A Parental Visit

Yesterday morning when I took the dog for her walk, it was 37º F outside! It felt like January. I was really annoyed.

Inspired by Mr. Pudding's recent post featuring photos taken from the top of a bus, I thought I'd give you this photo I shot on Sunday from the top of the 328 bus on the way to Notting Hill. I was fascinated by that swooping flock of pigeons as we rode along Kilburn High Road. It was really hard to get them all in a decent shot, but this one wasn't too bad. I like their reflections in the cars below.

Have I mentioned that Dave's parents are visiting? They arrived yesterday after a transatlantic cruise. They were supposed to dock in Le Havre and go to Paris on Monday, but that portion of the trip got cancelled by high seas and bad weather around the port. Instead they came straight to Southampton and docked early, and spent a restful day on the ship. Yesterday Dave had a car pick them up and bring them to London, where they'll stay with us until Friday.

Last night we went to the Goring Hotel for dinner. It's a beautiful building, with a butter-yellow garden room off the main bar where we had drinks while overlooking the lawn -- and I got to have a martini and wear the jacket! (One of the waiters complimented me on it, and when I said it came from Ted Baker, he said, "Ah yes, he does subtle flamboyance very well." Which I thought was an interesting way to describe it. Better than our friend Chris, who likened it to something worn by Liberace -- although I suppose that's not far off, either.) Anyway, for dinner I had the legendary Eggs Drumkilbo, a quail's egg nested on crabmeat (my minimalist description of a more complex dish), halibut with other seafood for the main course, and British cheeses for dessert.

And now, back to routine -- time to walk the dog! According to Weather.com, it's a balmy 49º F this morning -- downright tropical compared to yesterday.