London, December 14, 2017

On Thursday, a nice, sunny day, we headed to the National Gallery in the morning. A revelatory Degas exhibit was followed by visits to see great Old Master paintings from Leonardo and Rembrandt to Caravaggio and beyond. After an absolutely marvelous lunch at the café (featuring a true English Christmas pudding,) we saw 19th and 20th century works from Turner through Van Gogh. Then we took the underground to a far stop called Ravenswood Park on the Thames River. The houses date from the 18th and 19th centuries and we visited the William Morris Society, though his fragile house, next door, was closed until March. Thursday evening w attended a performance of Handel's masterpiece "Messiah," by the Hanover Band, using period instruments, at King's Place. - Dan