The Rest of the Week in London

On Wednesday, I went to visit my former next door neighbor Caroline in Kingston, Surrey.   Caroline and her family used to live next door to me in Richmond.  They moved to Kingston because with two kids they needed more space; the neighborhood in Richmond where we lived was all tiny houses.

London suburbia - some houses in Caroline's new neighborhood.

Norbiton station (near Caroline's house) waiting for the train back into London.

Early Wednesday evening after getting back into town, I went to the Tate Modern for a while.   One thing that London has in common with Washington is excellent, free museums.  I got some good pictures of London from the Tate Modern and the area around it.

This was in the Tate Modern.

From the river bank just outside the Tate Modern.

St. Paul's, from the Millennium Bridge (a.k.a the Wobbly Bridge), a pedestrian bridge that goes from the Tate Modern across the river to The City.

The Shard.

Tower Bridge off in the distance.  London Bridge is the closer bridge.

After going to the Tate Modern, I met some of my old IBM UK colleagues for drinks at the Mulberry Bush, a pub across the street from our old office at IBM Southbank.  Then we went out for a meal at Pizza Express before we all headed home.   I got the Bakerloo Line up to Marylebone and waited for the train back to Larry's house in Seer Green.

Having one more for the road while waiting for the train, Marylebone Station.

Yesterday (Thursday) I went out to Richmond, Surrey, where I used to live.  I met up with my old manager Brendan Blake and his wife Teresa.  Brendan and I took a walk up to Richmond Park and along the river.

Before heading back into London from Richmond so that I could get the train back out from London to Seer Green, I did some shopping and got the ingredients to make shrimp creole.  When I got back to Larry's house I made shrimp creole for Larry and for his girlfriend Lorraine.  It was a good think I bought frozen shrimp because it took me nearly two hours to get back there.

Right now I am sitting in a coffee shop.  I will shortly be heading to St. Pancras station to get the train, through the Channel Tunnel, to Brussels.  I will arrive in Brussels this afternoon.  I have a place booked just a short walk from the Midi train station in Brussels, which is where I arrive.  It looks like a nice place.  I'm looking forward to being in Brussels tonight.