Opening the Cottage and a Side Trip to Marks Point Park

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…May 31, 2026

Last week, our daughter, Andrea offered to drive with me to the cottage to open it up for the season. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse.

We left Sunday morning and arrived at the ferry dock about an hour early. It was a beautiful day. The new ferry wasn’t up and running yet but it was the last day for the Sandy Graham. Starting today a barge is taking its place until the new boat passes inspection.

When we arrived at the cottage we went to see our neighbours and shared some tea before the work began. We heard stories about how bad the mouse infestation was for some of our other neighbours. Fingers crossed, we opened the cottage to find only one dead mouse and minimal evidence that mice had even been there. We wiped down all the counters, swept the floors, put the deck furniture back outside, unpacked all the cushions, set up the BBQ and racked the leaves off the pathways and the deck.

Not wanting to return on the barge the next day we decided to take the old ferry back to the mainland that evening and have dinner at Andrea’s cottage which was only 10 minutes away. Seeing we weren’t rushed for time we decided to explore a road that we don’t normally take. We took it as far as it went and ended up at a very small park called Marks Point. We parked the car and walked towards the water.

There wasn’t much to see so after 10 minutes we got back into the car and drove to Andrea’s cottage. The lot next to her place had recently sold and the new owners had cleared out quite a few trees. Hopefully that is all that they’re planning to take out. It certainly changes Andrea’s and Josie’s view but there is more sun on their deck.

Thursday Trios From the Print Show and Doors Open

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…at Sommerset and WAAC in Toronto

Two different venues….one in London and one in Toronto.

The Original Print Show

The Contact Show at WAAC during Doors Open

If you have any trios to share just copy my link and paste it into your post. When I get the ping back I’ll be sure to check it out. Have fun!

Eating Out in London

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…in cafés, pubs and restaurants

The beauty of staying in a flat is that you have more options when it comes to meals. Most if not all our breakfasts were prepared in the flat and two of our dinners were takeout meals.

Most of our dinners were prepared by our son. We would purchase some of the ingredients and I would make the occasional salad.

For lunches Kevin and I went to a variety of places. The V&A East and the Barbican had nice cafeterias. Close to the V&A East was a busy Brew Pub located on the Lee River, that made great pizzas.

When we went shopping along Upper Street we stopped at the Terra Rosss for a lovely Italian meal. I was having some issues with my jaw for a few days so I was looking for soup or soft food. The waiter recommended a sumptuous ravioli with a soft cheese filling. It was perfect. A few days later we went to another Italian restaurant where I ordered a delicious pea and mint soup….the Urban Cafe and Bistro,

At the Hand and Flower Pub, Kevin had the cauliflower bhaji burger and I had the Greek mezzo plate. We shared the Eton Mess dessert, a first for both of us.

Eton Mess

In Richmond we had lunch in the Princes Head, where many scenes from Ted Lasso were filmed. Kevin had the fish and chips (a great choice) and I had the chicken pie (not a good choice).

Our son really enjoys Asian food. One day we went to a sample sale and after a successful hour of purchasing some bargains we headed over to a Korean restaurant and ordered a platter with a variety of Korean delicacies .

Two weeks later we were in Chinatown and had lunch at a Noodles and Dumplings restaurant.

Two days before we left we took Brendan to a restaurant in his neighbourhood to treat him to a special dinner. Lupa is a neighbourhood restaurant dedicated to Roman comfort food from Highbury locals Ed Templeton and Theo James. Brought to life by head chef Naz Hassan, the menu features crowd-pleasing, ingredients-led regional favourites made for sharing.

Toasting with after dinner drinks