2003 London: The Strand

  Locations of visitors to this page
be notified of website changes? subscribe
Gran Canaria

 

this trip's overview

Gran Canaria portion

First Day Back

Man-made Finery

Queen's Life Guard

Covent Garden Markets

London's Transport Museum I

Marks & Spencers

Natural History Museum

Science Museum

High Street Kensington

Bus Karma I

The Strand

Simpsons-in-the-Strand

Tower of London

Science Museum II

Worst Food Ever

Where the shops are

Neal's Yard Dairy

Seven Dials

Bus Karma II

returning home

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

2003 London: The Strand

Sunday 2 February 2003

We actually sleep in! It's 0800 before we're roused by Isaac's desire to see JayJay the flying Jet on television. Of course it's not on, but he sees some other British television for children while we're getting ready to go.

Illness update: Lila hasn't had diarrhea in at least eight hours, Rose is feeling "okay, but tired", Isaac seems to have shaken what was bothering him, and I'm actually feeling a bit enthusiastic (probably as a result of having gone to sleep early - not updated these pages - and slept through the night). So all in all we're feeling a bit better today than yesterday, so far.

Our first destination is Simpsons-in-the-Strand, the famous eatery (seen at left in the panorama which follows). Their Sunday fare isn't the traditional breakfast, and in any case they won't be open for hours yet, so we head past the Savoy (in the left-middle), across the Strand, past the Salieri restaurant, up Exeter Street to the tiny Exeter Café. Here we'we warmly greeted by our Burbur counterman, and breakfast is cooked for us in less than a minute. And it's delicious. Everyone gets something appropriate to their desires, alimentary needs, and disposition. Lila gets a mild yellow cheese and bread, Isaac gets a hot cocoa and some of my traditional breakfast, Rose gets a toffee scone. It doesn't have the long history of its famous neighbor across the street, and only three indoor tables, but this café is worth remembering. And it's just behind Covent Garden Markets.

We're back at London's Transport Museum. Lila is absolutely fascinated by the modern London taxicab on display. I'm pulled in and out at least thirty times. Here you see Lila on the back seat, but she's tried both of the fold-away jump seats (just out of view, at the left).

As we leave the museum, after several hours (and a bit of a buying spree of mine) we passed a kilted street performer who uses Lila's dazzling yellow hat as a verbal prop: "hey, my act not as brilliant as that girl's hat"?

Oh, that reminds me: just after breakfast Rose spotted a store with kilts just next to Simpsons-in-the-Strand. I picked up a light-weight (summer) scarf and kilt in Black Watch tartan, both made in Scotland.

He wasn't the only picturesque street performer we passed that day. This fellow was one of my favorites.

We were all hungry again, a good sign, and so Isaac picked "pasta" as his food of choice. A rather traditional-looking place just around the corner from our B&B is closed on Sundays, so Rose spots the Italian Kitchen across the street. Her lamb shank is well done and tasty, my chicken with ricotta is good, and fettuccine with bacon and mushrooms and parmesano holds his (and Lila's) attention. We're all satiated, but we flee before dessert (but not before I have one of their Grappas) because Lila seems seriously wacked out.

We get home a bit after 1800, which is really too early to get the kids ready for bed. In retrospect I probably should have taken Isaac (at least) on a double-decker bus or the Tube. (Lila seemed really tired in the restaurant, but at home she's gotten a second wind.) So we play with Lila, I shower with Isaac, and we all get on our bed clothes. Slowly but surely 2000 rolls around and we read three books and the kids go to sleep.

I decide to make it a bit of a later night and update these pages, so I walk around the corner to Le Bisto Savoir Faire. The mussels in garlic and Pernod are great, as is the duck breast and lentils. Even the mousse au chocolate is dark, as I like it.

previous previousnext next

Have you found errors nontrivial or marginal, factual, analytical and illogical, arithmetical, temporal, or even typographical? Please let me know; drop me email. Thanks!
 

What's New?  •  Search this Site  •  Website Map
Travel  •  Burning Man  •  San Francisco
Kilts! Kilts! Kilts!  •  Macintosh  •  Technology  •  CU-SeeMe
This page is copyrighted 1993-2010 by Lila, Isaac, Rose, and Mickey Sattler. All rights reserved.