This entire journey to date has felt very serendipitous - you know, when everything just seems to fall in place and be part of a bigger plan? I have found the best thing I can do is to just take my hands off the wheel, stop trying to push things a certain way and they end up much better than I would have ever planned.
Last night's dinner was pleasant - cute gastropub with a delicious menu. I opted for Rose and some beef ragu orrechiette (Jonas was speaking about Cheppe's red sauce and put me in the mood). Note, I did see them mention to try a place called Great Queen Street on their chalk board ... to be referenced later.
Sunday AM, first of August, I headed off to the Borough market after a very comfy sleep in, and lo and behold it is closed on Sundays (what??). First lesson learned today - go to the fruit and veg markets Saturday AM. Sooo ... plan B became wondering about, walking eventually in the direction of home. This market just happens to be at the London Bridge tube stop, so I knew that had to be near by. Second lesson learned today: the London bridge is NOT the bridge that is infamous; that is actually the Tower Bridge. So, the London Bridge is not a destination (and it is not falling down, but it almost looks to be), but seemed a noteworthy location to ask someone to take my pic..
As I wondered around the small streets in Borough - ta dah!!! I came across this huge wine store, and so I did end up lugging two bottles of New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc around the rest of the afternoon.
I crossed over the bridge, walking towards home, right past St. Paul's Cathedral and then the Courts of Justice (not planned). Massive structures that seem beyond imagination - the sculptures and detail are almost incomprehensible.
It's about at this point that I realize that I actually walked a bit west of where I needed to be, so since I was almost at Covent Garden and needed to eat I continued just a bit more to get there. On Sunday Covent Garden is hopping. Lots of tourists shopping, and they have musicians and street acts.
Did a lap or two then decided I needed to figure out where I was going to get the groceries for the week. Started to head back toward home and saw this restaurant catch my eye ... it didn't have a name. I did a double take, and decided to go check out the menu. Another serendipidous moment, but it just happened to be the Great Queen Street place I read about online and then saw recommended last night. Weird. Of course, I was destined to eat there and had to have a seat out front. Had a pleasant salad, cured trout, and a Stiegl beer. Delicious, but I need to get some more practice on English foodie words, as there were several items on the menu I had no idea what they were, and given the English's propensity towards unusual meat items, I kept it simple.
Final serendipitous moment for the day? I decided to find the nearest Whole Foods to get my weekly ration, walked over a bit, and as I am picking through the fruit I see my coworker walking out front! In all of London! Guess that is my sign that tomorrow ... the real world begins.
It had been a couple weeks (oh my) since I had been to Borough market, and I had planned it out that I would hit it again today to get the weekly supplies. I was fortunate enough to have met up with a Chicago friend of mine this week and she introduced me to a couple friends of hers, one whom happens to live not far from Borough. She mentioned Druid street where they have several foodie stores popping up under the railrod tracks... well, long story short I needed to walk down by Tower Bridge to check them out, so I did. Got to see the beautiful bridge, yet the shops were closed. Eh, you win some you lose some. It really was amazing - I wish I could better understand what was in the mind of men when they built such staggering, challenging works. Who comes up with this stuff and then actually executes? We're lucky they did.
Well, well, well. As luck would have it, as I am on one of my wonders I come across this vintage furniture store just blocks from my place. Kind of a little coffee shop with home made OMG cakes, but also offering up rehabbed 60's / 70's Danish furniture. Hip. The owner is even gay, so I know this is hip. Anyway, I bought it. Cute as a button, 1960's Danish refurbished leather couch. Tricia - you'd be proud. They delivered that day and it fits perfectly (Morris and Mack - you were my first visitors, and hopefully first friends here as well).
The facts: There has been a pub at this location since 1538 ... rebuilt shortly after the Great Fire of 1666. Some of the interior wood paneling is nineteenth century, some older, perhaps original. The vaulted cellars are thought to belong to a 13th century Carmelite Monastery which once occupied the site. There are several famous literary figures associated with the place. Charles Dickens had been known to use the establishment frequently, and due to the pub's gloomy charm it is easy to imagine that Dickens modelled some of his darker characters there. The Cheshire Cheese Pub is famously alluded to in Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities.
So gloomy - check, humid - check (I was sopping wet by the time I go there), lots of small cavernous rooms with minimal lighting - check, and an infamously low stairwell that in just one passing of a group of people, three smacked their head - check, check, check. Had a brew and fish & chips and finished up my quite literary book I was reading - did it right!
As I wondered around the small streets in Borough - ta dah!!! I came across this huge wine store, and so I did end up lugging two bottles of New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc around the rest of the afternoon. 
It's about at this point that I realize that I actually walked a bit west of where I needed to be, so since I was almost at Covent Garden and needed to eat I continued just a bit more to get there. On Sunday Covent Garden is hopping. Lots of tourists shopping, and they have musicians and street acts.
