Melon mess in Acton and great bikers at Brentford Festival!

Cycling home yesterday I stopped at an eatery in Acton to have a falafel wrap and my favourite Moroccan style tea: black with fresh mint leaf served in a small glass. I've been to the place before with friends and was sure to satisfy my appetite as well as my taste buds.  Encouragingly, the staff invited me to bring in my bicycle (the pavement outside is narrow). All seemed very friendly and chatty. Then it turned out they had no falafel, but I was assured to get as much tea with fresh mint as I wanted. Hungry as I was, I got persuaded to order chicken kebab. Two skewers? Far too much for me. However, one skewer was too little and not much cheaper. I ordered a normal portion then and found a table by the window where I also parked my bike. It was a great observation point, you know? Across the street somebody had dropped a huge watermelon which made a bad mess on the pavement. What a great opportunity for pictures, won't you agree?


My tea arrived without the promised mint leaf, but accompanied by a tiny bowl filled with some dried herb, two sauces and a few pieces of Turkish bread. I asked about the mint and was shown the bowl. It contained dried mint. I explained to the waitress how I wanted my next cup served and kept on waiting. A few pictures on the dish arrived. A clever weight-watchers' trick was implemented: the chicken pieces and the salad were all piled on a smallish oblong plate. It look a truly manageable portion. The chicken must have shrunk! Salad? Most of it was grated red cabbage, then some sliced onion, a bit of iceberg lettuce and one tiny slice of tomato skin. Whatever, I was hungry and still hoping for the refreshing strong tea with fresh mint.

The second tea arrived sprinkled with the dried herb! I couldn't believe it. Finally, the girl explained to me that they didn't have fresh mint, just like they didn't have any falafels!
....

That was yesterday, today is the first Sunday of September and I have just had a homemade meal after a ride to The Brentford Festival! The best thing about it for me was the bikers' stands. The first one equipped me with a cycling map of West London, extremely important. They looked at my machine and very rightly recommended that I go to the bike free bike repair station nearby which I immediately did. Two other marvelous guys were also very friendly. One was working on a bike like mine, can you believe that? I got loads of good advice from the festival bikers as well! Big thank you!



I must dash now, will write more when time permits!
It's too late to meet the bike people, but I guess the festival is still on! Head for Blondin Park between Northfields and Boston Manor stations!