There and Back Again: A London Tale
Apr 22nd, 2019 | 12:02 PM
#61
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Joined: Jul 2010
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Macross - thank you. That's kind of you and maybe I will have to go back for the boots!
YankyGal - I am still missing the stick toffee pudding and have been back over a week now.
CapeCod - I think you are right on the Cheddar but think there is more than one kind of cheese (and am not sure why I think that).
RainCityGirl - will be interested in your take on the Burberry store. Lots of people love it but they should have the raincoat you want. I'm not gonna lie, I am luck to have several Burberry coats in my closet. In fact, my main coat on the trip was a combo trench/motorcycle jacket that I got on sale at Burberry in Atlanta. I have worn it to death.
YankyGal - I am still missing the stick toffee pudding and have been back over a week now.
CapeCod - I think you are right on the Cheddar but think there is more than one kind of cheese (and am not sure why I think that).
RainCityGirl - will be interested in your take on the Burberry store. Lots of people love it but they should have the raincoat you want. I'm not gonna lie, I am luck to have several Burberry coats in my closet. In fact, my main coat on the trip was a combo trench/motorcycle jacket that I got on sale at Burberry in Atlanta. I have worn it to death.
Apr 22nd, 2019 | 01:08 PM
#62
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,507
Likes: 0
From the Kappacasein page on the Borough Market website- "and toasted cheese sandwiches, made with Montgomery cheddar, onions, leeks and garlic on Poil ne sourdough." Kappacasein / Borough Market I think the hard part is the aromatics.
Apr 22nd, 2019 | 05:43 PM
#66
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 10,638
Likes: 21
and you can pretty much replicate that cheese toastie recipe at home 
https://travelswithmaitaitom.com/bor...heese-toastie/
https://travelswithmaitaitom.com/bor...heese-toastie/
Apr 24th, 2019 | 09:20 AM
#69
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 4,654
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Tuesday, April 9
The weather was not looking good for Tuesday and rain was expected most of the day. We decided that we would head to the British Museum since it wasn’t going to be a good day to be outside.
Not surprisingly, a lot of other people had the same idea. We saw tons of teenage groups during this trip (assuming Spring Break school trips) and that may be the worst part of going to London in April (and yes, I know that makes us officially old). We got there at about 10:15 but it was already a bit crowded, especially around the Rosetta Stone and around the Egyptian mummies.
I will admit we did not have a game plan for the British Museum and it reminds me a bit of the Louvre in terms of size and scope. Not having a game plan is not ideal when there is so much available to view. We pretty much wanted to hit the highlights and see what else we might stumble upon.
We did see the Rosetta stone, artifacts from the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, pieces from the Tang dynasty, the holy thorn reliquary, the clocks and the massive Enlightenment Gallery. It is truly incredible collection. Maybe I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but we found it a bit challenging to navigate. The history and artefacts were great. What wasn’t great was the toilet situation. Woefully inadequate. I waited in a ladies room line behind 30+ women and in the time it took Chaz to go and come back only 2 women left. At popular places like this, many women are there with strollers and almost always responsible for taking the younger kids to the bathroom. A for antiquities, F for facilities.
We did enjoy it but I don’t think I could stay there all day.
We left as it was just getting more crowded and I just wasn’t gonna wait in that crazy line. We made our way to Caff Nero to find a ladies room for me. And then we made a really bad decision.
We went to Camden Market. OMG. So not only was it raining harder when we exited the Tube station into hordes of teenagers hanging out outside tacky tourist shops. Trying to get down the street and dodging the teens groups taking selfies and texting was a challenge. We were looking for the food stalls and a place called Ink. Their fish and chips and calamari always looks terrific on Insta.
We did find it but Camden Market is kinda gritty and there aren’t many places to take your food once you get it and even less when it is raining. I got fish and chips and Chaz got fish, calamari and chips.
The fish wasn’t very crisp and I don’t think it was freshly cooked. It definitely needed tartar sauce and we were not offered any (we weren’t offered any sauces or vinegar…maybe because of the rain they were not out??) Chaz did like the calamari so that was a win. The fish was so hard to eat (no plastic utensils given), it needed some salt and was not as good as we had at other spots. I follow this food stall on Instagram but we were not that impressed. Not worth the trip up to Camden. The area is very crowded and a teenager magnet! I can only imagine what this place would be like on a sunny day. If you enjoy crowds, cigarette smoke, and trinkets, you might love it. We did not.
We quickly adopted a let’s get the hell outta here attitude and hauled a*s back to the Tube station. I decided that we would need to pick up a cheap little suitcase to get our purchases back to Atlanta. The down side to getting a cool clutch with brass knuckle decoration means you have to put it in checked luggage. Security will not allow it on board the airplane. We also had the 2 bottles of cologne from Penhaligon’s, that would also need to be checked. This is not the type of shopping I really enjoy. Add rain and “I’m not really sure where to go” and it’s a chore. We got it done quickly at Marks and Spencer on Oxford Street. Not the first time I needed a new suitcase to carry shipping loot home from a trip and probably not the last J
It was time to head back, dry off and try to remove the stench of Camden Market boondoggle and decide what we wanted to do for dinner.
The good thing is that the rain started to clear about the time we were ready to head out again. We hung out a bit more in the courtyard and worked out dinner plans and what to do the next day.
Builders Arms was so good the night before, we decided to head back there for drinks and dinner. We had to share a table but no worries. We found everyone friendly and we had invited a couple to share our table earlier that day at the British museum, so we got the favor returned. Karma. Also, I loved that the pubs are very dog friendly and The Builders Arms had a water station and treats for their puppy patrons.
Tonight, I had a small steak with chips and Chaz got the steak and smoked cheddar pie. Again, both were terrific. The beer and wine choices were really good at Builders Arms, as they were at most pubs. We hung out there, unwinding and enjoying the scene for quite some time before heading back to hit the hay.
It was a good day. Perfect, no, but few days are perfect. The weather for Wednesday was looking sunny and our plan was Kew Gardens.
The weather was not looking good for Tuesday and rain was expected most of the day. We decided that we would head to the British Museum since it wasn’t going to be a good day to be outside.
Not surprisingly, a lot of other people had the same idea. We saw tons of teenage groups during this trip (assuming Spring Break school trips) and that may be the worst part of going to London in April (and yes, I know that makes us officially old). We got there at about 10:15 but it was already a bit crowded, especially around the Rosetta Stone and around the Egyptian mummies.
I will admit we did not have a game plan for the British Museum and it reminds me a bit of the Louvre in terms of size and scope. Not having a game plan is not ideal when there is so much available to view. We pretty much wanted to hit the highlights and see what else we might stumble upon.
We did see the Rosetta stone, artifacts from the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, pieces from the Tang dynasty, the holy thorn reliquary, the clocks and the massive Enlightenment Gallery. It is truly incredible collection. Maybe I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but we found it a bit challenging to navigate. The history and artefacts were great. What wasn’t great was the toilet situation. Woefully inadequate. I waited in a ladies room line behind 30+ women and in the time it took Chaz to go and come back only 2 women left. At popular places like this, many women are there with strollers and almost always responsible for taking the younger kids to the bathroom. A for antiquities, F for facilities.
We did enjoy it but I don’t think I could stay there all day.
We left as it was just getting more crowded and I just wasn’t gonna wait in that crazy line. We made our way to Caff Nero to find a ladies room for me. And then we made a really bad decision.
We went to Camden Market. OMG. So not only was it raining harder when we exited the Tube station into hordes of teenagers hanging out outside tacky tourist shops. Trying to get down the street and dodging the teens groups taking selfies and texting was a challenge. We were looking for the food stalls and a place called Ink. Their fish and chips and calamari always looks terrific on Insta.
We did find it but Camden Market is kinda gritty and there aren’t many places to take your food once you get it and even less when it is raining. I got fish and chips and Chaz got fish, calamari and chips.
The fish wasn’t very crisp and I don’t think it was freshly cooked. It definitely needed tartar sauce and we were not offered any (we weren’t offered any sauces or vinegar…maybe because of the rain they were not out??) Chaz did like the calamari so that was a win. The fish was so hard to eat (no plastic utensils given), it needed some salt and was not as good as we had at other spots. I follow this food stall on Instagram but we were not that impressed. Not worth the trip up to Camden. The area is very crowded and a teenager magnet! I can only imagine what this place would be like on a sunny day. If you enjoy crowds, cigarette smoke, and trinkets, you might love it. We did not.
We quickly adopted a let’s get the hell outta here attitude and hauled a*s back to the Tube station. I decided that we would need to pick up a cheap little suitcase to get our purchases back to Atlanta. The down side to getting a cool clutch with brass knuckle decoration means you have to put it in checked luggage. Security will not allow it on board the airplane. We also had the 2 bottles of cologne from Penhaligon’s, that would also need to be checked. This is not the type of shopping I really enjoy. Add rain and “I’m not really sure where to go” and it’s a chore. We got it done quickly at Marks and Spencer on Oxford Street. Not the first time I needed a new suitcase to carry shipping loot home from a trip and probably not the last J
It was time to head back, dry off and try to remove the stench of Camden Market boondoggle and decide what we wanted to do for dinner.
The good thing is that the rain started to clear about the time we were ready to head out again. We hung out a bit more in the courtyard and worked out dinner plans and what to do the next day.
Builders Arms was so good the night before, we decided to head back there for drinks and dinner. We had to share a table but no worries. We found everyone friendly and we had invited a couple to share our table earlier that day at the British museum, so we got the favor returned. Karma. Also, I loved that the pubs are very dog friendly and The Builders Arms had a water station and treats for their puppy patrons.
Tonight, I had a small steak with chips and Chaz got the steak and smoked cheddar pie. Again, both were terrific. The beer and wine choices were really good at Builders Arms, as they were at most pubs. We hung out there, unwinding and enjoying the scene for quite some time before heading back to hit the hay.
It was a good day. Perfect, no, but few days are perfect. The weather for Wednesday was looking sunny and our plan was Kew Gardens.
Apr 24th, 2019 | 12:39 PM
#71
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 4,654
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You would think - I actually skipped the toilets in the Great Hall thinking they would be more crowded. We were at the Montague Place entrance. Ugh. Maybe the stars and planets were not aligned while we were there! I thought I was being so super smart by avoiding the Great Hall restrooms. Maybe all the teenagers were touching up their lip gloss? ;-)
Apr 25th, 2019 | 12:58 AM
#72
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,088
Likes: 1
Enjoying reading this, although you guys travel very differently from us. Maybe that's why I'm enjoying reading 
Have never heard the word boondoggle - what does it mean?
Also not having enough women's toilets is a huge problem in my opinion. Needed to go in M&S - two loos out of order, three working and a queue of ten women. Similar in Debenhams, toilets closed for renos, some out of order, long queues. One toilet in Starbucks and a queue of eight. A queue of about 20 for the ladies at the theatre and the bell goes to return after interval - we've still got full bladders!! It's ridiculous and so annoying. Should never has started typing this, now I'm stewing about it
Kay
Have never heard the word boondoggle - what does it mean?
Also not having enough women's toilets is a huge problem in my opinion. Needed to go in M&S - two loos out of order, three working and a queue of ten women. Similar in Debenhams, toilets closed for renos, some out of order, long queues. One toilet in Starbucks and a queue of eight. A queue of about 20 for the ladies at the theatre and the bell goes to return after interval - we've still got full bladders!! It's ridiculous and so annoying. Should never has started typing this, now I'm stewing about it
Kay
Apr 25th, 2019 | 05:22 AM
#74
Original Poster
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 4,654
Likes: 0
Boondoggleis pretty much a pointless task; waste of time.
cape cod- My husband was hoping to catch the mens room empty so I could use it. No luck but I have used the mens room in a bar out of desperation.
clearly this is still a universal problem!
cape cod- My husband was hoping to catch the mens room empty so I could use it. No luck but I have used the mens room in a bar out of desperation.
clearly this is still a universal problem!
Apr 25th, 2019 | 06:11 AM
#75
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,942
Likes: 0
Seen that happen a few times. No one minds. It's mind boggling that men's toilets roughly have the same number of stalls that the women's toilets have. And we have urinals. So those closed stalls are for the women anyway.
Apr 25th, 2019 | 09:11 AM
#76
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,896
Likes: 0
Apr 26th, 2019 | 03:15 AM
#77
Original Poster
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 4,654
Likes: 0
Wednesday, April 10
I had been watching the forecast and waiting for a good day to go to Kew Gardens. Today was the day. It was cold & windy but sunny!
I had some hot chocolate at our new caf and promptly burned my tongue. This is yet another reason to love my diet coke in the AM. Chaz had a few Americanos before we hopped on a train heading to Kew Gardens. After one stop we heard the voice on the train tell us that the train was not going where it said it was. We all had to get off and wait for another train but we eventually got to Kew. The train station is in a cute area and we passed a small market on our walk to Kew. When we got there, I realized I really blew it on this one as I didn’t think you needed a ticket to get it. Turns out you do. (file that in the stupid moments and “what was I thinking?”).
No problem but OMG. It took forever to get to the ticket booth. The line wasn’t very long (it had just opened) but the time people were spending buying the tickets was lengthy. Once we got there, they told us how much it was with the donation included. I don’t like that. I get that they want donations but I don’t like being pushed into donating. Please tell me what the ticket cost is and what it is if I add the donation. Then there were all kinds of questions related to the donation and I just wanted to get our tickets and get going. Then, they want to give you an overview of the gardens when all I wanted was the map and to get going. Now I know why the line moved so slowly but that’s what happens when you don’t get tickets ahead of time. OK, rant over now.
One lucky thing was that the gardens had a Chihuly exhibit set to open the day we were to fly home. But, the sculptures were up and in place so we got see them all throughout the gardens.
This place is so gorgeous. The day couldn’t have been better---brilliant sunshine, tons of flowers in bloom, Chihuly sculptures and more.
We headed to the Japanese gardens first but on the way enjoyed seeing our first Chihuly piece and tons of Camellias along the way. We also got some great shots of the Chinese pagoda, as well. The Japanese garden is pretty but fewer Japanese maples than we thought we would see but the cherry trees were blooming! We would love to have it be our back yard.
We worked our way to the pagoda decided not to wait for the next time slot to go up…too much to see! From there we visited the Temperate House and there were lots of Chihuly sculptures throughout this structure. I loved being able to climb up to see the view of the entire house from the second level. Very nice.
Next up, the waterlily pond where we saw 3 male peacocks and 1 female. The female blended in perfectly with the environment. I think she was laying on her nest as she never moved and he stayed right in front. For a minute or two we thought he might show us his full tail feathers but it did not happen. Oh, well. They are truly amazing, gorgeous birds.
Every corner you turn at Kew Gardens, you just see something more gorgeous than the last thing you saw. The Palm house (too humid for Chaz), the rock garden, the woodland gardens, swans, the bamboo garden, the treetop walkway, the hive. the Princess of Wales conservatory (very cool), the Bonzai house, alpine garden….it just went on and on and we both REALLY LOVED it! We stayed 4 hours. Although this was also stroller and kid central, there’s plenty of room to spread out.
We decided to head out and find a spot near the train station for a late lunch before heading back. We found the best spot called the Tap on the Line. We couldn’t find a spot outside on the terrace but the doors and windows were open and it was so sunny and nice, it felt like we were outside (without the smokers). We both got burgers and chips. Delicious and it hit the spot. Again, friendly people, great food and pup friendly…we were both loving the pub scene. It was also nice for us was that the Tube ride was very short back to Gloucester Road from Kew Gardens.
I can’t say enough about how spectacular Kew Gardens was and how much we enjoyed it. I am so glad we went and thrilled we got sunshine!
We were so happy about the day that we decided to finish that bottle of Cava in our little courtyard (make hay while the sun shines). Someone came by and pressure washed the courtyard while we were away, so our little space was nice and clean. We had a later dinner reservation that night so there was time to chill for a bit.
Dinner was planned for Tandoor Chop House. We don’t know anything about Indian food but wanted to try some in London. Once I found this spot, I thought it might be a good way to try it out. We left the Charing Cross station and both of us noticed an amazing smell of grilled meat. Turns out, it was Tandoor Chop House. The restaurant is literally right as you exit the station (usually a bad sign) but we were ecstatic that the wonderful smell was coming from the restaurant we were headed to.
We had a little time to wander around the area so we did a lap around Trafalgar Square and stuck our nose into St Martins in the Fields. We were both getting hungry and decided to head over to see if we could get our table early or have a drink
The restaurant was able to seat us a little early and we were glad. It is small and there is no bar to sit at. It’s a small place and it was busy. Our waiter helped us choose items for rookies…spicy for Chaz but less so for me.
We started with Bhaji onion rings with smoked aubergine raita. For our main courses I had the Masala boti rubbed ribeye and Chaz got Amritsari crispy lamb chops. We also got the spinach and mustard green saag, butter naan and Green chili, garlic & cheddar naan. The food was outstanding! The tandoor oven gives the meat a wonderful "crisp" outside and fantastic flavor. We both were super happy with our main courses. This was one of our favorites of the trip and we highly recommend Tandoor Chop House. We were too full for dessert and decided to head back to Kensington. On the way we decided to stop in at Builders Arms for a night cap.
We found a table to share with some locals. It’s always busy at Builders Arms but never packed. After the walk and a nightcap, some sticky toffee pudding was also in order. I think maybe after such a fun day, we just wanted to extend it a bit longer. The time was flying and we only had 2 more days left in London.
Tomorrow - Churchill War Rooms and who knows?
I had been watching the forecast and waiting for a good day to go to Kew Gardens. Today was the day. It was cold & windy but sunny!
I had some hot chocolate at our new caf and promptly burned my tongue. This is yet another reason to love my diet coke in the AM. Chaz had a few Americanos before we hopped on a train heading to Kew Gardens. After one stop we heard the voice on the train tell us that the train was not going where it said it was. We all had to get off and wait for another train but we eventually got to Kew. The train station is in a cute area and we passed a small market on our walk to Kew. When we got there, I realized I really blew it on this one as I didn’t think you needed a ticket to get it. Turns out you do. (file that in the stupid moments and “what was I thinking?”).
No problem but OMG. It took forever to get to the ticket booth. The line wasn’t very long (it had just opened) but the time people were spending buying the tickets was lengthy. Once we got there, they told us how much it was with the donation included. I don’t like that. I get that they want donations but I don’t like being pushed into donating. Please tell me what the ticket cost is and what it is if I add the donation. Then there were all kinds of questions related to the donation and I just wanted to get our tickets and get going. Then, they want to give you an overview of the gardens when all I wanted was the map and to get going. Now I know why the line moved so slowly but that’s what happens when you don’t get tickets ahead of time. OK, rant over now.
One lucky thing was that the gardens had a Chihuly exhibit set to open the day we were to fly home. But, the sculptures were up and in place so we got see them all throughout the gardens.
This place is so gorgeous. The day couldn’t have been better---brilliant sunshine, tons of flowers in bloom, Chihuly sculptures and more.
We headed to the Japanese gardens first but on the way enjoyed seeing our first Chihuly piece and tons of Camellias along the way. We also got some great shots of the Chinese pagoda, as well. The Japanese garden is pretty but fewer Japanese maples than we thought we would see but the cherry trees were blooming! We would love to have it be our back yard.
We worked our way to the pagoda decided not to wait for the next time slot to go up…too much to see! From there we visited the Temperate House and there were lots of Chihuly sculptures throughout this structure. I loved being able to climb up to see the view of the entire house from the second level. Very nice.
Next up, the waterlily pond where we saw 3 male peacocks and 1 female. The female blended in perfectly with the environment. I think she was laying on her nest as she never moved and he stayed right in front. For a minute or two we thought he might show us his full tail feathers but it did not happen. Oh, well. They are truly amazing, gorgeous birds.
Every corner you turn at Kew Gardens, you just see something more gorgeous than the last thing you saw. The Palm house (too humid for Chaz), the rock garden, the woodland gardens, swans, the bamboo garden, the treetop walkway, the hive. the Princess of Wales conservatory (very cool), the Bonzai house, alpine garden….it just went on and on and we both REALLY LOVED it! We stayed 4 hours. Although this was also stroller and kid central, there’s plenty of room to spread out.
We decided to head out and find a spot near the train station for a late lunch before heading back. We found the best spot called the Tap on the Line. We couldn’t find a spot outside on the terrace but the doors and windows were open and it was so sunny and nice, it felt like we were outside (without the smokers). We both got burgers and chips. Delicious and it hit the spot. Again, friendly people, great food and pup friendly…we were both loving the pub scene. It was also nice for us was that the Tube ride was very short back to Gloucester Road from Kew Gardens.
I can’t say enough about how spectacular Kew Gardens was and how much we enjoyed it. I am so glad we went and thrilled we got sunshine!
We were so happy about the day that we decided to finish that bottle of Cava in our little courtyard (make hay while the sun shines). Someone came by and pressure washed the courtyard while we were away, so our little space was nice and clean. We had a later dinner reservation that night so there was time to chill for a bit.
Dinner was planned for Tandoor Chop House. We don’t know anything about Indian food but wanted to try some in London. Once I found this spot, I thought it might be a good way to try it out. We left the Charing Cross station and both of us noticed an amazing smell of grilled meat. Turns out, it was Tandoor Chop House. The restaurant is literally right as you exit the station (usually a bad sign) but we were ecstatic that the wonderful smell was coming from the restaurant we were headed to.
We had a little time to wander around the area so we did a lap around Trafalgar Square and stuck our nose into St Martins in the Fields. We were both getting hungry and decided to head over to see if we could get our table early or have a drink
The restaurant was able to seat us a little early and we were glad. It is small and there is no bar to sit at. It’s a small place and it was busy. Our waiter helped us choose items for rookies…spicy for Chaz but less so for me.
We started with Bhaji onion rings with smoked aubergine raita. For our main courses I had the Masala boti rubbed ribeye and Chaz got Amritsari crispy lamb chops. We also got the spinach and mustard green saag, butter naan and Green chili, garlic & cheddar naan. The food was outstanding! The tandoor oven gives the meat a wonderful "crisp" outside and fantastic flavor. We both were super happy with our main courses. This was one of our favorites of the trip and we highly recommend Tandoor Chop House. We were too full for dessert and decided to head back to Kensington. On the way we decided to stop in at Builders Arms for a night cap.
We found a table to share with some locals. It’s always busy at Builders Arms but never packed. After the walk and a nightcap, some sticky toffee pudding was also in order. I think maybe after such a fun day, we just wanted to extend it a bit longer. The time was flying and we only had 2 more days left in London.
Tomorrow - Churchill War Rooms and who knows?
Apr 26th, 2019 | 03:17 AM
#78
Original Poster
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 4,654
Likes: 0
Apr 27th, 2019 | 05:04 AM
#79
Original Poster
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 4,654
Likes: 0
A few more Kew Gardens photos - we both ran the battery in our phones way down to about 15% with all the picture taking. A hazard when visiting such a gorgeous place.
Kew Gardens lake
Chihuly glass icicle sculpture
The view at Kew
The hive at Kew
Kew Bonzai
Chihuly icicle sculpture
Princessof Wales conservatory
Conservatory
Conservatory Cat
Kew Gardens bamboo
Bamboo garden - Kew Gardens
Kew Gardens lake
Chihuly glass icicle sculpture
The view at Kew
The hive at Kew
Kew Bonzai
Chihuly icicle sculpture
Princessof Wales conservatory
Conservatory
Conservatory Cat
Kew Gardens bamboo
Bamboo garden - Kew Gardens
