The Chilterns

Decided to make the most of the milder weather (12C!) by heading off on another walk through the English countryside. This time I headed to Chesham, north west of London. Chesham is the furthest station (40km) from central London on the Underground, although like much of the Tube it's actually above ground.

Chesham is in the Chiltern Hills (the Chilterns for short). It is bizarre to be on a Tube train but travelling through pretty woods and rural countryside!

After a quick stroll through the town centre I headed into the green fields and light woods that dominate the area, and even made some friends ...

From The Chilterns

It was a pleasant walk. Everything (the environment and houses) felt very English.

From The Chilterns

After my dramas finding somewhere to eat in Surrey (the pub in the walking book had recently shut down), I started getting antsy about making it to the recommended eating venue (The Pheasant Inn). My destination came into sight with half an hour to spare before lunch service was due to end. But my enthusiasm was short lived ... it was dark and deserted with a note on the door. Surely not again!!! "The Pheasant Inn has been closed due to to the economic downturn." Bloody recession!!! I spoke to a local who told me there was nowhere I could buy food within 1.5 miles! Downcast, I trudged to a nearby playground to munch on my packed apple.

On with the journey! Through muddy woods I went, past farmers' fields and birds in bushes. It didn't take too long to arrive at my destination, Great Missenden, home to Roald Dahl until his death in 1990. I found a little cafe and rewarded my efforts in walking 10km with rhubarb pie. Yum!

From The Chilterns

Then the train (a regular one, not the Tube) home!

From The Chilterns

Bout of black snot

I have had my first noticeable bout of black snot. Black what, you say? Yes, it is as icky as it sounds. It's a common symptom of catching the London Undeground. All the grime and black dust in the underground tunnels gets up your nose and then comes out again! Ewww!

A taste of summer

It almost felt like summer today. In reality, it only got to about 12C but with a clear sky and radiant sun, this was probably the most glorious day in three months! I made the most of it by heading west and walking across London's oldest suspension bridge, Hammersmith Bridge. From here I strolled the muddy (but pleasant) tree-lined path along the Thames to Barnes, a pretty village-like suburb. A great way to spend an "almost summer" day, made even more appealing by teams of rowers gliding past. Next I caught the train to Clapham Junction (which oddly enough is in Battersea, not Clapham) to read The Times with a latte (yes, I wanted to sound pretentious) before heading home to Mile End. Let's hope there's more weather like this in coming weeks. Seems to make everyone a touch cheerier and shows how lovely London can be!

The day London stopped

When I stepped outside today into a crunchy expanse of 20cm thick snow, I felt a bit like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz: "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in England anymore!"

But it seemed Toto was nowhere to be seen ... no doubt he was lost in the depths of untouched snow that lay before me. I headed straight back inside. The situation called for waterproof boots and extra layers!

From Snowy London

But this was only to be the start of an unbelievable adventure just to get to work. After trudging through snow and sludge, I arrived at Mile End Underground Station, along with a few hundred others queued at the entrance. The gates were drawn and they were only letting a few people in at a time. The "adverse weather conditions" had shut down the District and Hammersmith & City lines, all London buses had been suspended, while the Central Line had only about one train every 20 minutes ... normally there's one every 2-3 minutes and even they're packed!

It felt like being in a post-apocalyptic movie. The masses surged forward in a desperate struggle every time the staff let people into the station. Thirty minutes later I made it down to the platform, which also felt surreal. An empty District Line train stood opposite with darkened windows, thick snow on the roof, and water running down its sides as the snow melted.

Eventually I managed to get on a train and make it to Tottenham Court Road for the 20 min walk to Westminster. The snow gave the city a new look.

From Snowy London

Apparently it was the heaviest snow London has experienced in 18 years! What a contrast to the heatwave in Australia. We are a world of extremes.

From Snowy London

About one-and-a-half hours after leaving the front door, I arrived at the office. An Arctic effort!

According to news reports, only about one-in-five Londoners made it to work. Most people stayed home because they had no way to get in. There were announcements in my office about numerous services like the canteen being shut for the day. One bizarre announcement stated: "The post room is open but there will be no mail delivery." Useful!

After putting in a few hours I was sent home early because of predicted heavy snow falls this evening. Managed to snap a few landmarks on my way back to Mile End.

From Snowy London

From Snowy London

From Snowy London

I love the snow but am hoping London's transport system is in better condition tomorrow!

P.S. I will go crazy if I hear the term "due to adverse weather conditions" again. Braved the snow and slush this evening, taking a Tube and then the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) to get to the cinemas at Canary Wharf (still no buses), only to discover a sign on the door that no films were showing after 7:30pm "due to adverse weather conditions"! London really has ground to a halt!