After lunch, the weather was a little warmer as I had hoped, but the wind was still cold. We decided to take a trip to the Thames which would involve taking the bus there and back.

Fara, in Pentonville Road, is the only charity shop where I have seen people queueing for admission. I wonder what the big attraction is?

The bus soon came and was almost empty, which was pleasant.

We left the bus on Waterloo Bridge and walked to the stairs (60 steps) that lead down to the Thames by the Southbank Centre. The above photo shows how crowded the area was.

We descended the steps to the river and began to walk along the promenade.

It was very busy, as you might imagine, and we had to keep dodging people who made little attempt to keep their distance, not to mention cyclists riding dangerously among the pedestrians.

I don’t know the origins and history of this sculpted log that seems to have been made to serve as a bench. Nobody had taken up its offer. It is rather low, though.

This view along the Thames shows Blackfriars Bridge and some famous buildings, including the OXO tower (on the right) and the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral.

After walking for a while we came closer to Blackfriars Bridge and St Paul’s behind it.

This man was using a bucket of liquid and some netting on a stick to blow bubbles. He didn’t seem to have anything to sell so perhaps he was hoping people would give him money for his entertainment value.

This man, playing a guitar, was more obviously in the entertainment business.

We reached the (in)famous Millennium Bridge that connects St Paul’s Cathedral with the Tate Modern art gallery. (Don’t mention wobbles.)

We walked across the bridge dodging people, including joggers, coming in the opposite direction.

As we crossed the bridge, a Thames Clipper passed underneath. We have taken trips on these boats several times.

We reached the end of the bridge at St Paul’s, a shining architectural beauty in the sunshine.

Here, within sight of the elegant slender tower of St Paul’s School, is the stop where we waited for the first of our two buses home.

This bus has three doors and some rear-facing seats. We sat right at the back and watched the landscape slide away as we progressed.

At Moorgate, we changed to a single-deck two-door 153 that brought us back to the Angel.

Tomorrow is another day and we have things to do during it but for now, we have a pleasant evening at home to look forward to.

After yesterday’s pleasant warmth, I had hoped for more of the same today but when I stepped outside, I was shocked by the chill wind that had an icy edge to it.

The weather forecast shows the sun half-hidden by a cloud and this turned out to be accurate. In the photo of Baron Street above, you can see the cloudy sunny conditions but not the biting wind.

The Farmers’ Market was out in force and busy. The pub and the neighbouring cafe had put out their tables (the only way they are allowed to serve customers at present) but there were few takers. Perhaps the relatively early hour has something to do with this.

I had been toying with the idea of suggesting that we had lunch at our favourite Cafe Sizzle but I really can’t imagine sitting out eating in this chill wind.

The main market was busy also with a good turnout of stalls and lots of customers. I have noticed that markets also seem to attract groups of people who just stand about like extras in a film set.

Sainsbury’s was medium-busy, as it tends to be just after opening at 11am on Sundays. Some areas were crowded while others were less so.

Again, as it was early, we found a checkout with only one customer who was just finishing. The lady concerned paid in cash and this made me realise how cash is rapidly becoming redundant in a world where electronic-everything is the norm. How long will it be, I wonder, before humans give up eating messy food and simply plug themselves into the power supply when they feel hungry?

As usual, I hurried ahead to Mercer’s to order coffee. There were customers ahead of me but I did not have to wait long, add to which, as they know me now, I don’t even have to say what I want.

As we hurried home, hot coffee in hand, I saw that a busker had taken up position among the stalls . He was regaling us with a mournful song, performed to a backing tape. He was singing more or less in tune so let’s be grateful for small mercies.

The wind gusted sharply as we hurried on and I was glad to reach home. Later, the temperature will have risen a few degrees so we may go out again. But first, we have lunch – indoors! – to look forward to!