The Weekend That Was

Two days back at work and the weekend that was already seems a distant memory. A really fond distant memory that elicits random chuckles and plentiful smiles when I think of it. It was a fantastic weekend, fantastic for its simplicity and fantastic for the amount of fun to be had.

I was in London (such a rare and welcome treat – I’ve mega booked my weekends with many trips so I’m home every other weekend at best). My friends were in London. L, an old time school friend living on the coast here came to play and stay with me. With several things in mind, and only a few set plans, we enjoyed the best the weekend had to offer.

Horniman Museum is South London was a treat. The perfect museum for those with short attention spans but varied interests – we saw an amazing musical instrument collection, the aquarium, the body adornment exhibition, stuffed animals) and enjoy their stunning gardens with views back over the city of London. Most of this museum is free (the aquarium is £2.50 and whilst small, certainly worth this cover).

The Spiegeltent (as part of the Priceless London Wonderground festival) on Southbank late on a Saturday night. Knowing not what to expect other than to expect fun, we were amused, dazzled and entertained. Maybe not all of it is fit for description on this blog but I guess it can be best summed up as an adult’s circus. A magician, acrobatics, hula hooping, singing, a comedian, sword swallowing, irish dancing (the most entertaining I’ve ever seen), it had me in stitches and awe throughout. An amazing show.

The Horniman pub on the Southbank for some drinks pre show in the late sun. Some champagne in the backyard whilst painting nails, reading papers & books in the shadows of Buckingham Palace on Sunday, shopping for shoes, choosing cheeses. Laughing, plotting, listening to songs from our school days, dreaming of our futures, wondering about the inbetween. L and I, whilst we’ve know each other since our school days, have come into a stellar friendship in recent years. Convo can go to the absurd to the deep and back again in a blink of an eye. For all the fun we had “doing things”, it was the company that made it.

This weekend was superb. Come back soon L.

Do you guys get to hang out with old friends ofen?

Thames Path–Henley-on-Thames to Cookham

Following on from Saturday’s stroll, I wanted to get some more distance under my belt and get use to back to back days of walking.  Rather than continue on where I left off on Saturday (which would have put me in the path of 2000 bike riders taking part in a charity ride), I went a little further afield, carrying from where I left off the walk before last.  i.e. Henley.
The plan was to walk until I ran out of time.  I’d loose dinner plans back in town and with the trains to this part of the world hourly on a Sunday, I’d just walk and see.  I missed a train, walked some more, missed a train, walked some more and then got a train.  Four and half hours of walking had me covering 13.5 miles all in.  The first 8 or so miles were a breeze before my hip flexors got a bit sore.  They do every time – 8 miles is always the magic mark.  The key for me on a walk of any length is to not stop.  When I stop, I seize up a bit and the soreness can set it. 
The path itself felt pretty rural.  The river is wide and flowing and there are people about, mainly near the villages you pass.  It’s not remote, but it felt a long way from London.  Highlights included a Mr Whippy van near Hurley, seeing an old couple out walking for the day, Temple Island and some spring ducklings.
Villages and towns passed included Hambledon Lock, Hurley, Marlow and Bourne End.

I've walked 56 of the 180 miles so far.  Only another 124 miles to go!
All Thames Path posts can be seen here.

Thames Path–Barnes Bridge to Richmond

Last weekend saw me with a free and easy weekend with no plans.  Keen to keep chugging along at my walking goal and to get some training in, I set off to walk some of the Thames Path both Saturday and Sunday.  After a lovely lie in (read: getting up after noon) and some procrastination, I set off quite late and knocked out the last of what I consider the suburban section of London.
To be fair, there’s a further three miles for me to walk to have covered all of the tidal Thames, and there’s another 10-15 miles until I reach the M25 (London’s orbital motorway).  But Richmond is the last part of the Thames Path I can reach by tube.  From here on out, it’s all national rail.
I stayed on the south bank for the duration, enjoying walking with the sun on my back.  This section (part of section 13) goes past Kew Gardens (with fields of purple), my uncles favourite pub, many a lovely waterfront home and under several bridges.  It’s enjoyable easy walking but reasonably non descript.  Distance covered on Saturday was low, only about 7 miles.

I've walked 42 of the 180 miles so far this year. Only another 138 miles to go.

All Thames Path posts can be seen here.