Gallery, gallery, gallery, cuppa, gallery, walk, walk

I just walked in the door after a very long, full day and I have to be up and out early tomorrow, so this post will be brief. My day, distilled down to the essential info, included:

• The Photographers' Gallery: Burden of Proof exhibition. Very interesting, often powerful, though the bit about the Shroud of Tourin could have been left out.

• Got take-away lunch from a place in Newman Street called Caffix, where everything they have on offer costs 1 pound. Got quinoa salad and curried lentils and chickpeas -- yummy. Ate sitting on a sunny bench in Soho Square.

• White Cube Gallery: exhibition of textile art, including quilts, embroidery, some carpets and a couple knitted pieces. A mixed bag.

• Walked up The Mall, saw the tacky Queen Mum memorial and the grave of Giro the German dog.

• National Portrait Gallery: Faces of Britain exhibition. Really well curated and well worth seeing.

• Tea and catching up with Barbara. Lovely time, as always.

• Wallace Collection: old masters, old furniture, old china, old armor. I liked the room with all the paintings of Venice.

• Roamed around, got two samosas in the foodhall at Selfridges, walked through Grosvenor Square (ugly American edifice) and Mount Street Gardens (a beautiful, peaceful spot with benches, palm trees and birds) and up to Cavendish Square.

• Guided walk: Sherlock Holmes in Marylebone with Jen as our guide. A very well-planned, interesting and amusing walk that kept us moving, pondering and deducing the entire time. 

• Beer with Jen and Malcolm and a few others who came on the walk.

• Bakerloo back to Queen's Park. Knackered. Good night.

Expenses:
£2 for lunch
£2.90 for samosas
£10 for Footprints of London walk
31,773 steps, 13.64 miles (I believe that's a personal best)