So I was back in London this summer (as usual). But not for our annual picnic, as they’re playing a few games on ‘our’ hill in Greenwich Park. I did want to see my friends though. Anticipating the crowds that would fly in this particular (Olympic) summer, I took the ferry. My friend Annie said once again that her place in Herne Hill would be mine if I wanted to.
I also had planned to go and see Queen gig again with friend Infie though, of which I knew I would be back late. “That’s fine”, Annie reassured, “I’ll not be there yet anyway, but Fitzy and Dave are still living with me and my nephew Matthew and his girlfriend will be over too, so I’m sure someone will let you in and give you a key”! Yep, that’s Annie. She would join us all in her amazing house later, after she got back from Ireland.
So after my walk in the park, Fitzy welcomed me with coffee. Since the stroopwafels I brought last time made me quite popular, I had decided to make it a trend. Fitzy told me about his plans to fly over to Italy the next day (just to re-shoot one scene of this film he’s in), but I had the bedroom on the top floor and I knew my way around anyway. In fact, the message I had once written on one of the kitchen tiles was still there.
Later I bumped into Dave again, who almost wanted to introduce himself when he realised we had bumped into each other in this place before. I did meet the rest of the family for the first time and Dave told us how he likes to go ice-skating after work, as the skating rink turned out to be just around the corner. “We could all go together, or do you guys have plans already?” Dave asked. Matthew said no, no plans. I said let’s go.
Fitzy laughed at the fact I – The Dutch girl – was the only one who had never tried ice-skating before and I suddenly got slightly nervous about this habit of mine to be spontaneous. But I looked up what my shoe size would be in this Kingdom and to my surprise I could actually stand on the thin rails under my rented shoes. With my first steps on the ice though I kept thinking, out loud, “I don’t want to break a leg, please don’t let me break a leg, I have standing tickets to the concert tomorrow and I don’t want to break a leg”.
It’s summer. I’m in London. And what do I do? I go ice-skating with friends of friends and I honestly can say it was a lot of fun! It’s not that difficult either actually, although they might not just have been supportive in saying I looked like a natural. Proof or it didn’t happen? Of course. They wouldn’t let me do this without capturing it. Thanks again guys, for the great memories!
Yours truly on skates! The second picture shows Matthew and Ellen in the back. They were taken by Dave (who can fly on ice). You can visit this lovely rink in Herne Hill.
One Comment
Awesome! Good to see ‘the Dutch girl’ finally take to the ice (and still smiling too)