Ladies that lunch in London

I walked Xena this morning in the sunny woods, and then came home for a coffee before getting the train to London. 

I was meeting friends (mothers from Tommy's year group at school) for lunch, and we usually meet once a year for a catch up now that our boys have left school and we don't see each other that often,. However due to the Covid lockdowns we have not met up for over two years now, so we treated ourselves to a lovely lunch at Rovi, one of Ottolenghi's restaurants. He has six restaurants in London (and one shop that does take away food and catering) and over the years we have been to a couple of them. Rovi specialises in vegetable dishes and the food was sublime, you leave wanting to go back again as soon as possible. We had little sharing dishes rather than a main meal and they were incredible - burrata with radicchio and muscat grapes, roasted pumpkin with a ginger and  lime and salsa, red cabbage with gorgonzola, grapes and juniper and celeriac shawarma, bkeila and fermented tomato - a true taste sensation.

The tube was busy and only about 10% of people wear masks. I always wear my mask, but that doesn't really help much if someone infected with Covid is not wearing one. 

As I was walking to the underground after lunch I took some photos of the Christmas lights, it wasn't dark yet so they don't look that impressive. Actually I am not sure they are impressive even when lit up - Regent Street has the same Christmas angels they have had for the last decade or so, and Oxford Street's lights (see extra) are rather mundane. But then we have just come through a pandemic lockdown where billions of pounds were spent on other more important things, so Christmas lights are not a priority.

Tomorrow - ....Covid boosters!