A gourmet photo walk in London

Food plays a BIG part in my life!

Ask any of my friends - if I am not eating it, I'm usually talking about it or even photographing it. While other Irish people will give you directions via the pubs, for me it's by the restaurants! Let me give you an example.

Last week I had a little job to do in London and rounded off the trip with a lovely walk along the Regents canal, from Little Venice to Broadway, just beyond Regents Park.

We began at the Boathouse Restaurant in Little Venice, where one of the chefs was testing out that days produce on the local swan and her signets. We managed to resist the tempting menu and set out on our three mile journey. With all the greenery and wildlife, it really didn't feel like we were in the middle of a huge city.

I've always thought it would be a romantic idea to live on a houseboat and the number of these boats in Little Venice seems to have grown since my last visit. They may look a little cramped but are such a colourful contrast to the beautiful regency houses in Maida Vale and the mansions that line the canal as it enters Regents Park.

As the weather was getting warmer, we stopped off for refreshments at the wonderfully situated Cafe LaVille, where the canal heads underground for about a quarter of a mile and vowed to return to sample the appetising Italian fare another day.

Suitably energised, we continued along the towpath and under the bridges, where the beautiful light reflecting of the water was just so good, that it demanded to be used for some portraits.

This really is photographer land! After passing Snowdon's Aviary at London Zoo and Primrose Hill (made famous by David Bailey), we turned off the towpath just opposite the Feng Shang Princess floating restaurant. This and the humid weather, brought back memories of the huge floating restaurants in Hong Kong's Aberdeen harbour. After a further ten minutes, we finally finished our adventure at Angela Hartnett's York & Albany gastro pub, for an amazing lunch.

The walk takes about an hour and a half and can be begun from the Warwick Avenue tube station on the Bakerloo line. Should you feel less energetic, the waterbus from Little Venice to Camden Lock covers similar ground. If you find yourself in London with time to spare, then this walk is well worth doing - if you can resist the food stops!