A bright and sunny day and there were sculls - that is to say rowing boats rowed with two oars to the rower - out on the Thames. One for the ladies and one for the gentlemen. Each with their motorised floating minder, rather than the minders of my childhood cycling along the towpath with scarves, tweeds and megaphones.
Maids of Honour cakes were still missing from the Tilt Yard café, but one of the people working there (from mainland Europe) took the time to explain that all the cakes were now being sourced from a cake factory, with none being made on the premises, and Maids of Honour had been dropped. Maybe they do not keep well. Maybe they were too expensive. But I rather liked them and am sorry that they have gone, I suspect for good. Those snapped above were the best that Google turned up, with most of his offerings being fancier versions.
Out in the gardens, lots of crocuses and some daffodils. Winter aconites more or less finished. But it was plenty warm enough to sit in the south & sun facing bench provided under the north wall, just to the west of the north end of the north canal. A canal which, on this occasion, included a heron, although we did not spot any fish.
Picnic done, we moved into the new garden on the eastern side of the north canal, a garden once known as the apprentices' garden and slightly awkward of access, so not much used. A garden which can be seen behind the fence behind the heritage hut in the snap above. A hut which looked to have been newly built on a heritage undercarriage; the sort of thing which can be bought at the better flower shows.
The spinach beet in the apprentices' garden. We got the impression that there was less vegetable gardening going on now than had been the case a few years ago. We vaguely recalled meeting ladies on gardening courses tending them.
Some of the splendid trees in the same garden. With the juniper in front showing none of the interior die back of our own much smaller specimen.
Out to inspect the long water where the gulls failed to perform on this occasion. As did the aeroplanes, with none coming into land at Heathrow while we were there, just a few taking off and heading out east.
A quick visit to the Cumberland Gallery to have another look at the picture noticed at reference 2 - a picture which we were unable to find. Fortunately a trusty was able to translate my rather incoherent description into a location, in a quite different part of the palace. And no sir, it had not been moved recently, being far too big to move about. So, as it turned out, it was not in the expected place and it was far bigger than I was expecting. Rather a bad memory, for a picture I thought I had taken some notice of.
On this occasion, it was interesting to see that Snyders was much more successful in capturing the appearance of some fruit - say the grapes - than others - say the asparagus.
All in all, a first class visit.
Reference 1: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2019/01/cold.html.
Reference 2: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2019/01/texture-nets.html.
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