{"id":6992,"date":"2004-11-16T16:29:31","date_gmt":"2004-11-16T23:29:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/2004\/11\/16\/travelogue-2-3.html"},"modified":"2004-11-16T16:29:31","modified_gmt":"2004-11-16T23:29:31","slug":"travelogue_2_3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2004\/11\/16\/travelogue_2_3.html","title":{"rendered":"Travelogue #2"},"content":{"rendered":"

Meetings in the morning at the Reading office — picked up by a nice Mercedes sedan to get there — and then in the afternoon at our London office (trip to the rail station in my staffer’s somewhat less luxurious Citroen). Then touring about on my own, eating dinner, and returning to the hotel. Random notes …<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. I am not a railway traveller. Never have been. I remember my dad taking the train to commute to\/from Menlo Park when I was a wee lad, and I think we rode it once or twice in that context, but that’s it. Oh, and I’ve taken the airport train from Gatwick to Vic Station.\n

    So it’s a good thing Hans was with me buying my rail pass, otherwise I would have spent twice as much for something that went half as far. As it was, for GBP 14.70 or so, I got a non-peak hours rail pass (Reading to Paddington<\/a> and back), and unlimited Tube access. And I used both.<\/p>\n

  2. The London office is just north of Fleet Street, tucked into some quiet office space between major thoroughfares. That left me with plenty of options when I was wrapped up with my meetings at about 3.<\/p>\n
  3. Can’t swing a dead cat without seeing big posters pushing for London to be chosen for the Olympics in 2012<\/a>. Indeed, the organizers delivered the proposal to the IOC today (according to innumerable news reports and newspaper headlines). According to the local touts, London’s bid is the second-most likely to be chosen (behind Paris, but well ahead of Madrid, New York, and Moscow).<\/p>\n
  4. I decided to go down to the National Gallery<\/a>, as I’d not been there before. And it turned out to be a nice way to pass a few hours of the afternoon.<\/p>\n

    First off, I was way overdressed. Sports jacket, plus overcoat, plus hat. Sling a big heavy briefcase over my shoulder, and it made for some nice calorie-burning exercise. Fortunately, they had a coat room at the National Gallery, so I could divest myself of most of it. I arrived at Trafalgar Square<\/a>, took some pictures, and went in.<\/p>\n

    The National Gallary holds part of the British National Collection, particularly the Western European stuff (though most of the British stuff is at the Tate Britain).<\/p>\n

    \"raphael_st-catherine.jpg\"At this point (and until January), they are running a very nice exhibition of art by Raphael<\/a>. Gorgeous stuff (and very heavy crowds, even on a Tuesday afternoon). <\/p>\n

    The rest of the gallery was much less crowded (and free, though a donation is recommended). Some highlights<\/a>:<\/p>\n