12. London

A weekend away in London had me feeling exhausted by the time I got into work on Monday morning. It wasn't so much the travel, even though the trains were both delayed, but the endless walking we did through the heat-saturated streets. Waves of warmth rebounded off pavements and buildings, and there was little shade to protect us from the fierce pounding of the sun on our skin. Nevertheless, it was time well spent.

We visited the Gherkin building, the Tate Modern (always a favourite of mine) and the Imperial War Museum. The journey itself was useful for giving us both time to relax and study. It was a very good weekend away. And, of course, it helped very much that we were in a four star hotel happily ordering room service and luxuriating in the little creature-comforts that every hotel offers.

I love visiting London. Not because I crave busy city streets, but because of the culture, the museums (always the museums), and the underground (I love going on the Tube). It's like a blast of "life" that the quiet lanes of Cornwall just do not have. Of course, it's always nice to be able to retreat back to those same country lanes when I've had enough of the city too.

This time, I didn't feel like I'd had enough of the city. I would have been happy to have stayed another few days. A pity, then, that work was waiting for us both. And, for me, piles of papers to organise, and an NVQ to prepare coursework for.

The above photograph was taken outside our hotel - directly opposite Canary Wharf. It was a superb view.