A day in Chelsea

Lovely breakfast at the YHA. I’m definitely staying there again. Easy tube to Pimlico and I meet my friend S, who has arrived from Chorley Wood, at the Tate. A long session in the nice peaceful cafe, catching up. Then we look at a few of the rooms of the permanent collection (both of us realise we always seem to visit for special exhibitions). It’s like looking at painters greatest hits:-) We see some wonderful works, mostly familiar but not all - we leave the Turner wing to last. Then walk along the Chelsea Embankment for about 30 minutes, gazing at the wonderful river views. The extra is of the not so secret Secret Intelligence Services building, Vauxhall bridge and then those famous, eye catching Nine Elms flats which are reputed to be mainly empty, having been bought as investments. We have a long and somewhat pessimistic discussion about how something so fundamentally necessary has become an investment opportunity. I don’t mind gold - nobody needs gold. But not housing.
Fortunately we then get to our destination, the Chelsea Physic garden, where we get a nice lunch, sitting outside in mild watery sunshine. Then we explore. The collage is a tiny fragment of the glorious things growing there - dahlia, pomegranate, calla lilies and blue angel trumpet. A thoroughly lovely day followed by an easy, on-time train back to Bristol. Portia had hardly noticed I was gone……