Ireland: Day 1 (Lough Derg)

Well jeez, didya miss me? Really, in my travels around Ireland, I did not have a chance to do the blog - even had I had a decent internet connection (of which more to follow). So, bear with me - my connection wasn't good enough to upload the photos I have, and I'm waiting for Helen to do something with them when she gets a chance (but you know how that four-letter word called "work" can get in the way). I do have a few - but they're worth waiting for; we got spectacular weather (!) and there are some spectacular photos to match. I'll get them to you when I can. As I'll get the write-ups done when I can.

Well, we flew on the Thursday and Helen had to meet someone in Foynes on the Saturday, which meant we couldn't really get started on the Wild Atlantic Way until Sunday. Friday 3rd, then, was to be spent locally, and I'd planned ahead: the wet weather plan was for Ennis, the dry weather plan was to head for Lough Derg. And wouldn't you know it - after all my dire warnings to Helen about bringing wet weather gear, we spent almost the entire week in glorious sunshine!

Sunset at the airport on landing

Lough Derg it was. Armed with small water bottles and sunshades, we set off - bought peaked caps on the way: in the county colours. I had a vague plan to head for Mountshannon and grab a boat trip to Holy Island, if we could. I'd never been on one of these, but had often seen them advertised, and thought it would be a lovely thing to do on a hot, sunny day.

So, after a stroll at the lakeshore and a few photos, we moseyed on over to the trailer parked by the harbour, which prominently advertised tours on the side. The door was open, displaying rows of guidebooks to the island, stacks of fliers - a girl hovering nearby asked whether we wanted to go on a tour, and when we said we did, she rang the boatman. A local historian, whose book on Holy Island is available for purchase, he also runs boat trips to the island, ferrying people back and forth all day, as required. He was at the island just then, but came right back in - it isn't more than a few minutes' trip - and took us out, for a price of €10 per hour.

Good choice! We were on a small boat, not high above the water, and on a hot, sunny day I don't think there's a better place to be. We had a terrific - if brief - trip out, under a scorching sun, and as he dropped us at the small pier on the island, he said he'd be back in an hour. He's written a guide, which you can take with you, returning it to the trailer afterwards - but he doesn't accompany you around the island. It's a small one, and the guide contains a map, so that's not a problem.

Holy Island is an old monastic settlement, now uninhabited. It was denoted a "Notable Shrine" by the pope in 1608, and the island is still richly populated with ruins of churches, a round tower, and other monuments of note:

When I say uninhabited, I am neglecting to mention some regular residents..

..who were most curious about us. Apart from them, though, we had the place to ourselves - a group had been leaving as we arrived, and a man came on his own as we left (just over an hour later): but other than them, the OPW people cutting the grass, and the guy looking after the cows - just birdsong to keep us company. And really, there is more than enough here to keep you occupied for the hour - we had to pass on some of the further-flung sites. We were taken back on a faster boat, the spray splashing our faces, and when we returned to dry land, we bought a guidebook..

Lunch beckoned, and I suggested Nuala's, a short way down the lake. We sat in the restaurant proper, surrounded by pictures and texts on the theme of Holy Island, and had starters and mains. Which were excellent, as ever - but I'd forgotten to warn Helen about the portion sizes, and the poor lass was stuffed for the rest of the day! We skipped dessert.

On down the Lough Derg drive, and to Killaloe, another fine place on a sunny day. I was lucky to get just about the last parking space by the water (beside a fortune-teller's van) and after a stroll around there, we headed to the ancient cathedral of St. Flannan's:

There's an even more ancient oratory next door, not open to the public:

The cathedral itself is open, but although you can walk around the entire churchyard, there is no direct access from there - you have to enter via the main door:

..and it makes a lovely, cool retreat on a hot day. On to the University of Limerick, with its striking murals in the Foundation Building (sorry, we do have plenty of photos, but currently I don't have access to them!).. and that was it for the day. Exhausted, we got a takeaway from An Teach China (literally, The China House) in Tulla that evening. And collapsed to bed, ready for a trip to Foynes next day..

Restaurant: Wonder Tree

Well, I'm used to going to the airport just in time, and Helen likes to make it a bit early. And today was our day to fly together. Guess who won..?

She took the day off, texted me, then came and kidnapped me from the office. I didn't really have a good excuse to protest, so off we went (having weighed our hand luggage with the scale she was foresighted enough to bring and I wasn't. Made Gatwick in plenty of time, dropped off the checked luggage, and went in search of food.

The place was packed. Families on half term, groups of mates on what looked like stag/hen parties, footie followers. Wetherspoons was jammed, not a reasonable hope of a table or of service. Nando's had a queue, too. Which was how we ended up in Wonder Tree - a small queue, but we were seated quickly.

Unfortunately, the service wasn't as quick - they were busy, and we were left quite a while waiting to order. Handy we had so much time to spare - and as we were sat right under a departure board, we could see exactly how much. We ordered calamari (for her) and satay chicken skewers (for me) as starters, a burger (for her) and steak frites (for me). Interestingly, I wasn't asked how I'd like my steak cooked. Shared a bottle of wine, and one of tap water.

..Well, that's what we ordered. We were duly brought a bottle of tap water - no glasses. Quite some time we spent, gazing at it, until the glasses arrived, with a couple of wine glasses and a bottle in a cooler. After that, things seemed to speed up a bit - our starters came, and while Helen really liked her calamari, I have to say I wasn't at all impressed with my chicken: just not actually tasty, and the sauce, while spicy, wasn't a hit either. Must have been an aberration, though, because both our mains were gorgeous, my steak melting with blue cheese - and we both had delicious, skin-on fries. We had time for dessert, which was an Eton mess for her, an "ice cream cookie sandwich" for me - which turned out to be a scoop of ice cream, sandwiched between two cookies, and the whole drizzled in various sauces. And delicious! Sadly, I couldn't manage the second cookie, though it would have been lovely.. Another wait to grab someone to pay, and it wasn't exactly cheap. But the food was mostly excellent, and it is family friendly. And they do say to mention if you're in a hurry..

In Ireland now, and it's sweltering hot. I think Lough Derg is the destination of choice for tomorrow - we'll play it by ear!

Drury Lane Walk

Yes! I know! This wasn't the plan.. no indeed, I'd booked to go with the London European Club to a Political Cabaret. And it did sound good. But then someone suggested this walk.. and I was in need of some fresh air, and a friendly face, what with all the stress at work. So, why not? I cancelled the other, and came on this instead.

We were to meet at the Princess Louise beforehand, near Holborn Station. Train to Waterloo, 521 bus from there - I know the drill. However, the journey was made interesting by the fact that every single departure board in Clapham Junction was out of order.. I made my way to Platform 10, where at least I know every train goes to Waterloo. I hopped on the train that had just pulled in. And by the time we pulled out, no announcement had been made about where we were going, or whether we'd stop on the way. Talk about a magical mystery tour..

A bus arrived arrived just after I got to the stop at Waterloo. The driver checked that the three of us at the stop were ok just going to Holborn - perfect. And lickety-split, we were there. Straight ahead to the junction, turn left - the pub is on the left. And my, it's a revelation! Standard old-fashioned facade - it's inside that it really surprises. For a start, there are about four entrance doors. Turns out the entire place is split into sections - it's nearly like walking onto an old-fashioned train, with compartments. And to get from one side of the bar to the other, you literally have to go back outside and pick one of the other entrance doors!

It is lovely, with a patterned ceiling, plenty of ornamentation, marble toilets in the gents (apparently the ladies aren't so salubrious, I didn't visit so can't comment). Each section is separated from the next by gorgeous, frosted glass snob screens. Two problems - firstly, all the screens and partitions make it hard to find the people you're to meet. Secondly, it was packed! Somehow - and despite a fire alarm going off briefly - we did all manage to find each other. We even managed to catch a barmaid to serve us (eventually). Unfortunately, I ended up stood right beside a heater, pumping out hot air quite enthusiastically - for which I can't blame them, it was a freezing cold evening! However, what with that - and having been up so late the night before, working - and the wine - I felt very woozy for a bit, and had to go outside briefly. The ice-cold air revived me quite effectively.

We did leave, finally, and headed off down High Holborn, turning onto Drury Lane and points further, working our way towards Covent Garden. I couldn't honestly tell you everywhere we went, so much of it was unfamiliar to me. But I do remember stopping at practically every single building we passed, because our guide had some interesting anecdote about it!

There was the Travelodge that was built on the site of a leper hospital (I'm sure they fumigated it after!). We stood on the terrace for a wee historical / poetic lecture, John Donne and the Harlot's Progress combined in a tale cleverly related to the area. We passed the Top Secret Comedy Club, where people were headed in for the main show and the owner was chatting to the acts, taking a smoking break before they went on.

After that, we went into areas I didn't know - lovely, leafy side streets with buildings on them that had a hidden history. Our guide knew all about it.. musical connections, poetry connections. We eventually made our way to the Opera House - plenty of stories there, and a pit stop outside the Masonic Hall, for tales about them. We passed a restaurant with hand puppets hanging from the ceiling, we popped into a pub where, apparently, the Royal Geographic Society was founded.. Truly, not since I moved to London have I been so surprised by the content of a walk, and never have I met a more knowledgeable guide. He really stands out, in the plethora of walks offered - I'd love to go on another, have to see what the schedule is like. Apologies for the lack of a photo link - I did take them, but didn't get them uploaded yet, and my phone doesn't work so well here. :-) I'll post it when I have them up. Meantime, there are plenty on the Meetup site.

We were shivering with cold by the end - I should have done like another lady in the group, and worn a scarf and gloves! A trip to the Punch and Judy pub at the end of the evening was very much welcomed, to get in from the cold. No ground level in this pub - upstairs, with a balcony, or downstairs, in the cellar. There was more space downstairs, and that's where we stayed, and drank, and chatted happily. A shivering wait at the stop for a bus back to Waterloo, and the departure boards still out at Clapham Junction! And while I wasn't as late as sometimes, given that I'm in Guildford today, it was already past my bedtime..

Flying to Ireland with Helen this evening for a holiday, and looking forward to the break. The rough plan is to do the Wild Atlantic Way (as much of it we can fit in), starting with the Foynes Flying Boat Museum, and going to Puckoon in Glór that evening. They have a 2-for-1 offer: always good! We'll be meeting up with people, catching at least the major sites - I don't doubt shopping will be done. But the only other definite booking is for the Bunratty banquet, the night before we fly back, on the 12th.

Comedy: We Are Funny Putney

A few comedy events on tonight, but when I saw one from We Are Funny, I didn't bother to look any further. Great atmosphere, driven by a genuinely nice - and funny - mc, Alex Martini. Nice, also, to be able to drive, for the second night in a row - it's an easy drive over to the Star and Garter - although traffic on Wandsworth Roundabout was horrendous.

Again, I got parking down by the river - and this time, I knew where the pub was! Wandered in - although this was a Putney Social night, and they'd said to meet from 7 (it was now a bit past that), I didn't see any group, and wouldn't really have recognised them from the last night anyway. So after I got my drink, I wandered down to the cellar bar where the comedy would be happening. Where I ran into Mr. Martini (and no, he didn't remember he'd promised to buy me a drink). He promptly led me right back upstairs, introducing me to the group members - all two of them, who'd been sat right beside me. :-)

Well, we sat and chatted - a couple more arrived later, one bearing two enormous g&ts in balloon glasses (they had a 2-for-1 offer). And, as suggested, we made our way downstairs a few minutes before the show was due to start. One nice thing about this pub is that they're good on comfy seating - plush upholstery upstairs, soft leather sofas downstairs. We settled in for the main event.

Alex came on, as before, to AC/DC - he does like to make an entrance. As he explained to us, he was putting the ladies on first of the opening acts, then the gents. He didn't phrase it quite like that, mind. ;-) I do like the opening acts - they're newbies (or relative newbies), and you can sometimes really see the cracks in their routines, as they try to put an act together. One of them - Vivienne Kay - I remembered from the previous occasion I was here: the customer service representative for a bank, with a childish voice, who makes it part of the act. Another was the organiser of our group, who did a decently funny turn, playing on her Czech nationality.

Each of them gets five minutes - after about half were done, we had a 10-minute interval, the remainder of the five-minute spots, and two 10-minute spots: Richard Lindesay and Freddie Bencard. Definitely more polished, but perhaps not as appealing to the crowd. Highlight of the night, predictably, was the headliner, Eleanor Tiernan. I've seen her before, as support to her hilarious cousin, Tommy Tiernan - and if anything, she's developed since moving to London, with a nice line about adjusting to life among the English. Another enjoyable night, then - I'll happily come back here any time.

Interesting one for tomorrow night - London European Club (not the group I'm used to) is off to some "political cabaret" in Chelsea. Intriguing.. not sure what the seating arrangements will be, as it's cabaret-style seating, i.e. at small tables. What the hey, I don't know many of those that are going, anyway. And none very well. But we'll see - and we can get food, which will be nice. I'm not going to make it three-in-a-row for driving; honestly, it looks as though parking space is rare up there, so I think I'll save myself the stress - there are a couple of buses that go from just down the road and will take me right there.

..And that'll be all from London for a while, as I head back to Ireland for an extended stay! Helen got a yen to do the Wild Atlantic Way, you see, so we're headed over there on Thursday evening and will stay till the following Sunday week. Pretty loose itinerary, so far - the only definites are the Foynes Flying Boat Museum, and a Bunratty banquet that we've booked for the night before we fly back. More anon..

Film: Sarbjit

I'd have gone to see Sarbjit last week, except that its IMDB ratings slipped a bit, so I went to Sing Street instead. And very good it was. When I decided to go to a film today, however, Sarbjit was now top of what remained.. I checked out the trailer, decided it was ok, and booked it, which was cheaper. However, it's no longer showing in my local cinema - no, I had to trek all the way out to Feltham to see it! They mentioned that the car park was free from 7am to 7pm, and the drive looked doable - so I also decided to drive. New territory for me!

With the car park times, I had to choose the early showing, at 1:40 - and with Google Maps estimating a journey time of between 35 minutes and an hour, I left shortly after 12. I'd printed out the map and such directions as I felt I needed, and it did look easy enough - first to the South Circular, to a junction I usually pass en route to Guildford, in which case I take the A3 instead. Then I'd need to follow the South Circular to the A316 to Richmond, then take the Heathrow turnoff, and head left at the Feltham turnoff, parking in front of the cinema at the end of the road. And apart from that, it's a straight run - dual carriageway along the A316, and otherwise single-lane: which can lead to congestion, but makes navigation much easier!

No problem at all, as it happened. Light traffic, and roadworks on the South Circular - and I was headed along the A312 for so long I thought I was lost - but I made the cinema in 50 minutes. Whoop-de-doo! Unfortunately, that left me about half an hour early for the film - and the usher told me that the film showing beforehand hadn't even finished yet, wouldn't until half past, and then they'd have to clean it. Hmph. So I bought a packet of Minstrels for brunch - would've been much better value to buy two, but I realised that too late - and sat in the car to eat them, as the cinema lobby has precious little seating, and there really isn't anything else convenient. Listening to a London country music station (!).

At just past the scheduled start time, I schlepped in again, and was allowed into the screen this time. This early showing was in a smaller screen than the later ones - and fairly packed. My assigned seat was right beside someone else, but given how busy the screen was, I thought I'd better take it - and it turned out I was right, as the seats beside me were filled. Mostly Indians, by the look of them, but a few English folks near the end of my row. Well, you do always know that, in London, these films will be subtitled - although it was unnerving to have the first trailer unsubtitled - but actually, online they often are.

Sarbjit is the true story of a misfortunate Indian farmer (called Sarbjit), living near the Pakistani border, who got drunk one night, literally fell across the border, and was arrested on suspicion of espionage. And when they decided he was this terrorist they were looking for, he was held for 20 years on indefinite sentence of death, his release continually delayed by ongoing hysteria between the countries. The film is told from the point of view of his devoted sister, who never ceased to campaign for his release.

I love this about Bollywood films - they take the human element, the family element, so seriously. Your average Hollywood film will give a token scene or two to weepiness, then get back to the action - Bollywood, on the other hand, thinks that the human aspect is just as important. And caveat - this is a huge weepie. Bring a box of hankies. But I do recommend it very highly - it's so sweet, and so sad. Very glad I saw it in the end - even if I did have to drive all the way out there!

My way back was similarly uneventful, apart from messing up on the lanes at the Red Rover junction - strangely, Streetview has a blank spot just there, so I couldn't check. Anyway, for tomorrow, I'm back with We Are Funny, courtesy of Putney Social Group - I really enjoyed it last time, and will be delighted to give it another shot! Let's see whether the host - Alex Martini - remembers his promise, last time, to buy me a drink. And this time, I've copied the list of performers, so no-one can accuse me of being forgetful.. Oh and hey, I can drive again. This is becoming a habit!

Show: Symphony to a Lost Generation

Today's Meetup offering was a bit different - a completely holographic show, as advertised by the Arts, Culture and Alternative Events Group. World premiere. Also my first time with this group - although I've been a member for a while - and my first time in this venue. Gratifyingly, they offered a discount to Meetup members: quite a generous one, too!

The venue was LSO St. Luke's, a deconsecrated church in Islington. Google Maps informed me that I'd have to get the Northern Line from Clapham North (with its famously narrow platform) to Old Street, and walk from there - Streetview showed my way to lead me past a black, monolithic building that resembled the one in 2001: A Space Odyssey. To get to Clapham North, I could take a bus or the Overground - which costs the same as a bus off-peak, but without the potential traffic delays: so that's what I decided to do.

The Overground took me to Clapham High Street - from there, take a left to the main road, then left under the bridge, and Clapham North is on your right. Apparently, Oyster regards interchanges between these stations as a continuation of the same journey. Which is handy. In the Tube station, I was just in time for a train, which I hopped on. I was conscious that the Northern Line splits, one line going via Bank and one via Charing Cross, and that I wanted the Bank branch - but it turns out I needn't have worried; apart from at peak times, all trains from south of Kennington (including Clapham North) run via Bank.

Exiting at Old Street was great fun. There are four different subway exits - and a map, which shows where each leads. And after I ascertained that I wanted Subway 4, I had to retrace my steps to see which it was! Mind you, had I just looked straight ahead, I'd have seen the arrow pointing to Clerkenwell and St. Luke's.. Anyway, I headed out that way, and was immediately confused. My black monolith was covered in white sheeting! Dithered a bit, crossed the road and then crossed back again when I realised I was right the first time. So I carried on down the road, at a fair pace given that it was nearly time.

It hardly took any time to get there, anyway, and I scurried in the gate - dubiously, because it looked quite deserted. No people, no open doors even.. I'd advanced a bit when I noticed a sign for the performance, to the left; sure enough, that marked the entrance, and I scurried over there and got my ticket. Inside is, basically, a large empty space, which they'd filled with rows of chairs - I made my way to the second row from the front, where I'd booked a seat.

There was, as usual, no arrangement to meet the group - the organiser turned out to be the producer of the show, and did offer to meet people beforehand, but I was a bit late for that. It did occur to me - too late - that I could've let people in the group know where I was sitting, in case they wanted to come say hi. Anyway, the seat was nice and comfy, and despite the front row having shown on the website as sold out, there was no-one in front of me, no-one directly behind me, no-one in most of my row. Plenty of room, then!

The holograms are displayed on a 3D stage, hidden at the start behind a heavy black curtain, which is raised - and lowered and raised again at the interval - by two guys on the balcony. The show itself - Symphony to a Lost Generation - deals with the tragic loss of life in the First World War (of course, this is the centenary of the Battle of the Somme, among other things), and I've seen a ballet version previously. Well, something similar, anyway.

The holographic effect is interesting - kind of like 3D cinema, without the need for glasses. The fact that the characters are slightly suspended above stage level is occasionally disconcerting, and is one of the reasons that it would probably be better to sit a bit further back than I did, to get the proper effect. Similarly, I was sat to the side, which meant that some of the angles were off.

However, this didn't detract from what is a poignant story - showing us both the terror of zeppelins, of bombings, of vast destruction - and also the very human story of people who enlisted to participate in a great adventure, only to find themselves in a situation more horrific than they could ever have imagined. As well as those who were killed, we see something of what happened to those who were not - and that's more horrifying still. Beautiful, horrifying, moving - a memorable experience, the more so I find as more time passes since I saw it. Yes, I think I'd recommend this - two shows tomorrow (Monday), one on Tuesday evening, if you're interested. And I saw the composer / director come out at the interval to chat to the folks in the front row - which might be reserved for friends.

And so briskly back to the station, in a cold breeze, and with me bravely not having bothered with a coat. When I got back to Clapham High Street, I nearly missed my turn - it's not easily visible from the road. But I saw the Railway Tavern on the corner and figured it must be around there somewhere. And a helpful sign at Clapham North had said that Clapham High Street Station was on Voltaire Road - well, there I was.

When I made my way up to the station, however, confusion reigned - turned out it was shut, as no trains were running between Clapham Junction and Surrey Quays because of a broken-down train. So hey, I ended up on a bus after all - a check of the conveniently located bus map (right by the station entrance) told me I needed the 345, and where to go to catch it. One arrived not too long after I did - thankfully, because of the biting wind. Our wait was made a little longer, however, by the driver's refusal to open the front door to let passengers on until all passengers that were disembarking had done so. Same principle as on the Tube, of course, but the first time I've seen it on buses..

Well, tomorrow is another film. Handily, I already had the film list done for this week - just had to check ratings, which took long enough! And what finally came out top was a Hindi film called Sarbjit - the true story of a man arrested while crossing the India Pakistan border in Punjab one night, a bit drunk, and accused of being a spy. And his beloved sister's 20-year battle to free him. Looks good - unfortunately, it's no longer showing in my local cinema; in fact, the closest place showing it tomorrow is Cineworld Feltham! Well, you know what? The adjacent car park is, apparently, free from 7am to 7pm, and the drive looks easy enough. I've printed off directions - so off I go to the lunchtime showing tomorrow! (It's a bank holiday.) Jeez, that's three matinees in a row..

Exhibition: Sicily - Culture and Conquest

The most interesting thing for today came courtesy of the London European Club, who were off to an exhibition in the British Museum, entitled "Sicily: Culture and Conquest". Promising to tell the history of the island's various conquests through the ages, it sounded fascinating - this must be one of the most fought-over pieces of land in the world, and I've always been interested in its history. Booking was advised, so book I did. Seemed to be a good idea, as messages started to come through from people who'd found it had sold out.

Was up quite late last night, so getting up today in time to get to the 2 o' clock slot we'd been asked to book for was a trial. Google Maps said that I could get two buses, but I'd have to catch the first before 1 - and I don't really trust their journey time estimates anyway. With time running on, I decided to look up the quickest route - train to Waterloo, then pick up the 188 from Stop K, which turns out to be further up Waterloo Road, past C, F, and H.

Ironically, as I passed the bus stop, the bus I'd have had to catch was pulling away anyway, so I'd have missed it. At Clapham Junction, the "Next London Departures" board said the next train to Waterloo was leaving in three minutes from Platform 10. By the time I got to Platform 10, the board there said the train was due, and as I huffed to the top of the stairs, indeed it was pulling in. I think those boards need to communicate better with each other.. At Waterloo, checking the map at the bus stop, I saw that at least half a dozen buses went where I needed to go - as it happened, the 188 pulled up shortly afterwards anyway.

Alighting at "Theobald's Road / Southampton Row", my directions were simple: straight ahead to Russell Square, then left, right, left, (north) entrance on the left. (The British Museum isn't right beside any bus stops.) Mind you, looking at the map more closely now, I think I'd have been better served to go left a bit earlier, onto Great Russell Street, where the main entrance is anyway, which is closer to the exhibition.

Inside, I was a bit early, and parched - no breakfast, you see. So I visited the small café to the side, and for £1.90 got myself a small bottle of water and a temporary seat. Drank that and made my way in - there'd been no mention of meeting the group beforehand, and I couldn't see anyone that looked as though they were in it. No indication of where this exhibition was on - signs advertising it had no mention of what room it was in. I made my way through an exhibition hall:

..and into the Grand Court, which I figured was the best idea, at least because it had an information desk. It's a magnificent space:

A large, white lobby, roofed in glass, with a magnificent portico at the main entrance (pictured), desks around the edges, and a café in the corner:

In the centre is an enormous, oval structure, with stairs on two sides. With a queue at the ticket desk, I asked at the information desk, where he explained that it was up the stairs, first door on the right:

Whew! what an entrance. Well, I made my way up there, and handed my ticket to the lady at the desk that was at the door. There was some confusion - my name wasn't on the list. Upon closer inspection.. I'd booked the wrong day! Consternation - no wonder it'd been so easy. Well, after a moment's deliberation, they let me in anyway. Phew.

Sadly, they don't allow photography inside - although that didn't stop the organiser of today's Meetup, who's posted some photos on the Meetup page. I don't think she was the only one breaking the rules, of course. It's a beautiful exhibition - centuries of conquest led to a fantastic mix of cultures. My personal favourite were the Grecian pieces - but they had Phoenician, then Roman, then Arab, then the Normans, who integrated with the existing Arab culture in the most intriguing ways. Several of the pieces reflect the island's rich mythology. There are timelines, plenty of explanations, snippets from ancient texts - I chuckled at one they'd singled out, in which the Sicilians described Britain as a fertile island, but shrouded in perpetual winter. And all the way though, huge photographs of parts of Sicily, making me nostalgic for the Med - it's been a while!

Gorgeous. After a brief spell in the dedicated gift shop at the end, I pushed the door open and came out at the stairs on the other side. Sure enough, no sign of the group - I'd suspected there wouldn't be, given how vague the instructions were (they'd meet at the exit - but at what time?). I don't know anyone who was to be there today, I couldn't see anybody gathering in a group - I took myself off. Reading the conversation on the page now, it seems they met beforehand rather than after (?) at 1.55, although how the person that said that found out is a mystery to me. What the hey, some organisers are like that. I am grateful to have been alerted to the exhibition. Recommended, for history buffs - runs till the 14 August, booking essential at the weekends.

I could've eaten at the café, but it was quite busy and I headed home instead - once I got out of the place; it was easy enough to find the main entrance, but unfortunately the main entrance has a large flight of steps leading up to it, with handrails only at the edges. And, of course, on a sunny, warm afternoon such as this was, handrails at the edge of steps attract tourists, who sit right there to consume their drinks and ice creams. So I couldn't use the handrails, and given my steps phobia, I couldn't get down the steps at all. Had to make my way back to the other entrance and walk all the way around again - but it is a beautiful stroll, on a sunny day. Made my way to Bloomsbury Place, where I caught the 38. A slow journey through the West End took us to Victoria, where I rounded the corner and caught the 44 home.

And so to tomorrow.. whose most interesting offering turns out to be from the Arts, Culture and Alternative Events group, who are headed to Symphony to a Lost Generation, the world's first fully holographic theatre show. A tribute to the dead of the First World War, I do believe I've seen a ballet on the theme - but it was good, and this should be interesting. And the group has a discount code, which is much appreciated. And it's another matinee.. ah well, I should get to bed earlier tonight! What are the odds I meet any of the group..?