Side trip to Venice.

Saturday 7^th September.

The plan for today was simple enough, a stroll to the Camden Lock Markets, lunch by the canal somewhere and maybe find the Canal Museum. I met sisters Mary and Clare 5 years ago in Vietnam, Mary lives in Bristol and Clare in Stafford. They both agreed to come to London and spend the day with us. So that gave us a relaxing start to the day and by 9.30 we were ready , armed with laptop, to head across to St Pancras to suck up the free wi-fi like hungry babies. We’ve been having withdrawals! I managed to upload all previous days of the blog and check up on a bit of facebooking. Check back a bit later and hopefully I’ll have added some photos.

Mary and Clare were due in around 10.30 and we agreed to meet in the pub on our corner, then come back to our flat to show them where we’re staying and have a cuppa after their trip. It’s funny, we haven’t seen each other for 5 years but we picked up like we’d seen each other last week. Not sure what time we set off, but the weather was kind to us on our walk to the markets, after the showers we had earlier. We were nearly distracted by the many market stalls set up on the Camden Town High Street, but I knew we had to cross the canal before we would be there, so on we pressed. Decision time when we got there  – head up the hill and start there or go to the downhill side and start there. I’m so pleased we chose the uphill side because that took us to a great vantage point to watch a couple of canal boats negotiate the lock.

Mary had asked me earlier why I wanted to go up to the canals, what made me interested to see them? It’s because it’s something we don’t have at home and while we also don’t have a Tower Bridge or a Big Ben, we do have some very iconic tourist attractions, but we don’t have canals.

We wandered through the markets until we realised the time and thought we’d better have some lunch, and then we went around to where the water-bus boat departed thinking maybe one went down the canal in the direction of the Thames, and we could go to the Canal Museum. Unfortunately, the boat only went up the canal towards Paddington with a stop at the London Zoo on the way. So looks like the Canal Museum is off the agenda and we pay our 8 pounds for a ¾ hour tootle up the canal to “Little Venice”.  They say the best way to arrive in Venice is by water, and London’s Little Venice is no different.

Mary, Clare and I

Little Venice

This is the junction point of the Grand Union Canal and Regent Canal and the expanse of water is quite impressive, and it’s been a lovely respite from the hustle and bustle, but there is still no escape from the sirens. We spend some time pondering the practicalities of living on a canal boat, as many seem to do along these canals, but decide a short holiday on board might be enough. Pauline would be able to tell us all about that.

Coffee time. Again, our superb navigational skills take us to Paddington and locate a suitable looking café with a table inside as the cool wind picks up. Refreshed again and with time to spare before Mary and Clare have to catch their trains, a check of the map confirms that Hyde Park isn’t far away and we wind up at the Italian Gardens which are lovely.

The Italian Garden, Hyde Park

We were really lucky to have walked into Hyde Park and be so close to them. Back on the Tube at Lancaster Gate station, we hit Saturday afternoon peak hour on the way to Euston to go our respective ways. It’s been a really great day and who knows?, maybe we will make that South American holiday happen.

Feeling the need for a steak dinner, we check out ‘The Rocket’ pub, between the British Library and Euston Station, and it’s only just getting dark as we head home.  LMAO – we found a food channel on TV and are watching a show called Bitchin’ Kitchen. Can we get this show on Foxtel please Mr Foxtel? It’s informative (and hilarious!!)