In the latest of our weekend excursions, following on from a trip to Tower Bridge, a long walk along the river and lunch at Nando's last weekend, today we did something a bit different.
We did this: http://www.discoverdogs.org.uk/
It was the eqivalent of the chocolate factory for the girls...but with dogs. Hundreds of them. Dogs willing to be patted, stroked, petted and squealed and shouted at. Dog owners dying to show off their beloved pets. At one point I ended up holding a rat on a lead dog with a hairless body but a hairy face. Interesting. Velvety. Warm.
The girls were completely unfazed by the dogs on display, from Miniature Schnauzers to Irish Wolfhounds. Some of the dogs were three or four times their size and they could have ridden them round Earl's Court (in fact I probably could have ridden one or two of the breeds) but every single one was greeted with total and utter joy.
We tried to take lots of pictures but the girls were so excited that they couldn't stay still for a second and consequently we have lots of blurry shots and only a few decent ones. Here's one of the best:
We played a game of 'Fantasy dog owner' and dh decided that he would like a beagle. I'm sticking with my long held favourite, the black labrador. In fact, I was so so taken with one of the labs that I almost tried to smuggle him out of the exhibition. It was only when I realised that we were standing at the Guide Dogs for the Blind area and that the labs' owner clearly needed him a million more times than I did, that I reconsidered...
Dh bought the girls a little toy black labrador each, to add to their collection of Marleys, Gromits and other assorted doggy toys. I was quite jealous.
I'm fairly sure that I patted Richard Hammond at the Miniature Daschund stand. Small, dark, overeager and hairy? Can't be two of them, surely?
We also went to Pizza Express for lunch and the girls devoured a margherita pizza, dough balls, salad and a chocolate sundae each. They pushed away the Bambichinno (cup of frothy milk) when it arrived, clearly stuffed.
Factor in two tube rides and two train journeys and it was a very full day. The girls were so tired when we got home that we put them to bed half and hour earlier than normal.
Next week we're going to see the lights on Oxford Street and Regent's Street. Can't wait!
