The joy of London
E and I went to London to celebrate his birthday last weekend. We managed a quick swim in the sea at Petit Bot before we flew out...it was cold, it is certainly going to be a challenge to continue this swimming malarkey all through the winter months!
London was as wonderful as ever - incredibly hectic, noisy and busy so that I couldn't live there, but fun to visit for a weekend. On Friday the weather was bright and clear, albeit a touch cold, and we enjoyed fabulous views of the entire city from the London Eye - there are so many cranes in the city!! From there we walked all the way along South Bank to Tower Bridge. We actually walked along the side of the Thames for a bit, down on the "beach" with all its stones, pebbles and sea glass! Pretty grim water, but I must admit it does provide another experience of the city - I have never walked down there before.
We visited the Tower of London, not cheap but a first for both of us. I must admit I wasn't really that interested in the whole prisoner torturing stuff (pretty sick what they did to people, incredible that people can cause so much pain to others) but loved seeing the jewels, albeit that someone told me they are not the real ones - certainly looked real to me, so special all those crown jewels, lots of sparkles. We walked all the way back from the Tower, through Somerset House and along Pall Mall all the way back to Green Park and caught a tube onwards to Ealing where we were staying.
On Saturday E, our friend Charles with whom we were staying, and I, walked along to a Yoga class I had found in Ealing, not far from Charles' flat. It was actually held in the home of a lovely lady called Teresa, who is fortunate to have her own studio in a massive room in her house. I had emailed prior to our trip to check we could attend, yes no problem, mixed ability and mats available, but it is still always interesting turning up to classes for the first time, as you don't know the protocol - we could not locate the Yoga space initially, it was the smell of incense that finally gave it away!! I love that smell, feels like coming home.
It was one of the funniest and most inspiring and uplifting classes I have attended for some time. Teresa is wonderful - anyone living in Ealing please seek her out. E and I don't practice Yoga together that regularly now due to other commitments, so it is always quite a treat when we do get the opportunity, generally off-Island. Charles used to go to Bikram classes on a semi-regular basis but is not so aware of the flow of a vinyasa class and I must admit I did get the giggles as Teresa rushed over to help on a number of occasions.
She has a wonderful space, the incense, the music, her energy, I don't know, it just created a lovely ambiance. The class was strong in places and I learnt some new movements, which is always a joy as it means I have been able to share them with students in my own classes this week. E was very happy because at the end of the class Teresa asked him if he teaches Yoga! Clearly he has been taught well over the years, he is more than able with his own practice at home, occasionally I find him in the Yoga room releasing his piriformis in pigeon, or enjoying a headstand.
So the class put me on a big high, reminding me of the joy of practicing in a classroom environment and being led through a sequence without having to think what to practice next. I just wish I could do this more often in Guernsey but sadly, despite the number of teachers practicing on the Island, classes are not held 24-7 like they are - comparatively - in London or any other big cities in the world.
The rest of the weekend was fun. We drove through Richmond Park and delighted in the seeing the wild deer. We drove around a few little towns in Surrey looking at property. We went dancing, which was such great fun, hugely liberating and uplifting, energising too. We even managed a spot of shopping, Ealing has some great charity shops and E and I came away with a number of books and trinkets.
So all in all a fabulous trip away. Thank you to Teresa for her inspiration and to Charles for putting us up all weekend.
xxx