The goods news is that I've managed to visit twenty-one sites from my list of November 8. The bad news is that there are fifty-four places left on that list! (I admit that I added a few since the original list.)

So I'm officially removing the following: National Army Museum, Royal Hospital Chelsea, Oratory Catholic Church, Bethnal Green Museum of Children, Science Museum, Museum in Docklands, Kensal Green Cemetery, Florence Nightingale Museum, HMS Belfast, Museum of Garden History, Bramah Museum of Coffee and Tea, Royal Albert Hall tour, Winston Churchill's Britain at War Experience, Bank of England Museum, Dr. Johnson's House, St. Bartholomew-the-Great, Hunterian Museum, Museum and Library of the Order of St. John, Cartoon Museum, St. Pancras New Church, Theatre Museum, St. Margaret's Church, Westminster Cathedral (as opposed to the Abbey), Highgate Cemetery, Keats House, Vinopolis, Clowns Museum, Old Bailey, Sherlock Holmes Museum, The British Postal Museum & Archive.

That leaves twenty-four, but only nine days in which to do it. Still not looking possible. I'll just have to whittle it down some more. And I suppose I'll have to spend some time packing. . .

It took me an hour to get there by a combination of tube and bus, but I finally made it to the Geffrye Museum in Shoreditch this morning (and it was well worth it). Founded in 1714 by Sir Robert Geffrye, the museum buildings were originally almshouses for about fifty pensioners, each of whom lived in one room. Shoreditch became one of the most densely populated areas of London and in 1912 the pensioners were moved to a new location. The museum then opened in 1914, with a focus on furniture and woodwork. It evolved to its current focus on interiors and gardens of the urban middle classes from 1600 through the 1990s. There are about ten beautifully presented period rooms, taking you through the main living room/parlor/drawing room of a typical middle class family beginning in the early seventeenth century through to the present day. It was very well done. Unfortunately this was not the time of year to see the gardens. But there was a very nice special exhibition, Home and Garden Part 4 (1960-2004), of about 60 paintings of twentieth century urban interiors and gardens. It really was a very lovely museum, with a nice shop and what appeared to be a very nice little restaurant, as well as lots of special activities, talks, and workshops for adults, teenagers, children, and families. And what a bargain! Admission is free and the audio guide is only one pound. They also have a restored almshouse that is open about three times a month.

From there I went to Hyde Park Corner to Apsley House, the home of the first Duke of Wellington (and his successors). The house, designed by Robert Adam in the 1770s with additions by Benjamin Wyatt fifty years later, was pretty amazing, as was Wellington's illustrious military career, but I was most interested in the paintings by Goya, Rubens, Steen, Brueghel, Correggio, Lawrence, de Hooch, Velazquez, Maes, Tenniers, van Dyck, et al. The only unfortunate thing was that there were scores of schoolchildren visiting today and nobody seemed to have told them about good museum manners. The very informative audio guide was difficult to hear over the cacophony of voices. I went in the opposite direction to avoid one group only to come upon another group! But I got through it.

I then went across to the Wellington Arch and took some pictures from the top (not great ones, but that's okay). There were three levels inside, one with a history of the arch, another devoted to an exhibition on the nearby New Zealand War Memorial, and the last was an exhibition on the blue plaques.

I raced home to get ready for tonight's reception. The London-based parents of a freshman at Skidmore hosted a party for the Skidmore students who are studying in London (along with the Skidmore faculty and spouses). They very generously opened up their beautiful home to all of us and it was a lovely catered affair.

So I may steal an idea from a relative-in-law of Belle (who reads and sometimes comments on my blog). This relative lives in London and for Thanksgiving started an ABC list of things to be thankful for in this fair city. This was her list.

• Albacore tuna in cans for 99p at Whole Foods on Ken High Street.
• Borough Market
  
• Camden Passage Antique Markets
• Diana memorial in the summer
• Eaton Square
• and so on and so on.....

I'd love to do my own, if I can find the time. It may have to wait until I get home. Hmmm, something to do on the plane!