Greenwich Part I
I’ve preemptively named this post Greenwich Part I as I am excited to go back and explore more of this borough of London. It’s located southeast of the city, just off of this cute tourist map I grabbed from the Accor hotel’s website.
I should note, it’s pronounced grehn-ich.
Why Greenwich
First I will start with why after 1.5 years of living in London I finally made my way out to Greenwich.
Do you have any really specific hobbies or interests?
One of my obsessions is an early Renaissance painter and friar known as Fra Angelico, specifically his paintings of The Annunciation. While at The Holy Art gallery a few weeks ago, there were few people I spoke with that I felt understood my art, and there was only one who asked if one of my paintings was based on a Fra Angelico.
At the fair we also spoke about my other painting The Ambassadors x Heavenly Bodies which features two women rather than the men depicted in the original. She had recently written a post on her blog discussing the historical lack of representation of women in diplomatic positions.
This was a very interesting overlap of very specific interests, so we decided to stay in touch.
So, Saturday I went to visit Alice and her partner in Greenwich and I had such a wonderful time!
Saturday’s Agenda
Getting to Greenwich
The commute is just under an hour from my flat. I took the District Line to Monument, walked underground to Bank and took the DLR to Cutty Sark, which I learned upon stepping out into the town is the historic sailing ship docked just meters to the left of the station exit.
The trip allowed me to make good progress on my current read: Of Saints and Miracles by Manuel Astur.
Greenwich Vintage Market
I wear the same 3 rings every day; my engagement ring, wedding ring and another opalescent ring with a woman figure cut into it on my right hand (feel free to take a guess who it is :) ).
Something came over me at the vintage ring stall when I arrived which inspired me to double the size of my current ring collection. It might have been the sunny weather, my early fascination with this cute little town, or perhaps because I’ve been reading Pillars of the Earth set in twelfth century England and felt that I needed something to commemorate making it half way through the 1000+ page book.
The rings felt part medieval, part Khaleesi, and now they take up 3/5 of my right hand. I bought the three on the right.
St. Alfege’s Church
I am very dedicated to my field research for my Annunciation paintings, so I really need to take advantage of visiting every church / cathedral when possible. St. Alfege’s is an Anglican parish church and there has been a church on this site for over 1000 years.
When I walked in there were three musicians practicing for an operatic concert. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make the full concert but was able to get a good look around both the interior and exterior of the building.
Oxfam Bookshop
Visiting a used bookstore is my equivalent of a treasure hunt. You may find nothing or you may strike gold. The Oxfam Bookshop was at the end of the rainbow.
Because I had a full day of walking ahead of me, I attempted to limit myself, selecting three titles from the fiction section only to then discover in the back of the store an entire section dedicated to art. Limit myself I did not. I left with 6 art books and 1 novel.
At this point though, I believe the world is conspiring for good as there was a book covering the art of none other than our favourite early Renaissance Dominican Friar and artist - Fra Angelico.
Greenwich Park and Blackheath Commons
I met Alice and Lorenzo outside of the National Maritime Museum and we embarked upon our stroll of both Greenwich Park and Blackheath commons. During our walk we spoke of many topics, travel, art, architecture, museums.
We are each originally from different countries and have all lived in London for different periods of time so it was fun to share and compare our different views and experiences of the city. I also learned that a park has gates and a common is an open green space - a distinction that I am not sure that we make in the US.
Lunch at The Railway Pub
The weather was lovely but the angle the sun was hitting the rooftop didn’t provide enough rays, so we sat inside. I had the cauliflower but the fish and chips looked amazing, so I will definitely try that next time I visit The Railway.
After lunch we made our way back through the commons and the park taking a different route.
Treats at the Greenwich Market
Our final stop was the Greenwich Market. It would have been another great option for lunch but we all opted for dessert, going with a sampling of vegan chocolate cake and fudge across the three of us.
Parting Ways
After a lovely day discovering Greenwich with my local hosts, it was time to head back home. I walked around the area near the water and would have taken the Uber boat home on the Thames but the upcoming journey was already sold out.
I snapped these last photos as I made my way back to the tube station.
There is plenty to see on my next visit and I look forward to going to Greenwich again soon!
