Day 44: August 3rd

We had a relaxed start to the day with a short walk to the cafe for a coffee and a break, before setting off for the city for an early dinner and show. The kids had booked us into an Italian restaurant called Ave Mario which is close to the Colosseum Theatre in Covent Garden so we took the tube to Leicester Square and had a short walk to dinner from there. I had worn jandals and taken heeled sandals to change into. I needn’t have bothered. Londoners treat shows the same way as movies and dress accordingly!
The restaurant was built over 3 levels which each level being very ornate. The top 2 levels were already full when we arrived for our meal at 5.15. Everyone else will have been going to a show nearby also we assume. We were taken down to the lowest level adjacent to the kitchen where there were booths large enough for 5. It was very glam down there also!

Lots of bling, red and mirrors in the basement at Ave Mario.

We ordered Cerviche and 2 different types of Burrata which is a soft cheese dish to share as starters. All were excellent

The others all ordered pizzas and I ordered a beef carpaccio salad for mains. My salad came on this oval dish that was wider than the table. Fortunately they set it up in the aisle and our waiter served it up. I was extremely glad as certainly wouldn’t have dished it the way he did.

He turned it all into 3 salad rolls with the beef wrapped around the outside.

It was all delicious. No one had room for dessert.

This was on the wall on the top level as you walk out.

Craig and JenY had got us tickets to We Will Rock You which is a satirical musical written by Ben Elton that features heaps of rock songs and had a Bohemian Rhapsody theme running through it as the basis for a love story between 2 young rebels. It is extremely well written, very funny and with great music and Ben Elton was performing one of the principal roles. You can’t take photos of the performance so the images of the Colosseum Theatre will need to suffice. It is pretty spectacular and was only a 2 minute walk from the restaurant.

Inside the theatre is incredibly ornate. We had seats only 3 rows back from the stage which was perfect to ensure Mike could see as much as possible.

If the show comes to New Zealand we would definitely go again. It is excellent.
We walked to Charing Cross to get the tube in order to get on the train before all of the Covent Garden crowd at Leicester Square.

Trafalgar Square looked lovely all lit up at night.

The station was crowded (at 11.15 pm) with all the shows finishing at about the same time but at least we got seats. It was incredibly hot on the train!

There is about a 15 minute walk back to Pauline’s house from the Tube station.
We saw a fox on the green at Chiddingfold just opposite her house.