Winter wonderland

This Saturday, we decided to make the most of current winter conditions (a rarity in London for the past hundred years or so despite last year’s blizzard) and headed to Hampstead Heath for a chilly romp. This seemed a safer bet than relying on a train to take us further afield when apparently the entire archipelago is buried in snow (quite possibly the wrong kind). On account of my iPhone camera being so cruddy I took only one photo, but you can see plenty more here. The plan was for Matthew, Kath, Steven, Jackie (in town on business) and I to meet at Hampstead tube at 11.30, wander around a bit, and then duck into the Wells tavern for a late lunch. We started at Kurt Geiger because Jackie’s stylish Prada boots just weren’t going to cut it off piste. Once Miss Fashion-Plate was appropriately kitted out, we all made our way to Parliament Hill which, being exposed, was rather cold. Then we hoofed it up to Kenwood House for a cup of tea before meandering down to the pub and back up to the Holly Bush to bolster our resolve for the journey home.

Flame on

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

There’s actual perpetual flame in this picture. At least I’m pretty sure there is...

Yesterday morning we went to see the Olympic torch get carried down Ladbroke Grove (just steps away from our front door).

In the snow!

We got to see the torch—even though we were tardy—because moments prior to our arrival on the scene, there were some shenanigans involving a bicycle and a fire extinguisher. The upside (for us) was that they hustled the torch away somewhere and then re-staged the run-by a few minutes later, this time surrounded by an inner ring of Olympic officials (blue jackets) and an outer ring of Metropolitan Police officers (fluorescent yellow jackets).

So there you have it.

Another moment in history...

A Sunday stroll

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

I know, I know... not enough blog posts... bla, bla, bla...

Here’s a bit of weather-talk (and yesterday’s news): it snowed on Easter! Well, Easter Monday (which is a “bank holiday” here - making Easter a four-day weekend). One possible reason is that Easter came early this year, although in general it has been a particularly cold spring. Last spring was very pleasant but wound up leading to an awful summer. I’m hoping that the chilliness so far is a harbinger of warmth to come. Keeping fingers crossed. Knocking on wood. And stuff.

The wetness gave way to a nice Sunday this past weekend. I had agreed to a last-minute shift swap at The Food Chain, so I was down by Hammersmith Bridge in the afternoon. Steven & Chris came to meet me and we strolled along the Thames. Instead of heading west towards Chiswick, we headed east towards Putney. This proved to be a culinary mistake, as there are few decent lunch options by the river in Fulham (if anybody has information to the contrary, please let me know!). While River Cafe make tasty grub, it comes at a very steep price. We wound up at a pub called the Crabtree Tavern, and although what food they had was fine, the whole experience was bad to the point of tragi-comedy.

Anyhow, after lunch we continued through Bishops Park and over Putney Bridge. The sky was very beautiful, reflecting in the river and all. Try looking at this picture upside down!

SNOW DAY

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

This is probably it for 2007. At least poor Olive got to experience a bit of winter magic before I trundled her off to the vet for her little snip-snip this morning.