A dose of Vitamin D

I don't want to appear ungrateful for what I suppose are actually ideal weather conditions (dry, mild, still), but I did get incredibly excited when I noticed that the sun was actually shining in through the window this morning. Yes of course, I've managed plenty of walks over the Christmas holidays, but the sunny ones have been particularly lovely.

Before escaping to Norfolk for a few days over Christmas itself, the sun shone for my annual Christmas Tree Crawl which took me the full distance across London from Gloucester Road to Tower Hill.

Since then, the sun has not really made an appearance. Instead, I have walked along beaches, through woodland, across heath, and over fields (sort of) in the grey. It's still been bracing and a good opportunity for catch ups, though. Isn't walking just the best?

Today was the first day of the holiday that I had nothing planned. So, as soon as I'd ascertained that the sunshine was due to last, I decided it was a definitely a good day for a proper walk. For inspiration, I turned to my copy of '33 Walks in London That You Shouldn't Miss' and found a nice long walk that would take me from Chiswick to Kew. 

I'd actually done part of this walk before when I explored Chiswick House and Gardens in the summer. I can't remember if I ran out of time or energy then, but I took the abbreviated route. Today however, I took time to explore a few of the suburban streets surrounding Turnham Green Station. The architecture is a fascinating mix as cottage-style homes stand next to red brick blocks of flats. Zig-zagging along one street and then another, I spent a while ooh-ing, aah-ing, and generally wishing I had a lot more money.

Back towards and beyond the station, I found The Old Cinema; a treasure trove full of beautiful antique furniture. Always keen for a browse, I spent yet more time ooh-ing, aah-ing, and wishing for more money (even in the sale, vintage / antiques in London have me wanting to run back to the affordable climes of Norwich).

The walk to Chiswick House and Gardens took me past yet more suburban bliss before I was suddenly assaulted by the M4. Here I remembered the way via the underpass, and along the drive which at this time of year was lined with the hope of Spring in the form of Snowdrops.

In August, the conservatory was fairly bare as I'd missed the Camellia's flowering period, so it was especially nice to be back in season to see the variegations on show. I seem to remember being disappointed by the weather on my last visit, so guaranteed blue sky and sunshine was also a proper treat.

The next part of my walk was less than scenic as I was forced this time to walk alongside a fairly busy road. I'm officially rubbish, also, at metres as a point of reference. Tell me what physical features to look out for, or perhaps how long I might have been walking for, but don't tell me that 'after 500m' I will take a turning. It puts me on edge! 500m is further than I would expect it to be, anyway, and this stretch of road felt a little endless but eventually I came to signs of the Thames, and knew I was back on track.

I wandered cautiously along the Thames Path through Chiswick Quay (slightly perturbed by 'Private' signs here, there, and everywhere) and beyond to my final stop of the day, Strand-on-the-Green, which may now have my vote as the prettiest part of the Thames Path, and definitely somewhere I'd like to re-visit when the weather is warmer and I'm frequenting pubs again.

From this lovely little stretch of river, I headed over Kew Bridge and towards Kew Gardens Station via yet more sumptuous suburbia (my appreciation of which suggests I really am getting old) where I'd be hopping back on the Tube to make my journey home.

I hadn't technically forgotten about lunch, but I do have a habit of walking without stopping very much (especially when it's as incredibly cold as it was today, despite sunshine), so it wasn't until the end of my journey that I finally did have a sit down and a little something to eat. I've often passed and wanted to try The Kew Greenhouse, and on a random Friday in early January it wasn't too busy, so I fuelled myself with mac & cheese before making my way home.

Still lots more walks to have an explore of, and another whole year ahead of me. Here's hoping for more sunshine!