Today my hooded coat and I (it’s raining again) are headed to Borough Market, which many of you have recommended to me as a foodie haven. Parisa is insisting that I buy a venison burger, but I’m kinda hoping to stumble across some blood sausage (a.k.a. black pudding).
Other traditional British dishes that I want to try out while here:
Me sipping Moscato d’Asti - a sweet, low-alcohol dessert wine produced in Northern Italy.
Once again, the Keratin treatment came through - now, I know my hair is a little messy here, but do you know what it would ordinarily look like on a rainy London evening? Let me help you: it would look BAD.
DVF cardigan worn as dress, OPI Russian Navy nailpolish.
The decor in Upstairs at the Oak immediately made me think of this Edie Chaise Lounge ($550) from Urban Outfitters, which I’ve had my eye on for awhile now. The problem with this chaise lounge is it can’t really function as your primary couch (it doesn’t exactly look ideal for cuddling while watching Grey’s Anatomy), but it’s big enough that it would be difficult to place elsewhere in an NYC apartment (at least in ours). Hmm.
Random London observation: all the leaves that have fallen off the trees (and presumably the ones that are still on them) are HUGE. Is that normal?
This is Parisa on the way to The Oak London last night for dinner and drinks. She and Tim live in on a beautiful tree-lined street in Bayswater, which is on the edge of Notting Hill and looks straight out of a movie.
Upstairs at The Oak
Cocktails at Upstairs at The Oak
I was starving when I finally exited the Tube and arrived at Parisa’s (the plane food was worse than usual, so I elected to just drink an enormous plastic cup of complimentary wine - yay international flights! - and pass out), so we made salami and turkey sandwiches, paired with a few cheeses and some mixed olives from Waitrose (I highly recommend that you get your hands on some green olives stuffed with tiny pieces of lemon rind as soon as possible). My favorite was comte cheese (also Tim’s favorite) - a hard, unpasteurized French cow’s milk cheese.
After I took a quick nap, Parisa made me a latte with her brand-new Nescafe espresso machine. I’m not a big coffee person, but this latte made me wish Kendrick and I had registered for one of these things when we got married.
Thanks so much to all of you who wrote me with suggestions for my trip!
Some of the reader tips I’m most excited about:
- Vintage shops/indie boutiques on Brick Lane (pictured above)
I’m here! A bit tired, as you can see in the above photo (2 hours of plane sleep does not make me happy), but so excited. The ride on the Tube took forever, but I had the Daily Telegraph to keep me company.
I just got to Parisa’s place, and am unpacking while she runs to the market for lunch stuff.
In my carry-on:
- Cleaving by Julie Powell (I scored an advance copy…but am not sure I’m loving it)
- Eyeglasses
- Sunglasses (I’m arriving at 9AM)
From one great city to another.
I’m flying to London tonight to visit Parisa and Tim, and am…strangely nervous. Given that I actually lived in London for six months back in 2002 and am not exactly a newbie traveler, that’s a little weird. But I think it’s partly because I’m going to miss Kendrick and Lucy, partly because I haven’t traveled very extensively since my college years (save for our honeymoon in Thailand and Indonesia), and partly because being a houseguest always makes me a little anxious: I really, really, really don’t want to get in the way. I’m bringing some nice housewarming gifts along with me (they just bought a new flat), and am planning on cooking them a couple of good meals while I’m there, but mostly I just want to wander the streets with Parisa and get in some good catch-up time.
Since it’s been years since I stepped foot in London, I’m planning on doing lots of touristy stuff while I’m there. Top on my list are visiting Camden Market (the dorm where Parisa and I lived when we studied abroad was right next to the market) and Portobello Market, checking out the Tate Modern, and maybe buying a dress or twenty at TopShop (I know there’s one in NYC now…that’s not the point). TimeOut London also advises me to “munch on whelks” (although I just googled “whelk” and think I might skip it) and visit the Horniman Anthropological Museum, which is “dominated by a bizarre, overstuffed walrus.”
OK, I’m excited. If you have any more suggestions for things I should do while in London, please email me at jordan@nonsociety.com!
