Evening Constitutional

(Oh dear, I hadn't realised it had been SOOOOOO long since I last wrote - such a busy time of year, the end of term, there have been dinners and dances and leavers' Masses, and H has been hard at work getting things ready for exhibitions etc, so I have been helping him as well instead of blogging here ... Better try and get back into the habit!!)

Last night, around 6pm, we decided to go for a walk. H managed to get some stuff sent off earlier, we'd had a nice lunch, so were not too hungry, and it was a nice day. We had spent most of the day (in fact, most of the previous few days!) inside working and not exercising, so it seemed like a good idea. Our plan was to head along the canal and see what happened.

It was a lovely evening, still warm enough only to wear a couple of t-shirts and a cardi, and the canal was calm and not covered in fungi like it is sometimes. As we walked along, passing a couple of lads fishing, dodging cyclists and runners, H tried to find some big fish to show me, like he's seen before. However, we only saw small fish in little shoals, but since I hadn't seen those before in the canal, I was quite happy. Then we saw a little family of moorhens or coots (I know, I know, I should know by now! These were the ones with the white bits from their foreheads down their beaks.) The four little fluffy ones were following the mummy one, and all were calling out as they swam, with the mum making little high pitched squeaks every so often, and the little ones eeeking as they dived for food and played around. They were very sweet. Another adult, the dad I presume, brought up the rear, making sure the whole family was heading in the same direction.

The next family we came across were much more serene. Two adult swans, and four or five still downy-feathered but almost adult-sized cygnets. They were resting in the water by the canal wall, quietly preening, their soft brown feathers being fluffed up by the slight breeze.

Further down the canal we came across some ducklings, following their tawny mallard mother. They were still small, soft and fluffy looking. They swam to and fro around the canal, enjoying the sunny day.

Eventually we came to the end of the canal, and decided to take a cruise along the Thames. It's the first time (in memory at least) for both of us to take a boat along the river, so we decided to make the most of it, and headed all the way to Waterloo Pier. It was a lovely ride, very smooth, and great to see all the famous views from a different angle, indeed going under many of them! There are so many wharfs along the banks, and we could see the connection between different places.

By the time we got to Waterloo, it was about 8pm or so, so we thought we'd have dinner. H remembered that the Spanish tapa place was nearby, so we tried to find it - the last time we'd gone from Waterloo tube station, so it's interesting that we now have a very different view of it, from the river to the restaurant. It's called Meson Don Felipe, and we once again had prawns in garlic oil, chicken livers, chips, spinach and deep fried aubergines. I also enjoyed the bread and butter. Nice place, but I think this time we had a bit too much and it was a bit oily. I really should have ordered the tuna croquettes and a salad, I think. Maybe next time. Anyway, this time we had a wee man in a pink shirt accompanying us on the Spanish guitar.

Afterwards, we walked home via the IMAX cinema, which was closed but full of black suited bodyguards and Batman's Batpod and Batsuit. Then we headed back to the pier. Turns out it was the wrong pier though, the Festival Pier, which our boat doesn't stop at. So headed back along to the London Eye and the Waterloo Pier. As we neared the pier, we could see the boat. We thought about running for it, but decided not too. However, it was still there a couple of minutes later, by which time we thought that if we ran we might just make it, and since it was now late, the next one wouldn't be for a while. H took off, and I tried to follow - but tripped on something, either an uneven edge or, more probably, the toe of my shoe. I fell forward, and tried to bring my other leg forward to gain my balance, which I have managed to pull off numerous times, but this time I wasn't fast enough. Instead, I slowly felt myself heading towards the pavement, and then found myself sprawled on the pavement. Ouch! I was flat on the ground, and was just glad I am slightly well proportioned enough to take the blow and stop my facing hitting the street as well. As it was, my left knee, my left hand and my right shoulder were all aching. I slowly managed to stand, and hobbled over to a nearby post as the boat behind us headed off into the moonlight. H had heard my footsteps stumble, and turned to see me on the ground, so he helped me up and waited as I caught my breath sitting on the post. I could feel blood on my knee, so we hobbled down to the pier where I was able to sit down and in some privacy roll up my trouser leg. There definitely was blood - I can't remember the last time I scraped my knee! - but there seemed to be a silver lining on the situation - the blood all seemed to come from the wartlike thing I've had on my knee that has now been scraped off! Hopefully it won't come back and I won't need to freeze it off! I do think I'm going to have quite a bruise though.

We waited, with me trying to bend my knee and move my shoulder, for half an hour, under the moonlight, keeping an eye on the time using the Big Ben clockface, until the next cruiser arrived. Then we had a 45 minute cruise all the way back to the O2, and from there to home. We sat out the back of the ship and watched the wash behind us. It was especially exciting when we got to the bit where the London speed limit stopped and we flew off along the river. Definitely would recommend the cruiser at night, or at any other time!

And so to bed. What a lovely evening, and so much packed into about six hours!