From 'La Mole' to Penge

Another week has gone past since my last post.
I have got used to being confined to my armchair/bed/wheelchair and to hopping about on the crutches (although I still occasionally lose my balance or kick one of the sticks).
The worst is always when you read or watch a movie and then for a few moments you forget about the leg, only to be reacquainted with reality when you think about getting up.

We continue to go to our usual local haunts for my daily breath of fresh air.

The parks


which sometimes present a conundrum:


(And here's another puzzling sight: the blackboard of a local pub which has been closed since the beginning of the year for violation of the spelling licencing laws. And then squatted in by the manager for a while.)



The local garden centre/cafe' for tea and cake:









It's nice to step out of the front door to admire our 'babies':






(cornflowers and opium poppies)





Yesterday afternoon we had some unexpected visitors: Michael and Christopher who had just got back from Sitges the night before.
Luckily, I had just finished my toilette at the kitchen's sink

( which Adrian immortalised in photographic form - perhaps Not Entirely Safe For Work )My kingdom for a shower!

It's amazing and worrying to see how the muscle of the injured leg has shrunk in just 6 weeks. And also my gluteal muscles too.

The leg and knee in
( this photo behind the cut )
look rather vile: the leg is compressed by the straps and swells where there is room. The rotating pad that compresses the knee doesn't do much for the swelling.



Poor Adrian (london1952) has to go up to Leeds tomorrow for a couple of nights, but luckily the lovely Ricardo (bazanges) is on his way to visit us and 'babysit' me!

The lovely Ricardo (aka bazanges) spent the long week-end with us.
Yesterday Adrian (london1952) and I had tickets for the 'Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum' exhibition at the British Museum and Ricardo came with us, although it wasn't possible to get another ticket (apparently it is one of the must-see this year).



The weather was lovely all week-end (something very unusual!) and yesterday morning the sky was very blue




Don't be fooled by this empty road! In and around the museum was rather busy...









The exhibition is in the former reading room, in the middle of the courtyard









We have been to Pompeii (I've been 3 times) and Herculaneum, and we only visited the Archaeological Museum of Naples (which loaned at least half of the objects on display) at the end of January so nothing was really that new to us but we both enjoyed the exhibition a lot.

While in the museum in Naples everything is displayed according to a traditional layout, here there's a plan: the floor plan of the exhibition is modelled on the layout of a Roman villa and the archaeological finds are placed in the appropriate rooms. This makes it much more interesting to see.

While in Naples we almost had the museum to ourselves (we visited out of season and in the late afternoon), at the British Museum it was quite a different story: I had to be quite patient (I don't like crowds) and put up with running children and the occasional B.O.!
Unlike Naples, no pictures were allowed - one really wanted to challenge that but what's the point when it's that busy?
I would have never expected to read words such as 'cocksucker' and 'shitter' at the BM! But well blame those Romans! LOL!

After the museum, we went to Soho and indulged ourselves!
We visited two ice-cream parlours: Amorino on Old Compton Street and Gelupo on Archer Street.
Greedy? Us? Never!! LOL!







It was just so lovely to see and feel the sun at the week-end! And we weren't the only ones thinking that...
This is Green Park seen for the upper deck of a 38 bus!

Adrian (london1952 ) and Richard (bazanges /aka Ricardo) left early this morning for Stansted airport and then Limoges.

Richard has a lovely farm/house which he has been repairing for a number of years. It's almost in the middle of nowhere! 
Ricardo doesn't drive and Adrian does - and they both love gin: hence...



They got there safely.

I'm at home and am tired as I only had a 3-hour sleep last night.

We had a power cut at 1:15 am; I walked up slightly later and I could hear drilling. So I had to go out to check and saw two vans in the middle of the street. The engineers were working a few doors up from us. 
I also rang the power cut emergency number and they confirmed that they were repairing a fault.

I went back to bed but couldn't fall asleep. The power came back at around 3 am but sleep didn't for another half an hour, until after I got up to reset the alarm clock. (we had another 2 going - battery operated - yes I can be that paranoid!)

It's Sunday evening and we have spent two lovely and relaxing days on the beach





and also had fun at home and in town



The beach was full of naked men (familiar faces and... other body parts from previous years!) and the atmosphere is quite relaxed. I guess I could get used to this kind of life!

( Click here for more photos (some NSFW!) )

Our lovely friend Richard (aka Ricardo /  bazanges ) is visiting for a few days. We are having a very relaxed and laid-back week-end (it's 1 pm and Ricardo is still in his bathrobe eating homemade focaccia!)

Last night we caught the train to Chatham


to go to Michael's 50th  birthday party



Here are the birthday boy and Ricardo

The lovely Richard (or Ricardo to his friends and aficionados) got here tonight and we'll be all leaving for Sitges on Saturday morning.

Adrian cooked a lovely dinner and for dessert we had his chocolate marble cake with raspberries.







Maybe it was something that

Adrian the sorcerer had put in the cake, but all of a sudden people turned into monsters!



( More terror behind the cut! )

While we were at Richard's farm at the week-end, the conversation turned to the subject of the royal family.
Highgrove House, Prince Charles' country house and estate (dedicated to organic farming), is nearby and Camilla is also from that part of the world and often seen in the area.

Let's just say that Camilla is not Richard's favourite person; but he adores Céline Dion.

Well apparently Camilla,  Céline (and Madonna) have a common ancestor!! (let's rephrase that: they have an ancestor in common).
Click here for the article.

The long week-end is almost over: it went so quickly.
Richard

(caught by the camera after a refreshing shower)
got here just after 4 pm yesterday.
He and his partner David are such fun, and are two of our dearest friends.

We had a cup of tea and cake, a long chat, followed by a gin & tonic 


and then it was time to cook dinner.
We made:
- shrimp cakes
- chicken, prosciutto and leek pie
- chocolate walnut brownies with raspberries and cream
all washed down with a few glasses of wine.

Today we had a late breakfast (11:30 am!). The weather was lovely and so we decided to visit West Norwood Cemetery, one of the Magnificent 7, large Victorian cemeteries established north and south of the river in the 1830s/1840s.
It was lovely: so peaceful and green. And very atmospheric.
Pictures to follow: now it's time to cook some dinner!

The weather forecast was right and today the sun's shining, and it's warm too. 
It's going to be a lazy, long week-end (Monday is a Bank Holiday).
The lovely Richard (or as we often call him Ricardo) is stopping for a couple of nights here on his way home from his farm in France; so earlier today we discussed food and menu for the next few days.


Adrian (london1952) in "decisions, decisions, decisions..."! LOL!

And now that the shopping's done, it's time for a sit in the garden, to read the paper.
Have a  great week-end, you all!