Life In The Fast Lane...

EVER had the blinkers on?
For those not familiar with horse-racing, these are bits of leather or plastic placed near a horse's eyes to narrow their focus to just what's in front of them.
Sometimes people have that too. Sometimes though, it can be better to get out and do something a little bit different, go off the beaten track (cliche count growing rapidly here).
A couple of events here in London have brought that back home to me.
First up, I went for a walk around Wimbledon one Sunday afternoon. I doubt if even the locals could have found anything charitable to say about the weather, what with it being cold, wet and generally miserable, but given the mouse that powers my brain wheel was buzzing around like Mickey Mouse on speed, I had to get out and do something.
While out walking I decided to check out the local shopping area, see what was around, grab a snack etc. Glad I did.
Behind the main street I came across a second-hand bookstore. Now I should mention early up that I'm addicted to reading - and especially any good sporting books (cricket in particular but this should come as a surprise to nobody). In Cooma I used to pop into a second-hand bookstore there and generally came away with something good to add to the library.
This bookstore was no different. Think of an English house (many levels, rooms all over the place), with all the walls and a number of shelves jam-packed with ink on paper.
The cricket section took a bit of finding but was well worth it - a few old Wisdens, some good biographies and even some old-school histories. This was all next to massive tennis and soccer (football) sections, all tucked away in a room overlooking the street.
Now this would have been enough by itself, but the owners had decided to get into the Christmas spirit and handed out cups of mulled wine for everyone. What's not to like?!?
The other event involved that horrendously painful experience of commuting to work.
Now Wimbledon's a fair way out from the city, meaning I can catch two trains and take well over an hour or catch three trains and take about an hour.
I mentioned this to my boss one night and he reckoned the best way was to walk from the main station to work - around 20 minutes or so compared to 30 or more on the train (the London Underground can get extremely busy).
I've been doing this for a few weeks now, and can't help but be blown away. The walk home goes past the Royal Courts of Justice, St Clement's Church (oranges and lemons said the bells of...), Australia House, Somerset House (ice skating in the main courtyard), and over Waterloo Bridge, from which I can see the London Eye, Houses of Parliament, St Paul's Cathedral and the Southbank area.
All this by taking the blinkers off.
But I guess that's the same everywhere too. The beauty of Venice's Piazza San Marco is ruined by wall-to-wall tourists and pigeons, but head about 10 minutes away and you've got enchanting laneways pretty much to yourself.
Stop for a walk in Cooma and have a look at the courthouse, or even go off the beaten track and come across an old church or town that time seems to have overlooked.
Either way, take the blinkers off and get out of the fast lane. Never know what you'll find.