Afternoon in Trafalgar Square and The National Gallery

What wonderful weather I had on Wednesday afternoon when I made my way into London to frequent the painted halls of The National Gallery for a few hours. Just had to take a picture from the main portico entrance of Trafalgar Square - shows Nelson's Column and the new 2012 Olympic clock!

Trafalgar Square

The National Gallery is free to go in and you can leave your bags for free in the cloakroom too. The Gallery ask for a donation for your visit and also if you require a map - that was only a £1. Well worth it to make your way around.

I think I managed to see almost every gallery during my hours in there. I wanted to go and see some old favourites, as well as some new pictures that I never usually see. Being a Medievalist I enjoy the early paintings, but sometimes neglect to spend time in the 18th and 19th Century galleries.

Picked up some interesting facts when in there - such as the fact a "packet boat" was a mail boat.

Massy's "The Ugly Duchess"

Some of my favourite paintings I would recommend to go and see are not necessarily the Canaletto's, Stubb's, Reynold's, Gainsborough's or Monet's. I really liked a new painting by Askeli Gallen-Kallela, a Finnish painter of "Lake Ketele". Simple yet effective. I love any paintings/prints by Hogarth but one of my favourite paintings in the National Gallery though has to be the "Old Woman (Ugly Duchess)" by Quinten Massys (see Right). It's a 16th Century painting and brilliant! Goodness knows if it is based on a real person! If you are in the National Gallery itself, when I was there it was in Gallery B, but sometimes is in another room, so please ask the very helpful staff there.



There are 3 places to eat in the National, and I enjoyed a hot chocolate in the small Espresso Bar in the basement. The cakes there looked scrummy but I resisted! Prices start from £1.50 for tea, £1.75 for coffee and £2 for hot chocolate (Prices quoted on 23/03/2011). As you sit there on some very comfy seats you can access the Gallery information on computer screens dotted around the cafe. Such a great idea.

After the National Gallery I made my way to one of my favourite London pubs for a quick pint - The Harp in Chandos Place. Only a short walk from Trafalgar Square it has just won this year the CAMRA National Pub of the Year 2010/2011. A fabulous accolade for a tiny freehouse pub in the heart of London. Very unusual. Check out www.harpcoventgarden.com. I enjoyed a fine pint of Sambrook's Wandle beer (3.7%) when relaxing in there (£3.20 per pint on the day) - they are a London brewery. So many other tempting beers but had to go meet a friend.

Remember, if you are visiting London, a lot of the time you have no need for a tube ticket - the distance between Charing Cross and Trafalgar Square is a couple of minutes. You are minutes from the Embankment and river side, a short walk from the Houses of Parliament and also Covent Garden. If you have a map you can easily stroll to The British Museum too!