I can't believe we leave in 1-1/2 weeks! Not enough time to do everything.

Today I went to the Foundling Museum located in Brunswick Square. Thank goodness for good souls like Thomas Coram, a retired shipbuilder who was horrified by the plight of young children who were being abandoned on the streets of London. He spent almost twenty years in the first half of the eighteenth century raising money to establish a foundling hospital to house babies. It was approved in 1739, and was opened in 1741, with the support of William Hogarth and George Frideric Handel. It was actually the first public art museum in the country because Hogarth encouraged other artists to donate their artwork. And Handel held annual performances of the Messiah in the hospital's chapel to help raise funds.

On display were record books with entries for the children admitted (with new names assigned), the schedule, meals, photographs and very touching mementos that mothers had left with their babies (and which the babies never received). Only babies under the age of one year were admitted and there was only room enough for about one-third of the applicants. You really got the sense of how difficult life was for many people and how desperate they were.

Upstairs was a collection of paintings by Hogarth, Gainsborough, Reynolds, and other lesser known artists. And the top floor was dedicated to Handel. In the basement was a special exhibition on Handel at the Crystal Palace, and the commemorative concerts held there.

Then I had to rush to the British Library to meet Gord who had been working there all day. We went in to see their wonderful collection of "treasures": illuminated manuscripts, bibles (Gutenberg included), Magna Carta, Beatles' songs, letters from Jane Austen to her sister Cassandra, scores by Beethoven, Handel, and Mozart, and so much more. I also had to revisit the very cool Patrick Hughes painting in their basement (by the coat check).

From there we walked and walked, down to Oxford Street and pretty much the length of that street, stopping into three music stores (Gord later found the CD he wanted online) and the Primark--the sweater (that I saw when we stopped in with Carole but I couldn't buy because they were closing) was sold out. It was going to be a gift, but not anymore.

I wondered why my legs were so tired, but realized that I had been walking (or standing) for seven hours straight. How am I going to be able to continue this exercise when I get back? It's going to be a challenge I think.