Day 181: drinks (eventually) with a view!

Due to a very late (or more realistically very early) night in the office before the wedding and then the long day of the wedding itself I was in no fit state to attend birthday drinks for L(a). So to make up for that, we arranged to meet for drinks tonight. The Rooftop Café was closed for a private party so we head for the pointy building instead. We start off in the Aqua bar and tantalisingly in the restaurant we can see the beginning of a beautiful sunset. We way too far from the windows and importantly the only bar food on offer was nuts, and we wanted something to eat without a full blown meal. We check out Oblix, which was busy and an entirely different viewpoint. We check out Hutong restaurant as we can't seem to escape ftom the nuts but I wasn't crazy about the menu. After another complete circuit we end up in Hutong bar. I can tantalisingly see the huge golden ball but we're totally sat in the wrong spot for me to train my camera lens in the right direction.

We order the other option on the bar food menu that wasn't nuts. But they've run out do nuts it is. And we choose cocktails. Then there's the important business of birthday presents to be examined. We catch up, read through the book, eat nuts and...just a minute, where are our drinks? The bar isn't busy, but there's no enthusiasm regarding delivering our drinks. I suggest that we leave and try elsewhere. There's no hint of an apology, an explanation or drinks. Finally they arrive, and still no apology for the extensive wait. As an inducement to stay we are relocated to the window and eventually they offer to comp our drinks.

We've missed the sunset and are firmly in the blue hour. This is a view 90 degrees from the sun setting behind Southwark Cathedral and St.Paul's. But the Walkie Talkie building is definitely looking intriguing and the camera slung around my neck can finally come into play. I try a few settings and thought I would look at the handheld night shot option on my Leica again. This is where this creative tool comes into its own. I'm shooting through glass, the light is disappearing and I want some detail from the lights across the other side of the Thames. I'm rather pleased with the final result, missing the sunset was perhaps a good thing after all.

 

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