Walk to the shops

What things can we see on the way down to the supermarket to do the mundane weekly shop on a winters day...

A walk from Stepney to Canary Wharf

I bought myself a new camera for Christmas, and feeling slighlty cheese and chocolate heavy following the festive binge, I thought I would take myself for a walk and try out the new camera at the same time.

As ive said before, there is a lot of rubbish housing and ugliness in the area to go past, but there are also redeeming features tucked away. St Dunstans church Stepney and its avenue of trees and graveyard. Inside there are Elizibethan monuments. Walking through the back streets of Georgian bomb survivors over canals to Limehouse there are historic wharf buildings and a Hawksmoor church, and finaly West India Quay and Carary Wharf. Some say Souless, my flatmate wouldnt move there despite getting a more swanky flat for less money, I think she is fonder of the gritty innner london multicultural vibrancy than I am. I dont know what its like to spend all your time there, but I quite like Canary Wharfs modernity and proximity to the water.

Back on the DLR, East London line and tube to Stepney with neon lit, Halal chicken shops, Asian veg markets and barbers. Chicken shops and barbers, how they all survive together, goodness only knows . Ive to ban myself from bargain priced Donners and Biyrianis since moving here.

Great Expectations

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Despite abandoning for six months after tiring a bit of the middle bit where its a bit slow and Londons a bit miserable, I returned to it in my Christmas cottage in the countryside. It seemed very fitting for a wintery read in a village. I really did enjoy it again by the end. Though the end itself is quite sad and a bit disappointing in some ways.

I love Joe Gargery, what a lovely bloke, love his dialogue. Theres lots of good character dialogue actually.

Im sure ill return to another Dickes at some point. This was an improvement on Tale of Two Cities



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A Cotswolds Christmas

The English countryside and villages, castles and stately homes, glorious architecture, history.. wonderful in almost any weather. Recently back from a lovely lazy Christmas spent largely in a cosy cottage in the Cotswolds in front of the log fire with a copy of the Radio Times and assorted mince pies and cheeses. Its so great in the UK, you can more or less pick anywhere and be sure to have an assortment of interesting places to visit within an hours drive.



I was amazed by an almost ghostly Oxford after Christmas with almost no one around and choccas with interesting buildings and the Ashmolian museum. Warwick caste is one of the most castley castles in the UK.. they do know it of course, its a tad theme parky, people in medieval garb etc etc.. great place for kids though.

The Cotswolds itself is rammed full of chocolate box villages in golden stone.. lovely to be driving through without the crowds and christmas lights a twinkling..

Paris Life

Arcade


Et Pourquoi Pas?


Place des Vosges


Dont mess with the men in Uniform


Vespa at Maxim's


Le Parc


Le Cafe

Art Treasures of the Louvre

What a treasure trove, bewilderingly huge, I took a tour of the highlights then wandered off to the little visited apartments of Napoleon. I love this picture of the rabble trying to get a snap of the Mona Lisa, you want to cover her up and give her a bit of a respite. What intrigues me is im sure none of these people could tell you why its famous, it just is - its as famous as can be in the art world and therefore we are drawn to it, we have to see it, to be near it, to say we have seen it, and to show other people we have seen it, but it no longer has anything to do with the painting itself as an artistic endevour

Bastille Day

Current as ever.. here are a few shots from the 14th of July in Paris.



It was one of those times when you wonder if the crowds are worth it and ultimately I did have a long trudge home sans metro pas ce que il ne marche pas (or something along those lines), but the Eiffel tower did look particularly sparkly and I was rather chuffed to get a shot of a man with baguettes under his arm for a perfect cliche.