V&A and Ismaili Centre, Cromwell Road

"The snow goose need not bathe to make itself white. Neither need you do anything but be yourself."
Lao Tzu
Exciting day today, we travelled to London last night for a few days stay, K2 is in the country for a family gathering with R. Our hotel is overlooking Finsbury Park and close to tube stations so getting into the centre for our 10.30a.m. slot at the Natural History Museum is straightforward – until we find the tube isn’t stopping at South Kensington so we have a longer walk. We’re still in plenty of time and I didn’t have breakfast, so first stop is at The Kensington Creperie, delicious. Incoming from K2 warns of long queues at the museum, so we don’t hang about as our tickets are timed. Even with a slight delay by staff to check our tickets (no walk-ups today), which we don’t have of course because K2 has them and she’s already inside (having breakfast, must be in the genes), we still managed to blag our way in – must be the grey hair – and arrive spot on time for a big hug before going in. The exhibition is up to its usual high standard of course, and the quality photography from the youngsters is just astounding.
Time to unwind over a shared tapas lunch nearby before R heads off to the football and I head off for meditation time at the Hyde Park Chape - they still let me in, must have had the place exorcised since my last visit. Joining K1 and K2 at the V&A later, I’d seen the Beatrix Potter (Drawn To Nature) exhibition advertised on the tube this morning, so I managed to convince K2 to join me in overindulging my Inner Child. It was everything I’d hoped it would be, the artwork is inspirational.
A short haul across the city to Covent Garden for dinner, R joined us again for another shared meal to cheer him up after Chelsea only managed a draw. Tonight there’s yet another treat, we’re off to the theatre to see Dear Evan Hansen. For a grey haired old wrinkly like me there’s a lot of cringing as I remember what it was like to be like the characters on stage – all of them to different degrees. Nobody gives you a manual on how this Life thing works, just get on with it and see what happens. But that’s the beauty of it, knowing I’m not the only one to experience this and truth be told, we’re all in the same boat, winging it and trying to work out what’s going on.
Sad the day had to end, been such a joy to recapture some of the pleasure of the company of the youngsters, the parting on the platform at Finsbury Park was nothing like Brief Encounter (as reprised by The History Boys) but it was a day full of pleasures.