and the livin´ is easy...
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| the leafy canopy over our picnic |
While we didn´t see any jumping fish, we did see plenty of picnic-ers, ball-players, and sun-worshippers, all solid evidence of the little heat wave we´re experiencing here in London. Ice cream on Friday night, lazing in a park on Saturday, and a lovely walk around Notting Hill this evening. Believe you me, this heat wave is grand!
To take advantage of the weather, Tall Guy and I set off for a picnic in Richmond Park. To take advantage of the weather... it´s the Canadian in me coming out - good weather means one MUST go outside. It´s a law that has been instilled in children by parents for generations. Is that a sunny patch in the sky? Is it above freezing? GO OUTSIDE, KIDS! (Once in a while, I "hated outside", but mostly I loved it. Still do - it´s in my blood. Even remotely nice days draw me out.)
For Tall Guy, who was raised in the land of perpetual sun, and who instinctively heads indoors to sleep during the sunniest part of the day, this is still slightly confusing. Why can´t we go to the mall? Why can´t we go to the museum? But the dinosaur exhibit is open again! Why can´t we have a nap? Why can´t we... Because, it´s nice outside! So out we went.
The amount of traffic on the road was insane. It seemed my idea of heading out of town was so bright, all of London decided to have it. The sun beat down on our backs (we were on the motorbike) and making snail-like progress had Tall Guy threatening to turn around. It took some serious convicing (read: bribery, in the form of a fabulous dessert I had made for the picnic), but in the end, we pressed on and finally made it to the park.
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| a tree I liked |
We found a patch of shade under an oak tree with lots of acorns under it, the logic being that if so many were already on the ground, the chances of any falling on us would be reduced. This meant the ground under the picnic pashmina (my rather posh stand-in for a picnic blanket) was a little lumpy, but we didn´t get hit by any falling acorns!
After lunch (roasted vegetable and goat cheese salad, grapes, and a creamy yogurt-apple concoction), the sounds of summer in a park lulled Tall Guy to sleep and I watched the goings-on of park visitors.
This is how I know he was sleeping - it´s highly doubtful he would have let me do this had he been awake...
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| tall girl being a bad girlfriend :( |
Richmond Park is huge. The last time we were there, I stalked deer... This time, we opted for the shady haven of the Isabella Plantation, a beautiful ornamental garden filled with interesting plants (fenced off, of course, to save it from the deer!).
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| loving the shade in the isabella plantation |
Home again, home again, jiggity jig - we went for a dip in the pool and headed off to the cinema. And then we slept with all of the windows open. Simply wonderful.
yogurt-apple concoction
per serving:
1/3 cup plain organic yogurt
2 tbsp mascarpone cheese
splash of maple syrup
1/2 granny smith apple, chopped
2 tbsp granola topping (my plan was to use walnuts, but alas, we had none!)
mix yogurt, mascarpone and maple syrup together
put chopped apple in a small jar (I used recycled jam jars)
top with yogurt
top with granola (or nuts)
You are right! To take advantage of the weather and go outside while the weather is nice is SO Canadian!
ReplyDeleteThe sun was shining yesterday during the Homecoming football game, and while the temperature was only 8 C, the sun made it a wonderful fall day to be outside.