It’s chilly today. I went downstairs and had breakfast and two latte`s. Then Bernardo and Androulla Stella picked me up and took me walking on the Heath. We went to the West Heath which I didn’t even know was there. My colleague, Pat Coccoma and I had walked the larger East Heath in March which covers acres of land. The West Heath has both paved and landscapes areas and areas of wilderness. There’s a section called the Pergola and Hill Garden which you can see in the pictures below. [slideshow] Bernardo is very knowledgeable about the history of the Heath. He and Androulla have lived here 50 years and he…

The weather is absolutely gorgeous – low 70’s, windy, and sunny. It may turn dicey my remaining days here so I decided to take the train and head to the coast. I first considered Dover, but I’m a little tired of crowds, so I looked for someplace a little less touristy and decided on Eastbourne. There is a train from Victoria Station, and after working around Tube lines closed for repair, got to the station, acquired a ticket and boarded just as the train was leaving. Upon departure, an announcer came on saying that, at some point, cars 1 – 8 would divide and go in one direction, and 9 –…

One neighborhood I’ve always wanted to explore in London is Chelsea. Chelsea is located west of Westminster along the Thames. I spent a good part of the day here. Lorenzo has loaned me a book entitled Eccentric London and it is full of little known facts of all kinds. I used it and a guidebook to structure my explorations. I took the tube to Sloane Square. Right out of the Tube station you get a sense of affluence. Immediately to the left of the station is Sloane Gardens.  Like most of the Chelsea areas, it is build around a square. This area reminds me a great deal of Savannah –…

Not an early riser this morning, I went down to breakfast at 9:00 desperate for one of Lorenzo’s lattes’. They are addictive, and yet I know if I bought an espresso machine and made my own, it wouldn’t be the same. I’m going to need to go home to get some rest from my vacation! I always just want to pack so much in, I get exhausted. I felt tired today. So instead of sensibly staying around Hampstead, I decided to go to Hampton Court, spend a couple of hours on the Tube & train and walk all day.  Lorenzo suggested the train to Hampton instead of taking a boat…

Up early and headed to the airport by 8:00 this morning. The hotel owner, Abel drove me and we had such a nice visit. He is originally from Cuba, so that was fun to talk about.  If you aren’t from Florida, it may not make sense, but I have always been frustrated by the embargo and the fact that I cannot travel to Cuba. It is closer than Atlanta, but out of reach for me. My aunt spent her honeymoon there and it was not unusual for folks to fly over from Florida for a nice vacation. I hope, in my lifetime that will change. Anyway…I was so caught up…