Mice Log Star Date 49.

A Pootle from Camden via Regents Park to Hyde Park. 18th Feb 2013.  20 miles. Average speed 10.3, max speed 19.6 in 1hr 58.  To Camden in the early morning.  Not a good start to the day as whilst cycling at 15mph a Travis Perkins lorry tried to physically direct me towards the parked cars as he stayed within 18 inches of my handlebars.  Their Managing Director needs an email - all their drivers should do the Met Police Experience with The Lorry and the Bicycle.

With my heartbeat returning to normal I headed up to Hyde Park and on to Camden via Regents Park for a meeting.  

At midday I pointed my handlebars south but couldn't possibly miss a lap of Regents Park to just have a little look see at the Giraffe House at The London Zoo. 

  

                                                Wowser - all three giraffes were outside.  

 

I must have stood there for about 20 minutes watching them.  The two older ones circled their garden side by side, completely in stride with each other in a rather human way as if they were two people walking down a street in deep conversation with each other. Fantastic. If only Doctor Dolittle was there to tell me what they were saying.  

If I havent mentioned this before, I love giraffes.  They are just spectacular, to me.  When I was nine there was an English Competition at school and we had to write an essay on A Day in the Life of (our favourite animal).  I wrote about being a giraffe - and I won! I'm not sure I have won anything since but my fascination with Giraffes goes a long way back and it hasn't changed. It was a real joy to see them, am grinning now just thinking about it.

I managed to eventually move on and continued my lap of the Park. Followed by another one.  The sun was out, the sky blue - I saw primroses and heard birds singing.  Regents Park has quite a lot of history.     

I stopped to have a look at the view across the lake and noticed the paparazzi staring at some rushes.  Ornithologists I realised.

  

Somehow I managed to take a photo of their subject although I have no idea what it is!

Back down to Hyde Park.  I have no idea what is going on in there but the mini Glastonbury from last years' Diamond Jubilee or the various live concerts but it looked more like a day on the farm than a park in the Capital.

On the way home I couldnt stop myself from popping into Gail's Bakery. Anything with a slogan "So Let Us Eat Cake" is going to be a Cyclists Friend even if it is a bit over budget. It's quite large and very delicious.  What it is to be a cyclist! Lucky me! 

Who makes better Carrot cake I wonder?  

What I wore. I wore cycling leggings, a black mini skirt, two merino tops and a cycling shirt under Mountain bright orange jacket. It's not the same quality as the Gore Oxygen but is fine for pootling around London providing I have the right layers underneath.