Archives for category: Food

I spent from October 22 to 29 in the beautiful walled medieval city of Canterbury, Kent. I traveled by train, taking the slower two-hour route to see more of the countryside (London to Canterbury can be achieved in an hour on the high-speed train). I found it to be a delightful, vibrant and very walkable city.

One of the highlights for me was Canterbury Cathedral. The depth of history and the profundity of spiritual experience I found very moving. Read all about the Cathedral here.

Another gem of the city, tucked away right off the high street, is the Franciscan Gardens, which was the home to the first Franciscan settlement in England, established in 1224.

There was lots of great walking right in the city and all amenities within a few minutes walk, plus a great indoor farmer’s market called the Goods Shed. I was surprised tho by the numbers of tourists crowding the streets in late October!

Would visit again for sure, and perhaps take on part of the Old Way Pilgrim walk!

I took a day off on October 19 to rest and work. Thank goodness, because the next day was wonderful and intense!

At 6:15 am I headed out take a bus to Elephant and Castle, tube to King’s Cross, train to King’s Lynn in Norfolk (because it was Sunday and there are ongoing rail improvements, the train took me to Ely where replacement busses were waiting). Hopped off the bus in King’s Lynn and was happy to see a cab, so I grabbed it and off we went for the 20-minute journey to Houghton Hall and Gardens. My drivers in both directions were so lovely and great conversations were had!

Houghon Hall was constructed in the 1720s for Britain’s first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole, and is still inhabited by Walpole’s descendant the 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley and his family. The house and gardens are exquisite, and are also home to a large contemporary sculpture collection while hosting rotating special installations.

This year the Hall featured works by Antony Gormley and Magdalene Odundo. I was happy that part of Odundo’s exhibit had been held over. See more about both exhibits here.

Other favourite things about the day were the beautiful walled garden, the cafe, the toy soldier museum and the lovely people I conversed with!

I didn’t get back into London until almost 9 pm! A long day but oh such a wonderful one!

October 18 was another beautiful day in London. My main adventure was a visit to the Sir John Soane Museum. This is a magical place – the home of a renowned English architect which has been kept as it was at his death in 1837. I will let the museum’s website tell you more! I really wish GJ had been with me; I think he would have loved it!

I also wandered around Bloomsbury for a while and found a blue plaque for Bertrand Russell:

The afternoon ended on the south side of the Thames in Southwark. I had a lovely early supper at The George (1676), London’s only surviving galleried inn (recommended by my beloved sister). And, popped into Borough Market just before it closed.

Today is October 29, and I am on the train back to London from Canterbury. Feeling quite sad to be leaving all the wonderful things I experienced there! More on that later.

For now, I am looking back on my second day in London, October 17. It was great to head out unencumbered by my ridiculous quantity of luggage. Brockley station has an infrequent service to London Bridge (I learned later it was much quicker to take the train to Canada Water and transfer to the tube there). Not far from the station at London Bridge is a little arcade called Hays Galleria. There I found White Mulberries cafe and had an excellent breakfast and tea. The Shard is right near this station.

I took the tube to King’s Cross and spent several hours exploring all the streets and squares. I stumbled on the Royal Watercolour Society which had a wonderful show on. I became a bit lost and quite by accident found myself in Trafalgar Square! Hooray, lunch at the Crypt Cafe at St Martin in the Fields and a visit to the beautiful church.

A quick tube ride from Charing Cross to Piccadilly Circus then I walked along the Thames back to Blackfriars for the train back to Lewisham.

And such a brilliant adventure so far! Plans began to form earlier this year, and it felt like it would never begin. Through so much support and generosity, begin it has!

I am sure some of you can guess where I am. Correct, I have returned at last to Britain. I arrived in London on October 16, and headed directly to the V&A where I could check my luggage and relax for the few hours before I was able to check in to my accommodation. I admit to visiting the café twice as I was quite hungry, but I also spent some time in the Cast Courts.

Eventually I made my way via ThamesLink to Lewisham in South London and a most excellent AirBnB. My room faced the back garden and the dawn chorus from such an array of birds was both delightful and surprising!

At the very end of my UK adventure last autumn, I spent three last days in London. I didn’t expect to love London as much as I did; and I didn’t even see one tenth of the city. There is so much more to explore and I can’t wait to go back!

I left lovely Rye tearful, and began missing it even as I boarded the train. A quick ride brought me into the gorgeous St. Pancras Station.

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I checked in at Victoria and Edmund’s beautiful house in Hammersmith, where the adventure began a month earlier. I stayed in The Pink Room for these last few nights, and – just like at the beginning of the trip – enjoyed exceptional hospitality. Back onto the tube and on a mission: to find the Fortnum and Mason store. I hopped off at the Green Park station and made my way a couple of blocks to this beautiful department store, filled with delights for all the senses.

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Since I was so close, I walked through Green Park to see Buckingham Palace. Impressive and majestic, but so many people!

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The next day I walked around Chelsea in the morning, heading over the Albert Bridge, and spending a bit of time walking along the Thames in Battersea Park. Back over the bridge and a lovely snack at Gail’s.

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The afternoon was devoted to the Victoria and Albert Museum. I was completely overwhelmed by the extent of the collections. So much so, that I had a little panic attack and had to calm myself with a cream tea!

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The last day I spent exploring Camden with lovely friend I hadn’t seen in many years. Dinner with dear people was the best end to a remarkable trip.

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I will be back in the UK as soon as possible. My heart remained and I must go collect it!

 

 

Still dreaming about Rye, and the lovely place I stayed for three nights, Jeake’s House. It took about five minutes to walk to cobbled Mermaid Street from the train station. I was welcomed warmly and shown to my pretty room. Jeake’s House is perfectly situated for easy walking around Rye. It’s just around the corner from Lamb House, and close to St Mary’s Church and Rye Castle/Ypres Tower.

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The house is beautifully appointed and my stay included a delicious, hearty breakfast each morning in the gorgeous dining room.

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I am looking forward to my next trip to the UK and Rye, and would certainly stay at Jeake’s House again.

What a glorious time I had in England last autumn! My travel companion chose some beautiful places to visit; stunning towns and villages I will always remember. In the last week of my visit, I traveled on my own to a little town in East Sussex. It was a town I knew about and had longed to visit, a town known for its literary history and outstanding beauty. I left Brighton on the train the morning of October 18 and within two hours I pulled into the station in Rye. I stepped off the train and my heart swelled to bursting. Within 5 minutes I was at the door to my accommodation, Jeakes House. Being in England gave me the feeling of being home, Rye, even more so.

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For three days I wandered the lanes and paths, enjoying every vista, every shop. I visited Lamb House, a National Trust property, former home of Henry James. I saw sunrises and sunsets. In between the wandering, I got caught up on my painting projects and blogging.

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And there was a cream tea or two! The Cobbles was outstanding!

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I would happily live in Rye, and will be looking for opportunities to spend a lot more time there in the near future!

I was so excited to have an unexpected night in Brighton near the end of my month in England last October. It was very nice to be beside the seaside, and explore this interesting and artsy town. A quick train ride from Brockenhurst brought me right into town and just steps away from the hotel I found near the station: ibis Brighton City Centre. My room was clean and comfortable, and I had a nice view of the town.

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As soon as I had dropped my bags, I headed out to explore the town and find the iconic pier. Brighton Palace Pier, opened in 1899, is an amusement park featuring rides, carnival games, entertainments and restaurants/food stalls. It also offers a lovely view back towards Brighton, which became a fashionable seaside resort in the Georgian era.

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I also had a bit of time to explore the Royal Pavilion, The Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, and The Lanes (a car-free area filled with shops and restaurants).

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The food theme for my 12 hours is Brighton was FUN! I met the lovely owners of a wonderful Belgian fries shop called Befries, had a big soft ice cream on the pier, and enjoyed a very nice pizza from Very Italian Pizza.

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All around an exceptionally fun time was had. I would love to spend more time in Brighton!

A quiet and gentle Yuletide Season has come and gone. The gift of a head cold on Christmas Day forced me to rest for a week, which I needed. We ate great food,  completed a puzzle, watched our favourite festive films, and took some naps.

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Victoria was, as usual, decorated and filled with festive cheer. There was no snow this year, but the winter rain made way for many bright clear days.

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We enjoyed two amazing Holiday performances: the Victoria Symphony‘s Christmas Pops concert, and local jazz heroes The Tom Vickery Trio playing the Guaraldi Charlie Brown Christmas Suite at a private party in Chinatown.

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And now a new year ahead, filled with possibilities! I will be completing the stories from my autumn trip to the UK, and continuing to work on the art projects which that trip inspired.

Wishing you all the best year ahead!

xx