Temptation

I failed miserably and moments later I was scoffing a strawberry-filled crepe with creme brulee sauce.

I had a wonderful evening, which began with an outdoor swim in central London. I've discovered a heated outdoor swimming pool amongst the tall buildings. It's a surreal experience, but I recommend it. I didn't quite have the courage to tackle the out-of-my-depth areas. I think I'd be OK if I had an entire lane to myself without the possibility of bumping into someone. I'm not sure if I'd be able to keep afloat if I crashed in deeper water. I've yet to learn those skills. It's great to have found a pool that doesn't cost the earth (i.e. not a gym) and which is in easy reach of the office. There isn't a public pool near my home, unfortunately, but there may be one in a couple of years' time at the bottom of my road.

Fred came with me to try out the pool and we decided to stay in the city for the evening. We headed to the National Gallery to catch the Leonardo exhibition, but it was sold out. However, since we were there, we headed into the gallery to see the wonderful Italian artworks in all their glorious lapis lazuli blues and opulent golds. We were pleasantly surprised to come across a music recital - a cellist and a xylophonist - in one of the medieval galleries. It was wonderful to rest, gaze at the historic art and let the mind wander with the soft melodies.

Afterwards, we headed across the river to the Southbank, where we gave into crepe temptation and mulled wine at the Christmas Fayre. The evening was rounded off with This is Our Still Life at the BfI. It was a film that gave much to think about and I'm still digesting it. It follows a family (the film-maker, and his wife and daughter) living in the Pyrenees over a 10-year period. The daughter has a condition called Joubert's Syndrome, which I didn't know anything about before the film. There's lots of noise in the tranquil setting, but much love and comedy, too.