London, sweet London

Oh it’s so good to be back. Better than we’d ever imagined in fact. We’ve walked and walked and walked and walked. Through Soho, from here to Camden, back to Belsize Park, up to Hampstead, around the Heath, through the City, up to Hackney and from here to South End Green countless times. We’ve walked more than we walked in an entire 18 months in Auckland.

walking up to Belsize Park – London believes in meadows

We’ve eaten rhubarb yoghurt, parma ham from Carluccios, cranks wholemeal loaf, lurpak butter, proper english sausages, strawberries, plums, pret twice for breakfast, spinach and ricotta pastries, incredible raw-food mango cake from Spitalfields, salt beef beigel, smoked salmon and cream cheese beigel from Brick Lane, and I had the best ever Mocha from the coffee house by Spitalfields.

our Street

Sunday morning saw us up bright and early and on the bus to Farringdon where we walked to Spitalfields while everyone was setting up – it was brilliant being there without the crowds then on we went to Brick Lane. Too early for Labour and Wait so up to Columbia Road (all minus camera of course!) where my crowd combat method is to walk down behind the market on the footpath and dip in and out to look at the flowers and plants. And to buy herbs and alliums of course.

kitchen herbs

That night we walked up to GPK for dinner, just to ensure we didn’t need to eat for another week at least. They’ve got coleslaw now which tastes as though it’s half sugar. Astrid liked her burger though. And she shouted a lot too.

Astrid yelling for burger

Then our weary little feet carried us back home. To a new home that’s very quickly and naturally feeling like home home. This is my favourite place in the world to live this little Street we’re in. And our little cottage is better than we could ever have hoped for.

view from the kitchen (note strawberry hanging baskets)

And in only a few short weeks we’ll have our stuff, the cats will be here, Astrid’s childcare will all be sorted and we’ll both be working. Simple (she says collapsing in a heap).