A mile is way longer than a kilometre

Highgate Cemetery, The Rossetti's

A boxer, Thomas and his dog, Lion

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Karl Marx

Highgate east

Crazy people in Camden

Lots going on today

Essential reading, Royal babies!

All is well in Londontown its another bright and sunny day. We are heading  north today to Highgate Cemetry, an old Victorian cemetery. The timing is perfect, we waltz in at 10:58am and they have two tickets left for the 11am tour, lucky us. This is the only way to get into the western cemetery.

The big reason for the tour is to see Lizzie Siddall’s grave. Lizzie was an artist, poet and model and married to DanteGabrielle Rosetti. One of the artists who had parties at the Red house we went to yesterday. Lizzie features in many pre-Raphaelite paintings, the one I Iike best is Ophelia. After her death Dante dug up her grave by the light of a bonfire right where we are standing.  Dante wanted to retrieve poems he had buried with her to publish.

The whole cemetery is like an overgrown jungle. We move on and see the Egyptian walk, crypts, catacombs you name it. One of my favorite stories is about the boxer Thomas Sayers, a fighter that was very popular and had a huge cortege for his funeral. His friends where also a bit rough and a big fight broke out when everyone could not be admitted into the cemetery for the burial. His dog Lion followed the hearse wearing a black ruffle collar.

Ok I am confused now, apparently a few years ago two wallabys where found in the cemetery and animal control had to be called in to catch them. The tour is done, now we go over to the East cemetery where we can wander about on our own. Its much more tranquil and well maintained here, first stop is Douglas Adams of Hitchhiker to the Galaxy fame. There are lines and lines of people pouring down the path that must be the way to Karl Marx. Yep, it is big and impressive. Karl Marx spent a lot of his life in London and is a pilgrimage for tourists and locals on this sunny day.

Quote from Karl Marx on tombstone:“The philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways. The point however is to change it.”

We are fading fast now, time for food. Its Sunday, so Sunday roast complete with Yorkshire Pudding is our choice for today. Revitalised we move on.

There is no point in being in London unless you can cram as much as possible into a day. We exit the underground and enter the madhouse that is Camden on the weekend, people, cars and dogs a stark contrast to the tranquility of Highgate. Time to launch into the mêlée and jostle for a spot to watch a barge exiting a lock. Its all very quaint and hundreds of people are enjoying the sunshine and spectacle. From here Jane has suggested we walk to Kings Cross. I am up for that, lets go.  Phew, how many miles is this, we trudge on along, in the sunshine along the tow paths it is amazingly quite away from the crowds. We even pass the famed Robbo / Banksy art site!

I am really fading and the sign says there is a mile to go but now Jane tells me there shops at Kings Cross and miraculously my energy comes back. We had a great day.