Not Just a Granny

a view protected by law - London from the top of Parliament Hill

a ramble on Hampstead Heath….. ahh it never ceases to fascinate me that whilst one is doing one thing….there are a multitude of other happenings going on around you!!!  Things you are not even aware of till later….ie Wednesday’s student protests in London.  I had the afternoon off and had been debating about what to do, what to do!!!  I love Westminster and go there as often as possible and since Wednesday was such a gorgeous day I had a mind to go walkabout through the area……however, I decided instead to visit Parliament Hill for some photos and then decide what to do.

a fabulous day - view of London from halfway up Parliament Hill

I stood on the crest of the hill looking at and admiring the view of London (which is protected by the way), quite simply enchanted by the view: St Paul’s, the London Eye, the O2, Canary Wharf….all are visible albeit tiny in the distance. After taking my fill of photos I headed downhill to the busstop having decided I could not pass up an opportunity to go into London.

On the way I stopped to look at an aerial map of the heath

Hampstead Heath

 and noticed that right there in the middle, a part I had not yet explored was a viaduct bridge….and that was the end of my trip into town.  and a jolly good thing too as it turned out!!  Instead I spent the next few hours rambling about the heath, traipsing through long grass, under ancient trees, along a multitude of pathways, up a row of stairs to a secret glade and down again…walking along paths carpeted with a rich tapestry of autumn leaves.

a rich tapestry of autumn leaves

The viaduct bridge turned out to be magical

the viaduct bridge

 and after taking my fill I climbed up to a beautiful spot above to just sit and enjoy the peace and quiet.  I then headed back through the avenue ( a line of trees planted after the hurricane some years back),

The Avenue - a row of trees planted after the hurricane of October 1987

 to the duck and fishing ponds and thence to home.

the duck pond

 A marvellous day out, a day of sunshine, quiet contemplation and birdsong, a lovely interlude on a lovely day.