National Gallery/General Synod

Today, Christine decided to go down to Trafalgar Square. Before going into the National Gallery she admired the latest  occupant of the Fourth Plinth, the Gift Horse, a horse skeleton, by Hans Haacke, said to link in with the Stubbs painting in the Gallery. Around the front legs is a tickertape giving the latest Stock Exchange prices!

In the gallery, remembering another visit with Alice last year, Christine decided to join one of the guided tours. Again it was excellent; the  guide talked about four pictures, the first (1438-40) by Uccello illustrating the beginnings of understanding about the use of perspective, the second a Titian showing how the artist painted the story of Bacchus falling in love with Ariadne, using just the right point in the story (1520-3).

The third painting was by Caravaggio (1601) (photo), 'the Road to Emmaus', showing the use of hand guestures to  draw the viewer into the scene. The last painting, 'Lady Cockburn and her three sons' (1773) was a Reynolds which showed how the artist took what could be a very ordinary portraiture and transformed it into something dramatic and outstanding. it was inspired by a painting by Van Dyke, 16th century, 'Charity', which was rather more the sort of painting that Reynolds would have liked to do if he could have earned money by doing so!

After eating her packed lunch in the square and a little more time in the Gallery, Christine went over to  St Martins in the Field (Photo) for tea in the Crypt (Pot of tea £1.95!)

Afterwards she had a brief look in the small gallery where some of the wall monuments are now situated. One free standing monument is that of 'The original Pearly King', Henry Croft, erected 1930. 

Also interesting was the St Martin's Whipping Post, used for punishing for minor crimes - drunkenness, blasphemy, slander, also theft, bigamy, forgery, 'public dissent of the crown , government and Church of England' - of women and men 'until the body became bloody by reason of such whipping'! This was discontinued in 1791 for women and 1837 for men.

By now it was mid-afternoon. The sky was turning dark and it was feeling colder. Christine decided to get back to the boat, doing this just before the rain really started and the afternoon would become  a very wet evening.

Mike arrived back. We'd decided to go out for a meal for this last evening and Christine had investigated several possibilities. Given it was, to put it mildly, continuing decidedly wet, we opted to go to the nearest, Massis,a Lebanese restaurant, which we had visited several visits to London ago.

We had an excellent meal - friendly staff ready to advise about unfamiliar dishes. We really enjoyed the spicy flavours, all dishes very well cooked and presented. Afterwards we only had room to share a baklava, intensely sweet. It seems that our interest and curiosity was appreciated. The manager insisted we tried Moroccan mint tea made from fresh mint leaves. If we can get the right mint plant, Christine will make this at home. We will certainly go back and would very much recommend this establishment.