Paddington Day

A day of pure indulgence. I woke, rested & peaceul, in my favourite flannel sheets. A sleep-in and reprise from the almost-daily gym schlep. A happy hour uploading new stuff to my ipod. An easy walk down to the ferry. I always seem to 'bump' into J, a friend from London. I think we see each other more often when it's unscheduled! A windy ride through the sunny morning across the harbour. An easy bus ride winding up through the colours and sights of Oxford Street. I was booked in for a hydotherapy bath and was on another planet when I stepped out of the bath - I was so relaxed! L had a facial at the same time, and we met afterwards and had lunch in the Bellevue - a pub dining room we'd looked at on walks in the neighbourhood when we lived here, but had never been inside. Gossip, great food, a glass of sparkling wine in the bright, white dining room amidst the din of affluent, and tipsy, middle-aged locals. We strolled through the markets, inspired by local designers and spring blooms. And then I headed home, bewitched by magnolia's trees dopping thick creamy petals from their fat spanish-onion crimson bloom.