116. Chiswick - London - House and Pet Sitting - Episode 38

 

A change of pace indeed. Driving into London wasn't too bad considering we were travelling in peak time. We pulled up in a lovely leafy street and found ourselves in a little oasis in a very ordinary part of Chiswick. (Pron. Chizzick)

Initially, we were to look after one dog and we ended up with two.  Two of the most dysfunctional dogs we've had the pleasure to care for. The owner and her friend briefed us on the dogs and it was then we realised that we couldn't just leave. If there is a problem with sits, it's that sometimes you don't get the full story about the pet(s) until you get there, or find out for yourself. 

Harvey, cute but temperamental.

Teddy, a 12 year old rescue with behavioural problems.

As cute as they looked, both had a habit of indiscriminately snapping at us for no good reason. Teddy is a rescue, one can understand, but Harvey? We'd had a good run with sits to date and being just small dogs, they were more of a nuisance than a danger. Chiswick itself was nothing to speak of. One could tell it was a beautiful area in a bygone era, but like many inner areas of London, it was deteriorating fast.  Apart from daily walks with the dogs, I worked on the video project and Max huddled up reading books as it was icy outside and she didn't want to take chances slipping with her ex-broken leg. 

On a more positive note, we managed to catch up with a good friend's brother in the centre of town. Niels is a very personable guy and our meeting, brief as it was, was most enjoyable.

How can you tell you're outside an Italian restaurant?

The tree looks like it's on fire.