Day 3 - London

Fun fact about Karen and Eric – neither one sleeps particularly well on the road. This is somewhat ironic given the amount of travel we do. So after another night of tossing and turning, we woke and headed out to Harrod’s in the Knightsbridge area of London. The Monument Underground stop was back open 

which is of little interest to our dear readers, but was very exciting for us as it had been closed since our arrival. We meandered through Knightsbridge past the Victoria and Albert Museum, stumbled upon the Kazakhstan Embassy

Should we send students to Khazakhstan? (Shout out to Kelly)

and on to Harrods.

The place is huge and filled with luxury item after luxury item. We hit up all of our usual brands: Valentino, D&G, Prada, etc. We didn’t buy any of the “reduced” $12,000 dresses or $800 shoes because of packing space…and also SERIOUSLY!!!! (with respect to a certain dear someone whose kids are fed and clothed by those pricey baubles.) 

After Harrod’s we jumped back on the Underground to Covent Garden.  Rebecca’s guide to London (she should be a tour guide) was full of places in Covent Garden and we were so glad to go because it was utterly charming.  But also slightly disturbing, as we had the sense we had been there before.  As we walked around the cobblestoned streets, filled with shops and market buildings and busy with street performers, it dawned upon us: Covent Garden must have been the model for Boston’s Quincy Market.  Check out the photo and tell us if you agree.

Heading down to the river intending to go to lunch at the Admiralty in Somerset House, we encountered Tom’s Kitchen on our way and decided on that instead.

Tom’s Kitchen is the down market  spot belonging to Michelin star chef Tom Aikens.  He emphasizes local food and the freshest British produce.  Before you crack any jokes, it was the best meal by far we had in London and in lots of other places too.  Karen had the chicken paillard salad and the seasonal risotto (root vegetable) and Eric had the butternut squash, honey and sage soup followed by the macaroni and cheese.

Risotto

Mac and Cheese

The Menu (for you, Ballowe)

View from Tom's Kitchen at Somerset House

We each enjoyed a glass of wine and the view of the Thames, while scribbling postcards to nieces and nephew Jami, Halle, Alexandra, Libby and Max describing our adventures in chilly London.

It started to rain while we were at lunch, our first London rain.  While we had been eating, Brad had emailed to say don’t miss coffee at the Italian chain Caffe Nero.  So we ducked into one on our way out of Somerset House and enjoyed a cappuccino and chai.   

Beecher inspired coffee and respite from the cold London air

Our time in London was coming to an end and while we were sad to go, we were resolved to return (long weekend, anyone?) and excited for the next part of our journey – Hong Kong. Stay tuned.