london - final entry
written september 28, 2008
i’m back in the states. the trip didn’t go exactly as i planned (whatever does, right?), but it was fun nonetheless. highlights include:
* tapas and wine with jonathan at a restaurant called “barcelona.” the food was delicious and the manager let us buy a bottle of wine to take home with us. i think the wine is actually from a vineyard (or a part of a vineyard) that they own in spain.
* a drunk businessman we ran into on the way to barcelona. we couldn’t find the street we needed, so i asked a man standing outside a pub if he knew where lime street was. his response was a long one during which he mentioned his disdain for richard george rogers (who designed lloyd's building in london, which we walked by to get to the restaurant), blamed me for his middle name being seamus (in a funny way), and asked me if i had converted to catholicism yet.
* kew gardens, which i’ve already written about. i bought myself a red, gold, and hematite bracelet from their gift shop. can’t wait to wear it.
* a small, outdoor market in picadilly circus with locals selling their goods. i picked up a really neat purse that is essentially one long zipper. you zip it up and it forms a bag. one of the neater, inventive and creative things i’ve seen in a while.
* the trip to sissinghurst and the scrambled eggs on toast i had at the café in staplehurst while waiting for the bus. that felt very local and authentic.
* beers with jonathan at a pub called the castle in clerkenwell. we stopped in for a pint around 3ish on friday and there were maybe 15 or so people outside and 8-10 inside, including us. there’s no smoking inside in london, so the pubs always had people outside with the beers, whether smoking or not. they seemed to stay outside, rather than go in and out. although i assume it’d be different when the weather’s not great. while we were there it was sunny and around 70 degree. but i digress… we ended up staying for a few hours and watched the place get packed with the after work crowd. the pub itself was a bit eclectic. it had some old paintings, pop art, modern lighting, a blinking machine of sorts that looked like some kind of gambling machine, leather couches and some leather chairs, distressed wooden coffee tables, wooden chairs, high tables… and as it turned out, a pawnshop license! apparently, king george 10th leveraged his watch and chain with the pub proprietor for some cash to bet on a cock fight. a few days later, the pub was issued a pawnbroker license and has received the license annually ever since.
* byron proper hamburgers. proper indeed. the burger was delicious!
* the fresh turkey and stuffing sandwich in the food market by southwark cathedral.
* vinopolis (“rubbish” as one commentor put it) and the 2006 Alpha Zeta ‘C’ corvina from veneto, italy.
* my new striped french cuff shirt from hawes and curtis along with my new cuff links. =)
* finding my favorite shampoo and conditioner, which are british and i can’t seem to find in the U.S.
* coke in a glass bottle sweetened with sugar instead of corn syrup. YUM!
other than not going to france, i’m really disappointed that we didn’t get in to fabric nightclub to hear dj hype and andy c. that was a big let-down. if only i’d bought advance tickets. i went against my natural tendency to plan ahead and deliberately “winged it.” that failed me. there has to be a next time. i WILL hear dj hype again. i must.
here are a few more random london pics (not exactly your traditional tourist shots, except for one of big ben).
i’m back in the states. the trip didn’t go exactly as i planned (whatever does, right?), but it was fun nonetheless. highlights include:
* tapas and wine with jonathan at a restaurant called “barcelona.” the food was delicious and the manager let us buy a bottle of wine to take home with us. i think the wine is actually from a vineyard (or a part of a vineyard) that they own in spain.
* a drunk businessman we ran into on the way to barcelona. we couldn’t find the street we needed, so i asked a man standing outside a pub if he knew where lime street was. his response was a long one during which he mentioned his disdain for richard george rogers (who designed lloyd's building in london, which we walked by to get to the restaurant), blamed me for his middle name being seamus (in a funny way), and asked me if i had converted to catholicism yet.
* kew gardens, which i’ve already written about. i bought myself a red, gold, and hematite bracelet from their gift shop. can’t wait to wear it.
* a small, outdoor market in picadilly circus with locals selling their goods. i picked up a really neat purse that is essentially one long zipper. you zip it up and it forms a bag. one of the neater, inventive and creative things i’ve seen in a while.
* the trip to sissinghurst and the scrambled eggs on toast i had at the café in staplehurst while waiting for the bus. that felt very local and authentic.
* beers with jonathan at a pub called the castle in clerkenwell. we stopped in for a pint around 3ish on friday and there were maybe 15 or so people outside and 8-10 inside, including us. there’s no smoking inside in london, so the pubs always had people outside with the beers, whether smoking or not. they seemed to stay outside, rather than go in and out. although i assume it’d be different when the weather’s not great. while we were there it was sunny and around 70 degree. but i digress… we ended up staying for a few hours and watched the place get packed with the after work crowd. the pub itself was a bit eclectic. it had some old paintings, pop art, modern lighting, a blinking machine of sorts that looked like some kind of gambling machine, leather couches and some leather chairs, distressed wooden coffee tables, wooden chairs, high tables… and as it turned out, a pawnshop license! apparently, king george 10th leveraged his watch and chain with the pub proprietor for some cash to bet on a cock fight. a few days later, the pub was issued a pawnbroker license and has received the license annually ever since.
* byron proper hamburgers. proper indeed. the burger was delicious!
* the fresh turkey and stuffing sandwich in the food market by southwark cathedral.
* vinopolis (“rubbish” as one commentor put it) and the 2006 Alpha Zeta ‘C’ corvina from veneto, italy.
* my new striped french cuff shirt from hawes and curtis along with my new cuff links. =)
* finding my favorite shampoo and conditioner, which are british and i can’t seem to find in the U.S.
* coke in a glass bottle sweetened with sugar instead of corn syrup. YUM!
other than not going to france, i’m really disappointed that we didn’t get in to fabric nightclub to hear dj hype and andy c. that was a big let-down. if only i’d bought advance tickets. i went against my natural tendency to plan ahead and deliberately “winged it.” that failed me. there has to be a next time. i WILL hear dj hype again. i must.
here are a few more random london pics (not exactly your traditional tourist shots, except for one of big ben).