First cab off the rank was a visit to St Dunstan in the East, a church first built on the site of this garden in Saxon times. It was restored by St Dunstan in 950 AD and then rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire in 1697. Only the tower of the Wren church survives. The garden was laid out following severe damage in the blitz and made available to the public in 1967. Back on the main road, spied the incredible Sky Garden building, vaulting over the top of older buildings below. Makes quite an impression.

Happened to passby an ‘Atis’ food chain store, “real food that fuels your next move”. I looked them up and I believe there are 15 across London…all protein/veggie meals-focussed, that you take away. You order via computer on store entry, queue to confirm order with staff, then pick up bowls and pay at the end of the circuit…and either sit and eat at available tables….or go to benches in St Dunstan’s gardens over the road.

No.1 – Chick pea, harissa, tahini; No. 2 – Chicken jalapeno taco! No.3 – Green Goddess + Harissa Honey Thigh…and there are mnay, many more combos. You get dietary info also, cals and nutrient analysis.

Caught the no.15 bus to Aldgate East station and walked to see Brick Lane street art. Was a tad disappointed with the offerings as most of the ‘art’ was tagging. But nevertheless managed to find some interesting ones…see what you think.

Met Adrian Boswell in his studio…..he’s a well-known East London collage artist who mixes the surrealism of Salvador Dali with the humour of Monty Python. Adrian says about his work: “I enjoy collage, finding the right material in magazines and photographing objects. The exciting thing about surrealism is that you create a fantasy world where everything is right”. He’s exhibiting soon in Sydney and told me he has $6m in pre-orders – of which he gets 30% from his promoters, so he’s very pleased! 

When I got to Waterloo Place to go to dinner @Wild Honey, there was a fabulous blue hue to the light and the Crimea Memorial looked amazing…

I also noticed the ‘Iconic Image Gallery’ over the road…..so glad I went in. Such fabulous images. I didn’t take a pic of my fave because the lighting on it created streaks and shadows, making it ugly to photo…but an incredible shot of an iceberg/shelf calving. But for my and your pleasure…love these ones below!

Woo hoo…dinner tonight is at Wild Honey St James, a highly acclaimed, one-Michelin-starred restaurant located at the Sofitel London St James, which offers a ‘bistronomy approach’ pioneered by chef Anthony Demetre since 2006 – where British produce is prepared using classic French techniques. I had the Cumbrian lamb slow-cooked shoulder, celeriac fondant, with chermoula and walnut as my ‘main’. Tasty.

For dessert, I had to order the the signature “Custard Cocktail”, a creamy, indulgent blend of vodka, custard, cedro lemon, milk, and nutmeg, designed to be paired with the restaurant’s famous “It has to be Custard” dessert, which features a silky custard tart. The custard was heavenly and I loved the thin and crispy pastry base so much, I asked one of the wait staff about it… I soon got the chef himself Anthony D coming to my table (pâte sucrée he confirmed) ….suffice to say we got into a conversation about Australian gastronomy; the theatrical talents of Lesley Manville and one of her previous partners, Gary Oldman; Anthony’s soft spot for anything with dairy in it; the importance of bees; bicycling in the mountains; French auberges and his passion for aromatised wine. Wow, quite the wide-ranging conversation. He was delightful.

The Sofitel London St James offers afternoon tea in another area of the ground floor, especially designed for the event…what do you think??

Amazing news…Transport Canada ( after many weeks of me asking ‘what do I need to do to be able to fly my drone in your country’)…has finally sent me a link to an exam I have to pass, and told me then to submit the pilot certificate (if I’m successful), with the application form for a SFOC (Special Flight Operators Certificate), that I need as a foreigner. Well, you’d be pleased to know that I passed exam with flying colours, and am now waiting for the operators certificate! OMG! As my friend Christine said, “anyone would think you’re applying to fly a drone in the Ukraine, rather than over beautiful Mounties 🙂 scenery and wildlife!” 🙂

Got news just this minute that I’ve been approved an (SFOC) Ops certificate…. Yay!…When I’ve left the country, I’m going to helpfully suggest some amendments to their existing processes.