Glad Rags On,

and we were out,

 but first I should say I will only be making one post today for the usual reason, I took way too many photographs!, so many in fact I have split the post into two,

through the park, it was Diana's day off, 

onto a number 54 bus, the windows steamed up as usual,

a quick pose,

and we were in Blackheath Village,

passing the florists,

next to the station,

the winter pansies looking nice,

we passed Diana's favourite shop, 

and looked at a few others, 

like the greengrocers, 

walking up to the top of the hill,

the bookshop closed,

this gallery looked rather gay,

we planned to walk across the heath,

passing the church, 

the rain that was forecast giving way to almost clear skies,

our plan was to walk through Greenwich park and take a boat to Battersea, and then a tube to Chinatown,

past the gatehouse,

we wanted to look at the winter foliage before it dropped,

lots of yellow and golds,

which looked nice in the sun,

a pose from Diana,

and a couple from myself,

well I just had too!

OK one more!

back to Diana,

and then me, again!

enough already! looking towards Greenwich,

Diana posed by one of the trees in the avenue,

of trees both sides,

which lined the road,

we arrived at the Pavilion, 

but first we turned right,

to look at the trees there,

leading into the distance,

the sky still looking nice, 

as we took a few more photographs, 

before turning round and passed the old, big, dead tree,

into the Pavilion,

we normally stop here for a coffee and a cake,

and today was no exception,

inside, 

I snagged a table, not that I needed to, there was hardly anyone here,

whilst Diana grabbed the coffees,

and her cake,

a carrot slice, and then it started, from out of nowhere, a lashing of rain and terrific winds, 

we waited until the worst was over, looking towards the park gate,

the sky started to clear, looking toward the viewing point,

and then towards the viewing point, which was having a face lift,

behind Diana the observatory,

we had visited there some time ago, 

in one of our previous visits, in May of 2016,

we walked past the works at the viewing point, 

and peered through the wire,

and here was the explanation,

the new viewing area will be bigger and better!

on the left, 

the clock and imperial measurements, 

the works continuing down the hill,

naturally a pose!

looking back uphill,

and down,

as I always mention when I take this photograph, ancient at the front, well fairly ancient, 

and modern at the rear,

we started downhill,

well I just had too!

in the distance the old power station and the O2,

nearing the bottom of the hill we passed a few people already puffing as they made their way to the top, we did that once, it was so steep, never again!

lots of leaves on the ground, 

a lot more than a half hour ago when what appeared to be a gale blew through!

we were not the only people in the park,

but everywhere we looked,

not a soul in sight,

as we walked towards the lower gate,

I took a few photographs of trees on the way,

in the distance Greenwich church,

it was not till this morning I realised there was a aircraft in the frame,

in the distance, where we were going, the Maritime Museum gift shop, we had a book to buy, 

such a shame,

Diana somehow got locked in! now where did I put the key?

in the distance, 

the Cutty Sark,

a look back at the gates,

into the walk that leads to the bookshop,

beside the entrance,

a giant ship in a bottle,

inside, 

we had a look for the book, but was told there were no copies of it here, but there were 4 copies in Queen's House, well I only wanted one so that was alright then,

we walked past a playground, with a Citron van that sells food, now closed for the winter I guess,

in the distance,

the Queen's House,

very impressive,

I hope the kitchen was not at the other end of this entrance,

looking back to the viewing point works,

over looked by the observatory,

a quick pose,

and walk,

looking to the left,

and right, 

the entrance to the house was at the front facing the Thames,

I climbed the steps to take a few photographs,

then down,

to the entrance,

and into the shop,

book purchased, 

and we were back outside, in the foreground work already well under way for the outdoor Christmas skating rink,

note to self, do not take photographs into the sun!

looking back at the house,

I had to have a pose,

by the museum's entrance,

which we walked away from,

then over the road to what is now a music conservatory,

at one time there was a hospital here, know as the Dreadnought Seamans Hospital,

we passed the Cutty Sark,

and looked up the Thames to see this,

the Dutch warship Johan De Witt, here on a goodwill visit, 

for us onto the jetty, 

by sheer good fortune, 

our boat was just arriving, 

5 passengers including ourselves boarded,

and we were on our way,

I sat outside, 

as we passed the Johan De Witt, the Cutty Sark in the distance,

passing Canary Wharfe,

the clouds clearing,

as we made our way upriver,

on the right someone is having some work done,

the wind was still blowing, I have never seen waves like this on the river before,

Diana relaxing on her day off admiring the view,

a yacht making it's way upstream,

I have heard of Horrible History's, and here is their boat,

we passed the river police station,

this new building looking nice,

we were nearing St, Katherines dock, as it happens we visited there in September 2021, 

many boats moored in the river, 

as well as this warship from France, 

the Flamant / OPV-54 class Offshore Patrol Vessel, 

moored by HMS President, 

it is here under Tower Bridge that I will stop this post, and continue our trip upriver in the next post, if you would like to continue our visit and watch the videos of it that both Diana and myself made, please clock the 'Older Posts' button on the bottom right of the page.