Lunch at Ritorno Chelsea

Guess what?  I've been editing photos!!!  It's been ages.  I was starting to think the blog had run its course and fallen by the wayside.  But change is in the air.  The lead up to the 1 year anniversary to the day the gauntlet fell on my marriage sucked!  So bad.  It stirred up so much shit for me.  But then, lots of self-love (cliche? yes. necessary? definitely), reflection and wrestling with the past.  I also took a really good look at where I am a year later and determined where I needed to make some changes as I move forward.  I feel like I've made it past a very important milestone.  I feel lighter and less foggy.  I feel excited about the future, more in control of my life again.  I've also felt editing photos and maybe even blogging some.   These photos have been sitting in draft form for a year now.  Last year, lovely Fiona from London Unattached invited me to Ritorno in Chelsea to sample their Chelsea Flower Show cocktail and have lunch.  Here are some of the pics I took that day.

Highgate Cemetery London

Wasn't the Royal Wedding beautiful?  After watching it last week, I've been aching for London.  I miss that city so much.  It's definitely time to plan a trip back.  I miss the food, the architecture, the history, the pubs, the museums, the Thames... so much to miss.  Today I'm posting some photos from a visit to Highgate Cemetery that Gina (who I miss so much) and I explored one day.  It's a beautiful and tranquil spot.  I'm glad that I got to check it off my list before I left. 

The Jamie Oliver Cookery School

I've been missing London so much.  Surrey is lovely but I haven't yet found my groove here.  When we received an invitation from The Jamie Oliver Cookery School in Shepherd's Bush, we jumped at the chance for a date night in London.  The Cookery School is located at the Jamie's Italian Restaurant in the Westfield Mall.  So we jumped on the train and made our way into London for the evening. 

The Savannah Bar & Restaurant London

Oh, how the days are flying by.  It's funny how the grass is always greener.  When I was working I just wanted to be at home.  Now that I'm home every day, I can't wait to get back to work.  Unfortunately, now that we're outside of London, getting out and about is a bit more difficult.  (I'm still working on that UK Drivers License and making slow progress.)  I was whining on Facebook that I'm going a bit stir crazy.  My friend Fiona from London Unattached invited me to join her for lunch in London at The Savannah Bar & Restaurant.  It was the perfect reason to get out of the house and back into London. 

La Belle Assiette Private Chef Dining Experience

We were recently invited to a dinner party.  I feel so adult when I say that. (You do realize that in my head I'm still 18.)  One of the things I pictured when we first moved to London is attending dinner parties.  You know, like the ones in Notting Hill.  That movie IS London to me.  So many cinematic impressions of this city, and they still linger even after four years of actually living here.  Don't even get me started on the Heathrow Arrivals scene.  Anyway, back to the dinner party.  This wasn't just any dinner party.  This was a Jury Validation Dinner Party with a private chef team from La Belle Assiette.  Fancy, huh?

TheFoodMarket.com #GloriousNaturalFood

Every Saturday morning, just a block away there is a terrific food market.  We love to wander over for some fish & chips or to buy some fresh cheese.  But some days we just want to stay in bed and can't be bothered.  On those days I always feel a little bit guilty.  I'm just certain that we've missed out on a new merchant displaying something wonderful that I must have.  Now I've found the perfect thing to assuage that guilt.  I can now snuggle under the duvet without that rush of FOMO.  It's a multinational farmers' market, an exclusive food hall and a health food emporium all at the click of a finger.  It's been developed by a team of ex-Amazon e-commerce experts and it's bursting with foodie delights - TheFoodMarket.com. 

Yotel London Gatwick Cabin Hotel

I am not a morning person.  At all.  Not even a little bit.  My husband can definitely vouch for this.  One of his least favorite things to do is to wake me up before I'm ready.  On our recent trip to Malta, in an effort to give me a few extra hours of morning shut eye and save him the drama, we tried something very different.  We stayed in a cabin at Yotel London Gatwick the night before an early flight.  Let's just say there were mixed reviews. 

Saatchi Gallery - London

One of my favorite things about London is the free museums.  The Saatchi Gallery is right on our doorstep so I wandered over recently to see what I could see.  The current exhibition is called Champagne Life.  If you live in London and haven't seen it yet, stop reading and go now.  The exhibition will be over in a few days.  If you aren't in London then keep reading and I'll show you some of the artwork.  

La Cucina Caldesi Cookery School

Our last move took us right into central London.  With the great location came several trade-offs... no bathtub, no extra bedroom, no outside space.  It also came with a kitchen that is smaller than the average walk-in closet.  I have one square foot of counter space, a fridge the size of a suitcase, and every time we use the oven I have to relocate all of the pots and pans that are stored in there.  Needless to say, it's not conducive to home cooking.  When invited to a cooking class held in the professional kitchens of La Cucina Caldesi Cookery School, I jumped at the chance to cook in a proper kitchen.  These are the people who wrote the book on Italian cuisine.  Actually, they've written several books on Italian cuisine.

London New Year's Day Parade 2016

So now it's time to get caught up on my blogging!  I try to keep everything in chronological order but I've decided that's just not going to work.  So I'll be posting about the current year and filling in with prior year stuff as we go along.  We're going to be jumping all over the place.  It will be fun!  Let's start with day 1... New Year's Day 2016 and the London New Year's Day Parade. 

Art Deco in Bloosmbury Tour with London Unravelled

We've been living in London for four years now.  Lately we've been in a bit of a rut, work and home.  It's easy to forget all the wonderful things that we love about this city.   As we go into our 5th year we made a decision to see London with new eyes.  We have a blackboard and we keep it full of things we still want to do in London.  We're always coming up with new items for that list.  A walking tour is still one of my favorite ways to explore London.  I've been on several and I always find treasures along the way. My most recent walking tour was with the wonderful Yannick of London Unravelled. 

Royal Ascot 2015

Once I submitted my application for British citizenship, it seemed we spent the summer doing all things British.  What's the most Britishy Brit thing a future Brit can do?  Dress up to the nines and head to Ascot to rub shoulders with the royals.  The races at Ascot were founded by Queen Anne in 1711 and over the past 300 years more and more pomp and circumstance have been added to this special event.  Officially known as the Royal Meeting, each June 300,000 people attend the event, all hoping to win a few quid and spot a Royal.  Well, we didn't win anything but we did spot a few Royals. 

 

Leicester House in London

There's this particular London PR firm that occasionally invites me to a blogger's table to review a restaurant.  I never say no to their invites because I know I'm going to be treated to a wonderful meal and great company.  They introduced me to both Gaylord London and Le Garrick.  They've also helped this picky eater get completely out of my comfort zone and try some wonderful dishes that I've always been afraid to try.  My most recent invite was to try some French Vietnamese cuisine at Leicester House. 

Taste of London 2015 & Celebrity Cruises

It's hard to believe that this is my fourth summer in London.  It doesn't seem possible.  One of the first events I attended that first summer was the Taste of London.  We haven't missed it since then.  You can read about 2012, 2013 and 2014 to see why we love this restaurant festival so much.  Of course, I wasn't going to miss it this year either. 

Grim's Dyke Hotel

I've so missed the London Bloggers Teas and the fun of meeting up with other bloggers over scones and tea.  So when my inbox pinged with an invite from Linzi at Office Breaks to attend a bloggers tea I immediately responded "Yes!"  

The fact that it was located in a gorgeous country manor made it even more appealing.  The Grim's Dyke Hotel is a 19th Century Tudor-Style manor located on 40 acres just 12 miles from the center of London. 

Garden Beauties and a Life Update

You'll never guess where I'm writing this.  Well, actually you probably will.  I'm in Texas!  I was supposed to fly home on August 8th and stay for three weeks.  But as the birth of my first grand baby approached, the possibility of not being here for the birth took over my thoughts.  All signs point to this baby coming early and I had to get here.

Afternoon Tea & Sightseeing with Thistle London

Last year I wrote about an amazing date night that Matt and I had here in London that included a stay at the Thistle Marble Arch.  It's a favorite London hotel and I particularly loved the complimentary lounge.   Nibbles and bubbles just for me?  Yes, please.  

This summer Thistle Hotels invited me to join them for again for a special treat. 

Victoria & Albert Museum

When I first got my new Nikon I decided to take it to the V& A Museum for a little practice run.  The V&A is one of the first museums that I visited in London and one of my favorites.  I also love that you can take photographs.

A French Dinner Party - Le Garrick

About a month ago, my friends Charles and Dominika invited me to the southwest region of France for a dinner party.  A large group of us gathered around the family table as dish after dish of rustic, authentic French food was put before us.  Charles explained that we had his wonderful mother to thank for these flavors and combinations.   She's taught him everything he knows about French cuisine and that special French way of celebrating food and life. Each ingredient had a story, every dish more special than the last.  The wine flowed and the hours passed in that intimate and charming way than can only happen around a dinner table.   

An Indian Feast at Gaylord London

Can you believe that my first experience with Indian food was just three years ago when I moved to London?  Up until then I'd never had Indian food.  Now I can't imagine a week going by with at least one curry night. Britain has a long standing love affair with Indian food dating back to their colonial relationship with the subcontinent.  Curry is as popular as fish & chips in the UK.  There are 9,500 Indian restaurants for the UK population of 64 million.  (Half of those are in London).  Compare that to 8,000 for the US population of 314 million and most Americans are missing out on some spicy special food.