London is a wonderful place

I work in London, and so the last thing I want to do at the weekend is get on another train and come back to the big city. Doesn't make me feel relaxed. The crowds, the noise, the pollution, I get enough of it Monday to Friday. But occasionally, one has to make exceptions. And last Saturday, this paid off. Immensely.

The day started off with some ice skating (and yes, taking a photo of one's legs from atop is definitely not flattering). Or should I rephrase that: the day started off with me feeling rather insecure on a pair of razorblades, hugging the ice rink walls. I gained a little confidence after a while, and I may even have managed to do a couple of rounds with no hands. I kid you not. And I didn't even fall. That may be due to my buttocks clenching as hard as they could to keep me balanced. I'm still paying for it today.

The scene of our ice adventures? The Natural History Museum. Honestly, it doesn't get better than this. How cool is that place?! And it's free as place; who said education was costly? This place is simply wonderful, full of amazing facts and plenty of games to keep your fingers busy!

Some of the exhibits were breathtaking, and it made me miss my university days. When you learn things for the pleasure of it (although it didn't quite feel like that at the time!), not because it's necessary to please a client or complete a job. Learning at its purest form.

The inside of the building itself is rather impressive too, and I never tire of going up that elevator.

Lunch was enjoyed at one of the best little mexican places I know. Just happens to be close to where I work, but I can't usually justify having such a greedy lunch during the week. Don't want to look like a pig eating a massive burrito at my desk! But on Saturday, with the cold biting our faces, it was true joy. Utterly perfect. Give it a go next time you're in London, it's worth the detour.

This was followed by a leisurely stroll back to the train station. We passed these pigeons which I see practically every day. I usually hate the sight of them, dirty little things. Does anyone else think their eyesight must be quite poor? Because I've certainly had more than my fair share of near-misses with pigeons in mid-flight! But those, well, they just looked so cute, all huddled up, puffed up, keeping themselves warm.

Decorations are up too, and probably have been for the last few weeks, but I've been quite good at keeping out of the way of in-your-face Christmas cheer when it was a little too early for it. Ruins it for me, but this year, I haven't had to do too much shopping on the high street, so my little head hasn't been saturated with Christmas songs just yet and it feels all the better for it.

Well, another weekend is nearly upon us. Meeting up with friends will probably leave me feeling a little worse for wear, but good times are to be had, that's for sure.