A Break From The Drudgery

By Thursday of my week off, I'd decided that cleaning the house was becoming a bit of a chore.  On the morning dog walk I took the dog over to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park for a change of scenery. It means a very short car journey, but I utilise a free car park on the other side of Hackney Marshes and it's not a long walk from there.

We sauntered across at a leisurely pace, it's always pretty quiet during the week, save for the summer holidays when there are families everywhere enjoying the children's play park and picnicking on the grass.

When we got to the Timber Lodge Café, I did something that I never do on dog walks, usually because I don't normally have any money on me, I went in and got myself  a hot chocolate and a croissant that I then shared with the dog.  It was pricey, of course, but I figured that I was holiday from work, the sun was shining and why shouldn't we have a treat. 

We sat outside the café with a view of the infamous Mittal's Orbit which is an enormous helter skelter type ride.  We went on it last summer, when some family visitors came to London and we met them in the park. It was one of the scariest things I've done, as it is very high, but was an interesting experience.

On the walk back to the car, I couldn't resist a walk up the hill to the Olympic rings. Below also seen with the beautiful velodrome in the background. OH spends at least a couple of nights a week here on the inside or outside track.

Just as we'd gone past I saw a coach load of French students run excitedly up to the rings and gather round for a group photograph.

It got me thinking what a positive legacy the Olympic village has become for East London.  Not everyone may agree, but from our own personal experience of it, it has vastly improved the facilities for people living in this part of the capital.  We feel quite proud to have it on our doorstep and for it to be such a success, which can't be said of some Olympic villages over history.

I didn't actually get  home and get cleaning until gone 2 on this occasion, as I followed up the walk with a visit to a nearby ASDA and Poundland.  Having spent £37, it was home for lunch before I could begin the day's spring cleaning work, but it had been a nice morning of self indulgence and running errands to keep us in everything we needed for the rest of the week.