Oct Week 3

Starting strong this week with . . .

Cats!

My little blog helpers.

I kept the audio on this one so you could enjoy MVs funny little chirps and trills. Also just how noisy it is outside despite being on the top floor (and my breathing).

Little goofus.

Our handsome man.

And a sideways Missy V.

We crossed another amazing spot off of K’s list of things to show me. A nice walk along the canal in Little Venice led us to The Prince Alfred pub! Fun fact: the birthplace of Alan Turing is just across the way.

The place was absolutely beautiful - wildly ornate wood and glass everywhere. We ordered our drinks and then ducked under the tiny door to the right, which led to our own private little vestibule. Also pictured are “snobscreens” - the small square glass panels just above the bar. The super wealthy could afford to simply drink at home, but the rest of rich-but-not-rich-enough folks still had to go out. The thought of sharing space with and being spotted by the common riff raff was too revolting for the upper-middle class, so they used these little private areas as a workaround. They even have their own private entrances off the street! Apparently, pubs were not a place to see and be seen back in the day.

A very silly picture but I couldn’t help myself. The leather pillow piece is most likely just protecting against a sharp edge . . . but what if they’re just being nice? Rest your weary head dear traveler.

On the way home, I took way too many photos of the incredible sunset.

Finally at the grocery store, I got a good chuckle out of this xbox controller cake.

Round Pond Afternoon

A lovely afternoon around Round Pond, this time with peanuts for the squirrels.

Super fun to watch them devour their haul.

These guys are my favorite. “HELLO SIR MAY I HAVE SOME FOOD??”

The leaves are really starting to change (reminder that you can click an image to make it big).

Regent’s Park and Primrose Hill

Today is a doozy, and our feets would be aching after a big loop around Regent’s park and a hike to the top of Primrose Hill. We made it right at sunset; though unfortunately it was incredibly windy and not very colorful.

After another stroll through the canals, our first stop was at The London Central Mosque Trust & The Islamic Cultural Centre. We then ventured further into Regent’s park down along the Boating Lake. We took a break on a bench to enjoy the changing leaves and a frosty beverage.

Slightly further along, we ran into a kid who kept luring pigeons in with bread so he could try and grab them. We got a good chuckle out of his buffoonery and the swan that kept creeping up in his blind spot to snap up the goods.

With renewed vigor, we ventured over to the Japanese Garden Island (not as cool as the Kyoto Gardens but still nifty), then finally to the center-ish of the park that is Queen Mary’s Rose Gardens. I was amazed at how many Roses were still in bloom - I bet it’s even more incredible during peak season! But the juxtaposition of the blooming roses against the leaves changing colors was a rare experience.

Up North and across the street took us to Primrose Hill where we hoofed it to the top. There were pups a plenty - my favorite was the smart owner at the top heaving their dogs’ ball down the hill. The little fella was a blur chasing after it and kept coming back for more!

Very windy!!

After so much walking I was starting to get hangry, so we called in a last minute reservation at Cafe Laville, a cute little restaurant overlooking a canal.

My favorite part of dinner was being blinded by the phone light of a totally oblivious lady at the table next to us. But really 😇, we ate some tasty calamari and pasta, but the real winner was a pan fried goat cheese starter with artichokes and peppers (served with fresh focaccia). Hoooo EE!

Crumble Bumble

Before the pears I nabbed on a whim became a permanent fixture in our refrigerator, I finally got around to trying my hand at making a crumble. The filling was okay-ish but the topping turned out pretty abysmally.

Next time, I’m definitely going a more granola heavy route.

Night at the Museum

We had a lovely afternoon/evening visit back to the Victoria and Albert museum, taking advantage of their extended hours on Fridays. But first, we finally wandered past the Czech embassy during their business hours and were able to properly check out the super cool art installation inside the embassy.

We both had way too much dang fun poring over every nook and cranny.

By this point, it was still relatively early and the Churchill Arms was “on the way” (somehow, it always is when K is navigating) - what the heck, let’s have a pint!

At the V&A we decided to do one of their free audio tours - highlights of Europe from 1600-1815. It was a super great way to experience and gain in-depth knowledge into pieces we may not have normally noticed or paid attention to.

Some great fish vessels in the background.

And now for something entirely different.

MV was very happy to have us back home.

Look at those little paws - ayeeee!

Portobello Market

Back to Portobello Market, this time without getting stuck in a private garden! This is just the very beginning of many blocks of craziness. I was surprised to see how far the stalls continued after the “official” strip, often spilling over into sidestreets.

I was shopping around for a hat after having left my baseball cap in the entryway of our Paris place, and also a new backpack to replace or supplement my existing Cotopaxi day pack (it’s awesome, but just way too bright to blend in with the locals). No luck in the hat department, but I did pick up a snazzy slim-profile waxed canvas bag!

We popped into a cute little local tea shop for a walkaround beverage and a bag of one of their fun herbal blends (Deckchair Dreaming, a fruity floral chamomile). Foodwise, I nabbed a falafel sample that would have me going back for the full experience more than once.

And finally, my favorite totally random find of the day - the author of Rastamouse had a tiny table setup off to the side. After doing a double take I got a signed copy of the original book!

For more context, they’ve got a whole youtube thing going on now. I don’t remember exactly how I stumbled upon it, but it obviously stuck with me.

Bonus picture of a church nearby.

Signing off with some bubbly berries!

Catch ya later all you cool cats!

Jump to:

Cats!
10-17 Mon - The Prince Alfred Pub
10-18 Tue - Round Pond Afternoon
10-19 Wed - Regent’s Park and Primrose Hill
10-20 Thu - Crumble Bumble
10-21 Fri - Night at the Museum
10-22 Sat - Portobello Market