Are you there Amanda?

It's me, beef and Guinness stew.

This was, without a doubt, the most perfect way to warm up on a cold day (though the OJ is mine - I don't drink Guinness for lunch!).

Sending a big howdy out to Bash, who we are pretty sure would love Ireland for its beef and Guinness stew alone, and who we thought of often on this trip. Miss you, friend!

Cold feet

Well, it may come as a surprise to no one that I chose my footwear poorly for our country excursion. I was thinking we'd walk through a few little towns along the way, for which my trusty ballet flats are quite comfy and suitable. It turns out, of course, that we were to do a bit of country trail hiking in the rain. To lakes and waterfalls and lovely misty views, like this one:



And this is what you do when you step in the inevitable goosh puddle in your unsuitable shoes on the way to the lake:


Rinse off in the freezing Irish spring, naturally!


Burrr...

We carefully made our way back to the car and enjoyed a little coffee, a biting wind, and a view.

Country roads

Day 2: Tour of Wicklow mountains, Glendalough and the Irish countryside, with our jolly driver, Paul.

A blur of gorgeous, gorgeous fall colors






and just as lush and green as you've always imagined Ireland to be. (Me, giddily, on our way out of town: "It's unbelievable! The entire country is green as a golf course. Look over there! Wow!" "Dear, that IS a golf course.") This, however, is not:



Also PLENTY of Irish mist, drizzle and fog all day long, which was just fine with us. Though it made the photos a bit tricky, luckily I had some practice so we came away with a few decent shots. More to come!

Tell us a story, Johnny Daly

For dinner on our first night in Dublin, we had booked an evening at the Brazen Head, Dublin's oldest pub (est. 1198), for an evening of Irish storytelling. Definitely for the tourists, but undeniably excellent. We learned so much about Irish culture, history and folklore, and it was a fantastic way to kick off our trip.


Our storyteller, Johnny Daly, also incorporated some of the origins of Halloween in honor of the upcoming holiday. Halloween, or Samhain in Celtic, was the belief that the spirits (both good and evil) passed through to the other side on this day, and costumes and masks were used to impersonate and trick the evil ones. Samhain was also, appropriately, the time of the fall harvest celebration.

While he told us stories, we feasted on traditional Irish cuisine (we both started with the Irish fishcakes; I had the Irish stew, Nicholas had the beef & Guinness stew). The significance of the potato and traditional "peasant" fare in Ireland is woven in as well.

While we commonly think of fairies as lovely little Disney characters, the Irish used faeries and leprechauns to explain away their problems, and most were actually quite powerful (/evil). Accidentally get drunk and pass out in a ditch last night? Your wife can't possibly be angry when you tell her it's all the faeries' fault for dragging you there. The infection that plagued the potato crops and led to the potato famine were also blamed on evil faeries. A really enjoyable evening with a master storyteller, one of Ireland's most treasured traditions.

After dinner, we headed downstairs for a perfectly pulled pint of cold, frothy Guinness in the old pub.



Happy Halloween!

A quick note

We are back from Ireland! We had a really wonderful time and it was a great birthday. Thanks everyone for all your sweet birthday messages, and it's so good to hear so many of you are enjoying the blog! Photos of the lovely Emerald Isle to come - have to upload and sort them when I find a free moment, which will likely be in pieces over the next few days. Wishing everyone a great week!

xo,
lmm

Good day, sunshine

Lucky us, another gorgeous day! Now that you've seen our flat, maybe it's time we take a stroll around the neighborhood. We'll start on our street, just off Bayswater on Linden Gardens, and head to Portobello, a five minute walk.








If you please, you may skip. Portobello tends to have that effect on people.




Look familiar? Delicious, cheap pizza here. It's right on the way.


As is this lovely little house.


Lots of colorful homes along the way, in fact.


This is the top - a few cute shops here but the best part is just down the road.


Here we are! Portobello, one of London's most famous streets. On Saturdays it's packed with tourists and locals alike scouring the stalls for a good deal on antiques. Many songs have been written about this charming avenue, which is chocked full of colorful houses, colorful people, and vintage treasures. Maybe you recall this one from Bedknobs and Broomsticks?


"Portobello road, Portobello road"

"Street where the riches of ages are stowed,"


"Anything and everything a chap can unload,"


"Is sold off the barrow in Portobello road."


"You’ll find what you want in the Portobello road!"

Obviously, there's also that movie with Hugh Grant & Julia Roberts, which features lots of scenes on Portobello and around Notting Hill. The Gold, a favorite pub of ours, is where they shot the rooftop scenes. Notting Hill and Portobello also played a significant role in the 60's counterculture and the underground rock movement. We've been lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a bit of that as well, so stay tuned.


Sun's setting - time to head home. Hope you enjoyed the walk around our neighborhood!

Nicholas is taking me to Dublin tomorrow for my birthday, so be on the lookout for posts from the Emerald Isle!

Our flat

Come on in! Take off your coat.





Here is our flat! Quite "cosy" isn't it? But just what we were looking for.




This is called how to decorate your tiny, boring white flat on a shoestring budget. Requirements: must be cheap, colorful, British, and easy to carry home (or part with). You might recognize those pictures on the wall. The Beatles poster reflected in the mirror was just 4 quid, and it won't likely be making the journey. The postcards strung along the far wall are vintage from Portobello, and we've been clipping theatre tickets, etc. to them as we go. We wanted the whole place to be a reminder of our time abroad.


Except this. This gem was at the vinyl store around the corner. It's 80s-tastic and we agree that Willie, Kris, Brenda and Dolly are indeed the winning hand.


You may have noticed the "Bath" sign in the previous picture. Wouldn't want you to get lost. It's just to the right of the trashcan - you can't miss it!


Here's the kitchen. Note its proximity to the bed. Hopefully never again in my life will I be able to say I bumped my head on the kitchen counter while adjusting my pillow.


Our "dining room." Just dandy for a spot of tea by the window. And a pot of violets, which I have managed to keep alive since we moved in; perhaps the English are bringing out my green thumb.

Thanks for stopping by!

Visitors!

Fell off a bit on the posting - we had lots of visitors in town this past week, which leaves little time for much else – including taking pictures it seems. But it was so fun to be true tourists and get wined and dined by our wonderful families (my grandparents and Nicholas' parents). A few of the highlights, all recommended for your next trip to London:

The Wallace Collection, a fantastic, often overlooked museum inside of a grand old home. The sumptuous, carefully planned decor, paintings, porcelain and armour are really fabulous.

Jersey Boys, so so good!

Breakfast at Tiffany's, slightly different than the original but really fun, and Anna Friel was marvelous. A bit of nudity which was a surprise, but which my grandparents handled very gamely.

Liberty of London - historically known for its lovely fabrics, it's also the best department store I've ever been to. Just beautiful top to bottom, I could have stayed for days (but I didn't buy a thing)!

Nicholas went to various gun shops with his parents - Purdey, Holland & Holland, William Evans - and reports that he has a few items to add to his 2045 Christmas list.

The Churchill War Museum - I saw this when my mom was here, and had been once before so I knew N. would enjoy it. He went with my grandfather, a Churchill buff, and they had a great time. My grandmother Annie and I headed to Kensington Palace instead and saw a wonderful exhibition called "The Last of the Debutantes" about the debs in the summer of 1958. Really interesting and fun.

We also ate some delicious dinners at Bumpkin (upscale English comfort food), Zafferano's (Italian fine dining and truly heavenly), Patara (yummy Thai, better than Titaya's!) and did brunch at Le Caprice one day too. Such a special treat, and it was so great to see everyone!

Incidentally, a few others I would recommend from my sweet Mom's trip here earlier this month were Billy Elliot, which I'm still raving about, Murano, a fantastic Gordon Ramsay restaurant (the maitre d' from Hell's Kitchen was our actual maitre d'!), and Tamarind, arguably the best Indian food in London. Oh, and if you are ever in London and Buckingham Palace is open to visitors - GO. It was really unbelievable. Thank you to both of our families for making our time here so much more memorable! We've loved sharing it with you guys!

Street scenes

Lost balloon

"Noooo! It's going to pop in SPACE!"


As the sun went down, their parents were calling the boys to come back so they could head for home, but they were still searching for the balloon. This one is weighing his options...


...but a few stern threats from his mum got him going.


(taken in Kensington Gardens)