Mooching around the West End

After a gentle morning spent in a cafe while J went to an activity morning, H & I took the train to Waterloo, to check out the Christmas market on the South Bank. We crossed the bridge, wandered through Covent Garden and stopped off in Forbidden Planet to drool over the latest greatest books and toys. At my behest we walked all the way up to the UCL Waterstones, where I failed to buy anything, before heading to the British Museum where we checked out the Asian section — especially the Sawankhalok pottery — and skimmed through most of the others, making the most of the chance to chat somewhere out of the cold.

We retraced our steps, stopping off once again at Forbidden Planet, where I weakened and bought an autographed copy of Elizabeth Bear's Shattered Pillars and a badge that says "I'm not weird, I'm gifted" We headed back to the station, stopping at the market to buy a cinnamon chimney cake — one of N's recommendations — before heading home for curry, climbing videos, and bed.