So I translated this into - hit the Southbank Christmas Market, and Winter Wonderland - because the Southbank Market is pretty small. And so, in my own time, I headed for the #77 bus, perfectly missing one just as I approached the stop. No problem, I was in no hurry.. and when I did get one, I ended up sat with a couple of women conversing in some kind of creole. 'S interesting, I don't believe I've ever heard it in real life before. Anyhoo, it gave the journey to Waterloo some colour. (Buses are much more colourful than the Tube, in general..)
Walked to the market through Jubilee Gardens:
As I've said before, it's a small market - at least this makes it manageable, and I did see a couple of stalls that caught my eye (and that I didn't see better than, later). So, I made a couple of purchases - and, not yet hungry, decided I was done with that and should continue to Winter Wonderland. My adorably useful Google Maps app told me I should walk along the river to Westminster Bridge, where I could catch the #148 straight there. So that's what I did, feeling like a tourist - which is nice, every once in a while. Passing the London Eye, I made the following observation; there are plenty of cheaper and less busy ways to see the London skyline, but if you must do this, then do get a fast-track ticket - the queue for the standard ticket is insane!
A short wait, and I was on the bus again - which finished early, two stops short of where I wanted, but that was ok; as a mother near me remarked to her little girl, you could see the lights of Winter Wonderland over the buildings. And the walk there did give me the chance to gawk at The Lanesborough, and some Olde-Worlde elegance:
And so across the road to Hyde Park itself, following the signs when present, and the lights when they weren't. The nearest entrance actually had such a bad queue to get in that the stewards were asking us to head to the next entrance along. I don't remember ever seeing it so crowded - might be because it's celebrating its 10th anniversary, or maybe it's just that I've always been in the evening before, when most of the kids would've gone home. Anyway, it was a bit of a schlep to the next entrance, which was beside the lake:
And so into the madness, with a compulsory bag check that I don't remember from before. Have they made it bigger this year? Hard to say, but it took forever to explore - remember, there isn't just a Christmas market here, there's also a funfair.. and a circus.. and this year, they're doing The Nutcracker - on Ice!
Well! I had my fill of shopping - and traipsing from one end to the other - and when I was done with all that, the various food smells tempted me, and I made my way back to the Mr. Bratwurst stall I'd seen at the Bavarian Village, where I'd noted the potatoes with bacon and onion, which sounded good. Cash only, as with all the food stalls - but I'd foreseen that problem, and brought cash with me (pretty much all of which got spent). FYI There are some cash machines at the Bavarian Village - if you can find it.
No napkins on offer, but I was given a fork, and took my precious dinner to the nearby benches under the tent. Where there may have been heating, but I couldn't detect any actually working. And a misfortunate band did their jolly thing on stage, pretending to believe that someone was listening to them. As for my dinner - it was lukewarm, and fully cold by the time I'd got two-thirds through it; I threw the rest away. But it was tasty while it lasted. I'd have stayed for a drink, but the night had turned bitterly cold - still, on the way out, I fancied a hot chocolate, preferably with something added. Gee, that's not hard to find here - now, the stall I found offered Bailey's with their hot chocolate, but were out of it: so I just had to have Johnnie Walker in it instead. (Which I highly recommend - it has a most warming effect!) Oh, and when I agreed to cream on top, she must've squirted half the can onto it - good job she gave me a fork (no spoons left, either) - it took me five minutes just to scoop off enough cream to get down to the drink!
Set me up for the walk to the bus stop, on Sloane Street - and thank heavens, again, for Google Maps, without which I'd have been completely lost now.
(Ooh look, they put a Christmas tree on every lamppost here!) And thank heavens once again for the Hopper fare, which allows free transfer between buses within an hour - this was a two-bus journey for me, but with no extra charge. Actually, it turned out to be a three-bus journey - must have been an epidemic on the buses tonight, because again, the first bus on my way home stopped short of where I needed it to go, and this time I had to get a second, just to take me to where I had to catch the third. But you know what? Still no extra charge! Ooh, I just love that mayor.
The next two days, the Man with the Hat opens his busy Christmas season - tomorrow, he's taking London for Less Than a Tenner (and Let's Do London - for less!, it's that borderline £10 price again) to Soho Theatre, for a play called Underneath, about which I hear good things. Anyway, it's by Fishamble, which is ample recommendation. They don't do bad.
And on Wednesday, London for Less Than a Tenner is off to the cinema! Pop-up, "Cinema in the Snow" - we're in Hackney Showroom, where they're apparently treating us to fake snow and real hot chocolate. :-) Oh, and we enter through a wardrobe. Kewl.. The film? Elf. Well hey, it's festive..! And I do hear that the Hat (as worn by the Man) is to get a - temporary - festive makeover..
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