We Had A Busy Day,

first thing we were out for a walk in the park,

so glad rags on,

and we were out,

for a walk in the park,

a quick pose by some of the flowering trees,

these gates stop cars from entering, 

one more pose, 

and we were through the pedestrian gate,

it was market day, 

so the flower stall was here as usual,

the company selling them was Wise Choice Flowers and Plants, 

we had a look at the stalls,

this one always popular, 

they were other stalls selling cheese, bread and cakes,

in the distance, 

another one of the ubiquitous Citroen vans selling food, 

and it was selling Diana's favourite, 

tacos, 

even better still one of the fillings was a Filipino favourite, beef adobo, 

we had a short wait for the food to be prepared, 

and here it was,

as it happened they ran out of beef just as Diana ordered, so 2 beef and one chicken, 

we walked into the courtyard, 

I made my way downstairs to grab a seat, 

whilst Diana bought a coke, 

and here she is, 

all set, I had brought a couple of beers along with me,

time to tuck in!

meal finished, 

we passed some of the flower beds, 

the map for the park,

we made our way home, 

past the snail mail box, and home for a Columbo, before we were out again,

train to Victoria, tube to the Embankment and over the footbridge across the Thames,

looking downstream,

well I just had to, 

twice!

and here we are in the Skylon restaurant for our meal,

we took a table as we waited for our river side table to be prepared, we were a tad early, 

the inside, 

that's a better view, I settled on a 2022 La Premiere Ballerine Red, Grenache/Syrah, Gascony,

looking back towards the footbridge we crossed, 

and downstream,

our starters arrived, eggs Benedict for Diana, a half of an English muffin, topped with smoked salmon and salmon caviar, a poached egg, and hollandaise sauce,

for myself Severn and Wye smoked salmon, caper berries, lemon and dill sour cream, watercress, rye bread,

our main courses arrived, for Diana,

grilled Suffolk chicken breast, butternut squash, leeks, mushroom ketchup, tarragon, red wine sauce,

I went with the sirloin beef with triple fried skin on chips, 

on to our desserts, for Diana date and molasses sticky toffee pudding and vanilla ice cream,

for myself what better than a pavlova? with macerated berries, raspberry sorbet,

'Cheers!', the bill came to £140.00,

we watched the sun go down,

we were still a tad early for the main event, 

so into the café, a coffee for Diana,

and a half of wine for myself,

time to take our seats, 

and this was one of the 2 stars of the evening, the organ at the Festival Hall was celebrating its 70th. birthday, and this was it's day, tonight we were going to listen to the second star of the evening, Iveta Apkalna playing the organ, her playing skills have been described like this:

"Iveta Apkalna and her art of organ playing is generally beyond anyone's doubts. Both in live concerts and on record, this exceptional interpreter has been delivering organ culture of the finest quality for years." (Organ Journal for the Organ, 4/2020)

tonight's one off programme was, 

Bach: Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV.565

Pierné: 3 Pièces, Op.29

Thalben-Ball: Variations on a theme of Paganini for organ pedals

Liszt: Prelude and Fugue on the name BACH, S.260

Interval

Boëllmann: Suite Gothique, Op.25

Bach: Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV.582

all absolutely wonderful, it was then time to make our way home,

well I just had too!

looking alone the river at London's lights, we were luckily with the train and tube, arrived home just before midnight so as Diana has a early start tomorrow we were off to bed.