This trip to Hampton Court went smoothly.  We knew exactly how to navigate train to bus and the location of the entrance.  The palace was generally very busy and full of school groups. The older groups had entertaining private guides in costume and we sometimes observed the lessons.  Otherwise we relied on the very good audio guide and the docents who were eager to answer questions and share their own commentary.  One fun detail was the dining table with a railing surrounding. Apparently the common folk were invited to come watch the royals eat dinner. But the railing kept them at a polite distance!

Later that afternoon we headed to John Saone’s house which contains his extensive collection of mostly sculptures.  We were not far from the location of one of the Dishoom Indian restaurants that everyone recommended.  We were there at 5:30 and got a table.  We finished about 7 and the queue was a full block long.  The flavors were different than what we usually have and it was all good.