What a gorgeous weekend here.  Saturday was matinee day at the theaters.  We tried out “The 39 Steps” which is a comedic spoof of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 movie that was based upon a 1915 novel by John Buchan.  A very unusual and funny production of a Hitchcock mystery thriller and they even figured out a way to include the usual Hitchcock cameo appearance that he always made in his own productions.  Before that it was lunch at the Duke of York Plaza Saturday market.  Dinner at Patara, an outstanding Thai place on Beauchamp Place in Brompton.

Sunday saw us taking the train to Hampton Court Palace which is about 35 minutes outside of the center of London.  The building of Hampton Court was begun by the archbishop of York but taken over by Henry VIII in the early 16th century as one of his many homes.  It’s palatial construction has the fingerprints of numerous royals over the centuries as well as architect Christopher Wren.  And it would not be a royal homestead without fabulous gardens of which it has many.  We returned to Patara on Sunday night and will have to work on not embarrassing ourselves by easily returning there every evening.  It is really excellent.

At Hampton Court Palace there was a German speaking couple and he was going to take her picture in front of one of the gardens.  A German speaking lady rushed over and the nature of the German conversation was revealed when she prepared to take a picture of the couple together.  And just before taking the picture she said to them…”say cheese.”  Ah yes, English.  Still the number one language around the world.