Wednesday 26 August 2015

Sinking into mundanity on a Sunday. In which we take a ride on the Airline skyride over the River Thames



I am feeling a bit stir crazy after a whole day at home in the rain.

I worried myself quite a lot by doing things that have been left undone for months.

  • some ironing ( don't tell my other half )
  • cleared the dead coals and ash from the fireplace ( our last real fire was at Christmas time)
  • tidied my desk and polished my keyboard. no more dirty querty.
  • found my ipod ( missing for 8 months)
  • created a large pile of stuff for the charity shop, but didn't go to the charity shop as it was raining.
  • paid bills


What was all that about?

Life is too short for household chores.

I need adventure.

New Zealand beckons, and my visa has been approved. I am probably just getting organised, about 3 months too early. Wanting to leave the house clean and tidy.

I shouldn't complain.

Other Half treated me to a mini adventure on Sunday.

He took me on the London Emirates Airline cable car ride over the Thames. Last time we attempted the crossing it was too windy and they closed it just as we arrived. This time the air was still, and the sky was grey.

He knows how to give a girl a good time.

He allowed me to use my Oyster card. Who would have thought a sky ride could be purchased with an Oyster Card?

We took off in our cabin from the foot of the O2 and headed skywards towards  Royal Docks, East London.

The view was scenic.

East London is growing fast. New builds everywhere.




I spotted some cones.




And a beach.



No swimming allowed though.






  Danger of drowning.



We explored the Royal Docks, walking all the way around, inspecting the rapidly changing scenery.

No ice cream. No coffee. OH was heading towards his lunch. I had just had breakfast.



We walked down to the foot bridge that you can just see in the distance in the image above, doing a circular tour.


Happy hikers passed us by; one dragging a tyre behind him perhaps in an attempt to get as much exercise as if he were climbing a grassy mountain or distant hill.

A lot of concrete here.


 

I didn't try to climb the wall. Nor was I thinking of it. Wallspikes or not.

We encountered a new sport; riding on a jet of air pumped out of a tube by a jet ski. It obviously doesn't count as swimming.

I heard the instructor advising his client

'time's up mate'

'on the way back I want you to swim like a dolphin. Push your head under the water'

And to my surprise, he did.

And looked just like a dolphin to me.




The lift on the footbridge is broken.





At the far end, more development opportunities abound. An old Spiller 'millenium' building. Built in the 1930's.


Coming back round we could see the dome, the airline and the new houses. 






We flew home again. Across the river and back to the Greenwich peninsula.










Back on the South side we popped over to the dome to find out how much they charged for climbing onto its roof.

£38.

I am sure you can guess that we didn't take the opportunity.

The airline ride goes much higher. And all for a few pennies on my Oyster card.

A fine morning out, before the rain arrived. We completed the day with a trip to town to buy a new wire brush to clean the BBQ as the mouse has eaten the old one,  and a new sink tidy.

We know how to have a good time.




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