Missing London

I still need to tell you all about Iceland. I'm so terribly behind. But today I've been especially missing London so I'm going to break my heart even more by reminiscing about it. I thought about creating a 'Top 10' list of my favorite things. But I just couldn't narrow it down. So here you have my favorite things, unabridged:

 

The shows. Oh the shows. One of my favorite things was to pop into a show on Friday night. I've gone to Wicked, Singing In the Rain (twice!), Mathilda, Les Mis, Chorus Line, Once and I went to see Swan Lake at the ballet as well as Taming of the Shrew at the Globe (on the longest day of the year...perfection). It doesn't matter if I go by myself or with someone, I just love sitting in the seats anticipating the start of the show, eyeing the ice cream they sell at intermission, and seeing little kids try to be so grown-up as they sit next to their parents. I love the music and getting lost in a story. Yes, West End indeed sweeps me away.

 

The markets. Picture rows and rows of winding stalls full of artisan breads, yummy dark chocolate brownies, freshly squeezed juices, art, clothes, beads, candles, silver, photographs, costume jewelry, wood carvings and adorable bunting to top it all off. I love grabbing something delicious and surprising for lunch. From Borough Market, Spitalfields and Greenwich to Portobello Road, I could spend nearly all my free time discovering and re-discovering these markets.

 

The shops. London and I have similar tastes. Unfortunately we have very different bank accounts. So I try to keep my coveting in check when I wander through shops like The Conran Shop, Liberty, Fortnam & Mason, The White Company, Harrods (mostly I just want to clean out their food halls), and Skandium. The stores are really only half the story. They congregate in the most lovely neighborhoods like Islington, Covent Garden, Marylebone High Street, Notting Hill and Columbia Road, just to name a few. The only thing that has made it easier to walk away from an inviting throw or the perfect cake stand is my practical side telling me how impossible it would be (and was!) to get it all back to CA.

 

The food. I know, I know. People always complain about the British food. Can I just say that they have been working mighty hard to redeem themselves. I have had yummy fish & chips (one too many, my pants now tell me), sticky toffee pudding, roast, and pies...like apricot and lamb pie. Mmmm. They have also lived up to their reputation for being a great place for ethnic food. My favorite restaurant is current this wonderful Lebanese place in South Kensington. Yum. I've also had the occasional french cuisine, which has been delightful. Now this is going to sound silly, but I can't forget the yogurt. I think I would have much better luck losing weight if I didn't love their yogurt so darn much. Any of you who have eaten yogurt outside the US will understand what I mean. And with flavors like organic honey greek yogurt and russian fudge calling to me from the yogurt aisle...I mean, I'm doomed.

 

The commute. When I tell people my commute is 1.5 hours one-way they are quick to express sympathy. However, I loved my commute. Don't get me wrong, I also loved the days I worked in the city and cut the commute down to 40 min. But when I took the train to Bracknell I could just read, listen to podcasts, people watch, think and occasionally sleep, all with zero guilt. It's built-in multi-tasking, of which I'm a huge fan!

 

The sights. I have to start with the view I woke up to each morning. Those who know me know that I LOVE to wake up to the sunrise in my window. I'm lucky enough the have had a large window next to my bed. I'm even luckier that it faces east. Off in the distance I could see the financial district with the Gherkin and the Shard standing tall and distinct. It's over these buildings that I get to watch the sun wake up each morning. When it's not raining, that is. I also never got sick of eating a quick lunch under St. Paul's, walking across Milennium bridge, gazing at Tower bridge in her bright blue adornment, watching Big Ben as I walk along South Bank, or enjoying Trafalgar Square swimming with street performers and people climbing over the lions. And, although cliche, I just love the pops of red all over the city from telephone booths (which I am delighted to say actually work, much to my relief when I had to use one my first day here) to double-decker buses. 

 

The parks: Parliament Hill, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Green Park--all seemingly endless stretches of ponds, grassy nobs, picnic blankets, fountains and flowers. One minute you are watching paddle-boaters on the pond and then you turn the corner to find flower beds that make you feel like you are in Alice's Wonderland. Oh, and I haven't even mentioned The Mall and Buckingham Palace. My favorite is when you wander over there on a Sunday morning and they've closed off traffic so you are free to walk down the red paved street with guards on horses and bands occasionally walking by.

 

The Brits. I love their wit and sense of humour and, of course, how smartly they dress. As Lauren (and Denise) would say: Well done.

 

I often have to pinch myself to believe that I really lived there.