Where'd the Last Week Just Go?

Ah, Monday, that perennial day that let's you know it's back to working life after the weekend. With the temperature in the single figures for the day it was a sudden crash back to reality after a top weekend.

Not a lot on during the week thankfully, except to help Shar move to her new temporary place where she'll stay for the next week and a half before heading back to Melbourne.

Thursday turned out to be a fun afternoon after taking out the "brokers" that I'm involved with looking after out at lunchtime. Liquid lunch, and an hour and a half late back to work. And after about five pints in that time, the remainder of the afternoon was pretty much a write-off. Entertaining though, and I used one small trick to avoid copping any flack over the late (and state) of return - bring along one of the senior folk from our office.

Friday and after a good lunch time run with one of the guys from work, it was back in the pub with some other workmates after 5 before heading off to catch up with the 'new friend' I mentioned in the last post. As she wasn't feeling like heading out for the evening, we made do with a quiet night in with takeaway, an open fire and some good entertainment from her cat's antics - and people think only kids have ADD! (and that's not 'add', it's Attention Deficit Disorder)

Saturday and I returned to South Bank to walk from Waterloo to Tower Bridge and the Tower of London itself. Thankfully it was only overcast and not raining or drizzling, although it was still "cool". As I mentioned in the last post, there was the "German Xmas" market stalls along south bank near Waterloo, and it was here that I was returning to in an attempt to finish off my Xmas shopping. A little early you say? Not really, as I need to get it sorted within the next week and a bit to send back to Aus. With all sorts of things to see along South Bank, including some interesting people watching, it made for a pleasant exploration even if I have been along here numerous times - you'll always find something different. It turned out to be worthwhile for myself as well - poking through one of the book stalls, I found a near mint condition copy of Steve Martin's book 'the pleasure of my own company', and for only 3 quid I grabbed it. Well, purchased it might have been a better phrase. Quite good so far having read a good portion of it on the bus home later.

Continuing on to Borough Market was definitely worthwhile for a fresh ostrich burger and a good poke about before a bit of time getting out of the weather in a nearby bike shop. From here it was over to nearby Hay's Galleria which links the river bank to nearby London Bridge station. Not only is there a rather bizarre looking iron sculpture of a 'ship' in the fountain there, but a very large sparkling Xmas tree. Along the sides are all the shops of this 'laneway' and I discovered the small book shop in the corner of the galleria. It was here that I discovered what promises to be quite an interesting book - "The Philosopher and the Wolf". About a professor who obtains a wolf cub as a pet, who in-turn proceeds to teach the philosopher a great deal about life, death and quite a lot in between as they spend nearly all their time together. But I digress...

Back out on the river bank and it was across Tower Bridge, up past the Tower of London and onto the bus home. Oh, and with the obligatory taking of two tourist photo's for people. Interesting that I pass for a local and not a visitor or tourist nowdays.

Sunday afternoon and evening was spent with Kiersten in Hyde Park at the Winter Wonderland. You may recall me mentioning this last year when I did it with Matt Beale and you-know-who. Well, this year it was bigger again, with more rides and stalls and much more to see and do. The large ferris wheel was back again (luckily it was because I didn't have my camera with me so this is one of last year's pics). The Funhouse's glass walled maze provided some good entertainment as people went all round in circles trying to work their way out of it, and with the occasional person walking straight into a glass panel. I'm sure the one guy who managed to do it twice wasn't too pleased that those on the outside could see everything going on in there. Yep, we had to give it a go, and it wasn't as easy as we first thought it might be! We did manage to get through it without leaving the imprints of our faces on the glass panels too. Continuing the 'lets just be a pair of big kids' bit going, it was onto the two storey ghost-train before going through the market and food/drink stalls. After reaching the large outdoor ice rink, we headed into what you could call 'inside' by a roaring pot-belly stove that was inside a small group of makeshift wooden huts. Hot mulled wine it was as we warmed ourselves on both the inside and outside.

We rounded out the day by heading in to Leicester Square and a nice little Italian restaurant before having 'one for the road' in a nearby pub before they closed.