London Sunshine

 I wasn't sure what kind of weather to expect in London.  They had a terrible time of it in December, I think it was the coldest weather in 30 years, which disrupted travel and closed the airports.  It also caused havoc on the Eurostar "Chunnel", the channel tunnel which connects the UK to France.

I checked with weather.com which said to expect it to be cold and clear, but they have lied to me before.  I was delighted to arrive to a better than forecast day, with clear and sunny skies.

I was ready for Sunday brunch at Baker and Spice, my favorite cafe for breakfast.  My friend Jacquie and I were tired after working our flight, but decided to head out immediately to make the most of the day.  We took the London Underground (the tube) to South Kensington and walked from there.  I have been lost in this area before, but with our map and our keen navigational sense (yeah, right!) we managed to find the place.
I am glad that we didn't resort to hailing a cab, because we saw some interesting sights along the way.

This is the Michelin Tyre Store that was opened in January, 1911, as the first permanent headquarters in the UK.  It has been preserved and is now a restaurant and shops.  Read about it's history here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelin_House

I also learned that the Michelin man has a name, which is Bibendum, and a motto which means "now is the time to drink".  What is there not to like about that.  You can read more about his story here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bibendum#Bibendum

After a few more twisting turns we arrived at Baker and Spice.








Jacquie ordered  a cup of cocoa and I ordered a frothy latte.





I also ordered a bowl of their rich creamy porridge (oatmeal) with honey. I was first introduced to this cafe and to their wonderful breakfast/brunch menu by my friend, Alisha, when she lived here.  I always liked oatmeal, but I never knew it could be such a   delicacy till I tried it at Baker and Spice.  Thanks, girlfriend!


                                                                                    

After we were warm and well fed, we headed toward Sloane Square and the Tube station there.  After a few more turns, we found our way to the center of the square and the statue of Venus.  The fountain was turned off due to the freezing weather, but it was beautiful anyway.

The historic Royal Court Theatre is located in Sloane Square (seen behind the fountain to the right).  The photo below shows the stage door, by the Sloane Square Tube Station .
If you are interested in it's history click here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Court_Theatre

The scary thing about the Sloane Square Tube is that the River Westbourne runs directly over the station in an iron pipe within a gray conduit.  I've traveled under rivers before, but this sort of  blows my mind.  If you want to know more about this interesting river, use this link.
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Westbourne




We hopped on the tube and headed for Westminister Bridge, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and the River Thames.  We walked along the Thames Path with all the other tourists and enjoyed the sights and the sunshine.









I have taken many photos of the London Eye, but I have never had light like there was today. You can really see the size and scope of this huge ferris wheel,
also know as the Millennium wheel.  History here                 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Eye



We walked to the Embankment Station and thru to Villiers Street to Gordon's Winebar.I have been a fan of this oldest winebar in London for many years, and it always pleases me to be there. It is dark, smokey, and cramped. You have to stoop down to enter the cellar, and you sit on rickety chairs at a shared table.  Most any hour of day or night, the place is packed with people having a great time.

There is a hearty and adequate menu of pubfare and some really good cheeses.  My favorite thing is the casks behind the bar filled with aged port, sherry and madeira.  I enjoy all of them, but my favorite is the "Old Wood Tawny Port".  We polished off a beeker (or two), a perfect finish to our day in London.

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A Paris Market Street

We arrived in Paris on time and I was ready to hit the streets running. The snow had come and gone, leaving a white covering over the city.  It was colder than it has been, but there was no wind and little percipitation.  There was only an occasional frozen droplet falling.

I wanted to explore the street markets in the 13th arrondissment, so I confered with Florence, the very knowledgeable concierge at our hotel.  I learned that the Sunday markets all close at 1pm and it is already 11am.  She also said that many of the vendors might not be there, or might close early because of the weather.

She recommended a market street that I wasn't familiar with called Rue Daguerre.  She said that there
would be all the  items that I was looking for.


The street was actually within walking distance,
but I purposely save my feet and legs for the most
interesting areas.   I took the Metro to Denfert-Rochereau.  The entrance to the street is easy to find because of the cafe on the corner with the same name as the street itself.  I will have a glass of wine there after I am finished with my shopping, but now I am racing the clock.

The street was crowded with shoppers and the most popular shops had lines inside and people lined up outside, despite the freezing temperatures.
This seemed to be the most popular bakery, and I purchased a loaf of bread with walnuts, to go with my cheese and honey.

The large cheese shop near the street entrance has a kiosk in the front with many cheeses, and inside were many more cheeses and and their accompaniments.  I settled for two cheeses to enjoy while I am here, and one cheese to take home with me.

My next stop was the honey store. The young man who ran the store was delightful.  He knew all about the products, had honey samples available, and spoke excellent English.

The artisan honey and the pharmaceutical honey products are made by Famille Mary. There are many health and beauty products which are purported to have healing and preventative benefits.  I don't know about the health claims, but I can definitely vouch for the wonderful flavors of their honey.


I decided to purchase 6 small jars of different varieties.  I like honey that is a bit less sweet, so I chose rosemary, thyme, linden, eucalyptus, chestnut and a blend from the pyranees mountains. I also purchased a large jar of my favorite flavor, which is  dark, thick and creamy with hints of pine, called "forests of Italy".

There were several fresh fruit markets and I purchased some huge cherries and and a fresh orange.  I can only purchase what I can eat, since fruit can't be taken back into the USA

There are several deli-type shops with various pates and cold meats, and also a few shops with warm foods to take out, mostly moroccan and/or meditteranean dishes.



I love the stockings that French women wear, and I had to take a look in the stocking shop.  Fun!


My last stop was the chocolate shop!  To me, nothing compares with the beauty and artistry of French chocolates.  My mouth starts to water as I look at the lovely displays in the window, and once I enter the shop, the rich aroma overwhelms me.  I am in heaven.

As the shops begin to close for the day, I sit in the Cafe Daguerre sipping a glass of wine and shamelessly people watching.  It has been a wonderful day and a successful shopping trip.  I know that I will return here often.

 At our hotel I always ask for a window facing the street.  This area is mostly residential, with a school across the street and  many apartment buildings.  This week I am on the 12th floor and I can see the dome of the Abbaye du Val-de-Grace, the Pantheon and, in the distance, Sacre-Coeur.  When I return there I sit by the window and watch Paris life unfold around me.  The school yard empties, the street comes alive with pedestrians, the Metro fills with commuters, and the lights begin to come on in the homes.  I relax with another glass of wine and dine on the feast I have put together during my day on the Rue Daguerre.

 

Braving the Cold

Blue Moon while driving to work January 1, 2010

So far, 2010 has been very cold.  Here in Texas they say it is the coldest weather we have had since 1977.  I moved to Texas in 1982, so I quess this is the coldest winter on record for me.  I have gotten out some and it doesn't seem too bad because I don't have to stay outside.  I am not envious of the people who must make their living while working outside.  I can only send them warm vibes.

Flying slows down this time of year and I have only flown one trip so far.  I went to Santa Cruz, Bolivia on New Years Day.  It was my first time in Bolivia, and I really didn't get to check out all the things that I wanted to see because it rained heavily most of the day.  The temperature was in the mid 80's and it was very humid.  I walked through the neighborhoods around my hotel, which I think is a very wealthy area, and went to a local grocery market to purchase and sample some of the foods.

I think the most exciting thing I saw was my room service tray.  The fresh fruit and the local yogurt is always a favorite meal, as well as the breakfast bread varieties.  You can always count on the coffee in South America being excellent; a pot of very strong coffee and a pot of warm milk and fluffy sugar packets.  I drink my coffee black at home, but I would never miss out on this treat in other countries that I visit.

I learned that there is a biocenter a short taxi ride away from our hotel.  It was too late and raining much too hard to go outside by the time I discovered this.  I was told that it is the largest butterfly resort in South America.   I hate when I miss opportunities like this because I never know if they will come again.  It is definitely the first thing I will do if I get the chance to return. Here is a beautiful link to their website, translated into English.  I recommend taking the video tour.
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://www.biocentroguembe.com/&ei=0otHS8XKLMWVtgem-dDjAQ&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBMQ7gEwAA&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dbiocentro%2Bguembe%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1C1SNNT_enUS344US344


After breakfast, I lay back on my bed and was startled to see a bat hanging from my ceiling! After a brief moment, I realized that it was a huge butterfly! This photo doesn't show the proportion, but he was as large as my hand with the fingers spread.  He kept me company the rest of the day.  I guess it was too wet outside for him as well.



The other thing that I totally enjoyed on this trip was the decorations at our hotel.  There was a lovely manger scene and large lighted trees throughout the lobby and hallways.

I have been off for the last 5 days so I took down Christmas decorations this week.  I try not to be sad about it, but my condo seems plain and boring with all the lights gone.  I sort of make it a celebration like when I put them up.  I play Christmas music for the last time this season, and drink brandied cocoa (not for the last time this winter).

They have also begun the huge task of taking down the lights on the trees in Lee Park.  A few lighted trees remain, and it is still lovely to walk amongst them, shivering and watching myself breathe.

I have managed to pick up a trip to Paris and I leave tomorrow.  It is colder there than it is here, and looks like it will be lightly snowing.  Sunday is the big market day in Paris, and I plan on getting out and visiting some of my favorite neighborhood markets in the 13th arrondissement around the Place d'Italie.   This is one of my favorite districts in Paris, although not one of the most fashionable.  I stayed near here in the Place Jean d'Arc in the  Gobelins area on January 1, 2002.  I came to Paris alone that day to start my year right after all the horrible events of 2001.  That is a different story, but I found a warm community there which comforts me today.  If you want to check out some of this area, I give you these links.

http://www.paulinmery.com/area.html

http://travel.aol.com/travel-guide/Paris-things-to-do--France:8-nh-13th+Arrondissement

I am looking forward to buying some artisan honey and some great cheese.  I'll let you know how it goes.