My first Saturday excursion--
After sleeping very late and having lunch at the University dining hall (Thank God for that place! I'd be broke in no time if I had to eat out several times a day!), I goofed off awhile, talked with my daughter Mariah (and was delighted by her high spirits!), then set out for Kew, home of the famous Kew Botanic Gardens. I had no plans to visit the gardens when snow was still falling, but a walk down the South bank of the Thames sounded good to me.
Along the way, I was startled by a blue heron exploding out of the foliage by the footpath, saw pigeons as big as small ducks, and saw a parakeet! That's right, a parakeet:
My colleague, Ted South, informs me that these exotic birds have invaded the Richmond Hill deer park. Apparently they live on the banks of the Thames as well!
Seagulls floated downstream along the north bank, fishing and squawking. When they felt they had floated far enough, up they'd go, flying back west and starting the loop all over again.
Whenever a fish was seized by one of them, a flurry of fighting took place among those nearby. Sometimes a larger predatory bird (a hawk of some sort) would swoop in and seize the prize for himself. Herself?
Near the South bank crew teams of 8 men or 4 women rowed upstream against the current, with one person in the stern or bow of the boat calling the strokes. Lots of boats, but I had no clear idea who the teams might represent. I did see UCL on the jerseys of a couple boats--maybe University of Central London?
When I reached Kew, I stopped for coffee (and a much needed warm-up) at a cute little pastry shop called The Original Maids of Honour. A warm, friendly place with lots of congenial people enjoying themselves. Here is what you get when you ask for a cup of coffee there:
And this is the way it looks inside:
After that, I took the Overground (yes they have one of those too) back to Richmond and walked up the hill looking for a good place to eat. I had a place in mind further up the hill, but after reading the menu for Pizzeria Rustica I decided that pizza and salad sounded great after my long walk:
I sat in the window looking out at the passersby, and had a delicious meal:
Then back up the hill home--taking a few shots along the way.
The Chuck Taylor selection was particularly impressive! Weird, huh? More soon . . .
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