As I have read blogs from other expats, or had conversations with those I have met here, many have a list of items they are coveting from the States - items difficult to find here in London they plan to stock up on when they head back home. These lists have included such items as:
Chocolate chips, pumpkin in a can, Velveeta cheese and/or American singles, Grape jelly, Kraft Mac & Cheese, deodorant (not all, just their kind), certain hair care products ...
Now that I am heading back to the States, I have been thinking about what things I want to make sure that I stock up on. Interesting enough, I really can't think of anything. I am sure this has something to do with the fact that I haven't eaten packaged store foods in many years and I really don't miss them ... which I guess is also the same reason why what I stock up on will be consumed while in the States and brought back with me in my belly!
What I am missing most are hugs from my BF and our Saturday night cooking, seeing my Mom and Bro, food and friends at BT, various other outstanding restaurants in the Chi (i.e. Lula, Urban Belly, Rootstock, Sai Cafe), the meca Whole Foods on North Ave., the convenience of Target ... things I can't put in my luggage and bring back. So, I plan to get my fill the next couple of weeks ... I better start thinking about the work out plan for 2011!!
I fell in love with this place in Brussels so much I am dedicating an entire blog to it. For almost 200 years and six generations the Dandoy family has been making "biscuits" in the centre of Brussels, just off the Grand Place (most of you would call them cookies).
The originals, called speculaas, are a pretty simple gingerbread type recipe with brown sugar and spices and are formed using wooden molds.
It wasn't so much the recipe, as it was the presentation. I was so taken aback by the wonderful antique carved molds they used to create these, some humongous, treats.
I wandered their original location with wide eyes, looking at all the wonderfully shaped cookies and the vintage molds. Man, if only I could find one of those babies at an antique market (of course for sale by someone who has no idea what it is and is selling it for super cheap).
The vintage St. Nicks and Saints were amazing. I want one. Makes me realize all those designs I saw in the seventies in Country Living magazine and the like weren't all made up - actually based on historical designs.
As I write this I realize, I haven't even tasted one yet. I bought a box to bring back to Chicago on my visit, which will be hocked for other home made varieties at the annual cookie exchange ... I will sneak one for myself first, however.
This past weekend a group of friends took the Eurostar down to Brussels to go to the Christmas market. I of course was also looking forward to the beer, mussels, and frites. While living in Chicago I fell in love with Belgian food, where both the Hopleaf and Rootstock do it quite well. The beers are strong and you never run out of varieties to try.
Brussels is just a 2 hour ride from London and we went Friday after work, arriving around 10PM - enough time to drop our goods at the hotel, take a little stroll, and get on over to the Delirium bar. For those who are less familiar, Delirium is a well known Belgian beer with a pink elephant emblem and is quite the dance provoker (I'll omit the details on my spill which left me with a horribly bruised thigh and the video).
After a couple of those we were all ready to tackle those famous frites (fries typically served with mayo). In no time we wondered upon a shop on the street and ordered huge paper cones - mine with "tartar". Whoa, they do like their mayo ... and that night I did too.
The main square in Brussels, Grand Place, is breath taking. I am officially making it my favorite plaza in Europe to date. The cathedral is impressive (less so than others), but the other surrounding architecture is out of this world.
Though touristy enough, the pubs and shops surrounding the square felt very authentic, offering up Belgian lace and tapestries, as well as chocolate and waffles.
I had never heard of little Manneken Pis, but he is quite the hero in this town. A statue/fountain from the early 1600s of a little boy doing his business is certainly the most popular tourist site in town. Every prestigious chocolatier has molds of him and every not so prestigious grocer has some pretty flattering corkscrews of him. Those in the know would know there is also a little sister statue across the Grand Place, which some peeps on the street were happy to point out to us.
The Christmas market offered up some good scenery, interesting goods, yummy smells, hot mulled wine, and one particularly good Christmas gift (shhhh).
Seems like there are so many other topics to cover, like the rainbow over the city the last afternoon, the coordinated Christmas light show broadcast repeatedly on the cathedral, the bizarre street of seafood restaurants with picture menus and plastic plants, the sparkle tree, the interesting hotel room, the fact that it is the comic capital of the world and the Smurfs were invented there ... great trip.
... two days in a row of sun this week in London. OK, so that may be a bit brash - however we did actually have some very nice weather considering: December, the blizzard last week, I wasn't carrying an umbrella which is generally a guarantee for rain ...
This beautiful hot pink sunset sky was the backdrop to my walk home from work Thursday night. Certainly reason to take pause.
Found a little place in the neighborhood called The Make Lounge that holds classes for do-it-yourselfers like me. To get the gang in the Christmas spirit I thought we should take a class in cookie decorating, so a couple of the girls went this past Monday to learn some tricks of trade.
Was a great way to spend a Monday evening ... and the gang polished them off on the way to Brussels!
Needed something red, cozy, and soft for the Brussels Christmas market next weekend ... whipped this guy up in a couple hours. If you're on ravelry, here is my link.
So, the typical reaction to me telling people I was going to move to London was, "OMG, how great! That's awesome! You do know the weather sucks, right?" And the typical response from Londoners when I asked them how bad the weather was: "Well, it can get quite gloomy, but at least it is not like Chicago ... I mean, it almost never snows here."
Enter last week - Blizzard. At least by London standards. We had probably 3-4" in the city, but outside areas had over a foot. And, it was arctic-ly cold. Made for a miserable couple of days getting to the office, and our industry Christmas party was pretty empty on account of everyone's fear of not being able to get home. Even the Eurostar was delayed for hours and hours. At that time it was warm in Chicago.
Consolation was this weekend felt down right balmy at 40 degrees, and it is all melted now! And with the bright sun, I even got a minor reprieve from my Vitamin D deficiency. Heard it is snowing in Chicago ...
This past Sunday a couple of lovely ladies worked like mad to bring together a group of lonely Americans and other curious non-Americans for a top notch Thanksgiving feast. We're talking 18 pound bird here folks - I suppose that may be linked to the fact that there were 18 people as well, each with enough food to feed them for a week.
Their flat was decorated beautifully in purple and gold, enough to put Martha to shame. The sunlit afternoon led to a candlelit evening, and the conversation, laughing, and eating continued for hours (why didn't I get a pic of the desserts??). It was great fun, with such a mixed crowd of outgoing, fun, interesting people, and eventually led to a little friendly board game competition - Americans against the world. We lost. Hm.
Someone asked me how long we'd all known each other (just a couple months) as they thought it seemed we had known each other for years. So sweet. Thank you!
A friend of mine from Chicago (whom conviently did his undergrad in French) came to visit me for the week of Thanksgiving and we decided to head to Paris for a couple of days - three nights to be exact. This was to be my first time in Paris, and hopefully not last.
The Eurostar train couldn't have been easier. Just over a two hour train ride from London, with a good part of it pitch black since you are passing through a tube in the English channel. We started the trip out right with a small bottle of champaign while we read our Paris guide books.
Upon arrival we took the Metro to our hotel, dropped off the goods, and got to walking - which we essentially did for about 12 hours a day, every day we were there. So much to see!
We stayed in the Le Marais district, on the east end just north of the river, so we started off the trip walking down the river to see the Notre Dame. There are two large islands in the middle of the Seine river (which runs right through the middle of the city) and the Notre Dame is on one of them. There are a series of bridges that cross the river, connecting the North and South sides of town, making it very picturesque. Some really cute little shops on these islands. I was trying to visualize it in the Spring, and it must be spectacular.
We stopped to get a little lunch (French Onion soup that was divine!) and then on to see the Louvre, take a ferris wheel ride over Champs Elysees and then a decent walk on over to see the Eiffel Tower. We did not actually go in the Louvre, as it was getting late and that is a huge commitment. Something saved for next time.
To say the Eiffel Tower is breathtaking is an understatement - no exaggeration. When we came upon it I gasped at its sheer size. I am not entirely comfortable with heights, but faced with the Eiffel Tower for your first time you have no choice but to go up. So, you take a small elevator up a leg to the second platform. When the door opened I couldn't believe it - it was completely open to the outside. I guess I was expecting it to be closed in with plexi-glass like the Sears Tower or something, and the height of it made my stomach drop out.
Whoa. I had my back stuck to the wall as Josh pranced around taking photos - I was trying to figure out how to tell him I was too scared to move, let alone go up any higher. And, this is not like just a little higher. The top feels like it is at least twice as high as this platform, towering above you the size of a matchbook. Still, I mustered the courage to get in this very small glass elevator that shot up the middle to the top. Unforgettable moment. Being so far up in the sky with very little holding you in is a phenomenon my body is not used to feeling. Of course, Josh wanted a champaign at the top to celebrate, especially since they came in glowing neon glasses - this was his first time at the top as well. I'm lucky I didn't pass out. End day 1.
We started the next day with pastries and coffee and then off to Montmartre, a very cute artist district where famous artists like Dali, Picasso, Van Gough, and Monet lived and worked. It is on top a hill, marking the highest point of Paris and has several steep, winding streets that yield some impressive views of the city. It was a particularly sunny day, so pictures of the Sacre Coeur church at the summit and lounging on the square watching all the artists were sublime.
From there we made our way back to the center of town to see the Musee d'Orangerie. This is where Monet's Water Lily painting reside, and they were impressive. And from there on to some major shopping districts. The lights were in full swing for the holidays, and Paris knows how to do a department store! The windows were great, but my favorite had knitted sweaters for a group of dogs. Dinner, wine, and end day 2.
On Thursday, Thanksgiving, we started off by passing through Jardin des Plantes and heading to a more ethnic part of town, Rue Mouffetard, which is a street market full of interesting food and a nearby shop with Moroccan goods. There is a strong Northern African influence in Paris, and later that evening (after a visit to the top of the Pampidou Centre for another beautiful view of the city and calls back home to the family) we found ourselves in an amazing Moroccan restaurant for cous cous and tagine. The atmosphere and food were both serene (not quite the missed Thanksgiving feast, but a nice runner up). End day 3.
Finally, before we headed off to the train the next morning, we had discovered a biannual flea market in the neighborhood we were staying in that topped off the entire trip perfectly. A couple of hot coffees, one last sweet from the street, and back on the metro to hit the train station. Awesome!
So, yesterday as I was coming home from my business trip, I asked my cabbie from the train to my flat if he could give me an extra receipt (now, granted it was like only 4 pounds = 5 minutes because it was only from the overground train station near my house, but my feet were killing me from the heels all day and it was drizzling and I had two bags and I just couldnn't do it any more).
Now, my intentions were good. I realized in Madrid that I didn't get a receipt for my cab from the airport to the hotel (30 euros, yo), and my employer is a little bit of a stickler with receipts. So, I thought if I could just get some sort of official looking paperwork, I could pass it by and get the money I justly deserved.
Ha, ha. He was so uncomfortable with this request. He said something close to "huh? Wait, what? A what? An extra receipt? Wait, um ... No, wait, why? {I just need to show my company that I took this trip and just need receipt to write it down. No biggie.} Oh, bloody hell, no you're going to write something like six pounds on there ... No way! No." Slam, vrooooom.
Ha, ha! So funny. I mean, really, a blank piece of cabbie letterhead was all I needed, but he was so concerned with the greater ethical consequence of me jipping my company expense account for 3 pounds. Gotta love those quaint, honest Brits!
Had to travel back to Madrid for a quick business meeting one night this week. Good news is I had a great hotel in Plaza Santa Ana, and turns out, a night on my own to buy great clothes, revisit Mercado San Miguel, and wander back for some tapas near home before taking an uber hot shower in my go-oo-ood shower.
Mi Hotel
Spain is one of the key markets in my region (at work), and we are launching an exciting new way to measure online consumption there, so it will certainly be a city I will get to know well and be able to visit often to better understand the online marketplace (how often do you visit elmundo??).
We had a big industry event there and I am impressed. My colleagues taught me a thing or two, and I am humble to be a partner in all of this (yes, surprisingly I am understanding everything "en espanol"). So lucky I am. I do like this city. I really want to be able to do business in Thpanish before I leave my tour over here in the EU (FYI, Thpaniards pronounce their S as a "th" as in mia catha e thua catha ... hear me? a little different from my Chi-town Mexicanos ...)
El Mercado de San Miguel
My hotel was spectacular, and I am a bit of a hotel diva. Hot shower, nice products, prime location. Wondered around and found some great clothes, another great round at San Miguel, and then back near the hotel for a few more tapas before bed.
Another great trip to Madrid, a spectacular city full of excitement.
Very early after my arrival, at a local garden centre I had my first run in with a fox. I was surprised at how casual it was, not seeming to be afraid, and how other humans seemed to be awed at its presence and happy to know it was around. Early October, around 5:30AM, as I was picked up by a taxi I saw another trotting down the side of my street. Most recently, I saw a fox hunting around my back yard garden late Saturday night. It stopped and stared at me for quite a while before running off.
So, Exeter may not be on anyone's short list for places to visit, but when there is a knitting expo at the Corn Exchange it definitely moves its way up for a nice way to spend a day! Exeter (when a word is a different color it is actually a link to more info. Check it out!) is located in the southwestern part of the island, and I came across this show in a newsletter I subscribed to for a local knit shop. Only two hours on the train, and when I checked out the town online I saw some antique shops and a castle, so I figured why not! A friend came along, so up and early we were on our way.
The River Quay
The train ride went quick, with lots of greenery, cows, and sheep along the way. Upon arrival we made our way over to the yarn show, which did have lots of nice options. I did have to deny my urge to spends loads on money on locally grown cashmere. I managed to leave without making a purchase (trust me, I have enough yarn to last me a while).
Next stop was down to the River Quay to check out the antiques and swans. Delightful little area with coffee shops, etc. and seems lots of locals make this town a bit of a destination area to shop / hang out. There were musicians in the street, cafes, some great architecture, cathedrals ... and a nice park that had remnants of a castle that was constructed in 1066 - old. We capped of the day with a quick bite, hiked back to the train station, and enjoyed a beautiful sunset on the ride home. Ahhhhh.
I was hoping they would be the less common Giant Tits, but they are in fact Blue Tits. I have decided to take it upon my self to work at home the past two days, given that work the last two weeks has been extremely hectic with nightly conference calls from 8-10P with the States. The work at home decision was also provoked by the fact that the aforementioned work stress has given me a giant pimple on my chin that really should not be seen in public.
Good news is that this has allowed me to do some bird watching in my garden while working at the kitchen table. Quite active out there! And I am delighted to see that finally the birds are visiting my feeder (I had to move it to under the tree for it to get some action). They are so cute!
I should mention that the exercise of googling photos of common British birds was quite interesting, but I was a bit hesitant to hit "Go" after typing in to google images of blue tits. That ended up being safe. Googling images for Giant Tits though, not so much.
or, otherwise known as Guy Fawkes night was this Saturday and is an annual celebration to celebrate "a failed conspiracy by a group of provincial English Catholics to assassinate the Protestant King James I of England and VI of Scotland and replace him with a Catholic head of state." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes_Night
So, for me, this essentially boils down to a huge bonfire, hot mulled wine, and arguably the best fireworks display I have ever seen. I took the tube down to Battersea Park, the center of the festivities, to meet some friends at the Prince Albert pub. After a few cocktails, we were off to the park (with thousands of other people) to see the lighting of the bonfire. This baby was three stories of flaming pallets. Huge and warm, which we really needed at that moment. It was crispy! The spiced wine did help that a bit too!
I've been smelling this at random locations past few weeks and was happy to finally have me a sip. Tasty.
Once the bonfire simmered down, the mother of all firework displays set off. Uh-mazing. Really, it was. Color coordinated, orchestrated to (bizarre at times) music, and huge. As is said in Portuguese, Valeu!
So, as of last weekend I am officially on my own again (sniff), and this week has been extremely hectic at work, so nothing like the weekend to do some more exploring! Yeah! The weather was absolutely perfect, warmer than usual this week, and sunny, crisp this weekend. I was drawn to this neighborhood at first because geographically it is the closest Whole Foods to my flat, but after going to check it out, I knew I had to go back and spend some quality time to explore.
Stoke Newington is a happy little quaint town, full of coffee shops, vintage clothing stores, antiques, garden centres, a Faaarrrrmerr's market (which if you know me was when I was officially sold), and an odd bonus - a 19th century cemetery.
It is just a short 10 minute bus ride from my flat, and I got off at one end and just took my time walking up the high street. First, order of duty was a delicious cup of coffee and a salmon/dill/sundried tomato concoction on rye toast. Delicious! The place is a gourmet food mart that has wine and cheese tasting events that were quite tempting ... I sense I will be back here.
Then, I got on to walking on, and noticed this little shop where the owners were making their own clothes. So, I just had to purchase this unique, red capelet with perfect detail and shape (why don't I have a picture?). The women took so much pride in their work, and truly love each piece. I felt really touched to meet them, and am proud to wear this handmade, local, original work of art. It just makes me happy to know people like this still exist.
I knew there was a large "park" off the high street from referencing my handy A-Z street map, and when I veered off to check it out I was shocked to see it was actually a very old, creepy, oddly peaceful cemetery. With the sun the way it was and the trees showing off their amazing colors, it was a photographer's dream.
There were so many headstones they were virtually falling over each other, most dating from the late 1800s and early 1900s. The park is quite huge, so paths seem to go on forever deep into the woods, and as I walked I encountered an abandoned old gothic church where the windows had all fallen out. Scary, exciting ... it was like being in a movie. I was just waiting for a ghost to appear (if they exist, they are definitely there). Made for a very, very interesting, fun afternoon.
Just kept on walking, walking all the way home. Stopped by the Italian deli for a mini panettone, the grocers for some fruit and veg for the week, and topped it off with a mani/pedi before I went back to prep for the night out with friends. Perfect. I am blessed.
