Day in London

I planned another one day holiday for last Friday and it was brilliant.  For about the last 4 years I have wanted to swim in the lady's pond on Hampstead Heath so I had hoped to do that until I discovered there are no lockers for valuables and I didn't fancy leaving mine on the bank as I was on my own. It was a very hot day and I still wanted to swim in a natural outdoor venue so chose the Serpentine in Hyde Park. There are basic changing rooms and about 30 lockers so being a mid week school day there was plenty of room and spare lockers.  It was fantastic swimming in a lake among dragonflies, ducks, swans and geese etc and unbelievable we were in the middle of London.

As you can see there was plenty of room and only about 6 people in the water at first and still not more than a dozen when I left. I had a cold shower by the side on the bank without soap or shampoo as the water drains into the lake. When dressed I enjoyed my picnic lunch and water brought from home. Not as frugal as my last day out as apart from the bus ride to Epping , I used my Oyster card for the tube to London and back.  The swimming was £3.80 as being a "pensioner" I had a concession.

I then made my way by tube to Stratford for the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park which I have never visited, buying an Earl Grey tea in my travel cup and a muffin to enjoy by the river and beautiful flower beds. I saw the Meccano like sculpture but did not join the queue to climb to the top but will do on my next visit.  I just walked about enjoying the gardens and the river views.

The sculpture is the Arcelormittal orbit.

One of the day's highlights was at the start walking through Hyde Park to the lake when I heard the wild ring necked parakeets and saw people hand feeding them.  So piece of cheese sandwich in one hand and camera in the other and this is the result below.

Two friends have agreed to join me in my swim in the Hampstead Heath ponds so I look forward to sharing that in a few weeks.