Please sit comfortable and enjoy a cup of tea while I let you in into my life.
After an entire day of shopping (boots, fake jewelry, t-shirts, bras, bags, books and dvds) we tought it was time to discover new sides of London. We took the metro to St. Paul
and walked toward the Barbican neighbour
with a well deserved stop at the Museum Of London a must-to-be-seen if you want to know everything about the city we have learnt to love
After the full immersion in the past, it was weird to walk through the street that once was the wall surrounding the oldest and first part of the roman “Londinium” where old and new stand side by side
We had two missions for the day, the first was to find a specific house. You know, me and daughter M have a special date on saturday afternoons (being both of us Christie’s fans) with the Hercule Poirot tv series, so we just HAD to find his home. In real life it’s called Florin Mansion, and we found it!
On our way back we looked for the second target for the day, linked to movies as well. Do you remember the film “Closer“? Well, Postman Park had a lot to do with the plot of the film
(another way to take a photos of M is while she’s not looking)
The night was falling down and the magic of the lights was on again
Our last day was dedicated to visit the Victoria and Albert Museum another gem we missed before. I really enjoyed it, the place is magnificent and its collections a real treasure
One last thing we had to do, as always when there: buy a lot of tea, and directly from the main source….
So, that’s it. I’m looking for another trip to London, because there’s so much more to see and little cozy corners to discover. But there’s more I want to show you, so come back soon to my little place.
Even the flight was a nice experience, I mean isn’t the view terrific?
Apparently this wasn’t enough to keep awake this travel companion who fell asleep as we took off (they had to shake him to get him out of the plane)
It was the 5th time in town, and even if it was just 4 days, we had to follow unusual paths and see unusual places. Our first goal was the Highgate neighbour (the only way to have daughter M on a photo is to take one of her back….)
where we strolled around (God, I just LOVE those houses)
and where we had a nice and peaceful stay at the Waterlow Park
In the park is housed the Highgate Cemetery, an usual walk but an interesting one, the eternal resting place of many famous people such as Karl Marx in the east wing (the western one was closed) in a very decadent, gothic surrounding
With the exception of the man selling tickets at the entrance, we didn’t meet another living soul there, but this squirrel was our companion for a while….
we
After saying goodbye to him, we strolled again through the streets of the area
and after another metro ride we arrived at the Marble Arch
where we rest a little before getting the shopping fever through Oxford Street while the darkness was giving everything a magical touch
The best part of our little vacation? One night we decided to indulge ourselves and we got tickets for the musical “Billy Elliot” at the Victoria Palace Theatre, one of the best show I’ve ever seen, really amazing cast! (sorry, no pics allowed inside during the show)
Tomorrow, I will post the last part, so come back for more……
Just wait for me to finish to dowload and arrange my pics….. Lot to do at home and at work….
Tomorrow morning I’m leaving with daughter M for London…..see you next week
Imagine this: Christmas day, my cousin M with her family came for a short visit in the afternoon. She proudly showed me her husband gift (of which I already knew because he told me) a brand new iPhone4S…. obviously I said “How nice, I’d like someone gave me this for Christmas” and my mom promptly replied “If you really like it, I’ll give it to you”
Now, my mom is always so generous and a natural giver, but I’m not willing to take advantage of it, so I told her “Don’t even think about it! I don’t really need it”.
Last day of the year: my cousin S, currently living in New Jersey, was here with his wife for the holidays, visiting their families, and that day they came to see us. They just bought a flat, so he showed me on his cell phone their new home and where it is located, and I said “That’s a cell I like, much less expensive than the iPhone”.
Yesterday evening: I knew my daughter was out in the afternoon with a friend, and when my mother came up after dinner, I knew something was going on……. she bought me a new cell phone, the Samsung Galaxy Ace…..
Now the problem is just one….how the hell does it work??????
While I was still at home taking photos on my cell phone of the table my daughter was setting for the evening….
….. our friends R & G were at their home waiting for us while cooking this delicious mexican food for the last dinner of the year! Luckily G took photos because I was so lost in eating all they prepared for us that I totally forgot….. tortillas with guacamole….
burrito and chili con carne….
and tiny tacos….
So you can understand why I drank a lot of this, right? (and I mean reeeeeeally a lot!)
This is my Christmas tree (a far better view) just before dinner on Christmas’ Eve……
…..with all the presents neatly arranged under it…..
After dinner we unwrapped them and my table was like this
while my kitchen was a mess like this!
Ah….. the pleasure of the holiday….. The one thing I’m proud of? My door pearly wreath………..
Now all that’s left are plans for the New Year’s Eve dinner and party…..
These last 2 weeks were a little over the top, considering we had lots of people to meet to wish each other a Merry Christmas, and obviously where you usually do that? In a restaurant or in a private home, but always eating something…… and to hell trying to stick on a diet! Here’s a recap (not all the pics are mine) of what we had ….
Office dinner, luckily I didn’t pay for it…………..
Dinner at a friend’s home (they will be away for Christmas, somewhere hot and sunny…..)
Lunch out with some classmates….
Office buffett….
Dinner at a new place (for me, not bad but a little expensive) with some of husband collegues…..
Dinner at a friend’s home……
Lunch out with daughter and some of her friends……..
Then tried these for the first time at home with our neighbours….
Do you think we have our stomach stretched enough for Christmas banquet feast?
”What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
(Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Very late this year (usually daughter M makes it the 8th december) our Christmas Tree is up!
And some gifts are already placed under it!
Saturday night we met with our bikers friends for some Merry Christmas wishes involving lots of packages exchange…… but we had time also for some huge ice-creams………yes, ice-creams………………sooooo good!
Yesterday me and my friend R drove daughter M to Bologna Airport, where she took a fly to Madrid to visit her friend V who’s studying there……
bye bye baby, I’ll miss you…… (but she will be home for Christmas).
