Its raining. The trains are late. I am sitting waiting for an Edgware train to get to Chalk Farm, but all the trains are going to High Barnett. I am reading a booklet on poems of the underground when a voice from the heavens announces, “ladies and gentlemen wishing to travel on the Edgware line please go to Camden Town and change”. Ah, so thats how I get there. I assume the security team had seen me sitting there whilst all the trains where going by and put an each way bet that I wanted to go to Edgeware. Lucky they did not say “hey, you dopey in the Banksy t-shirt - get on the next train or you will be waiting all day”.
The train whisks me away and I am here, amongst it all in Camden. Being Monday morning its not heaving with people and I can shop in peace and snap up all the goodies I wanted. Now its onwards to do my civic duty.
The city mapper app takes me directly to Australia House on the Strand. With all the other Aussies I run the gauntlet of pamphlet wavers and security team and I am in. I have wanted to check out the inside of this building for ages, but being Australian does not mean you are allowed in the Aussie Embassy. You have to be ‘doing business’ to be admitted. So thats why I decided to vote whilst here rather than before my trip. Fill out forms, wait in lines, get to my booth, now I can check it out. All marble and chandeliers, the stunning marble interior was used as Gringott's Wizarding Bank in the Harry Potter movies.
Righto, lets hot foot it up to Holborn station and get across to the Wallace Collection in time for the tour. The sun is now shining so time for a M&S sandwich and smoothie. There she is my partner in crime walking up the street. Time to go in and be amazed at all the art and collections. So beautiful set inside a mansion, my favourite bit has to be Madame de Pompadour portrait and bedroom furniture. Glad we did the tour and learnt all the funny and interesting stories about how the collection was built and the significance of different time periods and pieces. My non existent French history has now expanded!
P.S. The title is a quote from the British PM, Benjamin Disraeli entry in the visitors book of the Wallace Collection in the 19th century.
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