A Sunday Ride, and Lunch at the Marlborough

But first, the end of our shopping expedition - a famous bookshop on Piccadilli.

 Afternoon tea at Fortnum and Masons.

Cathy's scones are better!

Claire and Lissy in the pram fitness group in Wandsworth Park.

Us at a pub, somewhere.

John and I set off for a ride - to get to the pub for lunch.
Through Richmond Park which teems with deer, but not today.

Where is the red deer? No, this is a bloody cow.

HERE is the red deer

And suddenly there were lots of them.

At the Marlborough and Lissy wants a beer.

Well, some milk then?

Then the sun came out (in England!!!!!) I couldn't wear a helmet to lunch, so all that was available was a napkin.

It took some organising .......

.... but eventually I got it on.

We then had lunch.

as did Lissy

And then we went home.

Back in Putney

Normal service has been resumed. Lissy front and centre. She gave us a big welcome.

 A great event. Lissy finally managed to roll over onto her front.

 It did take a bit of effort ........

 ............ but the reward is that she's able to read on her own.

 Breakfast with Lissy and others.

 Waterloo station, en route to a shopping expedition.

 In the tube.

 In Berkeley Square.

 Cathy with the new Afro style.

 Adams Row, near the Connaught Hotel.

The US Embassy in Grosvenor Square.

We then went shopping, and after an hour or so, I sat on a convenient display stand in M & S while Cathy went to the fitting rooms. I didn't notice that I had sat next to a store dummy dressed in men's clothes, and as I sat quietly a woman walked past and when I glanced at her, she yelped and jumped in fright. She thought I was a dummy too!

To Brussels

But first, dinner at a canal-side pub in Bruges.

 They had some ideas .......

 ............. but Cathy was obdurate. First, the long spoon, ......

 ...... then the feast ........

 ......... and again, the crashing disappointment when it's all gone.

 Cathy firmly decided to leave Bruges with its ephemeral cremes brulee and head for pastures new.

 Firstly, she brought some good news here ......

 .... and then into Brussels-Midi.

 Brussels is in Belgium although these Poles might suggest otherwise.

 The list of states of the EU, outside the parliament building.

 The very top of the European Parliament.

 We were going to take a tour of the parliament, but a hop-on hop-off bus appeared, and as we only had 5 hours in Brussels, we took that instead.

The spectacular planetarium in Brussels.

 After sundry sights of Brussels, we decided to really get into the culture, so we had a pad thai for lunch.

 We then walked back to the station (about 1.5 km)  ......

 ....... on a lovely sunny afternoon.

 This is the entrance to the Brussels metro (or one of them - entrances, that is)

After that, we boarded Eurostar, through the Chunnel and back to Putney.