Last day in London for this trip...

It's only a week since I left home, I've done a heap of stuff in London, and I'm still jetlagged... which means early starts are still not a problem.

The Courtauld Gallery

Today I tackled Rick Steves City Walk, which led me through highways and byways from Trafagar Square to London Bridge. Well that was the plan, although I abandoned it just past St Paul's - it had taken me four hours to get that far and I had other plans for the afternoon!

The real find for me on this trip was the Courtauld Gallery. I'd never heard of it, but it's a real treasure house of artworks, with examples of just about every star artist you could think of. It's also a fairly small collection, so ideal for anyone who wants a quick art fix without spending hours in a gallery... Its highlight is Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works (think Van Gogh, Manet, Cezanne, Degas, Sisley, Pissarro, Bernard) which I just drool over! Plus enough of a smattering of older stuff to make you feel virtuous for viewing it. I spent way too much time here...

Further along the road, (past St Clement Danes Church - which really does play "oranges and lemons, say the bells of St Clements". I heard it.) I wandered into St Bride's Church. Good timing here too, as there was a visiting youth choir from South Africa performing - choral music while I explored the crypt was a real treat.

After a late lunch at St Paul's cafe (I didn't go in the church as I'd done that on a previous trip) there was time for one last throw of the dice. Either back to the Briish Museum, or another round at the V&A. The V&A won out, and I'm pleased it did, as several areas that were closed on my first visit were open today. Good call!

So that's London done and dusted for this time. Six wonderful days here, and still so much I could do. I think a month in London should go on my "to do" list... But for now it's off to Vienna in the morning to meet up with Jenny, and a couple of weeks of joint holidaying - wonderful!