We visited some old favorites while visiting with an old friend from Iowa. The weather finally cleared and London’s skyline looked lovely set against blue sky and sun. The whole city seemed to come out from inside, where the grey and rain kept us cooped up. We even ate outside at Gordon’s wine bar which is famous for its dark candle-lit cavernous interior. Instead we sat at an outdoor table with a heat lamp, sipping wine and eating cheese while looking out at a green garden along the Thames.
Next stop Neal’s Yard, a tiny pocket where I used to go to a lovely bakery/tea house in the 1980s. Long gone but the cheese shop is still nearby where we bought some Stilton for the Iberia flight we’re on right now to Madrid, that won’t even give you water unless you pay for it.
On to the Lamb and Flag, a pub from the 1600s in an alley (Rose Lane) in very bustling Covent Garden. Many streets are now pedestrian only, which is pleasant and we even reached a multi-directional crossing at Charing Cross that reminded us of Tokyo’s. We were ready to cross horizontal and then cross vertical when we saw people crossing diagonally and followed suit.
Final stop, maison Bertaux, a tiny French patisserie that oozes character. We found a rickety table upstairs and had tea, coffee, a strawberry tart and a surprisingly dry chocolate mousse cake, which may explain why the server brought us a free cream tea that was better.
London seemed good but our English friends are understandably outraged and aghast at what’s happening in the states, as are we. They have vowed not to visit unless we’re in dire need. At least one friend worried about whether she’d have trouble entering because she has been critical of trump on social media. So I guess we’ll be coming back to see them.
TakeBetsywithyou 