We woke up with the expectation of visiting The Shard this afternoon and then having a nice pint or two over dinner with the Syrette Clan (represented by London, Canberra, Melbourne and Adelaide teams). Note the word "expectation"; it's important for later on.
We had a nice breakfast at Cafe Rouge (at the bottom of the Ibis building) which appeared to be staffed exclusively by Eastern Europeans (capitalised because Alex is also one). We ordered the "Full English" breakfast for both of us; with the vegetarian version including Quorn sausage for Alex. However coffee was frothy instant. This is a skill the British have yet to master.
We then walked to Sian's and Owen's place in Deptford High Street. A hot day, with the gentrified environment of Greenwich quickly becoming more urban and cosmopolitan as we got closer to Deptford. It was amazing to see to the street markets everywhere and life lived on the streets, not behind closed doors as in Oz.
We arrived to see Sian around 12 o'clock. She showed us around each "wing" of the abode, and we could see The Shard from their lounge window! She also showed us her dissertation on "The Uncanny" and we were really impressed with it - it was a well written, illustrated, and produced book and accompanying portfolio; a piece of mature conceptual analysis. Sian is now an accomplished artist, no longer just "little Sian"!
Sian showing Julie her honours thesis and portfolio.
(Owen was in Reading visiting relatives he hadn't seen in a year; as he and Sian are returning to make a life in Australia in September, family visits are becoming a priority.)
Sian told us about (1) the boa constrictor that had made its home in their flat and (2) the victorian cooking pan which imparted an unusual flavour to meals cooked in it. Ask her for the full details when you next see her!
We decided to grab lunch but before that went to Deptford Park looking for squirrels and of course saw none. The quiet park and church were a real surprise - as G K Chesterton wrote, it was one of those areas of London that is a surprisingly tranquil haven. As further evidence of this Julie spotted a collection of discarded handbags near a bin at the end of the park, not at all suspicious.
The lunch was at a local delicatessen where Alex managed to offend the very trendy chef by asking for a simple cheese and tomato baguette. Julie and Sian had some nice wraps, but Alex's "simple" lunch started exuding a brown liquid, which Sian divined was balsamic vinegar. Way too fancy for the Russian lad; a meal Alex called "Chef's Revenge".
Sian had to rush off to work about 3:40pm, so after seeing her off (just in time) we walked back home down Creek Street, a long walk. When we reached the hot hotel we caught a nanna & manna nap.
We were in contact with Lisa and Iain about visiting The Shard near London Bridge Station in the evening. However, Sian had already warned us that Greenpeace was protesting mining in the Arctic by sending a group of people to climb the exterior of The Shard, resulting in its closure. And sure enough this happened.
We changed plans and arranged to catch up for dinner with the Syrette Clan at Dean Swift's Pub in Gainsford Street. When we arrived at the train station prior to walking to the pub, we managed to see The Shard and the climbers and a hovering helicopter. Hundreds of people were craning their necks up to look, and quite a few had serious photography equipment ready to catch anything exciting. Gruesome!
So we met up with Fiona and her sisters (all over here at the moment!) for dinner near Tower Bridge. It was a beautiful balmy evening, the food was excellent, and the company even more so. Fiona had a couple of extra people from Canberra, Monique and Phillip, at the table, and we were pleased to meet them. When travelling one always warms to fellow travellers, especially those from one's own country.
The table therefore was: Fiona, Lisa & Iain and the boys Michael & Harry, Monica, Julie & Alex, Monique and Phillip. Much talk was there of the difficulty of driving in London, of ales, and castles, and museums.
Despite having eaten stacks (again!), we all became "swungry", a term coined by Monica to mean "hungry for sweets" (irrespective of how much one has already eaten). The term was invented with Fiona not at the table, but when she arrived back at the table and asked if she was "swungry" she worked it out in an instant. That communal Syrette mind!
Monica was going travelling with Lisa and Iain to Oxford over the next few days, thence to Spain, so this was the last opportunity to catch up with her and hence the whole Syrette Clan. We're very glad we did.
We walked back to the train via the Thames, which was simply beautiful on a summer's evening, with not too many people milling about. Even the train ride home was pleasant; cool and not crowded.
Tomorrow we're off driving to Norwich with Sian and Owen to visit Owen's parents. Here endeth the epistle for today!
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