The view from the bridge
The third figure from the left is me
The weather in London today was impossibly good. Dark, sapphire skies. A primal bright yellow sun. A friend had stayed over and so this morning we went for a walk. From the flat we walked along the Thames, passing Tate Britain and then Mi5 at Thames House, then over the bridge to the South Bank. From there we had great views onto the Palace of Westminster. It was very busy, mostly tourists.
The photo above is from the Hungerford Bridge. I am the 3rd figure from the left. Ghostlike. Surveying the scene around me.
We walked up through Embankment to Whitehall, through Horseguards, then caught a taxi to a favourite wine bar in Belgravia, south of Victoria. From there it was a 10 minute walk back to the flat.
The friend departed. I went to the barber and then did a food shop. In the evening I went on a date. It turned out to not be anything too special. A somewhat rarefied sloane-ranger sort – not exactly my type (society will doubtless feign horror but I invariably prefer blue-collar). An over-long kiss pressed up against a wall in an alleyway close to the pub we met at closed proceedings for the evening – initiated by him I might add.
I jumped on a bus which deposited me at Battersea Station. From here I caught another bus over Chelsea Bridge. I got off just north of the river and did a quick walk home – 10 minutes or so. I was stopped by a French woman on Grosvenor Road asking for directions to a hostel. I had no idea. The iPhone with its GPS is such a saviour in these situations. We located where she needed to go, I showed her on the map and sent her on her way. She was demonstrably grateful.
