First Full Day

After a sleep that included a 3am wake-up, we started our adventure with of course, a trip to the barber's for Chris. He had purposely let his hair and beard grow out a tad so he could enjoy the luxury of a skilled barber wiyh his special razors, shavers, perfumes and assorted creams and soft-brstled brushes. I sat and watched not only his transformation but his delectation. It was worth it. He came out looking so handsome and sexy, I thought, I should spend some time with this dude.

The mandatory coffee came next. There will be no doubt, our intrepid trip around the the Old Dart will be peppered with cafes and pubs. We could doubtless write a travel book called Pubs, Piss-ups, Cafes and Croissants, Edser, S. J., & May, C. G. (2023). AussieQueers Press, Waratah.

Having revictualed, we headed out to a new spot for us, Notting Hill. We both wanted to explore this area without the bother of thinking about Julia Roberts or Hugh Grant. We managed this quite well I think, although unsurprisingly, we did end up in the Notting Hill Waterstones bookstore where Chris purchased a small book of poetry and I purchased some Albert Camus (The Myth of Sisyphus) and a small novel set in Ireland.

We discovered Waterstones last year and fell in love with its wide open spaces and well-organised shelves. As a side note, Dymocks in Sydney seems to have taken a leaf out of their book (pun intended) with its new renovation complete. Looking and feeling very user-friendly.

Notting Hill is a wealthy district, full of white stucco mansions in crescents. Black iron-wrought gates and private gardens adorn the streets. Portobello Road runs its length north to south and is full of antique, retro clothing and bric-a-brac stores. Fun to browse through, but this time, we were not for buying.

Notting Hill is adjacent Kensington Gardens and Palace which are adjacent to Hyde Park. We had a leisurely stroll from the high street down through the park and made our way to a gentle hillside where we sat overlooking the Italian Gardens, a series of pools and fountains and the odd classical temple. We had a jolly good sit down under the trees after all that bookshopping and walking and enjoyed the breeze and some quiet.

We had both been looking for the odd bit of new clothing, so we Tubed it through to Soho, London's LGBTQ centre and its theatre and jazz scenes. There are plenty of shops and we made good use of them. Both of us bought clothes and shoes and are feelilng all the better for it. Who says that acquistiveness does not bring happiness? Oh that's right, that was me. Shh, don't tell my clients.

Parched and dehydrated, there was nothing else for it but for to head to the nearest pub. The Coach and Horses did the trick with its IPA and Lager beers (our usuals) and its green tiled walls and cherry-coloured pressed metal ceiling.

The day rounded out with a trip back home to Farringdon, a stop in for Chris at the Waitrose for some provender and a read. We tuned the television on for the first time too and watched an episode of the Wheel of Time.

All in all, I would say, a very successful and happy first day.Read more