Saturday in London

Saturday 6/8/20011

A lazy day, taking care of my travel arrangements/logistics and sight-seeing on the Thames Towpath along the waterfront of Imperial Wharf development. I also slipped into the Chelsea Harbour development to look at the boats anchored up in their loched marina. I saw a number of canal boats, including one similar to the Midi Canal boat we have hired for late September. They have a neat breakfast on the weekend at one of the Imperial Wharf pub/bars, which I will try Sunday. I also found the river Ferry terminal but they do not run on the weekend. 

The logistics was primarily checking that the ANZ travel card worked and to rebuild my cash reserve. Also to recharge my Oyster card at the Tube Station. I have been using my 28Deg Master Card as a normal debit/credit card and last time I was in Europe the associated fees and charges made that an expensive luxury. Better to draw out a larger sum as cash less often, then spend down that, accruing fewer sets of fees/charge. I made a special trip to Fulham Broadway to use a Bank ATM, rather than the local TESCO Supermarket money-machine, but I got charged 2 pounds for the privilege. I had a second look at the TESCO machine and it is run by the Royal Bank of Scotland and states its makes no charges!! Watch out for untested assumptions.

Back at Orient House I researched the Maritime Museum and worked out the easiest method of public transport to get there. It looks like next Tuesday they will be open. I sent an email to their paintings archive requesting access to the Mathew Flinders voyage artwork, William Westall's paintings in particular. I also emailed Sarah Thomas, author of The Encounter 1802: Art of the Flinders and Baudin Voyages, to confirm our appointment on next Thursday. She replied promptly and gave me directions to the British Library where we are to meet. 

Checked the foreign exchange website and the A$ is sliding in value against the British pound:

I left Australia on the 2nd August and the $A has gone down ever since. My travel card was actually fixed by ANZ at a then poor rate (was not happy) but given the slide it was a better rate than now; i.e, I have not lost much. Hopefully things stabilize a bit. I only have 400 Euros "fixed" in this way so will be exposed, although most of my major accommodation bills have been pre-paid.