A summer evening

If you've been there before, you may have been able to tell that today's RPOTD is in Trafalgar Square. We've been enjoying our own quiet neighborhood so much that it was easy to forget that we live in London, a city which is home to not only 7.5 million of its own inhabitants, but 15 million international tourists and 10 million domestic tourists a year (in 2009, at least) (Visitlondon.com, Key Visitor Statistics). Well, if I had forgotten that we live in a major tourist destination, going to Trafalgar Square was a good reminder. But not necessarily in a bad way - it's fun to hear people speaking all different languages, all so excited to be in London, and to think "We live here!"

But anyway, on to yesterday evening, which was much more our pace. We made our first trip to the mixed bathing pond (not to be confused with the ladies or men's bathing ponds), of Hampstead Heath. For just 2 GBP you can spend as much time as you like swimming or sunbathing (cheek to cheek with British elders, youth and families) in these fresh water ponds. The water is chilly, but nothing a lifetime of swimming in Maine didn't prepare me for. The murkiness is a bit off-putting, though; you can barely see your hand 1 foot under water. But what a treat to swim in a pond in the middle of London!

This first swimming trip invited a celebration with a Pimms cup. Pimms is what you get in the summer in England instead of sangria. It's a dark, rather bitter drink, but when you mix 1 part Pimms with 3 parts "lemonade" (which is really Sprite without the lime and a bit more fresh-tasting) and fruit you get a delightful, summery cocktail. You can get it in the states, although it's a bit expensive. Those who came to our Commonwealth party 2 years ago may have gotten a taste!



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