This morning I woke up at 6.30am this morning, which wasn't bad as I had gone to bed reasonably early. Despite weather forecasts of rain, the sky was completely clear and blue. I went out for a walk in Kensington Gardens and went to see what was happening with the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. There were workmen in the enclosure this morning cleaning it and there was a notice with opening hours from 10.00am - 6.00pm. The notice talks about being free to dip one's feet it the water (there was none there this morning - but it was not yet 10.00am), and various other 'dos and don'ts'. I walked on to the Albert memorial and back via Kensington Palace. It was cool but very pleasant for walking. I will investigate it tomorrow after 10.00am. After breakfast I set off on the organised tobacco hunt of today.
I don't think I had mentioned earlier in the Blog about a problem with my glasses that happened on the flight from Melbourne. For a while now, the glasses case hasn't shut properly and on the plane, somehow one of the arms got caught and bent back in my handbag. Although I had managed to straighten it a bit, the glasses had sat crooked on my nose since I arrived in Greece. This issue was becoming an increasing problem. Because they were so bent, every time I put them into the case, they were even more lop-sided when I put them back on. So this morning, I decided to set off to the tobacconists via Oxford Street and Regent Street rather than my usual Buckingham Palace, Westminster route, to see if I could find an optician.
I found a Vision Express at Oxford Circus and went in. I showed the man the problem and he said that they would try to bend them back, but there was a chance that they might break in the process. I noticed that the shop said that they could make up glasses in one hour, so I asked about the possibility of this if the frames did break. It seemed that I could have an eye-test and if my prescription was available on the site, I could indeed have new glasses in one hour. I started looking at frames and found a pair I really liked. It is ages since I've seen good frames in Australia as so any people have those tiny slit-like frames these days. These were perfect in every way - the right size, a good pale colour and 'my' shape. At this point, I decided to let them have a go at fixing mine. Within 5 minutes, they had completely put them right and gave me a splendid new case to put them in too. I asked how much it would cost and I was told that they had a charity box if I would like to make a donation. I put 2 pounds in ($5.00) as I was immensely relieved with the outcome, and left the shop.
I had only walked a few yards when I realised that I really would like the frames I had seen and I can always use an extra pair of reading glasses (to have one always downstairs for instance), so I went back. They took particulars and I was taken upstairs for the eye-test which would also provide me with a printout of my prescription to carry for future. It was much like in Australia except that the glaucoma test seemed to consist of puffing a little burst of air at my eye - not coming at me with an object which would touch my eye-ball. So, the long of the short of it is that I have just been down to pick up the new glasses which I am currently wearing. They are great and I'm pleased that I did it even though the whole exercise was probably more expensive than back home. It is hard to tell as frames vary so much in price.
While the glasses were being made up I proceeded down Regent Street and Shaftesbury Avenue to Smiths (a tobacconist) via Bar Italia, where I had an excellent cup of coffee. After visiting a second tobacconist, I then did my usual London walk in reverse, going via Westminster to Hyde Park, ending up at the entrance to Kensington Gardens opposite Lancaster Gate tube station. I briefly went back to the hotel to drop things off before setting off again to pick up the glasses (back at Oxford Circus!!).
The weather today has been brilliant - England at its absolute best. The sun has shone all day, although it hasn't been too hot and there was no wind, so walking was very pleasurable. I am now exhausted however, having walked over 30,000 steps today.
Tonight Eliot visited me at the hotel and, for convenience we stayed here for dinner. We had a really nice meal and he eventually returned back to where he stays in London during the week just after 9.00pm. It was good to have the chance to catch up with each other, particularly since he wasn't even aware that I was coming to the UK.
Tomorrow, I am on the move again. I pick up a car in the early afternoon and drive to Bath where I am staying with Judy and Ian for the night before heading off to Birkenhead to see Uncle Jack.
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