Back in London

There are days when I'm in London when I just want to walk around and enjoy the city. Considering there is so much to do here and still so many places I've yet to visit, it almost seems like conspicuously shirking the list to just walk about, but London holds wonderful surprises around every corner. We started the day catching up with a friend at an Australian restaurant on a barge in Paddington. We met Elio when he was head sommelier at Claude Bosi's restaurant, Bibendum. We struck up a friendship and it's always such a treat to see him and hear about his family and his life in London.

Just down the Grand Union Canal from the Darcie Green, you can find more narrowboats,

many of which are restaurants, including one that specializes in British cheese.

Their tiny kitchen specializes in grilled cheese sandwiches. Dairy sensitivity be damned - I'm going to visit one of these days.

The area is a great example of mixed use space, with apartments and businesses alongside public spaces.

A bit further along the canal, you come to Little Venice. Some of the narrowboats here are houseboats and some contain businesses, everything from tour boats to a podcast studio.

I may have mentioned somewhere along the way that I love British rail stations. Most of them date from a time when art was thought a necessity of life. Just look at the "wings" on the supports at Paddington.

It was pretty drizzly and I decided to walk back to the flat to get ready for our outing to the theatre tonight. Along the way I passed a little gem of public art: a statue just outside Paddington Station that I love, but have never gotten a good photo of until today. It's called The Wild Table of Love by the artists Gillie and Marc. The sculpture features their signature characters, Rabbitwoman and Dogman, hosting a banquet for ten of the world's most endangered animals.

There are two empty seats at the table, inviting the public to join them, and hoping to raise awareness for wildlife conservation.

Across the street from the statue is, I think, my favorite clock in London.

I think I was the only person who even noticed it which is sad because it's such a clever thing!

Our first full day back in London ended with a visit to the Hampstead Theatre to see Indian Ink by Tom Stoppard.

One of the show's two leads was Felicity Kendall, Tom Stoppard's partner at the time of its initial production. In this production she plays the role of the older woman sharing memories of her poet sister's visit to, and subsequent death in, India. In the 1995 production she played the role of the young poet. Since Tom Stoppard died quite recently, I was left wondering what sort of emotions this production must have inspired in her.

It was a memorable evening of wonderful theatre.