The New Commute

And thus ends my world famous commute... The new one is 5kms longer, and takes me along the Thames. I cross Putney Bridge before following the river all the way to Westminster, passing Big Ben, the houses of parliament and Downing Street before rejoining my old commute at Trafalgar square. I guess I’ve traded down, now that I’m giving the Prime Minister a wave instead of waving to “Liz n Phil” each morning. I miss the horse guards in Hyde Park each morning, but not what the horses leave all over the road!!

This morning had a fog along the Thames, which gave each of the bridges and eerie look and feel. As cool as that was, I can’t wait for summer and riding along the Thames in the sunshine...

Madame Butterfly

After a great night out with Vanessa, Paul, Shar and Jules on the Saturday night, it was time for a quieter Sunday. Royal Albert Hall was the venue again, but this time it was to see Madame Butterfly. A unique version, as this was “in the round” and also set over a “lake”. The main set being the house in the middle, and it was surrounded by small wooden bridges to the stage edge and suspended above a pool of water. Amazing in the way that it was put together, and visually stunning.

I won’t go into the main story of the opera itself, but the performers were extremely good and the show itself was brilliant in the way it was performed and presented.

Afterwards, we crossed the road into Hyde Park and strolled through Kensington Gardens as the first signs of spring were showing - squirrels re-inhabiting the park, and the blossoms starting to bloom everywhere...

Just across the road from the end of Kensington Gardens is the restaurant, Zaika. It’s an Indian restaurant, but by no means could you even consider calling it a Curry House. Why? Well, it has a Michelin Star to its credit. The building itself is incredibly ornate, and nothing like the restaurants of Brick Lane. The food? Simply exquisite. The ambiance was superb as well.

It made for a very fitting finale to an excellent weekend.

Apologies for the lack of pic quality, but it was taken using my phone

Lion King

Making use of a special offer for dinner and theatre tickets, we checked out the Lion King. A quick tube ride from work, and I met Sheryl at the Livebait seafood restaurant that is on the corner of the Lyceum Theatre where the Lion King is showing.

It didn't matter that you were on a limited menu as the selections were still quite good, as were the actual meals when they arrived on our table. Quite a pleasant restaurant, and they cater very well for those who need a speedy exit to make their shows on time.

No doubt you've either seen the movie of The Lion King, or even the theatrical production itself, so I won't go into the story of Simba. The production was excellent, and the actors were awesome, with incredible costuming and staging to make the whole thing come alive. Having a slightly raised view by not being on the stage level had one good advantage in that we saw more of the characters masks than their actual faces, which truly added to our viewing of the show.

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Ah Paris... (pt.3)

Ah, well... what should I say about this weekend in Paris? Most of you know the general story anyway...

Okay, so we headed over there on the Eurostar on the Saturday morning for what was to be a final trip into Europe together for some time. Once checked into our hotel, we hit the streets and moseyed along from Gare de l'Est down Rue Saint-Denis to the gardens between the Louvre and the Champs-Elysées. Along the way, passing many varied shops of all sorts of vendors and cafés.

Despite the cool weather, we strolled through these gardens, past the large boating lake (tempted to hire a model yacht, but refrained), and made our way over the river to the Musée d'Orsay.

Last time we were in Paris together, this museum was closed for renovations and a large amount of the works were in an exhibition in Canberra! So, now we got to see them in their home, which is an amazingly refurbished old train station. The venue was as impressive as the art works it contained, and we spent a couple of hours here while it rained outside - perfect timing!!

Later that evening we returned to a restaurant that we visited last time for a most extraordinary evening: Au Vieux. You may recall the night we had for Sheryl's birthday here.

Well, we walked in the door to be instantly recognised by the staff and very warmly welcomed. Frederic showed us to a table upstairs and also presented us with two champagnes "for old time's sake". We were well looked after for the rest of the night, and enjoyed catching up with Frederic. Again, the food was amazing. Odette and her chef's out did themselves.

As you no doubt know, it was at the end of this dinner that I proposed, with Frederic being the first to find out. He excitedly rushed off and returned with three champagne flutes and a bottle of champagne "on the house". He then proceeded to excitedly ask for my camera and a re-enactment.

Once finished with our champagnes, we were again invited to celebrate with the staff, owners and their friends. This time, in another room across from the restaurant via an incredible little courtyard - one that Sheryl had joked would make for a great reception (this was before I'd proposed, and I still had the ring hidden on me at the time!). But I digress... We spent some time with Georges and Odette, and their friends receiving many congratulations and quite a few jokes about babies and other wedding situations.

We then headed into St.Germain to a small little jazz club that they recommended to us - Au Trois Mailletz (right). We whiled away the night to the impromptu singing and pianists in the club - amidst all the phone calls and texts to and from everyone...

Sunday had a fairly mild start after such a late night, but we headed into the Bastille area. We found a great little café for brunch, before heading along the markets that lined the Boulevard Richard Lenoir. These are very large markets where you can find just about anything. Amazing fresh produce too. We then strolled back along the river Seine past the Hotel de Ville and eventually back into St.Germain. Just strolling through the area, watching the busking troup, poking through shops and stopping off for a coffee in a café. From here it was back to the hotel for our bags and then Gare du Nord for the train home...