Arrived London

There are novel ways of leaving a country ... being chased out by a typhoon warning is not one I have encountered before. A level 3 typhoon warning ended the VERY long 10 hour sojourn in HKK airport - unfortunately the creatures masquerading as 'swine' dressed in their masks followed me on to the flight (I have never seen so many people in masks before)and continued to irrtate me with their snorting and twitching. It was a very long 12.05 hours.

Glad to see the green and pleasant land unfurl from the fluffy blanket of cummulus cloud - the morning sunrise lit up the Thames turning it into a ribbon of steel cutting its way through the familiar architectural landscape below. Rows of chimneys ... oh how I love them ...I peered over my fellow travellers only to catch a glimpse of 'the Gherkin' - a building I have long waited to see and soon to photograph.

Arrived LHR at 5.10 am and the rendezvous with Adele and Tomas at terminal 4 was well timed.

Much of the rather hot London summer day has been spent sitting in the garden of the 'Matt and Glenn cemetrey accomodation' - for those you who haven't a clue about what I am talking about - Matthew and Glenn's house is bordered by the St Mary's Cemetrey at Clapham Junction. The location paints a stunning vista as the back garden is bordered by Oak, Horse chestnuts and plane trees filled with birds and squirrels. Tomas even spotted a fox in the vicinity. It's nice to sit amongst the familiarity of an old cottage garden. Raspberries, Herbs, hydrangea, daisies, poppies, roses, mallow .... bumble bees bustle, butterflies flit and dragonflies hover - the smell of honeysuckle fills the air ...

We were torn away from this nirvana by a visit to Westminister Abbey - intiated by Tomas whose interest in history needed to be sated. After battling the crowds of tourists (I now know why I have avoided the summer) I found respite in St Margarets Chapel at Westminister a more peaceful and reflective environment while the others did the hard yards.

Finally we made our way to Pimlico - for a lager and lunch at the Queens Arms where we met up with my nephew Dylan and Tessa.. Great to see them again.
I'm now totally wrecked - it's 9.00 and still light - out to the garden for a bowl of berries and then to bed - few pictures tomorrow - I hope
so long ...
Lxx