Upon arrival stored our luggage and took the tube out to Hampstead Heath. My husband swam in the Men’s Pond on our last trip and I was determined to swim in the Ladies! Excellent way to counter jet lag! Quite a few ladies at the pond on a warm September Friday afternoon. No hesitation at the ladder as there were several ladies behind, so plunged right in the 62 degrees! Started to swim to the right to circle the pond and realized the protocol was to the left! Lovely afternoon wandering around the Heath. Love it there! Pint at Bull & Last before returning to Vancouver Studios. Enjoyed dinner at Granger in Notting Hill.
After breakfast at Gails the next morning headed to the Tate Britian to see Turner and Constable. Really beautiful. Had planned on the taking the Thames Uber to Borough Market but too crowded, we took the tube. Used the Dojo ap to put our names on the list for lunch at Padella. We were able to get counter seats with a very short wait. When we walked into Padella about 11:30 just a small crowd in the market. After lunch it was shoulder to shoulder! Walked down to the Globe for a totally enjoyable afternoon production of Comedy of Errors. Crossed the Millennial Bridge and walked to Liberty for a new tote bag! Then Fortnum and Mason for the Queens’ favorite biscuits (as Phil says). Next stop The Devonshire Pub. Had tried to make reservations to no avail before we left. Subsequently read they do walk ins on the rooftop terrace and we lucked out with a table! Totally enjoyed the evening up there! We had the scallops, pork chop, the duck fat fries, salad, sticky toffee pudding. Scrumptious!
The next morning, we headed to Gatwick and the Asturias airport. Lost an hour with the time change. Took the bus from the airport (cash only). Glad my husband had purchased some Euros before we left. We seemed to need cash more than expected on this trip. Was overwhelmed by the beauty of Asturias. We can’t wait to go back. Checked into Barcelo Oviedo Cervantes (very nice) and headed out to explore. First stop cider at La Finca. Learned not to pour our second glass- it’s all about the pour from above. Grilled seabass, veggies, croquetas for dinner at Tierra Astur (thumbs up!) and more cider of course. Loved the cider. Unlike what we have tasted at home. Breakfast at the Prida. We went here twice. Very friendly and in a great location for people watching! Bus to Santa Maria del Naranco. Spectacular views. Happened upon a concert in the cathedral- really special. Dinner at Nastura disappointing. Would try Alterna or La Corte de Pelayo instead next time! Loved Oviedo- the historic charm and the people were wonderful. Thank you to Mike from Bilbao and Maribel for recommendations!
High speed train to Madrid- 3 hours. Stayed at Eric Vokel in the Malasana. Near Plaza Espana. Convenient location as the train from Oviedo comes into Chamartín and the train to Valenica (our next stop) leaves from Chamartín. Nice walking from there in the evening hours at the Palace and Plaza Oriente. Highly recommend the English language tour at the Prado. Excellent! Beautiful fall walk in Retiro Park. We ate in the markets! Casa Dani at Mercado de la Paz and Marinero at Mercado San Anton were both favorites. Sorella Museum lovely for the art and also the home and the garden. We both enjoyed the Naval Museum-beautiful building and great history. Day trip to Toledo- wow! First stop was the El Greco painting in the church. We also loved the Victorio Macho Museum with a beautiful garden and views of the river. The Santa Cruz Museum was being remodeled- only a couple rooms open. Returned to Madrid and hiked up to the Temple Debod for the sunset. Quite a few people up there so must be a thing to do!