Recently we had a visit to the Olympic Park also known as the Queen Elizabeth Park, on a nice sunny day for a picnic and stroll.
Upon arrival we met up with members of other group in the area from the Romford and Barking and Dagenham. As it was quite a hot day we needed to remember the following: hat, sunglasses, water and sun tan lotion. One of us even brought some spray just in case someone would forget one of these items and also a big umbrella for shade. Now that is a good idea. We entered the park just past Westfields the shopping centre. We immediately saw the magnificent Olympic Stadium towering above us, now known as West Ham Stadium.
Anyway we needed a nice shady place to eat our picnic. We found one directly opposite the Aquatics Centre. This is a strange shaped building used for swimming during the Olympics. We sat on some seats, which were also steps. It was ideal as they were directly shaded by many trees. As we ate our grub we were watching the boats on the river. Well these were actually swan shaped boats that you pedal, a pleasant way to spend your afternoon. We also saw some real swans, which avoided the plastic boat swans. There were also ducks and geese also shading in the sun. Then we started to wonder what the river was called. It was neither the Lea nor the Lea Navigation as they were located on the other side of the park. We later discovered it was called Water Works River.
After we finished our picnic we went for a pleasant stroll around the park. Some even stopped for an ice cream. We walked past a fountain and some cafes but mostly trying to stay in the shade. We eventually came across what is known as the Arcelor Mittal Orbit, also known as a helter skelter, one of the most famous landmarks of the Olympic Park. It was a good photo opportunity. You can go up it and look at a fantastic view from the viewing platform and even slide down it. This is a bit pricey; nevertheless it is an interesting building to look at.
Finally we went for a walk along the river looking at the flowers along the banks. We walked up to the River Lea before we ventured out of the park back into the shopping centre.
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