Bitten by the bug

I think I've been bitten by the tennis bug. So what if I went to the charity shop on Saturday to buy a racket and ended up accidentally getting a squash one because I don't know the difference?

I had a fantastic Saturday, woke up and had a breakfast that filled me up until the afternoon. I had toast with peanut butter, sea-hawthorn jelly thickened with agave syrup and a second toast with marmite and the last of the homemade hummus.

Fuel

I went to group and then to Pilates, after which I bought the racket in anticipation of an invite to play tennis with our friends Dan and Lisa on Sunday. Erm, slight fail.

On Sunday, we decided to try and find another racket. I'm not sure what to make of the one I bought. I might just donate it back to charity.

After a late breakfast of omelette, we cycled to Brick Lane, where aside from super hyper ueber hip fashion trendsters and achingly cool vintage stores there also is a huge open square that sells all kinds of stolen goods and flea market stuff. We found a wooden racket and set off again.

We stopped at Redemption for a drink. On the web, this looked so inviting.  really wanted to check out the location and it is lovely. When we got there, around 2 pm on a Sunday, it was fairly quiet and to pay £4 for a small jug of juice was steep. The price of the salads - £12 for one - was too much for me, despite sounding amazing and the pictures of the website really getting me to salivate. Maybe when I get a pay rise... well, actually, I am a cheap skate. 12 quid is a lot of money for a salad. Even organic, good for you, your body is a temple, hand-picked by virgins and prepared lovingly, this is more than I am willing to pay. Sorry Redemption.  

Redemption Rooftop - great location, a bit too pricy for me.

We cycled on around the corner to eat from the brilliant guys at Licky Chops, who have taken up residence at Climpson's Arch. I am glad we went. Although also on the pricier side, the atmosphere was livelier and was just right for me that day.

I got two smaller portions, because I am greedy and I couldn't decide. I forgot to take a picture of the grilled courgettes with stracciatella and pumpkin seeds. The smokiness of the zucchini was glorious and the creaminess of the cheese was a perfect foil for the crunchy, salty pumpkin seeds.

This beauty was not to be sniffed at either, I snaffled it up in no time:


Grey mullet ceviche with cucumber, gooseberries and dill.

When we took to the court at 5, I was slightly apprehensive. I hadn't ever played tennis properly. It was lovely and one hour flew by. Who would have guessed, I am super competitive, I cannot direct the trajectory of my tennis ball and overall I missed more balls than I hit them. Suffice to say, I want to go back and do it more often.