To the Globe theatre, via Borough Market and lunch in Greek, tapas-style, drinks on the South Bank and an impromptu trip at sunset on the London Eye. Sounds like a made up bit of 'visit London' propoganda, eh? But this is exactly what the gorgeous husband and I did last Friday. We were truly blessed, having watched the rain come down in all its various forms since we came back from our holiday, the sun shone most of the day and only the poor groundlings got soaked during a couple of sharp showers.
So, starting with Borough Market; we had fully intended to buy something delicious for lunch and find a bench along the river to enjoy a picnic of organic cheese, ham, tomatoes and so on. The reality was somewhat different as we found ourselves bamboozled by the choices on offer, couldn't make any decisions, didn't want to waste time standing in a queue and, more importantly, needed a loo. It was the combination of all these that found us sitting at a table inside 'The Real Greek", a stone's throw from The Globe itself. This is a great way to eat: choosing from a menu of cold and hot mezzes, you build the meal exactly as your fancy takes you and they serve it on tea-stands, plates towering on top of each other. Every mouthful was a treat and the atmosphere was lively, fun and bustly but not overwhelmingly loud or brash.
Then, on to our seats (cushions and backs for hire - don't even think about saving money here, every penny spent is worth it ten times over!) A Midsummer Night's Dream - ah my first ever Shakespeare and probably still my greatest love. I have such good memories of a group of us at school in 1964 practising scenes from the play in the rose gardens. Sue, Claire, Katie, Barbara (lovers, fairies, lords and ladies) - I, as the show-off, was Puck and Jacki (the chronicler of our generation) took photographs. I think there is still one in an old album somewhere. The Globe put on a superb production, with just enough magic, mayhem, romance and the dark side to do the play absolute justice.
At five, we staggered out of the theatre, put our bones back to their original places, and called in at the Royal Society of Watercolourists and Printmakers gallery, near the Oxo Tower. A lovely exhibition and an opportunity to buy cute / witty / pretty cards for future occasions.
We met our friends along past the National, where a Lindy-Hop band was just setting up and had drinks and the best burger in town at Giraffe. After two hours, despite enjoying the company and the food, we decided it was time to head for home, both feeling we'd been battling with the wind and chill factor for long enough. We strolled along to Waterloo just as dusk approached and that's when we had the same idea at exactly the same moment - no queues at the Eye, let's watch the sun go down from the most exciting view of London.
For the next half hour, we were spellbound as some of the most beautiful sites you could ever see in any city presented themselves, bathed in the last glowing, golden light of the day. We picked out Primrose Hill, which is where we normally would be looking out over London from the other direction and the Wembley arch, splendid in the distance, landmarks across the City and of course, the best view of the very best - Westminster and the Houses of Parliament.
I don't know if it's because we have been away or perhaps we're already getting caught up in London 2012 fever (god, I hope not - it's four years away for heaven's sake!) but we both fell in love with London all over again and felt lucky to be there and to be part of it all.
See you soon,
Angie
