Royal Hospital Chelsea

One of the treasures of my neighborhood of Chelsea, is the Royal Hospital Chelsea which is only a couple minutes walk from my house. Built in the late 17th century under the direction of Charles II, its architect is the infamous Sir Christopher Wren, who built 54 London churches and other significant buildings including St.Paul's Cathedral.

Situated over 66 acres and adjacent to the Embankment of the Thames River, 

the grounds are a delightful place to stroll

and also the location of the annual Chelsea Flower Show every spring.

Charles II had the Royal Hospital Chelsea built as a home for soldiers who were unfit for duty due to old age or injury. It still exists today 300 years later as a home for retired soldiers who meet certain requirements.

To be a Chelsea Pensioner, upon entry, one must surrender their Army pension, and in exchange they are provided with lodging, uniforms, food, and medical care for their lifetime.

Not a "hospital" in the strictest terms, but a place of "hospitality," the pensioners in scarlet must  be free from obligation to support a wife or children, and normally be 65 years of age.

They are organized into three companies, each under the care of a Captain, and still adhere to a semblance of military order. Each Sunday morning, representatives gather for the Governor's Parade immediately preceding worship services in the Chapel.

It's a moving and fascinating parade, which you won't quickly forget.

Each pensioner is given a 9x9 foot berth as their home,

which is just enough room for a few personal things, including some storage, TV,

bed and desk. Meals are taken together as a group several times a day.

They also have their own pub and recreational area.

Because my friends and I enjoy their company so much, we went for a visit one rainy day, when we lucked into meeting up with Paddy Fox, a real "charmer" at the young age of 78, who delighted us with stories of his home country of Ireland and life as a pensioner. Having been at the Royal Hospital since 2001, he has served 35 years in the cavalry.

Paddy must have taken a liking to us too, because he took us into his apartment and tried on his scarlet coat for us to see. With extra responsibilities at the Hospital, he lives in one of the larger apartments that are available for a few lucky guys.

We also toured the beautiful chapel which was consecrated in 1691,

gazed at the magnificent painting of the Resurrection by Sebastiano Ricci,

listened to the incredible organ

and visited with one of the handful of women pensioners who was happy to tell us all about the chapel. It was only in March of 2009 that any women were allowed to become pensioners. It's been very amusing to me to visit with the pensioners while I've lived there, both before and after women were admitted, to hear of their reluctance to accept women at first, and their eventual "warming up" to the idea. How would you like to be one of the 2 or 3 women living with over 300 eligible bachelors??

If you are ever in the area on a Sunday morning, I encourage you to attend services there in the chapel. They have an amazing professional choir whose voices are angelic, you will mix and meet with the locals in the area, as well as the pensioners, and if you're lucky like we were last year, you might see Margaret Thatcher, because this is her home church when she feels up to coming.

A few parting glimpses, this is the Great Hall where the pensioners take their meals

and here's the hallway of one of the wards where they live. One of the directors allowed us a quick peek. You can see that their distinguished uniforms hang on the outside of their doors.

You will also find quite a few modernized modes of transportation--scooters lined up along the hallways.

It's been one of the true serendipities of living in this neighborhood to encounter these charming gentlemen on the streets as they make their way to the stores and to do a bit of shopping. They seem to cherish every moment you spend talking with them, and they never fail to delight you with their stories and their generosity with hugs.

May their roads be filled with gratitude for the service and sacrifices they have made for their country. 

I salute them!

Where are the Signs Pointing You?

So, at the dawn of this new year, what signs are guiding you along your way? Do you have clear directions for the year ahead?

I thought it might be fun to share with you some of the signs I've noticed out and about in London. 

Of course, we all appreciate any extra help we can get crossing the road, when traffic flows opposite from what we are used to in the US.

And if you're walking down a corridor, you should definitely walk like they drive:  on the left side!

And to survive in London, here's the one sign you will depend on every single day--the Tube Map, helping you get from here to there.

I've noticed the British, in their very polite way, always respectfully make requests,

and even make fun suggestions about how to behave while socializing outside a pub.

Always polite, even when mentioning something distasteful!

Here are a few fun ones I've laughed at along the way: Get Your Butties Here,

and this reminder I've shared with you before about priorities.

Sometimes signs can be found in unusual places,

or offering amenities on a cold winter day.

Street signs can leave you wondering,

like this one in my neighborhood. Just who and what is St. Loo--I can only surmise, because I find nothing about its origin online.

But if there really was a Saint of Loos, I'm sure he would be the one passing out these Loo of the Year Awards.

And along that same vein, watch out for slippery walls if you decide to try and climb in without invitation to this toilet.

Warning signs abound throughout London and surrounding areas--watch out for those pedestrians,

tractors

and the old bags!

And be especially careful about those free range children running loose!

Some signs are a bit more ominous--enter "dead" slow, to drive home the point!

And I've always found this sign not far from our home a bit ironic if you think about it!

Sad to say, we see these signs fairly regularly at tube stops. Disturbing, don't you agree?

Now I certainly don't want to close on such a depressing thought, so consider this deep and philosophical question as you are reflecting on the new year and making your resolutions.

What if the Hokey Cokey really IS what it's all about?

Yes, my American friends, you always thought is was the Hokey Pokey, but here in England, it's really the Hokey Cokey, mind you! 

Now put your right foot in and your right foot out!

An Untraditional Big Apple Christmas

We were in New York City last week for a few days, and since this was not the first time I'd seen

NYC all decked out in its Christmas finery, we took a few detours to see some places one doesn't usually go on a trip to the Big Apple in December.

We loved the food vendors all lit up for the holidays,

and the whiff of chestnuts roasting on their fires.

Instead of a Broadway play, we headed to Ellen's Stardust Diner on Broadway at 51st Street.

A retro 50's diner, the singing waitstaff puts on incredible shows each evening and you'll be thoroughly entertained

by some of these talented young people who are all aspiring to get on Broadway.

We headed to SoHo on one afternoon, stopping first at the infamous John's Pizzeria on Bleecker Street, known for its brick oven thin crust pizza. Originally opened in 1929,

the pizza is listed in the North American edition of 1000 Places to See Before You Die, and the Food Network featured it in their "Best Of" series. Look it up the next time you're in town--you might even spot a celebrity or two dining there.

Just down the street, we spotted Molly's Cupcakes, which my niece identified as the winner of the TV show Season 1 Cupcake Wars.

Of course, Megan, my niece and I had to try them out, and I tell you, it was one of the moistest cupcakes I've ever tasted. The place is cute as a bug inside too, with a welcoming decor, and swing seats at the coffee bar and board games sitting around, encouraging you to take your time and stay awhile. So unlike my experience at the more famous Magnolia Bakery, which is a bit overhyped.

One of their award winning cupcakes is the Peach Cobbler Cupcake. Along with that, there was a  huge selection to choose from, and what did I select? It was a "back to basics" day for me, and I chose the simple chocolate cake with white icing, which they iced while I waited--offering "with sprinkles or not." Probably the best cupcake I've had in a long time!

Of course, you might prefer to try the cupcakes from this street vendor, but I bet you can't beat Molly's!

Chicagoans--the original Molly's is in your hometown!

Still exploring SoHo, we found Treasure & Bond, a unique charitable concept store, that had recently opened.

Believe it or not, its parent company is Nordstroms, which has yet to open a store in the Manhattan area. Instead they have opened this unique and interesting store, all whose proceeds benefit children's charities. Many think they are testing the market to see just how New Yorkers shop, before coming in with a full size department store.

With housewares, accessories, gifts

jewelry and clothing to choose from, the store is off and running.

Next on our list was MarieBelle's

which is known for its divine range of chocolates and hot chocolate,

and I fell in love with its interior and product selection. So, so tempting--why did I fill up on pizza and cupcakes before finding you??

Lucky for me on this trip, I had the chance to see the Elizabeth Taylor collection of jewels, clothing, accessories, art and memorabilia that was displayed to the public before being auctioned by Christie's.

Although photos were not really allowed, I grabbed one quick snap of a few of her dresses, before heading off to see the amazing jewel collection she had collected through the years--many of them gifts form Richard Burton, Mike Todd and even Michael Jackson.

Antique and the Arts Online

Definitely, the most beautiful "decorations" I saw this Christmas season, the jewels were amazing. The first day of the auction, the 50 carat "La Peregrina" pearl necklace, a gift from Richard Burton, sold for $11.8 million dollars.

Whew!

I put a few of the "baubles" on my Christmas list this year, so let's see what I find in my stocking!

Then it was off to Bergdorf Goodman's with its elaborate window displays and quirky trees, 

where I headed to their Christmas department and found this whimsical Marie Antoinette, as I named her, and wondered if the only one way to get her home would be to buy her an extra seat on the plane next to me!

Then for the most untraditional part of all my Christmas exploring in NY--the Lady Gaga Workshop in Barney's Department Store on the 5th floor.

Deemed a "reinterpretation" of Santa's workshop, the 5th floor of the iconic and elegant Barney's New York store on Madison Avenue has been transformed. 

With a range of special edition items to select from for your Christmas shopping, would you choose the Lady Gaga stockings,

"chocolate shoes,"

decorated cookies `a la Gaga,

her own interpretation of a snow globe,

magnetic doll dress up set,

or this one-of-a-kind skull ornament for your tree?

There's something for all her "little monsters," and the upside of this bizarre, but wildly popular Workshop is that 25% of the sales will go to her newly created anti-bullying Born That Way foundation.

Not your typical New York City tour of Christmas decor, but I hope it was a fun peek into the city in December, nevertheless.

And now it's time to wish all of you the merriest Christmas, full of joy, and to express my gratitude for all your gifts and expressions of love all year long.

May your new year be blessed.