"Friendship is like wine; it gets better as it grows older."
Established in 1890, Gordon's is the oldest wine bar in London. Sitting in a cellar lit only by candle light, its the perfect place to sip on a glass of red after a long day and celebrate life, friendship and a birthday with friends.
Happy Birthday to Jenny who's celebration Lorna, Jenny, Mark and I toasted to at our cozy table for four.
So... now that I'm coming to grips with the reality that we are leaving London I realise that I have a whole-lotta love to show London before I go. So with a few tips from some friends.. here is the list. Now I just have to decide what shoes to wear and who's explorin'' with me!
1. Listen to classical music at St Martin-in-the-Fields (Thursdays to Saturdays, and alternate Tuesdays, 7.30pm). Lunchtime recitals are free.
2. Tour Buckingham Palace Summer State Rooms.
3. Row on the Serpentine.
4. Be a groundling at the Globe.
5. Get Beautiful at Bliss Spa.
6. Get up early for Billingsgate Market.
7. Experience a Burlesque Show.
8. Shop & drop at Bicester Village.
9. Take a London Ghost or Jack the Ripper Walk.
10. Eat fish & chips in Brighton.
11. Swim outdoors in the middle of Covent Garden. Oasis Sports Centre.
12. Stay late in a museum. Late night hours at the Tate or the V&A.
13. See a show at the Young Vic.
14. Shop for posh stationary at Symthson.
15. Visit the Oxo Tower.
16. Buy an umbrella at James Smith & Sons.
17. Take an open bus tour at night.
18. Visit the beautiful Kyoto Gardens in Holland Park. Holland Park tube
19. Discover the Chelsea Physic Garden.
20. Discover Dover Street market.
21. Get a membership and explore the British Library.
22. Go to Edinburgh!
23. Share a bottle of wine at Gordon’s.
24. Breakfast at the Wolseley.
25. Eat Vietnamese in Hackney's Huong-Viet.
26. Dine in the dark at Dans le Noir.
27. Experience the magic of Heston Blumenthal.
28. Teach the Londoners how to make s’mores.
29. Hunt down the Choc Star van.
30. Drink a cocktail at Loungelover.
31. Get hot and sweaty on a night out in Camden.
32. Catch a gig at Ronnie Scott’s.
33. Have a drink at the Routemaster in Shoreditch.
34. Chill at the Big Chill bar.
35. Drink at the Notting Hill Arts Club.
36. See Bruno!
37. Have a laugh and a pint in a Theatre Pub.
38. Take in the view from Parliament Hill.
39. Watch a movie and go for tea at the Charlotte Street Hotel.
40. Take in the view (& the food) at Gilgamesh.
41. Shop and eat brunch in Primrose Hill.
42. Go to a first Thursday in Shoreditch.
43. Climb to the top of the dome at St. Pauls.
44. Get plant happy at Petersham Nurseries.
45. Try an Ostrich Burger at Borough Market.
It's been over a month since I last posted - sorry folks, 22 days of vacation will do that too ya! But to make sure that I don't miss a minute of the exciting moments that December did bring, I've decided to recap the month in snaps! Here we go!
The Holiday Social Season rung in with good cheer following a boozy office Christmas party and Ice Skating in Hyde Park. My first December in London was full of hot toddies, warm Pimm's Cup, and lots of Bailey's coffee and champagne!
By mid-December I was already on a plane jetting back to celebrate with some holiday cheer in NYC. A shared cheese-plate and wine in the Brass Rail in Hoboken with Jill kicked off a fabulous weekend that included a lavish dinner with the NYC crew, shopping (of course!), a bit of snow, hot chocolates at City Bakery, sushi, more shopping, and a glass of wine overlooking the Rockefeller Christmas Tree.
With more then 15 days to go on holiday, I wrapped up NYC and headed
home to Hershey for a few days to catch-up with some of my favorite
Hershey Buds and then continued the phun in Philly with Emily and Jess (and my new fav friend Jay). Not to come this far with-out one, our night was completed with a trip to 
Pat's Cheese stakes (late night food doesn't get much better then this anywhere else in the world!). The next day we spent running the stair's like Rocky at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and then taking in some Renoir. Happy hour came early with Margarita's (ole!) and a quick visit with one of my fav Etown boys Erik.
By the 25th, Mike was in the US and we were in the full Christmas spirit for
some dedicated family time in Hershey and Maryland. Warning: There is a total overload of kid snaps (Mike's 5 nieces & nephews)- but who wouldn't take soo many pics of these cutie patuties?
Finally, our home festivities complete, Mike and I filled three suitcases and one Santa sack (OK a large duffel) full of our wares and passed out en route
for Paris via London where we rang in the New Year with Nic and Jeff. The snaps pretty much tell it like it is. We welcomed 2008 drunk of life, love, oh and that shampoo.
So now back in London, I give a shout out of thanks for those of you who made my time at home absolutely awesome, and for those I didn't get to see I hope to hear from you soon! Wishing you all a happy and blessed 2008!
One of the fine points of being an ex-pat in the UK is that everyone and anyone wants you to experience what is quintessentially “British”. From teaching you everyday British English slang (got your kit, anyone?) and serving you Sunday Suppers to invitations to rounds of pints at the local boozer and every once and again the chance to experience more high-brow affairs . Yes, it’s true, all of your new British mates want to share with you their favorite pastimes, and it’s all an adventurous ex-pat can do but nod your head and join along, especially when the invitation is to the mack-daddy tradition of them all, the Cartier Polo Tournament.
By way of a business contact of Mike’s, Sunday found us whisked away in a 7 series out to the Queen’s Great Windsor Park to revel in the climax of the British social season. The biggest polo event in the world attracts 25,000 people, most of them part of high society – or what passes for it now including aristos, entrepreneurs, celebrities, and now apparently us! (Ha, I didn’t believe it myself!)
The day was the epitome of British posh-ness (is that a proper adjective?)
kicking off with a champagne toast, prawn cocktail, and a Pimm’s Cup before moving into a sit down three course lunch complete with matching wine. After being wined and dined all before 3:00 pm, we headed over to the main happenstance, of course being the Polo match itself. 
The game is fast, furious, fun, and a lot like field hockey on ponies! And who knew it was interactive? As a spectator you’re expected to do several things, politely of course: laugh at the commentators jokes, applaud when either team scores, and then during the intermission that comes between the third and fourth chukkers: divot stomping! Pretty Woman anyone?
As if all of this wasn’t enough, following the tournament (where England lost, if you care to know), we were invited back to the tent for High Tea…oh and more champagne!
Where should we go when we want to wonder for the weekend? What about wonderful Wales? Well....we did. Wow, huh?
I know, I know, enough already...so seriously, after ditching work a bit early last Friday...Mike successfully drove us (on the right side of the road and all) up the M4 motorway into Wales. On Friday, we spent the night chillin' out in Cardiff at this cool funky concept hotel called The Big Sleep. Cardiff is known for its bar and club scene, a castle, and a little sport called Rugby. Hitting up The Old Brewary Quarter for dinner and then St. Mary Street for some drinks...we quickly realized that if we were missing the Jersey Shore we could find it all right here in Cardif: the fist pumping, the Guido Fros, and the burly bar bouncers. (Sound like the 'Squan anyone?)
On Saturday, we decided to get cultural and took a quick tour of the Cardiff Castle (Fast Fact: 16 signers of the Declaration of Independence were Welsh!). Check out the peacocks and the falcons in the pics... They are the kings of the castle these days.
Our Welsh adventure continued on up to the Pembrokeshire Coast....never
heard of it? Neither had we. But thanks to a recomendation from my LON friend Jenny, we settled into a small surfing and fishing village called St. David's for the night. A local we spoke too called it "the most magical place on earth". Although at
first I begged to differ, the magnificent coastline that I was met with as we came over the rolling hills proved that his comment was nothing but truth. We toasted to the beautiful scenary by taking in a pint or two at the local pub, the Farmer's Arms, and then ate dinner at the most chicy restuarant in town, Cwtch, were we indulged in some delectable local fish fare.
Words honestly cannot describe how serence and peaceful this place was, so check out the snaps.
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes." ~ Marcel Proust
This weekend Mike and I finally made our Easter trek to the cooler than cool, Catalonian capital, Barcelona for a weekend away on the balmy Mediterranean.
We spent the holiday sampling our way around the city's amazing architecture, arts,
food, fashion and super-trendy bars, as well as its stunning beaches. Highlights include following the Gaudi trail to see his dubious
architecture, checking out the Picasso Museum, exploring the narrow streets of El Born, and watching Font Màgica or Magic fountain cascade the day away on Montjuïc, a hill on the eastern end of Barcelona.
By far, however, the highlight of our trip was a our personal day trip to Terragona for the Semana Santa processional. The history of this somber but stunning event dates back to the 16th century.
The trip was also highlighted by a night out of tapas and cava (champagne) with our NYLON friend Sherri and a day trip to Montserrat a monastery of significant religious importance surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty.
Can you believe it? It's been one short February month since I packed my bags and hopped across the Atlantic! I'm actually pretty speechless about it, but felt somehow compelled to make a little post about crossing this milestone! This quote has been sitting on my desk and has kind of been my motto over the past 30 days... thought i'd share....
"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined."
It's our new flat! Here's the basics:
On Friday, we moved into our new two story flat in Islington. The building is a converted mansion that was recently redone by the couple that owns it. Two beds and two baths with an incredible garden and deck in the backyard. A few blocks from Upper Street, we're near some of the best bars and restuarants in North London.....We LOVE IT! We're still unpacking, but click HERE for pics of when we were originally looking at it. Here's some more recent photos:
“A house is made of walls and beams; a home is built with love and dreams.”
If shoe shopping gives you blisters, rental apartment shopping in London is like Cinderella trying to fit into her glass slipper! More to come...
It is absolutely no secret that I have absolutely no cooking skills at all. This is a skill I just never seemed to pick up in NYC especially as eating out was just so much easier and appetizing... hmmm craving Precious in the 'boken right now. Regardless now that I'm living with my London Love, aka here on known as my "Sole" (yes, like the shoe, the foundation, the part of which the rest of the shoe rests... I think you get my sappy point), well I'm determined to figure out a way to cook.
And cooking does include my favorite hobby, SHOPPING.
Wasn't I pleasantly pleased to find on my first food shopping trip that the food stores in London know how to do real food fast. Aka really good, really easy, really fast premade dinners!
So in an effort to impress my Sole, I scooped up some
chicken kiev,
mashed potatoes, champagne (to celebrate my new cooking
skills) and headed back to the flat. Our convection overn looked a bit daunting, but with a few pushes of the buttons I was baking the chicken
and it would be done in 30 minutes flat. Or so I thought.
After 30 minutes of sizzling, the bell rang and I opened the magical convection oven door to a pile of shrivled up chicken rocks. Yes, that's the last time I will MICROWAVE chicken kiev for 30 minutes instead of "convectioning it".
Mark this in the books along with my infamous "mix by hand" haphazard.
Side Note: The Champagne and mashed potatoes were still pretty good!
