London, I'm here!

A wet day at Tate Modern on the 6th floor - for one of the best views in London.

Lunch time salad at Tate Modern cafe. Great service.

Bless ye - A happy Friar still stands - spotted him on the way to the Tate Modern.

Covent Garden  - a delightful visit 

                             Picasso's sculpture at The National Portrait Gallery

At the National Portrait Gallery cafe -  enchantingly beautiful . A place to enjoy a special atmosphere.

A good afternoon spent at The National Portrait gallery

Above my head - a towering figure indeed!

Big Ben  and me!

A lovely sunny day , the red gladdens the heart - just across Buckingham Palace

Queen Victoria - a long reign which is now outstripped by Queen Elizabeth 2

Bursts of colours in St. James Park - beautiful and compact.

Lunch in the cafe at St Martin's In The Fields. 

Trafalgar Square, central London  - so much to absorb. 

Iconic National Gallery, London  - always bustling inside and outside.

Sit around  or mingle - fascinating sights at Trafalgar Square to take your fancy away.

Japanese garden  - serene  as the small waterfall tumbles into a koi pond in Holland park.

At a Holland Park cafe for morning coffee and cakes - playful time of staff and a very  young client, my niece

Accompanied  my little niece to her  indoor play in Holland Park. The centre was opened by the Duchess of Cambridge, 

For sure it's a sunny afternoon, White Rabbit! At Portobello  Market, Notting Hill.

Indeed a  worthwhile visit , my first on a big  ship, HMS Belfast.

On board the historic HMS Belfast, berthed on the Thames. It is operated by the Imperial War Museums. One gets an interesting insight into what  life was like at war and at sea

Seeing the spire of the Cathedral nearby, as I spent some time in Borough Market, Southwark I  decided to pay a visit inside.

In and around Jersey

Our abode for 7 days in  Jersey. Great location.

Summertime....

Liberation Square, St. Helier. We bought our tour tickets at one of the booths.  

                                 Catch from the sea  - fresh and  aplenty in Jersey

Cast iron grille decor on balconies pretty up the town.

By the beach , alfresco , food is served as we enjoyed the atmosphere besides a bit of seagull chasing! The birds hunger for our food!

Spicy, oriental food  ordered in authentic Thai !.

Just didn't get the chance to say 'Moo,moo' to the cows in the fields.  The Jersey Cow is long recognised as a superior  dairy animal through its ability to produce rich milk. It is protected in its island home.

At the Drifter's Cafe - great food and friendly service. After a day out, a freshly baked sun face.

At a Portugese restaurant which we had to book . Second time lucky!

Believing I was there!

Red, cream, white, green,. yellow - different colours of the iron grilles of door entrances, windows, balconies catch the eye of passers-by.

Ahoy! all huddled under the bright sky. 

Love ya, Jersey Royal potatoes. 

By one of the city centre's landmarks, Saint Helier.

An impressive building where Nat West is housed. The lovely hanging baskets give a cheerful look.

Near Rosie's tea shop, an interesting seafood display at one of the fishmongers.

Market at St Helier. 

A familiar seascape as we travelled along the coastline on a day trip round Jersey.

Splashes of colours at the Jersey Pearl centre.

A breezy exterior of a seaside cafe and shop.

Building sandcastle for a cause - Simon the sand wizard at St Catherine's Bay. Visitors were allowed to take pictures but encouraged to donate to charity. The sandcastles are fragile and impermanent.

No fish nor craft sold today. The bunker serves as a reminder of the Nazi Occupation of Jersey.

.Le Moulin Le Lecq Inn  - a great stopover -for food and local history

A driving gear belonging to the old mill in the main bar . 

The placemat captures some info on the restaurant.

A replica of the late Princess Diana's pearl dress and jacket  that was auctioned for charity at Sotheby's in 1996 for USD 151 ,000

Jersey Pearl, St Ouen  -  a family business. We visited it on our round the island tour. It is painstaking work to make a woman pretty! 

Hidden treasure in the oyster. An attraction is to pick your own pearl from the oysters in the tank  and have it set, ready to be worn. 

Liberation Square, St Helier - developed in 1995 to mark the 50th anniversary of Jersey's liberation from Nazi Germany. The sculpture depicts a group holding the Union flag.

As we walked by homes, the big dahlia blooms captivated our hearts.Hydrangeas were aplenty, is colours of pink, red, yellow, white. They were as big as dinner plates !