Day 2, Part 2 -- The National Gallery and Trafalgar Square

After a nice lunch of authentic fish and chips, back down in the tube I went and headed over to the National Gallery and Trafalgar Square. Overall, the tube stations are very clean, well lit, and well kept. Once I got the hang of it, using the tube was a breeze to get around the city.

 

 

The large domed building is the National Gallery. The columned building in the far right of the photo is the National Portrait Gallery. Duchess Kate was at the Portrait Gallery at the same time I was perusing beautiful art in the Natl. Gallery next door. My daughter Carly still hasn't forgiven me that I missed seeing Kate. So close, yet so far away. The plaza in front of the Gallery is part of Trafalgar Square.

I mentioned in a Facebook post that the National Gallery is where I happened upon a painting by Van Gogh that is the original to a copy that I have hanging on my dining room wall. I love that painting, and was so moved when I realized what I was looking at.

 

I took these next two photos of Trafalgar Square from the elevated front porch of the National Gallery. The extremely tall column with a statue on top is that of Admiral Nelson, who fought and died in the battle of Trafalgar at sea. His statue faces out to sea. There are two large pools with beautiful fountains in the middle. You can sit on the ledge surrounding the pools, but you dare not stick your feet in the water, much less try to wade in the pools. You'd be arrested on the spot.

 

If you look carefully to the left of the base of Adm. Nelson's statue above, you can see Big Ben. My camera had an amazing zoom feature, so I took advantage of it to get this photo.

 

That was enough sightseeing for one day. I headed back to the B&B Belgravia via the tube. Behind my B&B were these flats (apartments). There were also several trees where blackbirds sat and sang. Very relaxing.