Week off, day one... not quite according to plan

 I intended to visit Hampton Court today, mainly to see the wildflowers  on the walk up to the Palace entrance... 

I checked the opening times, I checked the train times.  

view across the river walking from the statio.

Got to the gate.  a security guard and a HC steward standing there... you can't come in, the Palace is closed today and tomorrow....HUH? 

the security guy did let me in as far as the start of the wildflower bed, but not any further...

the vans and things in the background are presumably to do with the preparation for the Hampton Court Flower show (or whatever they call it these days)  which starts in 3 weeks time.  

Have checked the website again now I am home, and until end of July it's only opened from Weds to Sundays.... hey ho.  hindsight!  

I did walk a little way alongside the path towards where the entrance to the flower show is, to see from the side.

I may go back later this week, I may not...!!

so, Plan B came into being... back at the station about 20 minutes after I'd arrived (just missing a train in the process!)

This was always my plan for after Hampton Court today, just not as soon as it happened!

I got various trains to somewhere I've meant to go for a long time...

it involved walking past here 

the Royal Hospital Chelsea, home of the famous Chelsea Pensioners (and location of the Chelsea Flower Show)

to here.  

it was very pretty.  I'd just missed the start of a guided tour so I just wandered on my own

I took some photos of some of the signs so you can read a bit about it, (hopefully)

it's divided up into different sections (I wasn't close enough to the tour to hear anything useful) 

and there were lots of sprinklers going, watering the beds.... which kept changing direction

I got caught in the spray whilst taking photos about 3 times... getting to be a habit!

in the centre of the main path is a statue of Sir Hans Sloane, after whom Sloane Square is named

this is him

and blogger has reversed the last dozen  photos.  hey ho.

the agapanthas are further along that at Kew

pretty ponds here and there 

this was gorgeous, kept taking it from different angles!

this was one that got me!

I had to reverse and go the other way as it was too low to get under

I noticed a lady looking at the railings running along the boundary at the end of a path so went and nosed as well. 

looking along at the statue

tucked in a corner 

was a fernery  in a cool greenhouse

I should have changed lens again, sorry! 

as I continued my way I was going to sit and have a rest.... but this sign stopped me!

it was very pretty lichen!!

oops, cut the edge of this one too

then I came across a bed of poppies... 

Sloane again! 

by the side of the path  that the statue is in the centre of, is a bigger pond

some longer beds radiate off the path 

more poppies

fabulous light through the petals   ( it was gone mid-day when I arrived at the garden)

water drops... 

I came across another little area with some statues 

just as I was leaving  I noticed a small greenhouse by the cafe -  it was full of cacti and one was flowering

that was a nice way to spend an hour and a bit...

I headed out and back towards the tube station, intending for my next destination

but instead found a bus going where  I wanted...

South Kensington for the museums!

I was only going for the Victoria and Albert today, as I'd heard about a new photography section.

the newish (not so new any more) modern entrane to the V&A

I picked up a map but I always get lost anyway, and I didn't take my reading glasses so it wasn't much good!  

before I found the stairs to the bit I wanted, I went outside into the garden area 

where various children were ignoring the signs that say don't swim in the water, and other older boys (young teenage I reckon)  were ignoring the signs that said don't blog the water jets 

I looked a the stall selling refreshments but there was nothing I fancied, and no seats in the shade so ate a pack of crisps I had with me and drank some of my water...

before heading inside and a quick whizz round bits..

few random photos, I was getting hot and tired and not really in the mood.

these tiles were nice, in a stair well 

down on the ground floor by the main entrance (I had deliberately headed for the main entrance to leave by, rather than the way i'd come in....)

to see the Chihuly piece hanging in the atrium

it looked as if it could do with a good dusting, but I guess it's a bit tricky to organise that!  

it's a really beautiful building

inside 

and out 

I headed down the road past the Natural History museum, which was surrounded by boarding and workmen working on a new outside area ; so it wasn't easy to gt a decent shot.

I can never find my way back to the tube station so walked down to the end of the road by Hyde Park (contemplated walking through it but decided I'd had enough

and got a bus back to Victoria for my train home

this was taken from the bus as it paused in traffic, at the Wellington Arch (where the late Queen's coffin was transferred from the gun carriage to the  car to take her to Windsor last September to be buried)

I had a bit of a wait for a train, but to be honest it was nice to just sit!! 

last photo from my phone out of the train window as we went past the old Battersea Power Station (think Pink Floyd album cover) and to the right the new glass fronted very expensive flats that have been built - I was a bit far away but the train picked up speed and I couldn't get another shot.

Hope you enjoyed my mish-mash of a day out, not really what I intended, but it was fun!  

Thanks for looking.   

I think I'm having  a day at home tomorrow (meant to rain, and I am knackered!)