London: Still the art, entertainment, culture, and over stimulation capital of the world.

A quick visit with no pre-planning and we managed to see …. the National Theatre’s adaptation of Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time (brilliant staging and beautiful performances and a puppy dog on stage to top it all off) … English National Opera’s production of The Magic Flute (funny and dark English version with impeccable main characters and a stage that was a technical marvel) … and the revival of Mojo (black comedy set in criminal Soho in the 50s and full of actors we all know from the Telly)

Also managed to fit in lunch at Scott’s of Mayfair (with Eric Clapton at the next table), a visit to the newly spiffied up Tate Britain, and my favourite museum – the National Portrait Gallery with a terrific exhibit on Elizabeth I and her times. Oh, and fish and chips at Borough Market and Indian street food at the market on the South Bank and Christmas food shopping at Waitrose and shoes from Church’s and the new Judi Dench / Steve Coogan movie Philomena which were all excellent.

Photos: Me getting as close as I will ever get to royalty – with a hologram of HRH Elizabeth Regina. Programs of various visits. Eros in a snow bubble at Piccadilly Circus. Diana and Charles in happier but still dopier times. School kids visiting Tate Britain.

Overall hard to argue with Dr. Samuel Johnson’s observation in 1777 … “Why, Sir, you find no man … who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.”