how to recover from clubbing in London

I slept for twelve of the last twenty-eight hours to recover from Saturday night, but I did squeeze in one excursion that was recommended by one of the cute younger women at the bisexual meetup. That's the Parkland Walk, three miles of old railway right-of-way that's been turned into a trail. One end is near Highgate tube; the other is near Finsbury Park tube. The former is higher ground and on the same tube line as Angel, so it was the logical starting point for me.

The railway companies stopped mowing that right-of-way in 1970, and it's now covered in impressively tall, vine-decked deciduous trees. That's right: there's an entire primeval-looking forest that's a hair younger than I am. I tried not to think about that part, and I mostly succeeded.

There are reminders of the trail's past: an old platform, some infrastructure that never got used. The signage agreed with what a bisexual* told me: that stretch of railway was going to be converted into a new tube line, but that plan was postponed during World War II, and then scrapped altogether.

But even on an unpaved** trail, London manages to be extra. The taggers use more colors, and there are some mighty fine figurative art works. I've got the pics ready to upload and will be posting them shortly.

Today: contemplating a trip to Brighton before the weather turns gross (and I have to take another COVID test) tomorrow. The queers haven't steered me wrong yet, and I actually know people in Brighton if they want to meet up.



*In London, as perhaps elsewhere, all the best info comes from queers and kinksters.
**Unlike Seattle's rails-to-trails Burke Gilman. To be fair to the Brits, the Burke Gilman goes right to the University of Washington campus, so it was destined to be used for bicycle commuting. The Parkland Walk goes from one residential area to another, so they have a good excuse for leaving it dirt.

London in pictures, part 4

Once again in chronological order:


A staircase at the Victoria & Albert museum. I mean, a staircase.


An Apple II. The first computer I every programmed was an Apple II Plus. My nostalgia is now in the V&A, in an exhibit on design.


The courtyard of the Victoria & Albert museum. The snack shop on the left has scones with clotted cream. They are yummy.


The Museum of Natural History. I didn't go in, having just walked myself silly in the V&A, but I had to get a shot of that building.


The Serpentine at Hyde Park is a lake that has the tamest swans and geese I've ever encountered. Taken from a bench across the Serpentine Road.


The rose garden at Hyde Park. This photo makes the rose garden look wilder than it actually is. It does have plenty of walkways and some classically inspired statuary.


The Parkland Walk. Speaking of wild, the trees here were left to grow on what used to be a railroad right-of-way shortly after I was born. Huge trees are younger than I am. I'm trying not to think about that.


Graffiti on Parkland Walk. I love the variety of colors and detail on these tags. Note Goofy. In London, even the taggers are extra.


Face, Parkland Walk. I believe this is the face that one of the bisexuals warned me might freak me out when I came across it, peeking out of the overgrowth. I have to wonder how popular it is to consume various substances before walking down this trail. I'm guessing very.


Balloon mosaic in Finsbury Park tube station. So I'm on my way back to where I'm staying, thinking that all the extra is done for now, but neau. There are two mosaics of balloons in station. Why balloons? It's a bit of a mystery like so many things here.