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…after passing it several times when riding on the bus

Today we walked from our flat to Upper Street. In the last three weeks on several occasions we took the bus to Angel Station or beyond. Little did we know what we were missing. We took our time and checked out stores that looked interesting.

On our journey we discovered Islington Square. Originally it was North London’s old postal sorting office. Now it houses interesting places to shop and dine, an exclusive health club, and an Odeon Lux amidst residential options.

https://www.islingtonsquare.com/about

A little ways up the street we found a quaint Italian restaurant, Terra Rossa. https://terrarossa-restaurant.co.uk/terra-rossa-islington/

We had a lovely lunch of salad and pizza.

A Trip to the Seaside

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…Leigh on Sea

My mystery destination was a train trip to the seaside today. It almost didn’t happen because we couldn’t find the train station. We used Google Maps and when we arrived at our destination there was no train station. We tried going in the other direction and we asked at least three strangers where C2C was. No one knew and when they checked Google Maps they kept sending us back in the same direction.

We finally stopped at a pub for an early lunch and I googled train stations. Eureka! We were so close but it wasn’t near C2C. We decided to give it one more go and in a few minutes we found our destination.

We purchased tickets for Leigh on Sea and had a comfortable train trip to the seaside. Once we arrived it was a short downhill walk to the quaint town. We checked out a few stores and I explored the tiny museum.

Leigh Heritage Centre stands in the centre of the old town in the old Smithy. Over the centuries the building has been owned by several people and had a variety of uses. Now home to a photographic display tracing Leigh’s local history, and a treasure trove for all connected to Leigh-on-Sea.(from the website)

I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the cottage attached to the centre.

At the end of the road we came to the beach. As far as beaches go it was pretty small but several families and couples were enjoying the sand and the sun. Kevin and I found a bench and we took in some rays.

Before heading back to the train we stopped for a cold drink.

A Trip to Denmark Street and Covent Gardens

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Originally Denmark street was laid out in the 17th century and named after King George of Denmark. In the 19th and 20th centuries it became a hub for sheet music sales, instrument shops and music publishers and in the mid 20fh century it attracted many famous musicians. Some notable names are David Bowie, Elton John, The Rolling Stones and the Sex Pistols.

Today Denmark is still home to many instrument shops and recording studios but the surrounding area has been demolished and redeveloped.

After exploring the street and checking out the guitars at No Tom Guitars we were in pursuit of lunch. We walked down some small streets with very trendy shops and we ended up in Covent Garden.

Prawn and pork dumplings
Crispy chicken bun

By the time we decided on Buns and Buns for lunch it was already mid afternoon so we only ordered a couple appetizers so that we wouldn’t spoil our appetites for dinner. A bit pricey but very tasty. https://www.bunsandbuns.com/

A Surprise Visit to Abby Road

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…then lunch in a pub and a walk through Hyde Park

Kevin decided to surprise me with a secret itinerary into central London today. We walked to the Arsenal Station and took the Piccadilly line to Green Park and then transferred onto the Jubilee line. Three stops later we got off at St. John’s Wood.

As we started walking Kevin hesitated for a moment and checked his phone for directions. A kind man asked if we were looking for Abby Road. Our destination was no longer a surprise but I was very moved by Kevin’s plan. He knows that I was and still am a big Beatles fan.

The famous crossing on Abby Road

The actual studio is heavily guarded but there is a gift shop that is open to the public.

We considered going to some of the other iconic Beatles landmarks but they were all very far apart and not easy to walk to so we opted to get some lunch instead.

We headed to Bakers Street and had a nice meal at the Allsop Arms. I had the steak sandwich and lemonade and Kevin had the chicken BLT and a non alcoholic Peroni.

The forecasted rain held off and we made our way south to Hyde Park. We entered from the north east side and continued along the path towards the Serpentine Lake. As we got closer to the lake we were happy to see benches to rest our weary feet.

After a short rest we continued heading south to the south end of Hyde Park.

On the way out of the park I saw the rose garden and suggested to Kevin that he could rest some more while I quickly checked out the flowers.

All in all it was a great outing and when we got home Brendan cooked us dinner and Sevin set up her hairdressing parlour and gave Oma and Big Papa a makeover. If our son shares his photos with me I might share them with you. All I can say is that it was crazy fun and there was a lot of laughing.

Sunday Tree – Of the Oak

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…thanks to Becca Given for hosting Sunday Trees https://beccagivens.wordpress.com/2025/06/08/sunday-trees-589/

Last weekend when we were in Kew Gardens there was a special art installation, honouring the oak tree.

This spring and summer, visitors to Kew Gardens can experience Of the Oak, a one-of-a-kind immersive art installation that celebrates the oak tree as a vital hub of biodiversity. (This is from the website)

This is tho oak tree that was scanned for the digital installation