I am never sure whether I admire Canary Wharf or despise it.  Arriving there is as pleasant as tube trains go but then I get the feeling I am just a machine.  One of thousands, being cranked up the escalator and despatched to work for the day.

Dragged out from the underground and spat out blinking in to the daylight. You emerge in to Reuters Plaza where you are surrounded by tall shiny buildings and thousands of people, scurrying off to work. I was early today and popped in to Birleys for breakfast.  I made a bad choice.  I was hoping to have something substantial so I could resist the pastries but the salt beef hash was served on a small white muffin.  There was not enough beef and way too many white carbs so a bad start to the day. I had to hop on the DLR next to get to where I was working for the day. This is the view of Reuters Plaza and Canary Wharf tube from the DLR.  It never looks real to me.  It looks like an architect’s model, ready to be submitted to the planning department.  Even the trees look fake. The huge glass walls spread for miles these days.  Inside are workers in the financial sector and all the support industries such as software companies. Here is a remnant of the Dockland’s original main industry; a crane to winch the goods off the ships that travelled in to London from all over the world, with their cargoes of commodities.  This was my destination for the day.  I am just a number. I had some of these. I failed and had pastries again.  And sandwiches at lunch time and crisps :-(.  Situations like these are tricky.  I was working with people I had not met before.  I was the representative from my Department and it was quite sociable, sharing food from the platters and chatting while we ate.  If I was very dedicated to dieting I would have taken my own lunch in I suppose.  Tricky. We finished earlier then expected and I decided to walk back to Canary Wharf rather than take the DLR so I could get some exercise at least. I quite like the green glass building which looks as if it is floating on the water. Nearly back at Canary Wharf.  I find it hard to believe I used to work in the tower every day. To make up for the poor quality food I had today I cooked up a load of veggies.  Look how cute these baby mushrooms are in their little punnett.  They are really tiny. One large bowl of vegetables (onions, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms and kale) with soy sauce, sesame oil and a smokey chipotle sauce.  It was going to have brown rice with it but I didn’t cook it for long enough so that will be ready tomorrow.

Canary Wharf.  Admire it or despise it?  Love it or hate it?  Probably a mixture of all those.

Cheers – have a good weekend!