A cold, but fun day in Greenwich, March 25

It is still bitterly cold here.
Christine had to work today.  Ken, Mark and I took the train to Greenwich, where we met up with Pete, Ken's brother.

We started in the former naval hospital where we had a good tour of the Painted Hall which was a dining hall for old and disabled sailors for a while.  There was a cantankerous old man when the huge paintings by Thornhill were being done.  To keep him quiet and out of the way, they chose him to model for one of the people in it.  Then we went underneath the hall to a chapel where we were lucky to hear a five member choir rehearsing to a piece by Thomas Tallis.  It was beautiful.

  

Then, we went to the old, famous Trafalgar pub, on the Thames where Pete and Sue had their wedding reception.

Fortified, we then walked to the Queen's House where we saw lots of paintings and learned the history of the house which actually had a road though its middle.    We learned that the king, who I think was James 1, had to move his hunting dogs across the river due to their barking.  Hence, there is a section of London called the Isle of Dogs.

Then, we went to the Maritime Museum which was interesting, especially the maritime London exhibit.  The docks were the largest enclosed dock water in the world.

Then, we found a cafe, had some lattes to warm up and took the train home.