Time Offline

In some ways, I suppose it was just as well that we were offline last weekend, which was the 13th anniversary of Angie and me getting it together. Being cut off from the virtual world meant that we could spend time with each other in the real world without being distracted by emails etc.

We went for a walk along the Thames from London Bridge eastwards to Rotherhithe, taking in views towards London across the river that we had never seen before. It was a gloriously sunny day, and deliciously warm for early February. The warehouses and docks along the south bank of the river had now been transformed into lovely apartments and housing right up against historic pubs and important archaeological sites.

We came across the Mayflower pub right on the river, where 400 years ago, the Mayflower taking the Pilgrim Fathers to America was berthed. The Rotherhithe Tunnel that now features on daily traffic reports was built by the Brunels, father and son, its location marked by a giant red iron machine that looked like iconic modern art.

For foodies, I really recommend Borough market by London Bridge station on a Saturday. We headed there for lunch after our walk and it was thronging with trendy crowds, buying organic foodstuffs from the stalls and chomping on freshly made roast meat baguettes and spicy oriental barbecued dishes as they strolled along the streets. We had lunch at Fish! Restaurant with superb views of Southwark cathedral through its glass ceiling – I had yummy grilled swordfish and Angie had fish pie, followed by sticky toffee pudding: perfect for a winter’s day.

It was good to be reminded of these things that we’ve always loved doing together (apart from being netheads) – exploring hidden corners of London, taking long walks and indulging in good food!