It is another warm and dry day and so, feeling a little rested from our Hampshire rambles (see To Portsmouth and following posts), we set out on a gentle local tour.

Jusaka

You will not be surprised when I say that we started with coffee at Jusaka, where we left our reusable cups (a gift from them some time back) for collection later.

Then we went to the stop in St John Street and boarded a number 19 bus. This took us on a long ride (made to seem even longer by the weekday traffic and stops for red lights) to deepest Chelsea.

King’s Road, Chelsea

As we had made a latish start (we are still on holiday, after all), we felt it could be lunch time. It was then that I realised Tigger’s ulterior motive in bringing us here.

My Old Dutch Pancake House

It is the location of a branch of the My Old Dutch pancake restaurants. We have been to this one before and to others.

My Old Dutch, interior
Photo by Tigger

In these times of Covid, you have to wait outside until a staff member can attend to you. The stand that you see in the picture has a notice incorporating a QR code. Using this with your mobile takes you to a website where you leave your name and phone number for Covid tracing, should this be necessary. All responsible businesses have some such system in place but this one is particularly efficient and saves time if you do it while waiting,)

Milk shakes and more tulips

As these pancake houses are patterned on Dutch ones, it’s not surprising to see tulips used in the decor. (They are plastic, by the way 🙂 )

Pancakes
Photo by Tigger

If, when I say “pancakes”, you think of these titchy little things your mum made or that you are served in cafes, think again. These are huge. I might be inclined to call them “Dutch pizzas” but that would be an insult. They are much better than that. The pancake itself is very thin and flexible. The toppings are of course what makes the pancake what it is and there is an extensive menu of these, both savoury and sweet. Tigger chose “Eggs Florentine” (foreground above) and I had the “Four Cheeses”. Both were vegetarian.

Flying geese sculptures
Catherine Marr-Johnson, 1984

Afterwards, we went for a walk and made our way to Battersea Bridge, where this pair of bronze flying geese are located.

Battersea Bridge

Battersea Bridge (opened 1863) is not a particularly beautiful bridge but it does its job. The tide was out meaning that there were great expanses of mud which, if unsightly, provided rich pickings for the birds.

The Thames at Battersea

The Thames nevertheless presented pleasant views and we enjoyed these as we walked along the south bank.

Albert Bridge

In the distance we could see the prettier Albert Bridge, towards which we were heading, shining whitely in the sunshine.

Wharf

We reached one of the several docks or wharfs that lead off the Thames through lock gates. This one had an interesting visitor.

Heron

The heron was motionless on the mud below us. What claimed his rapt attention we could not see.

We were now approaching Albert Bridge.

Albert Bridge

The Albert Bridge was built in 1873 but its design proved to be unsound and it was modified in 1884-7 by Sir Joseph Bazalgette. More information will be found here.

Battersea Park

A little further on from the bridge, we entered Battersea Park and found a pleasant area near the water where we could sit for a while enjoying the tranquil atmosphere.

The Peace Pagoda

We passed by the Peace Pagoda. We did not go up to it this time, though the details are worth seeing, if you have the time and inclination. More about it will be found here.

The Thames and Chelsea Bridge

Leaving the park, we continued along the south bank of the Thames. Our next goal was the bridge you can see in the photo, Chelsea Bridge. This is a relatively young bridge, being built in 1934-7 but it is also a Grade II listed building.

Ducks in a puddle

We were amused, and perhaps intrigued, by these ducks – two couples – who, with the whole Thames to exploit, had chosen to spend time in this puddle. It must have offered benefits though what they were eluded us humans.

Chelsea Bridge

We reached Chelsea Bridge and found that there was a bus stop right at its beginning. We needed no further encouragement and boarded a number 44 to begin our journey home.

Aboard the number 44

We later changed to a 19 which carried us back to the Angel. And yes, we did remember to pick up our cups from Jusaka on the way home!