A Super Chilled Weekend Out and About

We had a super chilled weekend this weekend. It began for me with a bit of pampering and self-care whilst OH took the dog out on Saturday morning. When he got back, he coaxed me into going out for Brunch.  LB was out at work and the dog had been walked, so it was just the two of us. He persuaded me to get back on the electric bike and we cycled over to the Olympic Park, a couple of miles from where we live.

I hadn't been on the bike for nearly 3 months after an incident on my way home from work a few months ago. Some of you may have read about it on here before I deleted the post. Anyway, I was glad that I did get on the bike again. It was pleasant and relaxing to ride it through woodland paths on the way to the park, instead of riding it through the streets of Central London. It was raining lightly intermittently, but it didn't dampen the experience.

We walked through the commemorative garden for people who died of Covid during the pandemic, where they have planted trees in their memory. It is a lovely peaceful little part of the park.

We stopped off at a popular bakery in a residential area of the park and sat at a table outside, eating foccacia and drinking tea/coffee, before taking a little ride around the park and then cycling back home along the canal. 

It's been a while since I've been to the Olympic Park and it's actually 10 years this year, since it officially opened for the 2012 Olympics. I was reminded of how we would cycle over during the games to attend the different events that we had tickets for. A nice memory, that doesn't seem as long ago as 10 years, although a lot has happened since then.

On the way home, we stopped off at a local independent grocery store and I bought a few bits for the weekend before coming back home.  There was a pile of small parcels for me when I got back. I have spent a bit of money online in the last week. Only small items from different independent sellers, that will be very useful in the coming months. It felt a little like Christmas opening all of the parcels when I got in. That is the wonderful thing about online shopping, but I don't want to make too much of a habit of it, especially now that I'm not working.

On Sunday, we were up early to head off to our favourite Car Boot Sale in Hertfordshire. I decided to take just £20. After paying the £1 entrance fee for both of us, that left £19 to spend. I had a lovely potter around the stalls, picking up lots of bits and pieces.  The most expensive purchase was this lovely vintage Lapiz lazuli gemstone necklace. I love this stone. The stall holder, a lovely lady, who made some of the items on her stall, offered to reduce the price to £8, but I was happy to pay £10 for such a beautiful thing.

Most of the other items I bought were very practical and included this vintage PIFCO Magnascope or illuminated magnifier. I thought it was so interesting and might come in useful as I get older and my eyesight deteriorates!

A new cheese grater with attached container. I wanted this to grate a bar of Marseille soap to make hand or body wash. At 50p, and brand new, it will fit the bill perfectly.

Eco friendly dog bags made of cornstarch for £2, as we are currently running out of the bulk supply I bought way back.  These will keep us going for a while.

A vintage J&P Coates wooden cotton reel for 50p. I have a large collection of these and the cotton is good quality.

Two natural beeswax star shaped tea lights, a long handled refillable candle lighter, some garden twine for OH for 50p and two packs of black gel pens for 50p each, which always come in useful.

A nice little haul, everything of which will get used at some point.

When we left the Car Boot Sale, we headed off to Colchester, where OH was entered into an outdoor track cycling race. I had some lunch in the cafe while he raced and took a few photos for him. It was a lovely afternoon out.