This is the scene in our garden this morning....rain, rain & more rain! But it's warm (for the time of year) and the birds are singing so I'm not complaining. And every day is a day nearer to Spring, which is a cheering thought!
We got back last night after a wonderful weekend in London...here is the break in pictures!
a walk through Soho (one of my favourite districts...)I love the mosaic set into this pavement - dated 1867
at lunchtime we stopped at an historic pub - The French House. Everyone who is anyone has passed through these doors at some point. It's a banning offence to ask for autographs (luckily, no one asked me...:o)
the walls at the back are literally covered in signed photographs of the famous faces who have stopped off for a drink - Maurice Chevalier, Peter O'Toole, Michael Caine....too many to mention. You can just make out Charlie Chaplin in the photo above,
I think....
There are mirrors & old panelling everywhere...
and the bar is so friendly - they treat you like a regular, even if they've never seen you before! There's also a great restaurant upstairs -
Polpetto - a tiny recreation of a Venetian 'baccaro'. Of course it was full on Saturday so...
we ended up here, at
Wright Brothers in Kingly Street. A beautiful new, mainly fish restaurant....
Simple food, great ingredients, good service and a beautiful room...
having been a chef fr so long, I love to watch the kitchen working...
a little boy was celebrating his 10th birthday there, with his parents and younger brother and we all sang 'Happy Birthday to YOU!' very loudly, to his delight!
The little chalboard sign on the back wall says: 'One man's fish is another man's poisson.....'!! I loved that.
afterwards we made our way back...it was just beginning to get dark, & Marylebone Lane was lit up and beautiful...
We see Caffe Caldesi & Le Cordon Bleu cookery school....and we know we're nearly home...
The Golden Hind is one of the best fish & chip shops in London...
And then we
were home. An evening of movie dvd (It's Complicated with Meryl Streep) and relaxation was just perfect. Yesterday we did yet more walking, visited the Farmer's Market and explored before we drove home last evening and prepared for the week ahead. We love the city so much - endlessly fascinating. It's so good to be here at home too, though.
Alice loves London - long, long walks in Regent's Park (she
nearly caught a squirrel yesterday) and then she curls on our bed and has a good sleep, while listening to the radio...and waiting for us to get back from wherever we've been...
A lovely few days. We are very lucky.
I hope that you enjoyed your weekend too...and that your week starts well! xo
I really enjoyed seeing your tour of London through pictures. I have always wanted to visit London and it makes me happy to see some of the places you visited this weekend. Feels like I was there with you. Love the picture of you at the historic bar and the picture of Alice on the bed. She is such a cutie!! Looks like you had a wonderful weekend. Thank you for sharing it with us. BTW, I really LOVE the movie "It's Complicated". Happy Monday xo
ReplyDeleteYou certainly make me want to visit London and all. Thanks for sharing your weekend which looked and sounded relaxing and wonderful. My son Scott has been to London twice before and I must ask him if he has eaten at The Golden Hand. ( He commented that he ate the best fish and chips while there.)The pictures are lovely and especially like Marylebone Lane and of course little Alice.xxoo
ReplyDeleteI do so enjoy reading of all your adventures and seeing the photos! I am surprised that your garden is so green. I guess I had thought it would be under lots of snow... and London looks so absolutely charming. Yes, lucky you to have this so close. Enjoy your week, sweet Rachel!! Love and hugs, Sherry...and a scratch behind the ears to Alice xx
ReplyDeleteSuch a wonderful post Rachel!! I LOVE the tour!! I love your recommendations, discussions about the restaurants and such and your interesting perspective! The photographs are simply beautiful!! What a gift this has been this morning; an escape from my torn apart kitchen!! Everything in boxes, dust and dirt everywhere...and then I step downstairs to visit London!! Thank you!! Hello Alice!! May I snuggle there with you and fall asleep and wake when my kitchen is all back together? Thank you!! xx
ReplyDeleteBeautiful London. All the more beautiful from your perspective. Loved the pics, especially Paul in the reflection! A scratch for biscuity Alice. Love love love
ReplyDeleteYou make me want to visit London again. And I don't like the city much. But this restaurant looks like my kind of place. Oh and I loooove the pictures.
ReplyDeleteRachel...what a lovely post. Your photos are amazing and looked like you were having a wonderful time last weekend!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing all of this with us!!
Blessings...
xoxo Gert
Ohh what a wonderful read. I feel as tho my weekend was spent with you, exploring all those old, amazing places and strolling thru city streets. I've always wanted to visit London and to drive around the English countryside/seaside too but you make it all so real now I double want to see it. And love the shot of darling Alice resting on the bed. What a pleasure!
ReplyDeleteHello darling, that was wonderful, thank you for the walk through the city, I want to go to to the French House! Happy to see all the Twitterettes are here! You have a salon! xoxo Love you!
ReplyDeletehi rachel......happy to see you at Farmhouse kitchen...as always...i LOVED this... enjoyed the trip through London...and then what do i see? sweet little alice sitting there on the bed...waiting...she is so adorable...what a love...
ReplyDeletewe were laying in bed this morning loving and kissing little Teddy...saying...what would we ever do without him...he is so treasured, loved and adored....
sending love to you all....
kary and teddy
xxx
I read this post yesterday, Rachel, with no time to leave a comment, and I've been commenting on it mentally ever since. So I'm just popping in to say ... How lucky we are to have you take us with you on a trip through London in the best possible company! I loved it!
ReplyDeleteLoving the red dotty new background Rachel! love and more love!! xx
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightful week-end! Thank you so much for sharing it with us!
ReplyDeletehi rachel...happy to see you at Farmhouse, my friend....you got SARABETH !!!!! don't you love it...mine is right here on my "favorite stack"....and YES!!!! i would love to pick something out and post together with you...would be so much FUN !!!! i have been having a ball with Jaz on the bread baking..we have been emailing up a storm... it's fun having a baking buddy...
ReplyDeletecongratulations on your anniversary...guess what? john and i celebrate our 30th on the 30th of january...we were going to go to San Francisco...but we don't want to go because we want to be with Teddy...i know you understand that one :-)
so we will spend the day with Teddy and go out to a little italian place we love in downtown SLO.
let's be in touch next week and pick out a recipe !!!
sending love
kary and teddy
xxxx
You are truly lucky to spend a weekend in London.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you had a wonderful time. Glad the pooch enjoyed it too.
Hi dear friend,
ReplyDeleteI loved this tour and felt right at home there (having strolled the same streets just a few months ago). And Alice on OUR bed? She looks darling. But you know what I REALLY loved, seeing the photo of you smiling with Paul's reflection in the mirror...he is smiling too.
Thanks for stopping by and leaving me a note. Isn't it funny that both our husbands are such good designers-thinkers? I love the kitchen in your home and I know I'll love the little kitchen in your flat, but then I really liked it as it was, all trim and functional too. Can't wait to see the changes. Yes, it will be hard, but it WILL be worth it.
Love, love,
S