A random February weekend at Canary Wharf

We chose to go to London in February simply because the last time we'd been we'd left it six months before going and that was far too long for us to be away from the crazy city that is London.  As soon as we touched down we both felt relaxed.  We find it quite amusing that within the stresses of the large, over populated, and polluted city we actually feel relaxed.  It feels comfortable to see a bit of grime, skyscrapers, and general building chaos, not to mention endless road works.  I guess it's because we just feel more comfortable there.  It's not about being round pegs in square holes.  It feels right when we're there.

The key thing we realized is that for us Canary Wharf is a hub of activity for both kids and adults from jazz bars to cinemas and from baby reading classes at the Ideas Store to a wealth of history for all the family at the Docklands museum.  There's no need for me to go in one direction to take the kids to nursery, to another place to go shopping and another to see style and culture.  At Canary Wharf, you've got it all and much more and most of it is under one roof so is perfect for the kids to roam when it's wet outside.  Let's not forget that the place hardly sleeps either.  You don't have to live in it, but being five minutes away from it makes life a hell of a lot more convenient.  It's all that which we really miss whilst living in Thalwil.

It's so much easier to meet friends because of its location and what you can find there.  We made the most of it and enjoyed the brilliant Mudlarks at The Docklands Museum, which the kids never tire of.  There's a cafe in the museum which serves up a whole manner of tasty goodies and ironically enough one of the supposedly rare chocolate bars that I found on my chocolate tour last week.  You simply get a ticket for each child and have an hour to play in the Mudlarks area.  There is a height chart so only the small kids get to play on the soft play area.  The older, taller kids (like Emily) can still enjoy the rest of the area which is full of all things that play on your senses.

We savored the superb Sunday brunch at Roka - we can't go to Canary Wharf without a visit there.  Despite the restaurant's inability to pre-book tables for larger groups (they only have one large table and can't promise tables can be next to one another) they cater for kids brilliantly from their Kids Bento Box to the great and amazingly clean play area.  Plus they don't complain about the kids running around (well they haven't so far!)

Of course we saw our family too and Emily even got to have a sleep over with her cousins, which she was totally over the moon about.

There was walking along the rivers edge ...

Running through and playing in one of the many local parks (the size of the infamous Park im Gruene although not with the summer toy train service or Punch & Judy) ...

Wandered through Jubilee Park between the skyscrapers and above the shops and cafes, watching the ducks at play ...

 Understanding the latest modern art installation, which just happens to be an Easter Egg hunt with a difference and for charity ...

Johan and I went to the cinema and stuffed ourselves with popcorn having eaten great tapas in one of the new local bars that has popped up and to think we didn't even have to remortgage our house to do so.

We wondered what we'd miss about Switzerland if we moved back and for us it would be the ability to get to the neighboring countries so easily - France, Austria, Germany, Italy and beyond - by car or by train.  Roads are relatively clear and trains are as punctual as you can get.

It is so easy to feel "weird" living in Switzerland and not caring so much about the mountains or snow and instead longing for skyscrapers and an abundance of eateries.  Yet we remember that we can't all like the same thing and therefore perhaps we are rather normal after all.