With everything that’s going on in our life right now, I would have to abandon The Cooking Experiment once again. But, I don’t feel like doing it. And since cooking will become a major part of my life from now on I decided to combine it with this one and have everything in one place.

We started at 11 (more like 11.30 due to the London marathon) at Woolwich Arsenal.

The beginning of the Capital Ring was a bit of a disappointment. The Woolwich Footpath is not only close due to renovations (long long overdue) but also completely impossible to even take a look at.

I’ve walked past this area of town several times, and I know there’s a sign showing the beginning of the Capital Ring, but now it can’t be seen.

South entrance to the Woolwich footpath (still undergoing works)

Woolwich is a hub of transportation with buses, DLR, train, walking paths and the ferry. They all take forever, but none is slower than the ferry. (I’m not telling the truth there, a car is actually slower)

Woolwich ferry.

When you keep going you go past a reservoir. A lot of water, some plants and a few ducks, as well as some people fishing, so I’m guessing there’s fish in there as well.

Reservoir in Woolwich.

Another one of the things you walk past is a ground mosaic. It represents the planet and has the symbols of the zodiac signs or constellations (depending what it is you’re more interested in).

Of course my friend and I lead very sad lives,  so we spent some 15 minutes looking at the map appraising its accuracy. Note for normal people: please refrain from such behaviour.

It would be nice to learn a bit more about the creators of the mosaic.

Riverside Walk Project mosaic in Woolwich.

Woolwich history shows in the walk as you go past the two cannons on the riverside.

One of two cannons from the Gun Drill Battery in Woolwich.

All throughout this stretch of walk you can see the Tames Barrier. This is the world’s second largest movable flood barrier. It was built after a severe flooding o the city and the gates can be risen in 45 minutes.

Thames Barrier.

Last Sunday 17th was the London Marathon.  Apart from making people run and making people late, it also left some of the most traffic-heavy streets in London completely empty. Quite a bizarre sight.

Empty streets of Woolwich after the London Marathon 2011.

Maryon Park is mostly up a steep hill, with loads of steps! Just underneath it there’s a tunnel for the train.

Surprisingly enough, even though the train passes once every 3 hours (especially when you’re running late for work), we managed to see it going through.

Southeastern train passing through Charlton.

After going up the 400th step and when you think you could just die you get to the top of the hill and are rewarded with amazing views of the city.

Views of London from Maryon Park.

From Maryon Park you go to Maryon Wilson Park, another one of those places with climbs, though not as disheartening.

The best part of the park is the Children’s Zoo with all its farm animals, most of which could easily classify as mega-fauna (especially the pigs).

Children's Zoo in Maryon Wilson Park.

The section continues from here. But, since the post is long enough, I’m only going to cover the first half of Section 1. The second half and Section 2 will follow soon.

• Rambler’s opinion of the walk: nice and varied, you get to see several different landscapes and the signs are spot on.
• Londoner’s opinion of the walk: one word: brilliant. Amazing views of some of the most iconic buildings of the city.
• Pregnant lady’s opinion of the walk: quite easy, except for the climbs. I got out of breath 2 or 3 times. Several public toilets along the walk, and benches to rest your feet or get some air into your lungs.

Image by jcoterhals via Flickr

Today it’s our 6 month anniversary with my husband and I’m on my 4th month of pregnancy.

We got married quite soon after meeting and got pregnant even faster. Most people think we are basically insane, my best friend among them.

But, the thing is: does it make it any less in love the fact that we decided to share our life only a few weeks after our first date? We’ve gone through happy and sad moments, arguments and reconciliations, holidays together, we know each other’s secrets and stories, we know how to push each other’s buttons and how to bring a smile to each other’s faces.

To me, those are the things that make a good relationship. Apart from the fact that neither could imagine, or would like to imagine, a life without the other.

Up until there everything is fine. Then a baby comes along.

“You’re too young”, he’s 27 and I’m 25
“You’re short on money”, we both work full-time, yet this is London, so we’ll have to join the ranks of the benefits (at least until I can go back to work and a normal paycheck).
“You barely know each other”, we meet a short time ago, but I know my husband better than anyone else, and it is reciprocal.
“Children are not easy to deal with”, as a teacher I’ve had my fair share of children. Granted, it’s not the same, and I know it. But I have a head start a lot of mums don’t have.

I won’t say I’m 100% ready or that I’m not afraid, I am in fact freaking out and I spend every minute I’m not trying to sell food to customers, wondering if we can actually be someone’s parents. The last thing we need is people making us even more scared than we are now.

I guess only time will tell who was right. I do hope it’s us.

Here is a selection of 10 activities to share with children. Some free, some paid.

Free events:

• Nature Trail Discovery

Discover spring life walking through the museum gardens.

Horniman Museum (100 London Rd., SE23 3PQ).

Wednesday 13.

Horniman Museum. Image via Wikipedia

• Homes from around the world

Collection of fun crafts to teach children about houses and cultures around the globe.

Geffrye Museum (Kingsland Rd. E2 8EA).

Tuesday 12 to Friday 15.

• WaterWorks Fun Day

Collection of activities including arts and crafts and guided walks through the reserve.

WaterWorks Nature Reserve (Lammas Rd. E10 7NU).

Wednesday 13.

Paid events:

• Easter Vermin Hunt

Egg hunt with a twist.

Clink Prison Museum (1 Clink St., SE1 9DG).

Monday 11 to Monday 25. Adults £6, Children £5.50.

• Opera Blocks

Opera for children, with explanations and improvisation.

The King’s Head Theatre (115 Upper St., N1 1QN).

Wednesday 13, Thursday 14, Friday 15. £8.

• Make a Celtic Offering

Make a shield, brooch or torch and learn about the origins of our current Easter celebration.

Wandsworth Museum (38 West Hill. SW18 1RZ).

Friday 15. £3, free for under-5′s.

• Beyond Circus Family Workshop

Have a go at developing your gymnastic skills.

The Albany (Douglas Way. SE8 4AG).

Sunday 17. £8.

• Microscopic Marvels and Pondlife Paradise

Discover what lies in a pond using a microscope.

Chelsea Physic Garden (66 Royal Hospital Rd. SW3 4HS).

Thursday 14. Adults £8, children £5.

• The Just So Stories

Stories for children told using everyday objects.

Pleasance Theatre (Carpenters Mews, North Rd. N7 9EF).

Tuesday 12 to Sunday 17. £10.

• Carters Steam Fair

Traditional fair with old-fashioned rides and games.

Ravenscourt Park (Ravenscourt Rd. W6 0UL).

Saturday 9 to Sunday 17. Price varies according to ride.

Today I went to the Southbank Centre and realized while browsing through Foyles that I would soon become a mum in London, and that my son/daughter would be a Londoner.

Neither my husband nor I are from here. His birth certificate says Greater Accra, Ghana and me, I divided my early life between Argentina and Spain. Somehow we both ended up here, deciding to catch the same bus and sit next to each other, and while we were at it share a life and start making children.

At first it might seen superfluous that our child(ren) will be from London. It is not. I knew a childhood and my husband knew another one. In some aspects they were similar, in some others very different. I saw my first real life black person when I was about 10 and used the underground from the time I was in my mum’s womb. My husband comes from a place were white vans from the 1970 era are called buses and where people come from different tribes.

None of this will be part of the baby’s future life. (S)he’ll live in a multicultural overcrowded city with some of the best museums and the worst traffic jams, a city where any pair of trainers (s)he’ll ever own is going to be at least four times more expensive than any I ever had when growing up, a city where (s)he’ll be able to speak Spanish (my mother tongue) and Twi (my husband’s) to native speakers that are not mum and dad.

The city offers unlimited possibilities for a child, and I want to take advantage of them.

Even though I work in a restaurant, I am a teacher, and that side of me will never go away, no matter how long I stay away from a classroom. And I will probably become a very annoying mum who tries to find something educational anywhere we go (don’t worry though, my husband will be there to ruin my plans).

With this blog I’ll try to share the experiences, problems, good sides, possibilities and randomnesses of being a mum in London.