What we learned this Christmas in London: English people do not eat the turkey on Christmas Eve. London is a ghost city on Christmas Eve. There is NOOO public transport, AAANY public transport on Christmas Day in London. If you are very very lucky you can find a black cab with a extra charge of £4 for Christmas Day. Lovely.
That’s why, we woke up at six o’clock this morning and had a lovely 2 hours walk from home to Serpentine in Hyde Park for watching our first Peter Pan Cup. London was asleep, streets were empty. We saw first time Oxford Street empty, without crazy shoppers.
When we arrived to Serpentine Lido, some swimmers were warming (?) up already, a Santa was serving treats and the spectators watching the brave men and women of The Serpentine Swimming Club. At nine o’clock we heard the call of the bagpipe and the race which is taking place every year on Christmas day morning in Hyde Park Serpentine since 1804, started.
One person was counting the seconds and the bravehearts were in a challenge in the ice cold, brown (certanly not cristal clear) waters of Serpentine at Hyde Park.
The pink bodies getting out of the icy water and running through the mulled wine.
A Cat From London 