Leeds III

After another weekend up north, I am growing to appreciate both Leeds and London a lot more. London has everything your heart could ever desire, but it’ll take you an hour to even get to the shop on the corner, whereas in Leeds everything is a brisk walk away, including the most spectacular countryside as we discovered while hiking on Ilkley Moor yesterday. In London the air is such poison that on Friday the government recommended that no one should undertake any “strenuous outdoor exercise”, but at least the smog keeps the city warm, unlike in Leeds where you’ll be able to see your breath from the cold despite being inside, and you’ll wake up with chattering teeth in the middle of the night unless you’re blessed with an electric blanket. Pints are savagely expensive in London, but if you walk through the city centre in Leeds and night (or, really, late afternoon) you’ll be beset by obnoxiously drunk people and be grateful for the more civilized demanour of drunk Londoners.

Cold and getting heckled aside, it was a magical weekend, and one that was rejuvenating after I felt somewhat robbed of my deserved quota of R&R over Christmas. It was an opportunity to spend time with new friends and old, take in some of the best of British sculpture, eat truly mindblowing food and spend some time in my happy place - the great outdoors. I am glad to be back home now though.