Springtime in London

When our NZ friends John and Anne Smith told us they would be in London from April to June, (Anne was to be a visiting scholar with the NZUK Link Foundation), Bruce and I pounced on the opportunity to visit them.  Not stay with them, mind you -- just be in London for a couple of weeks while they were there. We would hang out with the Smiths, whom we don't see nearly often enough, and we would work our way through a wish list of Places-to-See, and Things-to-Do.  Although we have been to this most interesting of cities many times in the past, there was so much more to explore.  That we would have the opportunity to see long-time friends at the same time was a huge bonus.
  
We were fully prepared to find our own accommodation and were already checking airbnb when the Smiths announced that they were renting a very conveniently located apartment with a small second bedroom. And we were welcome to stay with them!  Yes, yes, yes!

Living on Gloucester Terrace I felt like a fugitive from Downton Abbey. 

On the very top floor of the elegant four story Gloucester Terrace town house, the tiny guest room  awaited.  Our view was of Paddington Station and its busy rail yard, and at night it still hummed with activity. The clackclackclack of midnight train traffic lulled us to sleep.  It was as if we were travelling north to Edinburgh (a fantasy--no trains leave for Scotland from Paddington) every time we crept into our little bedroom berth. 
    

The train yard by day--our bedroom outlook.

Our perfect, compact bedroom came with a pleasant train-yard soundtrack. 

The Gloucester Terrace flat had an industrial-style kitchen.

Living on Gloucester Terrace with the Smiths created the delightful illusion that we were part of the neighbourhood. We took double-decker buses into town or went over to the Royal Oak tube station to go by subway.  We walked on the high street, enjoyed the gardens, shopped at Waitrose and at Marks and Spencers', and carried our purchases home and schlepped them up the 55 stairs to the flat because there was no lift.  No problem: tourists want elevators, but we had no need.  We were local.

Mews housing in the neighbourhood--so pretty!

St. Paul's ahead! Our view from the front seat....  

A lifetime is not nearly long enough in which to see all that London has to offer, but at least we made a start at filling the gaps in our London Experience.  And while we were about it, the accommodation and the company couldn't be beat.

Did I mention we stayed in a very nice neighbourhood?