Talking and walking

My longtime friend G is visiting London over Easter and we met on Saturday morning for a talk and a walk along the south bank of the Thames, between the Millennium Bridge and London Bridge. The weather was dull and grey but we hardly noticed. It was the first time we had seen each other since Christmas and we did indeed talk. A lot.



I visited Tate Modern briefly while waiting for G. An old power station, the former turbine hall is used to stage exhibitions on a grand scale, such as the current one, Embankment by Rachel Whiteread, consisting of 14,000 casts of the insides of different boxes. Yes, really. Take a look at the link .... the human figures in the photo give an idea of the scale.



Once G arrived we made our way eastward along the Thames, snapping the treasure seekers at low tide under Southwark Bridge.

We opted for this unique museum-cum-cafe when we needed a caffeine fix.



The window display.



Even the vases were teapots. The piano has a sign on it "Pianist only". Maybe they hold tea dances? In any event, it's definitely more interesting than Starbucks. G's right hand and my glasses are in this shot as well .....

Our final stop was a foodie's delight - the best market in London in my opinion.



G bought some honey and I made a beeline towards the barrels of loose rocket and spinach leaves - the basics for a salad supper.



Interesting signs ....



.... tomato heaven.

This will almost certainly be my last summer in the capital and I will be making the effort to have more days like this, to absorb the sights and sounds of what is after all one of the world's great cities. I hope to blog about at least some of these outings - it will be a way of keeping a permanent record of this transitional period. It would be good if the coming months could be lived with appreciation and mindfulness, and become a starting point for the next chapter ....