Today is a warm, sunny day with a forecast high of 20°C. As usual, we betook ourselves to Sainsbury’s for the weekly shopping expedition.

The Farmers’ Market

The Farmers’ Market was out in force and busy.

Tables in the sun

At least one cafe had tables in the open air, neatly arranged in two market “slots” for stalls. I wonder whether they have to pay for these. I assume so.

The plants stall

The stall selling plants was present, as usual. It is the one stall (apart from the fruit and veg stalls owned by shops) that has been present nearly every day during the pandemic. They deserve a prize for that alone.

In Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s was busy but not enough to seriously cramp our style and we had soon finished. This photo was taken as we waited in a queue at a checkout.

Chapel Market

In this photo, I am making my way through the market to Mercer’s to pick up our coffees.

Mercer’s

Perhaps because we were a little later than usual, there was a queue at Mercer’s and there was a longer wait than usual.

The busker

Every flower has its bee and every market has its busker. I can’t say that the performance ticked any boxes for me but I assume some people must like it.

As for us, we continued on our way home to drink our coffee, put away the shopping and think about lunch. This afternoon? We shall see…

Today being Saturday, we spent the morning in slothful ease. Then, after lunch, followed the well trodden path to the deli.

The Curvaceous Tree, greening up nicely

On the way, I took a photo of my favourite, the Curvaceous Tree. It has clothed itself nicely in green for the new season.

Myddelton Square, south side

I also photographed the south side of Myddelton Square. Why? Well, why not? This is a lovely place and I enjoy walking round it.

Percy Circus

All the tables were occupied at Myddelton’s deli so we took our coffee (and cakes!) to that other favourite place of ours, Percy Circus.

A sunny moment

All afternoon, the sun was playing hide and seek between the clouds. Every tine the sun shone, I tried to take a photo of the sunlit scene but, in the time it took me to raise the camera, the sun would disappear again. I did manage to snatch one quick photo.

Looking back at Percy Circus

Having dispatched our coffee and cakes, we set off down the hill to the main road to catch a bus. I took a photo looking back at Percy Circus garden. Lovely place.

Aboard the number 46 bus

On the main road, we boarded a 46 bus which would take us to Swiss Cottage, this afternoon’s destination. The 46 is a single-deck bus and though it wasn’t crowded when we boarded that would soon change.

Social distancing? What’s that?

The bus became uncomfortably crowded and the driver, whose responsibility it is to avoid overloading the bus, paid no attention to this.

We left the bus here

We left the bus at a stop in Swiss Cottage. Swiss Cottage is one of those districts whose name is prettier than the actual scenery.

The present Swiss Cottage

The district took its name from an inn that once stood here that was called Ye Olde Swiss Cottage. What it looked like and when it was demolished, I do not know. The present Swiss Cottage pub makes a passable attempt to imitate a Swiss mountain chalet, I suppose.

Mobile snack bar

There is a place set aside for the Swiss Cottage Market but this afternoon there were only three traders present. They included this dinky little mobile snack bar.

Once a paddling pool

Tigger tells me that this feature used to be a paddling pool. As you can see, it is one no longer and is being used by young men practising the skateboard manoeuvres. The attraction of this pastime is lost on me.

The Leisure Centre

This impressive (well, large) building is the Leisure Centre. What activities can one engage in here? I don’t know but thy kindly allowed me to use their toilets and for that I am grateful.

Finchley Road

We walked along the busy main thoroughfare which is called Finchley Road, reasonably enough as it leads to the district called Finchley. It was filled with traffic moving at an excruciatingly slow pace. I was glad not to be driving.

Caffè Nero

We stopped off at a branch of Caffè Nero for coffee. We sat outside to enjoy the polluted air.

Fairfax Road

We then walked down the long Fairfax Road. It is named, of course, after Thomas Fairfax who, as commander-in-chief of the Parliamentary forces during the English Civil War, won several important battles, including the important Battle of Naseby. Apart from that the street is pretty uninteresting.

Green roundabout

Its nicest feature is arguably the green roundabout or traffic island at its end though it shares his with other streets. (Yes, I am being ironic.)

Belsize Road

We decided to catch a bus to Camden Town and walked down this street, Belsize Road looking for a bus stop. When we found one, it was closed. Thanks a lot. We walked a long way further and eventually found a bus stop that was closed. The bus we caught there took us to Camden Town.

Aboard the number 214

At Camden Town we changed to the number 214 which carried us back home to the Angel.

The 153 bus

As I mentioned in previous post, we agreed to meet at Liverpool Street Station. I caught a 153 bus in St John Street.

Liverpool Street Station

I was first at the rendezvous. My first idea was to find a bench in the station but decided I’d rather be out in the open air.

Outside the station

This is the entrance in Liverpool Street that gives the station its name. Next to the railway station is the bus station which provides a convenient terminus for several bus routes. I stood here to await Tigger or text messages from her.

Fulcrum aka “The Wigwam”

Outside is this rather large structure composed of slabs of iron. It is an artwork (Fulcrum by Richard Serra, installed 1987) that has acquired the nickname “Wigwam”. I think you can see why.

Costa Coffee

We went t Costa in Eldon Street because we could sit in there. We came here often in the “old days”. I don’t need to say that it looks somewhat different post-Covid, with protective barriers and reduced seating capacity. Nice easy chairs, though.

The upper level

There has been rebuilding at the station, aimed of course at increasing income. The station has acquired a new upper level with expensive-looking shops, the kind whose window displays don’t show prices. (“If you have to ask the price, you can’t afford it.”)

Office space

There is also expensive-looking office space, no doubt for expensive businesses.

“Keep two metres apart”

We had just missed a bus so we went inside the station to wait, as it was raining. As in all public places, there are notices warning us to socially distance but in crowded stations that’s often ignored.

The bus – resting

The bus came in but went for the driver’s rest period. So we waited patiently…

The Banana Tree

The bus eventually came and the ride back to the Angel was uneventful. We decided that as the Banana Tree was serving on the premises, we would eat in rather than have a takeaway. Small steps back to some sort of normality.

On that happy note I will bid you adieu until my next. All bring well, the weekend will enable us to go out and about, whether permitting.

Yesterday (Thursday), I was supposed to collect that laundry that we had deposited at the dry cleaners in Amwell Street on Monday morrning. The problem with that simple plan was that I was expecting delivery of my new shoes and had to wait in for them or risk missing them. In the event, they turned up at about 3:30 pm.

Having taken possession of my shoes, I prepared to go for the laundry. The most difficult part of that getting ready was putting my shoes on! The shoes are designed as “slip-on”, which means they are elasticated so that they expand as you put your feet into them and then close again to make a snug fit. When new, they are very stiff and I had a job levering my feet into them using a shoe horn. Once they are on, they fit perfectly. The stiffness will ease over the next few days. I always wear the same model (Kalahari, from Vegetarian Shoes), so I am used to this easing-in period.

Having managed to shoe myself, I rushed off to the dry cleaners and claimed our laundry. After dragging the loaded trolley up-hill to home, I was happy to wait there for a couple of hours until Tigger to returned from work.

Today, Friday, I am going to meet Tigger, not at home but part-way along her route. Liverpool Street Station makes a good place for a rendezvous as Tigger has to change buses there and I can catch a 153 bus from the Angel to the station. Whoever arrives first will text the other one so that we can meet.

Having met up, I expect we will go somewhere for coffee and whatever else turns up. During the last few weeks we have tended to go to Banana Tree, a Thai-style restaurant, for a takeaway. Perhaps we shall do that again today or maybe an alternative will suggest itself. We’ll see.

I don’t know whether I will manage to take any photos and post them on the blog. That remains to be seen. Otherwise, we now have the weekend to look forward too as well as Monday and Tuesday when Tigger is not working. A four-day weekend: not bad, eh?

Tigger’s holiday has ended and she is back to working three days a week, usually Wednesday to Friday. Today, then, I am on my own until Tigger returns around 6 pm. The weather is warm (15°C) and dry so I have no excuse not to go out. But where should I go? I had no idea so set out, following the inspiration of each moment.

Penton Street

I started by going along Penton Street as there are many paths leading off it in various directions.

Colourful window

I stopped to admire this colourful window with stained glass panels. I imagine it looks even prettier from inside the building.

Mystery hummocks in Joseph Grimaldi Park

I left Penton Street by Donegal Street, which led me to Joseph Grimaldi Park. In this section of the park, the ground forms a series of hummocks. What are they? So far, I have not found an answer. One suggestion is that they are heaps of rubble from the demolished church, now overgrown and left in place as a “feature”. I shall continue looking for the answer.

Rodney Street then Muriel Street

Beside the park runs Rodney Street which later becomes Muriel Street. It was along here that I walked now, having decided to take a look at the Regent’s Canal that passes by here.

Where does this lead?

Before I reached my goal, however, my attention was attracted by this path or lane. It’s called Fife Terrace and I decided to find out where it leads.

The path leads to some houses

The path takes you along beside the canal, which is visible to the right and below, screened by vegetation. It reaches some houses where it seems to end. But no, it dog-legs to the left and leads to some more houses.

It exits in Wynford Road

At this end, Fife Terrace exits into Wynford Road which led me, turning left, back into Muriel Street, completing the circle.

Steps down to the canal

There are shallow steps leading down to the tow path of the canal.

Regent’s Canal and moorings

The canal provides a highway for boats and barges to travel far and wide but there are also moorings, as here, where boats can stop, whether just overnight or for a longer period. Whereas barges once transported goods around Britain, today most seem to serve as houseboats, either for holidaymakers or for permanent waterborne residents.

The Islington Tunnel

What is notable about this site is that it holds one end of the Islington Tunnel. This carries the canal along under the built-up parts of Islington.

Caledonian Road Bridge

On reaching the Caledonian Road Bridge, I decided to return by the path the runs beside the canal.

Path and steps to the road

I walked up the path to the road and as I went, noticed some mosaics of fish in the wall.

Mosaics of fish

Unfortunately, they were partly obscured by vegetation. I continued up the path.

At the top of the path I found the explanation for the fish. The notice implied that there were other mosaics so I went to look.

I found beetles and other insects and…

…a splendid set of birds. It’s a pity they are obscured by vegetation as they deserve to be seen and admired. A lovely school art project, beautifully done.

Back down to the canal

Following the path to view the mosaics had brought me back to the canal. I passed under the bridge to look for another way up.

Uneven steps to the path

I found this rather uncomfortable set of steps up to the path but managed it safely.

The green path

It is a green path but with a hard surface for easy walking but you need to take care because cyclists also use this path (as well as the tow path) and don’t always signal their presence.

Should I go this way?

I debated with myself whether to walk up the road through this estate, though I was not sure where it led, or stick to the route by which I had come.

Arriving at the top

I decided to take a chance and walked up the hill through the estate, reaching the road at the top by this gate, intended, I suppose, to deter cyclists from using the footpath. I doubt whether it does.

Penton Street and Tolpuddle Street

When I looked to see where I was, I laughed, because I was once more on familiar ground in Penton Street. I crossed the road into Tolpuddle Street and Sainsbury’s car park.

Chapel Market

From here I crossed Chapel Market, which presented its usual busy scene.

Baron Street

My last photo is in Baron Street from where I shall soon be home, there to await messages from Tigger that she is on her way back from work. What would she think of my walk? Perhaps we’ll do it together one day.