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Today I got on the tube and went over to Knightsbridge for lunch with my friend Nancy at the restaurant at Harvey Nichols.
Edina and Patsy weren't there but it was very busy. The food was exquisite and, as you can see, the decor is beautiful. We had the 2 course champagne lunch. Wow, I'm definitely going back, it was Absolutely Fabulous!
Last night we went out to dinner with Tilo and Roshani to a restaurant in Soho called Ping Pong. The slogan on the outside of the restaurant says "little steamed parcels of deliciousness". We've been walking past it for ages and always thought the slogan was hilarious, so John tried it out a few weeks and ago and declared it fabulous.
I'm not a dim sum fan; the stuff that looks like steamed testicles is really not my thing. But it turns out there are a lot of other choices on the menu and they are truly wonderful. The food and decor are extremely high quality. We loved it!
In the photo you see some jasmine tea. They put a little compressed ball of leaves in the glass of hot water. After a few minutes it sinks to the bottom. Then the leaves slowly open and the jasmine flower inside is released. It's freaky but fun. First a strand jumped out, quickly followed by another strand: "pop!", like an alien emerging. You have to remind yourself it's just a flower. Then the whole flower expanded and shot up to the top of the glass, as you see it. Very clever and pretty.
We're definitely going to be eating there often because it's 100% non-smoking and the food was amazing.
Last evening was our sixth house concert! Magnatune artist Tilopa performed on the kyotaku, also known as Japanese zen-flute or long shakuhachi. He played solo and with accompaniment by his wife, Roshani, on singing bowls and shruti box.
Everyone was ready for something different and it truly was. Tilo explained the music is for meditation and is very relaxing. Many of us in the audience experienced something we never have before at a concert. It was amazing and incredibly beautiful.
Tilo and Roshani are delightful people;it was such a pleasure having them at our house and perform for everyone!
Last night we had dinner with Magnatune artist Elizabeth Wolff and her husband Rick.
They are both incredibly nice and fun people. Elizabeth is a bundle of energy which is no surprise given her extraordinary talent on the piano. They are in London for a few days so we're really glad we had the opportunity to meet them.
We had dinner at Moti Mahal which was delicious, as always. What a great evening!
Last night we saw Glorious at the Duchess Theatre, our first time there. It was hilarious. My favorite were the arias, because she was so off-key, with incompetent dramatic flourishes. But the script was also very funny and the characters were all endearing and hilarious. Poor Ricky!
Once again, I was both surprised and delighted to see a familiar Star Trek: The Next Generation face on stage. The male lead was played by Barrie Ingham who was in the episode Up The Long Ladder, a particularly silly but memorable episode from the iffy Season 2.
For dinner John surprised me with: omg, filet mignon. Steak is not a staple on menus in London (at least, in the restaurants we go) so we've been missing it and our grill in California. Although we have a grill built into our kitchen here John had never used it yet. (Oh, btw, John does all the cooking when we eat at home. Seriously, I can't make toast.) The grill worked perfectly and the filet mignon was outstanding. There is our little feast on the kitchen table, where we seem to end up eating rather than the dining room. Yummy!
Cuisine by Marks and Spencer
Dinnerware by Limoges
Drinkware by Bodum
Flatware by Bodum
Sweater by Land's End
 I'm so excited. The weather forecast for today is light snow!
A frequent question from people we meet in London is why would we give up the California sunshine for London gloom. Good question. But actually, except for right before we left, California was not that sunny in the 2 months we were there. It rained buckets continually for 3 weeks, was sunny briefly, then rained again. When we arrived here last week it was partly sunny and in the 50's. That's not bad, really, and a change of scene is a good thing. So today's weather prediction has got me all excited to see some snow which I hardly ever see. In fact, I think the last time I saw it was here last year. We're going out for lunch so I'm going to take my camera with me just in case. Bring it on, I'm ready for snow! |
You can sort of see in the photo it sort of snowed. On and off in the morning and then it turned into freezing cold drizzle just in time for us to travel to Mayfair for lunch.
But nothing can get in the way of us having lunch with one of our favorite people, Sarah Bardwell, Director of the Handel House Museum. She is fun and it's always great to see her.
On the way we passed a dealership for Bentley, right in the middle of the city on Berkeley Square. Hmmm.. I can just imagine someone who lives in Mayfair saying: "Luv, I'm just popping out to the shops, won't be a minute. I'm back, I bought a Bentley." I'm sure it happens every day.
We didn't buy a Bentley but on the way home we did stop to buy soap.
| Two contractors came today for our ongoing repairs and improvements.
The window people measured for phase 2 of the secondary windows and finishing phase 1 for the windows that didn't fit. Then the paint and spackle guy came (they call them decorators here) to see all the repairs that need done after installing the home theatre system, water damage from the leaking shower and various scuffs and chips from moving furniture. etc. We discovered he can also have more lights installed in the living room which is great news. And, even better news, he knows the guy who did the marble in the showers so now we can have the shower controls redone. (Ok, here's the thing: the showers have separate pressure controls. So, every time you take a shower you have to figure out the optimal temperature vs. pressure separately for hot and cold. Instead of just setting the temperature the way you like and then turn it on/off.) The plumber had said he could redo the controls but would have to rip out the marble and didn't know how to replace it. Now there's hope we can find the same marble supplier and finally get the shower controls changed. Oh, and shower doors. The showers don't have doors. Very trendy, very modern, very wet. In the top photo you see the holes in the wall in the main staircase where the developer ripped out the existing artwork. Also, there are some chips in the venetian plaster in the entry hall (you can't see the chips in the photo) that need repairing. The venetian plaster is all over the house and is one of the most beautiful thing's we've ever seen. He said it will probably take a month to do all the painting and repairs so they'll probably do it while we're away in California in May. Yay, we were not looking forward to living in a construction zone. We're really lucky to have such amazing contractors, they're all really nice. |
Today the designers, Sebastian and Sam, came to show us fabrics for the new window shades and to take measurements. They are fabulous and I really enjoy working with them.
OMG, the choice of fabrics is amazing and it's impossible to make a decision. We want something elegant without being ornate and something simple without being boring. Brain hurts...
We may end up just doing the whole house in what was the nicest fabric previously, which was in the livingroom and is beautiful (see photo). It's kind of gauzy and semi-sheer, lets a lot of light through but also allows privacy. We previously had the charcoal color but it comes in many other colors so I think we'll end up using it in different colors on different floors. They're going to send us more samples so we can narrow it down. It's going to be gorgeous.
Then we had lunch with Doris at Le Deuxieme. It's always so enjoyable spending time with her and was a particularly excellent afternoon.
I'm having trouble keeping off the pounds and wanted a light lunch so today we ate at the delicious Busaba Eathai.
The food is fabulous and it's one of the few all non-smoking restaurants around. It's usually packed but Sundays are pretty quiet, especially since we get there right after it opens at 12.
For dinner we're eating in tonight because I've been having too many opulent meals lately and need to slim down.
BTW, no helicopter today.
Last night we had an exquisite dinner at one of our favorite restaurants Moti Mahal. We were surprised to be greeted particularly warmly which is usually the case in restaurants we go to frequently except in this case one of the staff has apparently found our blog and told the other staff all about us. So, hi there Moti Mahal people, we love your restaurant!
Everything about the restaurant is wonderful. It's not your typical Indian menu, it's more upscale, refined and inventive. The decor is beautiful and the service is excellent. And they have champagne. Actually, we go there a lot. Last night's dinner was especially amazing.
So what does one do the rest of the evening after drinking a bottle of pink champagne? Watch tv downloads, of course! We're getting caught up on season 2 of Lost and watched episode 3 "Orientation" (where they watch the film). Wow, it's getting freaky. Then we watched the most recent Battlestar Galactica. I can't believe there are only 3 more episodes left in the season! I'm sure they'll leave us with a cliffhanger to end all cliffhangers.
Again, nearly every day since we've gotten back a helicopter has hovered over the area each afternoon. Today it was directly over the house.
It is a really loud and obnoxious noise. And it just hovers there for 20 minutes. Sometimes it goes away for a bit and then comes back. Just when you thought it was over, it's back.
I just want everyone to know I'm doing my part for Homeland Security by listening to this effing helicopter every day. Whatever they're doing it had better be important.
If I ever meet anyone from the London helicopter department I plan to accidentally spill a drink on him. With something that stains. So there.
Or maybe it isn't even security related. Maybe it's a film crew taking aerial footage of Trafalgar Square so later they can digitally add Tom Cruise in a Lamborghini for Mission Impossible 4.
In my (extensive) daily surfing the web I often come across music reviews and articles. Most of it's PR hype for crap but sometimes I come across something intriguing. Also, that damned "customers who bought this also bought" at amazon and iTunes is also like a drug for me. Hours can go by so quickly that I forget to even go to the bathroom. Ok, I'm a music addict.
Here are some things I bought yesterday and today that I'm very excited about:
 Reminiscence by Lunascape. Why doesn't anyone know about this band? I was shocked to discover they wrote Tears from the Moon, the lovely song sung by Sinead O'Connor on the first Conjure One album. I thought that was good but the original by Lunascape is even more beautiful, as is the whole album. It's a kind of electro, ethereal, downtempo with a beautiful voice that is a cross between Sinead O'Connor and Enya. Sadly, the album is a compilation of tracks from their first two cd's that are out of print because the music industry is pathetic. But I love this album and am playing it over and over. |
 Brendan Perry was 1/2 of the famous Dead Can Dance. I had ignored this album when it came out because I thought it was going to be too mellow. Stupid me. The other half of Dead Can Dance, Lisa Gerrard, has several solo albums out and at first I was excited about them and then gave up because they are so deadly dull and pretentious. Brendan Perry's The Eye of the Hunter is a beautiful album of ethereal folk-ish songs. His voice is superior to anything he did in Dead Can Dance. Haunting, austere; it's wonderful. |
 The Back Room by Editors is being hyped a bit, I saw a poster for it in the Tube station. I was curious and listened to the previews at iTunes and was pleasantly surprised. It's kind of Echo and the Bunnymen meets Joy Division. It's a rock band, it's really rock with no fussy technology. Some songs are catchier than others but it's an overall great album. It's my favorite find since I discovered Snow Patrol a few weeks ago. |
Well, 46 isn't that cold but it's colder than we're used to.
One of the things I'd forgotten about shopping in winter is that you have to bundle up for walking outside and then you sweat like a pig inside the store. Today we walked over to Waterstone's on Piccadilly. I left John to wander through the store forever (I'm a quick shopper) and went to the dreaded Virgin Megastore. As always, it was a complete waste of effort and I really must get a grip and stop going there. Repeat after me: "they don't have the music I want... they don't have the music I want..."
Along the way to and from home we walked through Leicester Square where there was a lot of chaos while they prepared the front of the huge Odeon theatre for the next Hollywood blockbuster premier. Wow, I didn't realize they went through so much just to put up a lot of marketing hype. The grass in the square was covered over with white plastic (it's plastic, not snow in the photo) and then laid these big green lego-like plastic things all over the lawn. I assume this is to accommodate the crowds for the upcoming premier. It was really disturbing seeing all this labour and money going toward hyping what is very likely a terrible film but at least these guys have jobs, so that's good enough. I guess. I'll let you know what the movie turns out to be.
UPDATE: The film turned out to be Munich. I've never been a Spielberg fan...
Ok, as advertised, the weather here is really freaky. After lunch it got really dark outside and then it started to hail. Ice falling from the sky. Never seen that in California. Now, 15 minutes later, the sky is blue. Yes, London's weather is freaky.
It's contractor time.
While we were away the plumbers sealed the showers from the leak so that seems fine now. The window people are coming back to finish the secondary windows project, the window covering people are coming to show us fabrics for new shades for the new windows and the "decorator" (that's what they call spackle and paint guys) is coming to see all the spackling and repainting we need done (a lot) after all the changes/repairs we've made.
Today, Steinway is coming for my first piano tuning.
One thing about owning a house is that it's never done. We've experienced this in Berkeley and now it's turning out to be true in London as well. I know, I know, you feel my pain.
Speaking of pain, the 70 degree sunny days in California right before we left made us wonder how bad London weather was going to make us feel. But the weather is fine. It rained buckets overnight but this morning, and for the past couple of days, it's been partly sunny and 55+. Not bad at all.
No one was hurt and everything is fine.
Yesterday our next door neighbors' house in Berkeley caught fire. It was in the morning, no one was home. Nearby neighbors heard the smoke detectors and saw smoke and called the fire department who got there in time. I don't have all the details about the cause but it had something to do with a heater.
The physical damage was small although of course there is a lot of smoke damage and smell and damage from the firemen chopping their way into the house in order to save it. Horray for our neighbors for detecting it in time because it could have turned into an inferno that could have affected many houses nearby, including ours.
Of course, this triggered all my fears that something horrible can go wrong with our house in California while we're away. And it nearly did. But all's well that ends well. My heart goes out to our neighbors who have to deal with the damage and disruption to their lives.
We're back!
The flight was one of the easiest ever. Quiet, good films (I watched Flightplan, loved it), yummy dinner, lots of sleep. The photos are John and me at the Virgin Airlines Clubhouse in San Francisco International Airport where we always have a delicious lunch before our flight.
London is grey and 55 degrees which is warmer than we expected. Unfortunately, it's also 55 inside the house so we turned on the heat and hopefully it will heat up quickly. There was a huge pile of mail/bills/etc. and already some voice mails from friends.
Some good news is that the shop downstairs that used to have their displays on the sidewalk that sort of blocked our front door is gone. It really was an eyesore so I'm delighted it's closed.
We don't have much scheduled yet so I don't know how much blogging I'll be doing. We're just happy to be here!
Clyde has been particularly needy the last few days. It's like he knows I'm leaving on Sunday!
In the morning, instead of waiting at the front door, he's been screaming to be let in. If I leave him on the sofa alone and go upstairs to do email, etc. he screams in the living room.
This evening, he followed me upstairs and sat in my lap while I did computer stuff. OMG, he knows. It's breaking my heart but damn I love that little guy.
One week from today we return to London!
We've had such a great time in California, in spite of the continual rain. This morning's view of the Golden Gate Bridge was particularly pretty.
In the photos you can see Clyde: sitting on the fence waiting for me to let him in; jumping from the fence to the front porch to scurry in the door in case I change my mind; immediately going to the sink for a drink of water from the faucet; running to the sofa and waiting for me to sit with him. Jeezus what a cutie, I'm going to miss him.
Then there is a photo of the fabric swatches for new window shades. Our house in London is so beautiful that when we came to Berkeley this time we looked at our house and felt: yuck. So, it's time for some poshing up. Roman shades in ivory sheer should be nice. And we got some new furniture that is significantly more upscale than what we had.
Then there are John and Bob assembling a gazebo we bought for our garden. While we're away our landscaper will be planting jasmine to grow up the sides and across the top to form a canopy. There is Clyde doing his imitation of the sculpture, no wait, he's peeing in the bushes that little trouble-maker.
We're going to get together with as many of our friends as we can this week because we're going to miss them while we're away. But we're also excited to see our London friends next week!
Click on the photos for larger version.
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