Summer days, drifting away....

Oh, it was a beautiful weekend! I love London in Summer.... buzzing with life and happiness.
We walked, on Saturday, from Marylebone to Chelsea...through Hyde Park, over the Serpentine Bridge, past the Albert Memorial (the greatest hymn to personal grief that I know) and the Royal Albert Hall...down Exhibition Road past the Science Museum & the Victoria and Albert (one of my very favourites...)
It was hot and sunny so we walked on the shady side of each street, so as not to overheat....but it was wonderful watching everyone enjoying the parks and green spaces so much. We popped into an antique bookshop on the King's Road...so expensive, but as I was leafing through a 1930's encyclopedia of dogbreeds (of course, I headed straight for the Fox Terrier section!!) I found this picture:

Anyone who follows me on Twitter will know that this is the exact picture I use for my profile!! It was so amazing to find it, and to find out who the lady is...a young 1930's starlet called Miss Jean Mayhew, and the picture was obviously a publicity stunt for her as she's posing with that year's champion fox terrier...not her dog at all! I was tempted to buy the book just for the picture...but Paul talked some sense into me!

On Sunday, after an early long walk with Alice in Regent's Park (we walk a lot in the city!) before the day warmed up too much, I went to meet another of my blogfriends for the first time. I knew it was her the minute I saw her, despite never seeing a photograph...there was just a connection, somehow!
Helen has the beautiful site Like it or Lump it (one of my favourite blog titles ever!) and makes fantastic cakes in her spare time for friends and family. Her Chanel bag cake is one of my recent favourites!
We decided to take a wander around the Sunday morning Farmer's Market....

We loved the brightly coloured carrots and the little vivid green round courgettes...

but most stunning were the sheaves of amazingly scented lavender, piled high on the wooden tables and attracting every honeybee within range...

and the huge and gorgeous happy sunflowers...only £2 for 5 stems!! How could we resist?

I bought 10 flowers...so heavy, but so worth it....and Helen bought 5 as well as a big bunch of the heady lavender (she is dying to make lavender shortbread - I'll look forward to the post!!)

A wonderful meeting and morning. So many new friends through BlogWorld & Twitter...I feel so fortunate, it's like a whole new part of life has opened up to me suddenly!

Paul & I packed our bags after a leisurely lunch, and made our way back to the station through the hazy, golden streets. A fabulous relaxing couple of days. Perfect.

We arrived home rather sleepy after all that walking....some of us more tired than most...

I hope it's a good week where you are...very hot here today...Alice's bath of cool water is waiting for her on the deck. Have a wonderful day xo