annhig

oh, but I did forget the curry sauce, julia. but DH who bought the fish n chips didn't so DD, who likes the aforementioned condiment [shades of just a minute there] could dip her sliced and fried potatoes to her heart's content. Me, I like bird's eye peas and a cup of tea with mine, and some tartare sauce.

Morgana

I know the one in Aldeburgh - to be eaten sitting on the beach or wall of course, although last time we took them down to the Britten Shell sculpture.

Kathie

SO glad to see your next installment, janisj. Thanks for coming back to complete the story.

Cathinjoetown

Best fish and chips I've had in a long time was at the Haven Hotel in Poole, Dorset. In fact, they were so good we had to try them again, to be sure, to be sure.

janisj

<B>B1&B2&Maija visit Camden Market - I find my new very favorite/bestest view restaurant/bar . . . And Matisse</B>

On the tube last night Maija/me/B2 all exchanged e-mail addresses so we could communicate this morning. B2's e-mail address appears to have been hacked (I got a semi-panicked e-mail from her husband - they are in the process of selling their house and she needed to contact him). She wasn't sure if the problem was her e-mail or her iPhone but in any case my iPad mini became our main means of communication. I e-mailed Maija and explained I'd get whatever info she wanted to B&B. After several messages back and forth it was decided the three of them would meet at Camden Lock market for the day.

That freed me up for a whole day to myself. I booked the Matisse Cutouts at Tate Modern for late afternoon, washed my hair, did some sink laundry and set out. First I jumped on the #15 and went to Temple Church. I have a dear friend who is a QC w/ chambers in Temple Garden and I've been shown around a few times but not inside the church so its been years since I've been inside. It really is a fascinating place - being round and hidden like it is off Fleet street. I spent nearly an hour in the church and gardens and then hopped back on a #15 back to St Paul's (was easily walkable but a 15 was stopping right when I crossed the road.)

On a thread several months jamikins mentioned One New Change - a shopping center across from the east end of the Cathedral - with a rooftop terrace/restaurant/cafe/bar and I wanted to go up and see for myself (THANK YOU jamikins!) What a fabulous place. The terrace is enormous and you are about level w/ the dome of St Pauls - it feels like you could reach out and touch it plus all the rest of London spread out before you. The restaurant is Madison and it is very popular. I spoke w/ the hostess when I first got to the roof and asked if I could get in w/o a booking and she said "Yes Madame - no problem". So I went out took lots of photos for about 15 minutes and then went back to the restaurant. <u>Major</u> miscommunication - she thought I had just meant could I come in and look around w/o a booking But they felt bad and managed to find me a table - and not even next to the loos YEAH! The place was packed but apparently my table was booked sufficiently later that they risked it. The service was superb and I got no hint they wanted/needed to rush me out for the next party.

I had an asparagus and poached egg starter followed by a watercress risotto w/ teeny asparagus medallions (I missed the asparagus bit in the menu description - ended up being a major asparagus event) . Tis dish was very VERY green - and absolutely delicious. Will definitely return on future trips - but will be sure to book.

http://www.madisonlondon.net

Then I walked across the river to the Tate and spent about an hour wandering around various galleries prior to my Matisse ticket time. Spent about another 90 minutes in the Exhibition - it was very crowded but the rooms ebbed and flowed so I managed to see most of it. http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate...tisse-cut-outs

What a marvelous spectacle! I thick this review I read in the Guardian a couple of months ago is a great description http://www.theguardian.com/artanddes...-laura-cumming

After wandering around more of the museum a bit more I caught the RV1 bus back to St Katharine's about 7PM. When I got in the girls were already in their jammies and were watching some dreadful movie w/ spiders and lots of screaming.

So about 9-ish I head out to find something for dinner - it was a Friday night but there are sooooo many restaurants in the Marina I just knew I'd find something. Wrong. Started at the Indian place practically on our doorstep -- booked solid. Proceeded to hit a total of nine restaurants and every one was full. From Cafe rouge to the Chinese place to you name it. My only options were the Cote Brasserie (which was nearly empty - not a good sign) - or snacks from Tesco Express. So Cote it was. Had mixed olives for a starter and then Duck breast and it was actually pretty good (But I was craving Indian . . . . Oh well)

<B>Next: Saturday - Portobello Road, Hey Mr. Selfridge, and dinner at Rule's</B>

jamikins

Glad you enjoyed Madison! The views are fantastic aren't they!!

lincasanova

Thanks so much for the new restaurant rec jamikins and Janisj. I hope to make use if it soon!

latedaytraveler

JANISJ, ditto what LINCASANOVA said above about the Madison. Sounds terrific.

You wrote: "When I got in[at 7 PM]the girls were already in their jammies and were watching some dreadful movie w/ spiders and lots of screaming." Wow, how could they miss being out and about on a summer night in London? To each his own.

annhig

I have a dear friend who is a QC w/ chambers in Temple Garden and I've been shown around a few times but not inside the church so its been years since I've been inside. It really is a fascinating place - being round and hidden like it is off Fleet street.>>

jj - has your QC friend taken you for lunch in Middle Temple? if not, you should get him/her to do so next time you visit. and don't forget Inner Temple gardens - they have a new[ish] gardener who is very keen and has done a wonderful job - and she writes very well too.

http://www.innertemple.org.uk/index....&id=3&Itemid=3

surfmom

I was just re-reading a trip report to send to a friend - and I mentioned that we slept in - until 8:30. I immediately thought of the sleeping in until 10:30 debate. Of course, our trip was with kids and I made a remark how sleeping in has a totally different meaning when there are kids involved! Funny how perspectives change....

annhig

I tend to agree with JJ that sleeping in until 10.30 on holiday is a bit of a waste of time, but if that's what you want to do, fine. However you have to realise that if you do, there's a chance that you won't be able to fit everything in that you want to do.

however if it interfered with what someone else had planned in advance, and that person were me, and if I had taken the trouble to plan the whole trip at their request, well, I might just have a sense of humour failure.

which fortunately has not afflicted JJ!

HelenPet

Your trip reports are KEEPERS, janisj. And I just learned how to save them easily. I have vista and microsoft word, by the way.

I hold down the ctrl button and the A button, then the ctrl and the C button, and paste into a word doc. using the ctrl button and V button. FAST EASY!!!

Thanks, to tjhome1 for restoring the Scotland one in 2012. Will search for more.

Surfergirl

It's nice to hear about Middle Temple, the gardens and the Church. That was my almost daily walk when I lived there, picking up briefs or dropping them off at various chambers.

And weekly visits to El Vino on Fleet Street (made famous as Pommeroy's wine bar in the Rumpole series) or Devereaux's pub and restaurant.

Surfergirl

As for the 10:30 a.m. wake up, that has been for a very long time one of those things my husband and I simply agree to disagree. He likes to sleep in; I don't. If there's something I booked early or that we must go to early, he will (grudgingly) get up. Otherwise, it's his vacation too, even if he misses half of it, and we don't have to be joined at the hip every moment -- so I made the most of those morning alone times to be on my own and enjoy my alone time.

Totally agree, however, that if they are having YOU plan the schedule so THEY can see everything they want to see, they'll miss out, and it's not your job to be a drill sergeant!

annhig

Surfergirl, it brings back good memories for me too - i started off in Temple Gardens, then moved up Middle Temple Lane to Plowden Buildings via Devereux Chambers opposite the eponymous pub, and ended up in Pump Court. Those were the days!

janisj

Saturday: Portobello Road, Hey Mr. Selfridge (you think you know everything), and dinner at Rule's

This morning we managed to get an early start since one of the girls' 'musts' was Portobello Road. We walked over to Tower Hill and learned that most of the Circle Line was down. So I did a quick re-calculation and took them back down to street level where we caught the #15 to St Paul's and then then Central Line to Notting Hill Gate. We got to Portobello Rd about 8:30 and I mentioned that by about 10 AM it would bet VERY crowded and we'd probably want to leave by then. They sort of pooh poohed that and said they wanted to spend several hours/most of the day there. I said 'Okay' - and thought "oh no". But it ended up not being a problem. Before 10:00 they started complaining that it was too crowded to see anything and they wanted to leave > So about 10:15 we started back towards the tube station and had a really difficult time making our way through the masses streaming towards the market. I'd didn't do any major shopping but did buy this decorative pillow cover of two dogs driving a red Morgan w/ the top down, driving goggles, and ears and scarves flying in the breeze - it is silly and wonderful (I once owned a red '68 Morgan Plus 4)

They wanted to see Selfridges - so we headed there next. Before splitting up to explore the store we had lunch in the Corner (one of several restaurants in the store) It was pretty pricey but my crab cakes were quite good. Have you ever had what started as a totally innocuous interchange blow up w/ no warning?? Well it happened over lunch. We were sitting in a corner table in the Corner Restaurant (go figure ) looking out over Oxford street. There is this very modern bldg across the way - not sure what all is there but I <i>think</i> part of it is an Urban Outfitters. Anyway B2 says - oh I saw that bldg from the Shard. I should have just sipped my champagne and kept quiet . . . but noooo . . . I said something like "Oh, I think you may have seen a similar looking building over in the City. "

. . . Backtracking to when we were up the Shard - it was very drippy and VERY overcast and even the Gherkin directly across the river was very indistinct. We had to really strain to see Big Ben. And this building B2 'saw' is a 4 story bldg on Oxford Street near Marble Arch . . . no way in HELL it was visible - trust me. . . .

I didn't challenge her or argue or anything - honest, REALLY - - and she just flipped (!).. 'I know what I saw and you think you know everything'. Huh? B1 (her sister - remember) was shocked and said 'I think we are a long way from the Shard -- aren't we almost on the other side of London?' . . . Well that didn't help one little bit B2 had her knickers in a twist and we had a hard time 'bringing her down'. Eventually she seemed fine but I think secretly she was PO'd til dinner time.

We split up and spent about a hour exploring different departments before meeting up to head back to the flat to drop our purchases, rest and get ready for dinner at Rule's. By the time we left for dinner all was well and I'm assuming something else entirely was bothering B2.

We had an 8:30 booking at Rules so we caught the #15 and got off near the Savoy and walked over to Maiden Lane and Rule's. We were about 15 minutes early so we went upstairs to the bar and had champagne and champagne cocktails. One of the hosts came up, collected our drinks and led us downstairs to our table. I had Artichoke soup w/ truffle oil followed by salmon and Duchesse potatoes. The girls had beef loin w/ yorkshire pudding and cauliflower. Then sticky toffee pudding and a rhubarb & Apple crumble w/ custard. While they were having their puds, I had a 18 yo Macallan. Total bill £183. Rule's was VERY busy -- they were still seating new parties when we left at 11PM (This was one of the few meals during the trip that they had a full meal. Most times they'd have a starter and tap water, or soup and bread.)

Caught the #15 and rolled in about 11:45.

Next: Sunday, our last day in London - More retail therapy and the V&A; Monday train to Newcastle, collecting our car, discovering the 'navigator' actually can't, Hadrian's Wall, and on to Alnwick.

LCBoniti

"led us downstairs to our table."

I swear that in London, everything is either upstairs or downstairs. I love it.

janisj

In this case the bar is upstairs - so we went up - to go down later

sarge56

Really enjoying your TR! Thanks for continuing!

Kathie

Bringing back memories of a meal we had a Rules - more than a decade ago.