May 2008 Archives
For the bank holiday weekend Phil and I went to Bath/Bristol - spending a lovely sunny Saturday on a narrow boat on the Kennet and Avon Canal starting from Bath. It was a birthday treat for Dave, one of Phil's Bristol art school mates. Cam, his girlfriend, always has loads of excellent ideas.
On Sunday, when the weather turned much wetter, we met up with the rest of the crowd for a leisurely brunch in a kid friendly restaurant/café before getting the train back to London. Phil had LISPA classes on Bank Holiday Monday itself.
Cam sent me home with a clutch of tomato seedlings she'd grown from scratch:
Cam's tomato seedlings, split out into their own pots
... a trip to the London Aquarium followed by a late lunch at Yo! Sushi, Haymarket.
Seems a bit macabre now - admiring exotic fish and then eating some! The lovely waitress at Yo! Sushi presented Rosa with a mini birthday cake, and let us take two pairs of beginner's chopsticks - one for Rosa and one as a present for Barney.
- Photos uploaded into Flickr for our morning in Thimphu
- Stroll through the backstreets to Columbia Road Flower Market, returning with four varieties of tomato plant: Shirley, Moneymaker, Yellow and Sun Baby
- Quick catch up with Jo, Barney, Rosa and friends at the Waterside cafe
- Home to chill out on the roof terrace, lounging on the beanbag rereading The Far Pavilions - having long ago forgotten that much of the novel is set in the Himalaya of NWFP
- Once the shadows arrived, refreshing the soil in various terracotta pots and planting out the tommy toes - capturing one snail (large) and one slug (small) in the process; both later liberated in a podium bed
- Heading back down to the podium with book and beanbag for another few chapters and an opportunity to luxuriate in the unseasonably early summer sun
- And now, armed with a pot of tea and malt loaf, back to the Bhutan photos....
.... otherwise known as, "How I spent the bank holiday weekend".
Saturday featured a leisurely sending spree along the Kings Road, with co-shopper Hazel. A successful outing, in the shape of new clothes for work for us both.
Sunday required an early rise and shine to get to Harrold by 10.30, for the church christenings of Gregor and William Murdoch. Bank Holiday weekends being prime railway engineering works, we were fortunate in having the Denton taxi service on offer. Break down engine and digger discussions come free. A lovely day, with plenty of time to chat with Laura and Ian's family and friends - the last such occasion had been Findlay's christening....
Monday was a college day for Phil, which allowed me to spend the morning and early afternoon getting some more of my Bhutan photos online. I only managed to get one more day done - but it was the day we spent at the Paro Tsechu (festival). Phil and I did manage to squeeze in an hour or so enjoying the May sunshine in the Barbican garden before Flickr uploading and profiling resumed..... and the bank holiday culminated in a two hour tutu-making marathon on ye olde Singer sewing machine. The things I do for love....