I almost lost my Camera

One can never get tired of this fabulous weather. Another crisp clear morning that will be a perfect walking day and being out of doors kind of day. Not a day for slug a beds.

I set off mid morning for the bank and financial area of Monument to enjoy those empty beautiful streets on a Saturday. Last Thursday evening it was a madhouse as Thursday has turned into the new Friday and Friday is get out of town day. I followed the path we did Thursday evening and was able to get the shots I wanted without the hindrance of people. In some cases I was able to stand in the middle of the road and take the picture. This could not have been done on Thursday. An addition to this morning's jaunt was the hearing of the bells of the churches that dot the area. This is a most curious combination of old and new most notably represented by the new Lloyd's Building that incorporate the facade of the original building. Another example of this juxtaposition is the London Stone and all the modern architecture and the number of Wren churches here. Old and new and everything in between.

When I'm done here I catch a bus to Oxford Circus and then a bus to Warwick Ave where our afternoon walk in little Venice will take place. Riding the bus along Oxford Street is more pleasant to my thinking than walking it.

At Oxford Circus I transfer to another bus that will take me to Warwick Street. On the way I pass through a Lebanese community. When the bus suddenly makes a turn and is on a main street of Maida Hill, I immediately recognize where I am. I was here a couple of weeks ago when I was taking the bus back from Hampstead Heath. The bus stops in front of a Tesco and I decide to get off to get my lunch which I will eat in a quite park nearby. When I am in the Tesco, I discover I don't have my camera. I empty the bag I am carrying, No camera. I check all my pockets again. No camera. I don't panic, or do I?

I go to see if the bus is in sight. No bus. I consider waiting for the next bus and going to the end and see if i can retrieve my camera. I will have to wait too long for the next bus, so I hail the next taxi that I see. I tell him my problem. I am reading to him the rout of the bus and we catch up to it. He does a Starsky and Hutch move by passing the bus when we finally caught it and stopped in front of it. I jump out and tell the bus driver I left my camera in the seat next to me. The driver lets me on and I go upstairs to find my camera where I left it. All this cost me was 10 pounds including a handsome tip.

I saw another Tesco at the stop so I went in to pick up from where I was before the loss of my camera. I bought lunch and took the bus back to Warwick Station and walked up to the canal and had my lunch on a bench by the canal.

Our Little Venice walk started at 2PM. We toured the streets of the rich and famous, learned the history of this enchanting area of London and walked some of the canals.

I'm exhausted and take a train back to Kennington, stop at the store to buy some stores, and stop at the Prince of Wales for a pint of Whistling Boy. I have a lovely conversation with a young editor of chapbooks. At the next table the conversation is about finding a flat to rent and before I leave I suggest they look in the Pimlico area since MI6 is abandoning their safe houses over there now.

I take some time to sit in the garden to record my day's event, before heading over to the Black Prince for dinner and my last night in UK and London. I had the lamb shank which is one of the best I have had.

For tomorrow I fly home. As I told Mrs Steele this morning, I am a rat abandoning the ship since Monday promises to be terrible with the transit strike and the bad weather is arriving.