Wednesday morning woke at a "late" 7:30 showered and walked down to Shepherd's Bush and Westfield. I could have been walking down a street in Warsaw as all the shops had signs in Polish, there were Polish delicatessens and I heard a lot of Polish spoken on the streets. To follow on from that every shop assistant that i encountered during the morning seemed to be Eastern European or South-East Asian. a problem for me just a comment on the social fabric in the area.
Bought some towels to leave as a gift for the use of the apartment and decided, reluctantly to cab it past the apartment, drop off the towels and head to La Trompette for my lunch. I have been to this well known restaurant twice before and it didn't disappoint me this time. Three course lunch - Albacore Tartar, Onion tart with Scottish Girolle Mushrooms and a sorbet - truly yummy and in keeping with most places in Europe three course lunch 30 pounds and same dinner 45 pounds. Sitting outside in what turned out to be a warm (for London) sunny (for London) day was special.
Now I'm not sure I would have had that lunch had I known what was coming next. I headed to Romford Essex (1:15 by tube) to see Linda's cousin Anne, her two kids and spouses and four grandkids. She picked me up at Newbury Park Station (did I mention that I am an app assisted Underground EXPERT) and went back to her place. She has the opposite problem to me - four grandsons Joshua Lewis Thomas and Oscar all very sweet and get on so well. I'm guessing they could easily test Anne's patience. Anne, as Anne does, went to a lot of trouble cooking a lovely salt beef dinner with all the trappings. Anne is one of these extraordinarily "heimish" and welcoming people who makes a visit to see her so enjoyable.
Back on the train no changes to Shepherd's Bush and 1.3km walk home for a good night's rest.
Up at 07:30 and off to a coffee shop in Stamford Brook after which I basically spent the day walking around the shops of Oxford Street and adjoining areas spending almost nothing (for me) $A25. I was quite amazed that many of the retailers had three stores, one at each end and one in the middle. Obviously they know what they are doing but....
I arrive back at the apartment around 17:30 and instantly fall asleep on the bed waking up at 20:00 wondering whether to go back to sleep for the night or do something interesting. After a quick consult with my second brain (iPhone) I decide to book at Ottolenghi's restaurant for 22:00. Well this was a fantastic decision. The restaurant isn't too fancy shmancy it is a cake shop at the front with a very attractive cafe restaurant beyond that with a long bench down the middle and tables for two along the wall. I opt for the caramelised pears with endives, gorgonzola cheese and friend capers. You think that wouldn't work but you just know it will. The Lobster main course followed by an amazingly good pavlova topped up a great dining experience and not outrageous at around $A80. When I went to pay the woman came back and said she couldn't accept my notes. Well I had come to England with more than a thousand pounds of brank new fifties from my last trip and I was thinking are these forged notes. Well it turns out that they are replacing the currency with more secure notes and shops dont accept them after 1 April 2014 and you have to bank them before 1 October else it becomes complicated. Guess where I was the next morning!! I got home around 01:00 and was a very tired puppy.
Next morning 07:30 off to a coffee shop at Turnham Green for Facetime with family which lasts more than an hour followed by a walk around that area (oh and did I mention a visit to the Bank) and Hammersmith for same and lunch. Back to the apartment for some quiet time before dinner at La Vacherin, a really good French Restaurant where I had three entrees and believe it or not NO DESSERT. No its not a typo. By the end of the meal its raining and I have to wait 15 minutes for a cab for the 3kms back to apartment - I had planned to walk.
Next morning I meet a bridge friend, wife and four year old son for some breakfast at Carluccios at Westfield Shepherds Bush. We move on to Hamleys - ah memories - and then the London Eye, an attraction I have never visited in the past. It is a great attraction but it is SO expensive. If one doesn't want to wait inline for two or three hours a fast-track ticket costs about $A60. That said it is probably the first
thing in London that I have found to be unreasonable. Coming from Sydney things look very modest. For example dinner last night at La Vacherin was $85 for three entrees including a lobster entree and a large sparkling mineral water and coffee - very reasonable for a fine dining experience - mains were around $A35.
Oh and while we were walking from Oxford Circus to Picadilly Circus (Hamleys) there was a very large but peaceful Pro Gazan protest with police blocking off all of the streets and where I was asked to buy a T-Shirt which I declined without offering an explanation. My thought was I wonder if there was a small Pro Israel march whether those around would allow it to be as peaceful or whether it would become confrontational.
Anyway farewells and back to the apartment for a much needed rest. I decided to wander down to Westfield which is normally open till 22:00 but with summer holidays they are open this week till 23:00. Dinner at The Meat Company (South African Steakhouse) where the excellent food was spoiled by poor service. I did something rare and removed the 12.5% "discretionary" service charge to just pay the net and not insignificant bill.
Some grocery shopping to make sure I had sufficient cleaning supplies and to leave some essentials well stocked as I leave in 36 hours time. It was 22:30 by the time I got the taxi back to the apartment.
Facebook is a good medium. I know some people don't like it while others do. I posted a check-in at Carluccios restaurant and as a result my (bridge) friends Lynn Lovelock and Kieran Dyke are meeting up with me at a Kurdish Restaurant for dinner tomorrow night, something that would never have happened without their seeing on Facebook that I was in London.
Well one more day for London. Not much planned for tomorrow so it's a "I'll decide on the day" type of day coming up.
For some reason, not quote sure, I have been managing to sleep very well here in London - most nights 8+ hours which is a rarity in my life - nope not moving to London.
Sunday morning and it is pissing down with rain. London often sprinkles or drizzles but this was heavy rain. Nothing much to do so I decide to go to the London Aquarium as it was an add on ticket to the London Eye yesterday. Good exhibition and was embarrassed to think I haven't done the Sydney Aquarium - so my excuse (only recently available) is that I am saving it for grandchildren.
Back to the apartment around 15:00 for washing, vacuuming, cleaning etc., as I always want to know that I will be welcome for a return visit. So here I am with the weather now being warm and sunny and readying myself for Istanbul. I am probably more positive towards London than I have been on previous visits - not sure why but just am.
Hope all well in Sydney
Chat soon
XD
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Bought some towels to leave as a gift for the use of the apartment and decided, reluctantly to cab it past the apartment, drop off the towels and head to La Trompette for my lunch. I have been to this well known restaurant twice before and it didn't disappoint me this time. Three course lunch - Albacore Tartar, Onion tart with Scottish Girolle Mushrooms and a sorbet - truly yummy and in keeping with most places in Europe three course lunch 30 pounds and same dinner 45 pounds. Sitting outside in what turned out to be a warm (for London) sunny (for London) day was special.
Now I'm not sure I would have had that lunch had I known what was coming next. I headed to Romford Essex (1:15 by tube) to see Linda's cousin Anne, her two kids and spouses and four grandkids. She picked me up at Newbury Park Station (did I mention that I am an app assisted Underground EXPERT) and went back to her place. She has the opposite problem to me - four grandsons Joshua Lewis Thomas and Oscar all very sweet and get on so well. I'm guessing they could easily test Anne's patience. Anne, as Anne does, went to a lot of trouble cooking a lovely salt beef dinner with all the trappings. Anne is one of these extraordinarily "heimish" and welcoming people who makes a visit to see her so enjoyable.
Back on the train no changes to Shepherd's Bush and 1.3km walk home for a good night's rest.
Up at 07:30 and off to a coffee shop in Stamford Brook after which I basically spent the day walking around the shops of Oxford Street and adjoining areas spending almost nothing (for me) $A25. I was quite amazed that many of the retailers had three stores, one at each end and one in the middle. Obviously they know what they are doing but....
I arrive back at the apartment around 17:30 and instantly fall asleep on the bed waking up at 20:00 wondering whether to go back to sleep for the night or do something interesting. After a quick consult with my second brain (iPhone) I decide to book at Ottolenghi's restaurant for 22:00. Well this was a fantastic decision. The restaurant isn't too fancy shmancy it is a cake shop at the front with a very attractive cafe restaurant beyond that with a long bench down the middle and tables for two along the wall. I opt for the caramelised pears with endives, gorgonzola cheese and friend capers. You think that wouldn't work but you just know it will. The Lobster main course followed by an amazingly good pavlova topped up a great dining experience and not outrageous at around $A80. When I went to pay the woman came back and said she couldn't accept my notes. Well I had come to England with more than a thousand pounds of brank new fifties from my last trip and I was thinking are these forged notes. Well it turns out that they are replacing the currency with more secure notes and shops dont accept them after 1 April 2014 and you have to bank them before 1 October else it becomes complicated. Guess where I was the next morning!! I got home around 01:00 and was a very tired puppy.
Next morning 07:30 off to a coffee shop at Turnham Green for Facetime with family which lasts more than an hour followed by a walk around that area (oh and did I mention a visit to the Bank) and Hammersmith for same and lunch. Back to the apartment for some quiet time before dinner at La Vacherin, a really good French Restaurant where I had three entrees and believe it or not NO DESSERT. No its not a typo. By the end of the meal its raining and I have to wait 15 minutes for a cab for the 3kms back to apartment - I had planned to walk.
Next morning I meet a bridge friend, wife and four year old son for some breakfast at Carluccios at Westfield Shepherds Bush. We move on to Hamleys - ah memories - and then the London Eye, an attraction I have never visited in the past. It is a great attraction but it is SO expensive. If one doesn't want to wait inline for two or three hours a fast-track ticket costs about $A60. That said it is probably the first
thing in London that I have found to be unreasonable. Coming from Sydney things look very modest. For example dinner last night at La Vacherin was $85 for three entrees including a lobster entree and a large sparkling mineral water and coffee - very reasonable for a fine dining experience - mains were around $A35.
Oh and while we were walking from Oxford Circus to Picadilly Circus (Hamleys) there was a very large but peaceful Pro Gazan protest with police blocking off all of the streets and where I was asked to buy a T-Shirt which I declined without offering an explanation. My thought was I wonder if there was a small Pro Israel march whether those around would allow it to be as peaceful or whether it would become confrontational.
Anyway farewells and back to the apartment for a much needed rest. I decided to wander down to Westfield which is normally open till 22:00 but with summer holidays they are open this week till 23:00. Dinner at The Meat Company (South African Steakhouse) where the excellent food was spoiled by poor service. I did something rare and removed the 12.5% "discretionary" service charge to just pay the net and not insignificant bill.
Some grocery shopping to make sure I had sufficient cleaning supplies and to leave some essentials well stocked as I leave in 36 hours time. It was 22:30 by the time I got the taxi back to the apartment.
Facebook is a good medium. I know some people don't like it while others do. I posted a check-in at Carluccios restaurant and as a result my (bridge) friends Lynn Lovelock and Kieran Dyke are meeting up with me at a Kurdish Restaurant for dinner tomorrow night, something that would never have happened without their seeing on Facebook that I was in London.
Well one more day for London. Not much planned for tomorrow so it's a "I'll decide on the day" type of day coming up.
For some reason, not quote sure, I have been managing to sleep very well here in London - most nights 8+ hours which is a rarity in my life - nope not moving to London.
Sunday morning and it is pissing down with rain. London often sprinkles or drizzles but this was heavy rain. Nothing much to do so I decide to go to the London Aquarium as it was an add on ticket to the London Eye yesterday. Good exhibition and was embarrassed to think I haven't done the Sydney Aquarium - so my excuse (only recently available) is that I am saving it for grandchildren.
Back to the apartment around 15:00 for washing, vacuuming, cleaning etc., as I always want to know that I will be welcome for a return visit. So here I am with the weather now being warm and sunny and readying myself for Istanbul. I am probably more positive towards London than I have been on previous visits - not sure why but just am.
Hope all well in Sydney
Chat soon
XD
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