We arrived at the hotel which was also a helipad. Very James Bond. In fact the hotel had a whole aviation/James Bond theme throughout. The bed was giant which was nice after the tiny pull out sofa in Paris and the bathroom had a tv in it. Weird. Now, I have been to London before. But this was the first time I was here as an adult (whatever that means).
The next day I went to The Globe. To see Mark Rylance and Stephen Fry in Twelfth Night. You guys, I booked the ticket way back in March. I know everyone loves Stephen Fry and he is great but the truth is that I went to see Mark Rylance because he is an incredible actor. The best thing is that a groundling ticket (that's for the people who stand near the stage, as peasants would have done in Shakespeare's time) is only 5 pounds! The play was amazing. It was not only witty and humorous but also poignant and beautiful. I was lucky and got to lean right against the stage. It was perfect! It rained during the last ten minutes but I was sheltered from the covering over the stage but my feet did get wet, I had been standing in a puddle which I didn't notice because I was at The Globe.
Afterwards I met the Irishman for a drink in The Swan, the bar/restaurant that is part of The Globe. It was lovely and cosy and a perfect way to end a day at The Globe. Then we wandered around London near the financial district. The Irishman took me to an old watering hole of his, back from his bachelor days of living in London. It's in an area that was an old outdoor covered market that had now been converted to pubs and shops. It is also where they film all the Diagon Alley scenes in Harry Potter for all you nerds out there.
After a while of strolling around I was getting hungry despite eating so much in Paris. The Irishman took me to Jamie Oliver's Italian restaurant. Fancy! It was delicious. I had ricotta and smoked mozzarella stuffed zucchini flower to start, veal with poached egg and black truffle, and a decadent chocolate pot for dessert. Yum!
The following day we went to Westminster Abbey. I walked over Charles Darwin's grave. Literally. Oops. It took us two hours to walk through the whole abbey. I did not realise it was that large a building. That, and I'm a dork and had to stop at every tomb of dead queens and kings. It really is an amazing place both for it's architecture and historical features.
Afterwards we walked to Covent Garden and poked around the shops stopping for cookies from Ben's Cookies, which are the best cookies ever. Fresh from the oven and warm and gooey. Then we walked up to Picadilly Circus thus completing a good day of sightseeing.
Then we went to the Irishman's friend's house were we were going to stay for the next two nights. They were very wonderful and we went to a restaurant in their neighborhood for more amazing food. First I was told that I had to try one of the restaurant's signature cocktails called The Pornstar Martini made with pomegranate vodka, vermouth, champagne and fresh passion fruit. It was delicious. But more than one would put you on the floor. I had pork belly with scallop to start, venison with a sweet potato puree, and poached pear and chocolate sorbet for dessert. Delectable. Though at this point I was realising I would need to consider not eating for a while.
The next day we went to the Borough Market which for anyone who likes food or markets (by now I'm sure you know I like food and markets) is a feast for the eyes and the tummy. I bought some drunk cheese. Yes that's cheese that's matured in old wine casks. Cheese and wine happily together as one! Then the Irishman's friend insisted we try the skrumpy cider. Really alcoholic home made apple cider. I only had a small cup and I felt tipsy.
Later that evening I met more of the Irishman's friends. They were all a lot of fun and tried not to tell me too many embarrassing stories about the Irishman.
The next morning we took a train to Holyhead and then a ferry back to Dublin. But I know I will go back to London soon. Ah, the life I live. Yes I know I'm lucky.
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