A variety of stiles to suit your fancy

London is fantastic. The city has so many personalities and moods. One day it's cosmopolitan, the other is a simple lager. Occasionally you need to step outside zone 6 for a little ramble in the country. That's exactly what I did on this beautiful Saturday: a little stroll though the fields of Amersham.

Friday nights out usually mean a lie-in on Saturday morning but since I made a commitment I knew I had to leave the social gathering a bit early and chug back the aqua. I can honestly say that I left right on time and awoke with a clear head and ready for the journey to north-west London, to Buckinghamshire ('Bucks as the locals call it.) Once again, you know know where a footpath will take you:

Today's theme was stile. No, that's not a spelling mistake. Stiles are all the rage in the fields of Britain. What is a stile you ask? "A stile is a structure which provides people a passage through or over a fences or boundary via steps, ladders, or narrow gaps" (source: Wikipedia.) Me being me, I will now share the various styles of stiles:

Wobbly stile:

A fresh new stile, hot off the press:

In addition to stiles there are also kissing gates that provide access across fields:

Our ramble from Amersham to Chalfont St Giles took us through several fields, and even across a local golf course. The people on the course were a little surprised to find such young lovely ladies venturing out on a ramble (typically it is older individuals that ramble as a hobby) but everyone was really friendly. An older gentleman tending his garden near Coke's Farm engaged in a short conversation with us and even shared the fact that a few quakers are buried in his backyard (they weren't allowed to be buried in church yards.)

As is typical of most rambles a pub lunch was in order. We popped into a small pub in Chalfont St Giles for a tasty burger and even caught a glimpse of an adorable country church. Even the church had a stile (but I'll save you from that photo):

I highly recommend taking a break from the city wherever possible. Whether you're in Vancouver, New York or London, take a break from the city and find a footpath. Grab a friend or family member and get some fresh air, move your legs, exercise your sense of adventure. You never know where it will lead you:

And don't forget your camera! And keep your eyes open for stiles!

¿Qué fiesta más divertida!

What a fun party!

Yes, indeed it was.

A few weeks back I got the following invite:

And of course I said "Yes!"

My typical wardrobe Monday-Friday (and let's be realistic, Saturday and Sunday too) is jeans, runners and a jumper. Friday's evening out in the Mayfair neighbourhood of London required a drastic change in wardrobe. So I bought a dress. And wore heels. I'll definitely wear the dress again. The shoes will be tossed under my bed and hopefully never warn again.

So yes, as a Canadian I was lucky enough to visit The Official Residence of the Canadian High Commission for a bit of a kick-off celebration for the London 2012 Summer Olympics for the Canadian Olympic Committee. Free wine, appetizers, Armando making sure our glasses were consistently full and a statue of a mountie were all part of the evening.

The party was attended by staff working for the Summer Games all hailing from Canada. It is rather ironic that we all moved across the world and were attending a party for fellow Canadians. But you can't argue with free booze in a swanky neighbourhood.

For the third time this week I met Mark Tewksbury. Mark is the 'Chef de Mission' (CdM) for the Canadian Olympic Committee this year. Mark was fantastic and I'm so excited to have him as the CdM. Mark even performed a little rally cheer for us:

"I'm a beaver, you're a beaver.

Beavers we are all.

And when we get together, we do the beaver call,

Nawnawnawnaw."

My feet were in excruciating pain at the end of the night as the Canadian contingent moved on to a night club. A 3 level bar, club, club with 80s musics blasting. The night ended with a ride home on the good old Jubilee Line. All I can say is thank goodness the bus stop is right out front my door.

Saturday morning came too soon but I was rewarded with what I've wanted since I arrived. Mascots!!!!!

Way down down she's bound to break ya

So it's been a little cold in London. Saturday was certainly no exception. I'm beginning to wonder if I will ever be warm again.

The morning started with a short wander up to Blackheath through Greenwich Park.

I found out the circus was in town!

Apparently golf was introduced to England in Blackheath!

I also wandered over to Canada Water area and spotted the new library (read more here). I will definitely have to go back and check it out. As libraries are consistently under threat around the world it's quite something to see a new public building being constructed. Long live the printed book!

Then it was time to get ready for the concert. I knew it would be a challenging night getting to Alexandra Palace and back.

Ridiculous closures on tube and local rail services were closed for 'scheduled engineering works' including the ENTIRE DLR.

So I left my flat on time and arrived on time at Alexandra Palace Station. Only to wait an hour for my friend with the tickets. Luckily there was a news agent there that sold hot chocolate. All hail hot chocolate vendors on cold nights.

Alexandra Palace, 'The People's Palace', is a massive venue for concerts. It's great when you're tall and can see the performers. Not so great when you're 5 foot 2 inches on a good day. With tall drunk people throwing/spilling drinks everywhere including on me, pushy people knocking me over then trying to apologize by sticking their tongue down my throat (who got a good smack, let me tell you that) I can safely say I did not have the best experience at the Black Keys concert. They put on a great show but the inability to see them was aggravating.

The 2+hour commute home on public transit (20min walk to tube, 3 different trains, 1 bus, 1 crappy donair later) didn't make the night any more enjoyable. But, then I realized the following:

-that I can only control myself in that situation

-that I did see (hear) an amazing show

-that I'm in freaking London and that I need to get over it

A Winter Wonderland, of sorts

It was to be a quiet weekend. No major plans. Just relax, do some laundry and catch-up on some sleep. Most of that did happen, along with a walk through the snow that fell on Saturday evening.

The snow made everything just a little bit quieter. A little bit more peaceful.

My flatmates and I decided to go for a bit of a wander through Greenwich.

Our first stop was St. Alfege Park:

We then spotted new banners up, celebrating the bestowment of 'Royal' Borough to Greenwich:

Greenwich Park was abuzz with people. It was madness. Londoners are quite similar to Vancouverites when it snows: go crazy, have a mad dash to the park to go sledding and then whine about the snow for the next two days.

Here are some of the photos I captured during our wander:

It was an unexpected group outing that included showing a snow newbie how to make a proper snowman and a farmers market in Blackheath (the neighbouring village) where they apparently build snow bunnies, not snowmen.

This last photo is one of favourites. Captured at the Ranger's House in Greenwich Park. Little cold yet welcoming at the same time.

All in all, it was another lovely weekend in London. Feeling like I made the right choice more and more every minute.

Also - I've booked a trip to Oslo, Norway. You just can't say no to a 30 GBP return trip. I think I'll need a proper winter jacket though....

Respect the present

Today was yoga day and who could imagine that I could miss skipping out of it one week? Getting back on the mat felt good. It's a challenge at the end of the day that makes you focus on your position, you muscles, your form. After a day of running around with a million things swirling around in your head, focusing on that moment for 60 minutes is great.

Today's principle or thought was to be in the moment, to respect where you are today. Where you have come from and what you are doing at this moment.

Respecting where you are today sometimes means understanding where you once were. Last year I was on a path to where I am today. I made the application, accepted the call and was ready for the questions. When a road block got in my way I dipped a bit but pulled ahead with some great support.

I think about 2011 quite a bit but am doing so less and less each day. When you're surrounded by people that are set on success of the team, you forget about those that encouraged the opposite and recognize that it is your past.

The moment that you are in right now is the one that you created for yourself. Your family, your friends, the confidants that kept you afloat. They are the ones that helped you on the path that lead you to today.

When you are given a choice of paths to take. You know the right one. Avoid the monsters, forget the weasels and walk loudly with a big stick. And don't forget to enjoy the view.