Looking

Up after a good night’s sleep and caught the tube up to Kings Cross and walked through the development behind the station to see the immersive David Hockney exhibition. We did the right thing arriving in the first slot as it was almost empty and we enjoyed the first run through of the programme with very few others. Moved to a different seat (with a backrest!) to watch it a second time through, by which time it was pretty busy. Some really interesting parts…I had no idea he’d done so many theatre and opera designs, and I liked his work with multiple photographs to try and capture a sense of time that’s normally missing in photos (extra).
From there we explored the shops, canalside and architecture around there…amazing to see gas holders converted to housing.
We took a bus to Tottenham Court Rd to see what we thought was another exhibition but was a rather naff video/interactive projected thing of butterflies. Decided to go to Spitalfields to get lunch and have a mooch (via the rather swish Elizabeth line) but the place we’d been recommended to go to (Sohaila) was closed on a Monday. Bit of frustrated wandering around trying to find something and ended up getting chips, spiced aubergine wraps and a cheese toastie from a couple of different food trucks in the covered market. We were ravenous!
We walked down from Spitalfields and discovered that the highest viewing platform in the city had just opened a few weeks ago at 22 Bishopsgate, so decided to go and have a look.
Incredible views right across the city and we arrived at a perfect time to see everything then watch (from a well placed chair with a very welcome cup of tea) as the dusk fell and lights transformed the scene. Everything was so lovely and new…helpful and friendly staff clearly delighted to be there, little cafe just as we needed a seat, lots of people watching to be done (we saw a proposal and A LOT of Instagram posing shots!), great loos and it was free to go up! Obviously, given I’m not good with heights, I stayed quite a way back from the glass but because it was a huge space I felt ok…K was glued to the windows delightedly spotting all sorts.
We came down the super fast lift and then went for a wander via Leadenhall Market (13th century) and across London Bridge (extra see the view back to the tower on the far left that we had been up) before catching the tube home and picking up some salad bits for supper.
We’d walked 8 miles today and so were happy to slump a bit and watch another episode of The Crown before bed.