12 June 2015 - London's Olympic Village and dinner with friends

After the very cool weather the other day, we were not ready for the heat and humidity of today especially on the Tube - Phew!

I was awake early to help Annika with her sore neck and then couldn't sleep as I knew I had a breakfast date with Winette and I didn't want to sleep in!  I did make it to Waterloo for breakfast and after we parted, I wandered around the station for a bit.  I was eager to use some vouchers the kids had found for free juice and between two W H Smith stores and a kindly shop assistant I managed to get the juice!  Outside the station there were so many bicycles and many more being assembled and ready to ride.  I bought some London postcards and did feel the guy charged me too much for the stamps (and on further investigation, he did!).

Hundreds of bicycles at Waterloo station!

Waterloo Station with its memorial of WWI

Another old clock with Roman IIII instead of IV

Back home for school but being Friday, there was a sense of tiredness overall. We are really ready for the break from school in a couple of weeks as the Victorian school holidays coincide with the modules we are working through.  We didn't get a break last holidays as we had been skiing for a week (when we couldn't do school), then on travelling days we can't do school and so term 1 and 2 sorted melted together.  Skiing was a break, but not an end of term sort of break as there was still work pending so there was a feeling of incompletion.  I, for one, feel I need a mental break from being teacher and the kids certainly do.

The Olympic Games of 2012 were held in London and the big kids were eager to check out the Games complex.  We took the Tube to Stratford and on exiting found ourselves in a large modern outdoor shopping mall which felt like home! It was cavernous, airy and clean and not absolutely swarming with people.  We wandered through to the sports areas.  The aquatic centre looked space age and grand from the outside and when I asked if we could have a 5 minute peek inside, they wanted to charge us - just to look at a swimming pool or two - so we didn't go in.  There was plenty of things we could see.

We wondered if this complex was part of the athletes' accommodation

Outside the Aquatic Centre

Winding up to hear the roar of the crowd

We walked across the River Lee where the water sports were held and apart from some coloured bollards and a moorhen pair, there was nothing remarkable. The kids soon discovered the water play area and before we knew it Luke was soaked and loving the unpredictable water spouts along a bunch of secondary school students in their uniforms including girls in hijabs (swearing their heads off!) and their male taunters, Hassidic Jewish kids in their traditional garb and a few others in swimming costumes: all just having a ball!

Another nesting moorhen, again with a diligent partner who was busy gathering river rubbish and reeds for her nest.

Having fun in London's Olympic village precinct

A bit further on there is a magnificent modern play area with challenging equipment including high rock climbing walls and big swings.  If time had permitted, we could have spent much longer there.

Playground fun

Playground with ArcelorMittel Orbit in background- largest sculpture in London but hardly an Eiffel Tower!

Stadium with more playground

Cheery poppy

Lauraine and Keith from Greenleaf had kindly (and bravely) invited us to dinner it their lovely home in Woodford, which was a short Tube ride from Stratford.  Their house and garden is lovely with a great dining indoor/outdoor sort of feeling which was perfect on such a muggy evening.  Lauraine is a fabulous cook and along with a young couple who were staying with them for the weekend, we had a great evening.  By the time we finally got home, it was late and we were all very tired.  The muggy heat of London zapped the last bit of energy out of me!  A good bit of rain will clear the air.