The heat is on (again)

We stuck to our plan of going to London together for the first time since  the beginning of May - TSM’s self isolation, surgery, and rehabilitation have meant that an outing of that sort would be unwise. There were times today when I wondered if we hadn’t overdone it, it was so hot and neither of us had much energy. In my case it is because I have suffered from fatigue for years; in her case it is her prolonged recovery from her operation, made worse on this occasion by her newfound fitness regime. This has a name but essentially consists of bouncing around the bedroom under the instruction of an irrepressibly cheerful American woman with perfect teeth. 
 
So the walk to the station was a little tricky because she was tired from all that bouncing around, and as I say it was very hot again. We made the train with little to spare as she had to buy a new railcard but at least we then enjoyed an air-conditioned ride to London.
 
At Waterloo the guard apologised for the late running of the train due to non-opening doors at Petersfield, but claimed he had wrestled them open with his bare hands with all the prowess of an athlete at the commonwealth games. A few wry smiles suggested this was something of an exaggeration. 
 
We had coffee in The Black Penny and walked down the South Bank. Despite promising ourselves to be good, a vegan fast food stall near Gabriel’s Wharf leapt out from its hiding place and seduced us with vegan chicken wraps and vegan fish and chips. Bloody marvellous. Sat by the river eating and watching the world go by. There is a beach at this point in the river although that is probably an over-generous term. There were one or two people sitting on it (see blip) but mainly people used the South Bank benches in the shade it was so hot.
 
Walked over Blackfriars Bridge and back along the North Bank. TSM became seriously tired at this point, so we sat and hydrated in the courtyard of Somerset House for a good forty five minutes before popping in to the Courtauld for an hors d’oeuvre of impressionism and a small slice of Edvard Munch. The latter is a short-term exhibition which is really nice – quite a lot of his early work which is really engaging, although I do like his tortured paddle-faced later stuff as well. Complex man with many dark emotions. Well, he was Norwegian.
 
We managed to walk back to Waterloo (although I think we should have got a cab) and walked from the station when we got home. This really did us in. We’re just starting another heatwave and temperatures can’t have been far off thirty degrees today. They are certainly forecast to bust that figure later in the week.
 
Finished reading Oh William! early evening. Very readable novel, some strong characters. The main question being how well do we know ourselves and how well do we know each other? I think the answer by the end of the book is: it takes time and love and we don’t always have those in sufficient quantity. 
 
Now seven thirty in the evening and I’m beginning to feel human again, although TSM is very crashed out. 

Good day. Couple of extras, one arty, one silly.