London - Free Afternoon and Dinner at Rules - 6/25/2013

After lunch, the group separated for a free afternoon. Yesterday, the girls had high tea at the top of the National Portrait Gallery. It was convenient to where we were located, so Anne and I decided to go get some more culture and pay this museum a visit. We both hate to waste any time napping on vacation. Besides, entry to this museum was at the right price - free. As the name implies, the National Portrait Gallery is strictly dedicated to portraits. It houses a collection of portraits of famous British people as well as special exhibits. "It was the first portrait gallery in the world when it opened in 1856." Their pamphlet says that "sitters range from William Shakespeare through to Amy Winehouse", but we didn't see either of these. We did, however, see the BP Portrait Award 2013 exhibit that showcases new portrait artists from around the world. BP had enough money left over from cleaning up the USA Gulf Coast to sponsor this exhibit - a lot less costly and good public relations. Exhibited were some pretty cool paintings by some very talented young artists.
We also went next door to visit the National Gallery, but didn't linger long. Both galleries are located adjacent to Trafalgar Square. Since the weather was perfect, we walked across the street and hung out in the square for a while. The name commemorates the Battle of Trafalger, a critical British victory over France during the Napoleonic wars. In the center of the square sits a 170 foot column with a statue of Admiral Horatio Nelson, the Trafalger hero who was also killed in this battle. Good people watching since this is one of the main tourist attractions of central London.
There are a number of Plinths (concrete statue bases) surrounding the square. Most have statues of famous and little know historical figures; however, there is one, until 1998, that was empty. Known as the "Fourth Plinth" it has been used since that time to show a series of specially commissioned artworks. "The scheme was initiated by the Royal Society of Arts and continued by a Fourth Plinth Commission, appointed by the Mayor of London. I don't recall what was there on this day, but the artworks have often been controversial. Less than a month after we were to leave London, a headline on July 25, 2013, in the London news paper, The Guardian, would read, "Big Blue Cock Erected on Fourth Plinth in London's Trafalgar Square." Those Londoners have a special talent for a well-crafted tabloid headline. The accompanying article by Charlotte Higgins states, "There is simply no other way of putting it, and nor would earthy British wit have it any other way. A giant bright-blue cock - its feathers proudly upstanding, its coxcomb as still as a pennant in the breeze - has been erected in Trafalgar Square, London, and no double entendre is too good for it." She goes on "Gleefully feminist, the work pokes amiable fun at the vainglorious statues of men (Nelson, George IV, and generals Havelock and Napier) that surround it in this most imperial of British public spaces." A giant blue rooster sharing the square with all those generals - they must be rolling over in their graves. The artist, Katharina Fritsch, is German. Like the pigeons on the statue of Churchill, this German and another bird served some irony to London.
 Back to June 26th, we have already filled one day with more than enough activity and we still have dinner at Rules tonight.
Rules

"In the year Napoleon opened his campaign in Egypt, Thomas Rule promised his despairing family that he would say goodbye to his wayward past and settle down." I can sympathize with that. He opened an oyster bar in Covent Garden. Mr. Rule's family considered him a loser, but to their surprise, the restaurant was successful. "Rules still flourishes, the oldest restaurant in London and one of the most celebrated in the world. In all its 200 years, spanning the reigns of nine monarchs, it has been owned by only three families." Manuel, our host, has outdone himself. Manuel, Jane, Ken, Wanda, Marilyn, Julie, Anne, and I were seated in a private dining room on the third floor and settled down for drinks and the dinner we had all been looking forward to. "Throughout its long history the tables of Rules have been crowded with writers, artists, lawyers, journalists, and actors. As well as being frequented by great literary talents - including Charles Dickens, William Makepeace Thakeray, John Galsworthy and H.G. Wells." Now here we are, college friends and soon to be unknown historical figures, basking in the same atmosphere as those great talents who have come before us. The menu was preselected for us. Check  this out:
Wine: White - Meursault, "Grand Charrons" Domaine Michelot (Burgundy) 2008
Red - Reserve de Leoville Barton, St. Julien (Bordeaux) 2004
Menu: Appetizer -Uig Lodge Smoked Salmon
Main Course: Roast Rib of Aberdeenshire Beef (on the bone) with Roast Potatoes, Roast Shallots, Chantenay Carrots & Yorkshire Pudding
Dessert: Warm Chocolate Fondant with Vanilla Ice Cream
Coffee and Chocolates

The dashing Don Diego de la Vega

Can vacation get any better than this! Our wait staff came out headed by Mohammad (I think that was his name - there are many Arabs in London). We started with drinks and a few toasts dedicated to doctor Julie, a recently crowned Ph.D. There was also no forgetting our benefactor in this endeavor, the dashing Don Diego de la Vega (Manuel), even though he issued a false threat to feed us kidney pie. I am not authorized to bestow knighthood, but he definitely deserves an elevated persona. Every one of these trips gets better than the last. The room was packed with memorabilia from the restaurant's long history which occupied our curiosity until Mohammad walked out with a large tray containing the half cow they planned on serving us for dinner. He wanted to show us how good it looked before the staff portioned it our for our dining pleasure. In the meantime we ate salmon and drank plenty of wine. The main course came out and the plate was filled with an over abundance of traditional English food. Very good but too much to eat. I, for one, was determined to eat most of it. However, I've got to save room for that "Warm Chocolate Fondant." Damn, that was good.
All things must come to an end. Don Diego, Jane, Julie, and Marilyn decided to go back to the flat. Ken, Wanda, Anne, and I decided to linger a while longer. The tube station was close to the Millennium Bridge. We walked to the middle of the bridge for a panoramic view of London at night. It was a fitting end to another fantastic day.