From the moment we arrived, we caught the London vibe. Our train ride from the airport featured rain bursts streaming rivulets against the windows. Foggy, rainy, chilly London, we are ready for you!
Our home for the next two weeks is in the City of London but on the outskirts near the charming shop-and-cafe-filled borough of Islington in Highbury. It is a light-filled, upstairs apartment in a larger home. We have a sunny terrace and even an artist’s garret upstairs which Andy immediately claimed for his music loft.
The apartment is filled with art and walls of books. We could picture ourselves spending rainy days immersed in creative pursuits.
Our first still rainy night, we ubered to Fish Central, a highly-rated fish restaurant. We walked inside to a white table-clothed and white-shirted dining room . The host took us upstairs to another dining room with absolutely no ambiance. Zero vibe.
I protested and pleaded. “We made reservations over a month ago. We’ve just arrived from the airport and were so looking forward to a lovely fish dinner in your restaurant. Please can you seat us downstairs?”
And you know what? They moved us even though downstairs was fully booked with a large party there for a music night.
They gave us a tasty amuse bouche fish cake. The salmon and hake grilled fish mains were so tender and tasty. They also gifted us fries we didn’t order. Our solicitous waiter Sergio checked on us often. The evening was perfect. After, we walked to a nearby market to pick up basic breakfast provisions and ubered home. Ahh, this is London.
And then the next morning the rain stopped. And the sun came out. Instead of spending our days indoors at home, we decided to discover the London that tourists often miss.
A date with Tate
On Thursday, we took a bus to visit the Tate Modern. First, we walked from St. Paul’s Cathedral across the Millenium Bridge taking gobs of pix of the city silhouetted against scattered clouds and streaks of sun.
We hadn’t been to the Tate in at least 15 years. Sadly, the monumental Louise Bourgeous spider sculpture wasn’t there to greet us. It crawled away in August. However, we did enjoy all the floors and galleries in this always free and breathtaking museum. We walked miles indoors and out that day.
Then we took the bus back to Islington where a long-anticipated dinner at Ottolenghi’s eponymous restaurant awaited. Ottolenghi’s cookbooks have been best sellers in the U.S. for years and I’d cooked a few recipes. His modern takes on Israeli/Middle eastern cuisine mix unusual ingredients in magical ways.
The restaurant is both a to-go shop in front and a dining space behind. It has a wonderful vibe. The staff were lovely. The food was gorgeous and colorful. The flavors were sensational. We ate what we could and took the rest home.
Searching for a proper country hamlet
Friday, was another sunny day! We decided to ditch the city and find a sweet little country village by a river. Andy found a place an hour away by train called Eynsford. We made all our connections, followed the signs to the village and started walking. We ended up talking to a local couple walking their dog. They said their town wasn’t really a country village but more a commuter burb as most of the shops had closed. They suggested we get back on the train to the next town over. After a little walk further, we agreed and high-tailed it back in time to catch the next train to Shoreham.
Once again, we exited and ended on a quiet path to wherever Shoreham town was. By that time, our bladders were screaming, so we took a chance on the first opportunity we found— a private golf club! No one stopped us and so, with much relief after, we kept walking. And then we saw it…
Our little English country town. There was a pub across from a centuries church and graveyard. The wooden gateway welcomed wanderers to, well, wander.
We continued past a schoolhouse, a couple more pubs and a sweet little cafe. At the Honey Pot cafe, we enjoyed an iced tea with a freshly warmed scone, jam and clotted cream! A perfect, traditional country village treat. We were vibing in Shoreham!
Then we hiked back to the train to Central London Bridge Station. Where, suddenly, we heard a singer belting out show tunes.We stopped to listen, record and chat with the beautiful and talented instagram@georginajamesss. Abut if video below.
Then we bussed back to Islington Borough where a highly rated sushi dinner awaited.
There was nary a soul in the tiny place besides the bike messengers picking up takeaway orders. The place had no vibe. Zip. Nada.
We shoulda known better. We have a rule that if we don’t like the vibe of a place-whether or not it was well-reviewed— we walk out. Maybe we were too tired. Maybe it was the smallness of the place with the owner inches away at the counter.
Let’s just say the food didn’t make us sick or turn us off to future sushi. But it wasn’t good! We left a lot behind especially the volcano roll that looked it had actually erupted with orange lava pouring down. Ughhh.
We went home and I reheated our Ottolenghi leftovers and all was right again.
Trust the vibe! it’s rarely wrong.
NoBlueHair 