I am in London for a few days before heading to France. Yup, I’ve temporarily exchanged char kway teow for fish pie…and so far, so good. The weather is glacial but, at least, sunny.

We’re staying with friends in north London – an area of London I don’t know brilliantly but have loved getting familiar with. On our way home on the bank holiday weekend just gone, we stopped off in Little Venice, a picturesque part of town just north of Paddington and right on the water.

It was the annual Canalway Cavalcade and there were barges, boats and bunting as well as a mass of small stalls selling all sorts of things you probably didn’t want:

and some things you did:

Rather amazingly, the 100 or so boats gathered here – Little Venice is the junction of two canals – have travelled some distance along the 2,000 mile waterway system in Britain.

Personally, I just love reading all their names. Like this one below, the so-called ‘Pickles & Folly’

The municipal gardens were gaudy but glorious, with bright orange wall flowers intermingled with nearly over, droopy black tulips

The claim is that this festival officially heralds the start of Spring in England…well, in this borough anyway…although I am not so sure as, despite the sun, am still swathed in cashmere and – slightly less glamourously – thermal vests (both from good old Uniqlo). My optimistic hope to get away with just one jersey for my entire trip was a mistake. I see that now.

Stay tuned for a guide to clever buys, eats and things to do in London town. Coming soon.

Next stop: France.