01 January 2018
Dulwich Park.
So we went to Dulwich Park, as the SW runs in Brockwell Park at least twice a week and is tired of it. I hadn't been there for many years - probably at least 30 - and have little or no memory of it except that it's a nice place. It's one of the Victorian parks laid out by the Metropolitan Board of Works, like Battersea Park and Southwark Park. I vaguely remember, when I was last there, that there was an aviary that still had birds in it, but that, of course, has long gone. There is the obligatory lake
which had tufted duck, moorhen and coot as well as the inevitable mallard; boards said there were shoveler duck, but we saw none. There was a children's playground - rammed, of course - and a café, ditto. We thought about stopping for a coffee, but decided not to. Right from when I was a child I have loved these benches built around growing trees. I think there must have been one in Abingdon Park when I was very small! There were at least two in Dulwich Park, although really, I imagine they are pretty anti-social. Fine if you want to eat your lunch without watching your neighbour's every bite, though....
Next to the café was what was called a "Dry Garden"; we didn't know what made it dry, as the beds looked as though they had recently been mulched, and some of the plants obviously longed for a drink. But there was a lovely mosaic in the middle of it:
We still weren't quite sure what the point was, so made our way back to the car. I'm sure the SW would have liked to have walked for twice as long and at twice the speed, but as it was probably the furthest I've managed to walk since July, and the first time in a very long time I've really wanted a walk, I was very pleased! And now home and a well-deserved cup of tea. Happy New Year to you all!
25 December 2017
Christmas on the River
On Christmas Day, of course, there is no public transport in London, but one can park, so we drove up to Westminster and found a parking-space behind Westminster Central Hall, about ten minutes' walk from the pier. Boarding was supposed to start at 11:30, but when we arrived, about ten minutes earlier, they had already begun - and we were glad we had not been much later, since the queue behind us swelled to alarming proportions! In fact, there were three boats making the cruise.
We had booked a window table, and, once our ticket had been checked, were escorted to it with a glass of sparkling wine.
As soon as we sat down, our first course - a salmon mousse wrapped in smoked salmon and served with salad - was brought to us, but the boat did not leave its moorings until the scheduled time of noon.
The boat headed down river, under the bridges, past all the sights. There was a singer-cum-commentator who did a fantastic job telling us where we were. Many of the other people on the boat were tourists, from the United States and elsewhere. We were able to spend time up on the deck, but it was too cold and dank to linger for long. The next course was soup:
and once we had got past Tower Bridge
the main course of roast pork and all the trimmings (there was a vegetarian option, but we hadn't ordered it) was served, and then the pudding, which was some kind of straciatella cheesecake with a very nice fruit compote on the top.
By this time, we were at Greenwich. The boat paused at one of their piers, presumably to take on fuel, and went down the river nearly as far as the Thames Barrier. Then it turned round and came back past the O2
the Cutty Sark,
the Shard
Shakespeare's Globe,
the Millennium Bridge
Tate Britain,
the Oxo Tower
and, finally, the Houses of Parliament.
Then the boat docked back at Westminster to end a most enjoyable cruise. And then, because we could, we drove around part of Central London where one normally can't because of the Congestion Charge, and saw the lights in Regent Street (we thought they were wasps at first, but it turned out to be angels!) and the big department stores. And so home, and a much-needed nap!
21 December 2017
France, 20 December
19 December 2017
France (was Belgium), 19 December
18 December 2017
Belgium (now France), 18 December
What a difference a day makes! This time yesterday, we were shivering in bed, clad in our warmest pyjamas, bedsocks, jerseys or bed-jackets and hot-water bottles, and taking what felt like forever to warm up (although once we had, we were very warm and snug!). Now we are sitting round the table in our day clothes, vaguely thinking of heading off to bed. Yes, the heating has been fixed. It was, as we suspected, the thermostat, and the man showed us how to do a temporary fix should it happen again!
However, the place (recommended to us by the farmer's wife where we had spent the night) didn't open until 2, so we went into Sedan and did a bit of shopping and had lunch, and the SW went to have a quick look at the castle there - I found just walking round the supermarket reminded me too vividly of yesterday's fall - and we then had to think what to do next.
We could have resumed our itinerary and gone to Mons, as planned, but it would have been dark by the time we got there, so no point, really. So we came to the aire in Landrecies, where we have stayed before (the place where the fishermen talked all night, and where we stopped for lunch and found we'd forgotten the picnic table), and parked up for the night. Tomorrow we will revisit Cambrai before heading to Calais and a massive Christmas shop!
17 December 2017
Belgium, 17 December
16 December 2017
Belgium (and Luxembourg), 16 December
We got diesel at the Aral station at the Luxembourg price of €1.04 a litre. In fact, the whole of the Luxembourg side of the road was lined with petrol stations - at least 10 - all the same price, and many of them with off-licences attached (I assume booze is cheaper there, too).