We are not shopping today for once but have postponed it till tomorrow which is a bank holiday. To start our day, we set out for the deli, only to find it…

The deli – closed

…closed! That was rather a surprise and we wonder what the reason is.

Exmouth Market

So we walked along Exmouth Market and…

Caffè Nero

…entered the branch of Caffè Nero there.

Strawberry Jam Croisants and coffee

For a change we had strawberry jam croissants with our coffee. They are definitely moreish!

Aboard the 63

Next we boarded a 63 bus. Buses are supposed to be on strike today but it appears that some at least are running. (In fact, we had no trouble catching buses throughout the day. If the strike is taking place, it isn’t obvious on the routes we travelled.)

Down by the Thames

Mudlarks under Blackfriars Bridge
Photo by Tigger

We left the bus at Blackfriars Bridge and walked east along the Thames, passing under the bridge where we saw mudlarks in action..

Bankside Gallery

We visited the Bankside Gallery which is a retail art outlet.

Art for sale

I don’t know how “affordable” the art is (I didn’t look at the prices) but we were not buying in any case, just looking.

The Tate Modern

We next visited the Tate Modern art gallery in its dramatic recycled building.

Entrance at the Turbine Hall

Entry is through the Turbine Hall which, as the name suggests, held the turbines when the building was a power station (designed by Gilbert Scott).

Inside the Turbine Hall

We entered this huge space which is bigger, I think, than most cathedrals.

Projected art

We went into a gallery called The Tanks where all the exhibits were projections. I captured this snippet to give you an idea.

A view from the 4th floor

Seen from the fourth floor, the turbine hall looks even bigger than it does at ground level.

Collaborative art project

At the far end is a interactive art project in which the public can take part. It’s by Yayoi Kusama and is entitled The Obliteration Room.

You are probably expecting some photos of art works so I include a few below. As a sceptic where modern art is concerned, I couldn’t be bothered to hunt down the labels. If you want details, you’ll probably find them on the Tate Modern website.

Random artworks

I did what I usually do in an art gallery which is to let my eyes scan over the artworks until something grabs my attention (if it does). On this occasion, nothing did. To my mind,, it was a very dull and uninteresting slew of meaningless lumps of material. I had difficulty believing that someone had spent time and effort putting these constructs together.

Hopton’s Almshouses

We started for home, passing by the Grade II* listed Hopton’s Almshouses.

Bus stop on Blackfriars Bridge

We hurried to the bus stop on Blackfriars Bridge and just missed a bus. Fortunately, it wasn’t ling before a 63 turned up.

King’s Cross Station

The 63 carried us to King’s Cross Station where we changed to a 73.

Aboard the 73

The 73 brought us nearly to Chapel Market where we hoped to have lunch at Cafe Sizzles, one of our favourites. Unfortunately, it was closed.

Chapel Cafe

Instead, we went to the Chapel Cafe. The food was OK but the service was rather slow, for which they apologised. Whether or not we go there again remains to be seen.