The London Journal – Euro-centric, Crazy Me

  Part of the UK-proud offerings at Fortnum and Mason

I just returned from 7 days in London.  If I had to sum up my experience in one word, what would it be?  “Utterly Charming” fits the bill best. Ok, that’s two words.  I had the BEST time – hadn’t been in London in quite a few years – maybe 12?  Anyway, it was amazing to go back – my 4th visit!  I tried to make the best of the short amount of time I had – and the fact that I was supposedly really there to get Ryan settled into his new semester-abroad program.

I admit I am a bona fide Euro-centric person. No apologies here!  And, was I happy to come home?  No!  I did want to see George, Christin,  Kit and Callie – missed them all terribly – but otherwise, no!  I have the bug! Not the dastardly flu bug – the travel bug!  And, I have it bad!

In my soul, while I am a truly-saturated American, I think I am a Western European. It’s an old-brain, hard-wired, anthropological thing.  I don’t know, that is the only way I can explain it.  So, I’m crazy, so what?  This makes me happy!  I confess I spend most of my time dreaming of and coveting a life, at least some of the time living in Italy, France or the UK and some other parts as of yet, unvisited.  Ok, so shoot me for treason.  I can’t help it.  While I love my country through and through, warts and all, and my two beautiful homes, I can’t help feeling I am always trying to “undilute” my purest fancy of western European culture.  And in my so-called American life, I think I spend most of my time trying to re-create some version of the best-of-Europe: in my home, kitchen, garden and domestic travels (thank you Rick Steves). By this I mean I feel like we have watered-down the best of what we have learned and taken from our ancestors who emigrated here and I yearn to have the “full-effect” syndrome – in culture, food, and flora.  Does anyone get this besides me?

I struggled with the “should dos” of sightseeing – I have already been to most all of the typical sights in Central London and quite a few farther-afield – but I wanted to experience some of them again.  So, I tried each day to visit somewhere other than the markets.  This felt like a “should” and I really had the most fun just strolling around looking at all Central London has to offer – and it is a lot!  In spite of how expensive everything is, there were still some “end of season” sales and I enjoyed perusing all that they have to offer.  I confess, yet again, it was so refreshing that I only saw a few American stores (Starbucks, Gap (for some unknown reason), an Abercrombie, Victoria’s Secret (um, why?)  and a few others.  What I absolutely LOVED about my experience there was that there was a distinct and purposeful-seeming absence of the sickening and ubiquitous “made in China” label.  I LOVED it!

Ok, so it may seem that I am doing a little home-bashing here but I actually think we can learn a lot from what they are keeping sacred over there.  While I have not specifically researched this, it would appear that they have held onto their souls in the form of their own homegrown products and NOT followed the crowd-trend in offering all that is cheapest and dumbed-down as we have so unfortunately and sadly done here.  The Scottish woolens are all over the place, and deservedly so, as their weather is, well, challenging, a lot of the time.  So, they have embraced this and celebrate this in the form of the most beautiful and colorful cashmeres and woolens from their home turf.  Kuddos to you, UK!  So, I’ll get off my soap-box – you get the point – I don’t have to give you a litany of examples here – suffice it to say, I was so glad to see homemade China, silver galore (try finding silver in quantity here), and wonderful, inspiring, and yes, useful and needed foodstuffs, flowers, and well, things.  It was not just a perusal of luxuries that I did.  I loved seeing the massive collections of estate jewelry in the arcades off Piccadilly, yes, I did, and they were amazing, but what I tried to focus on were the “everyday” items.

Ok, so most Londoners probably don’t shop in Fortnum and Mason on a regular basis, but I absolutely fell in love with this store.  Can they please open one in New York?  Would New Yorkers embrace this?   Laduree is here….  I guess this is my central question – am I the only one yearning for more than the Whole Foods experience?  Am I the only one who doesn’t want to go to Walmart, not ever?  This is not a snobbish comment.  It is one that favors the Mom and Pop, small, unique and substantive-based market, rather than the big-box approach – to anything – a place with the heart and soul of an actual person.  (Maybe I am just sadly clinging to a passe model – but I don’t think so – I don’t see the long-term success of what I call, the diluted-market model, sorry!)  (This includes you IKEA – I’d rather buy all my furniture in a used furniture store than to ever step foot in this pressed-board, manufactured-substance circus again.)  Sorry, I know IKEA is European – and terribly successful.)  I spent a little time, and more than a little time, every day but Monday, in the Fortnum and Mason stores.  There is something magical here.  Yes, it may be somewhat of a tourist attraction, yet I felt that most of the shoppers were UKers and not tourists from other countries – like say in Harrods, which, is very sadly a shadow of its former self.

Let me just say that I am totally in LOVE with a city which insists upon displaying live flowers all over the place in the middle of January.  It was cold there – not quite the snap we had here last week – but it was cold enough to snow for part of the day at least most of the days I was there.  How do these flowers survive?  I actually saw blooming Geraniums in a window box in Notting Hill on Saturday!  I say, WOW.  This is a place for me.  I don’t know, this just makes me happy.  What makes the people of a city do this in the depths of Winter – I don’t know – but I identify with whatever primeval urge is at work here and long for it back home.

Ok, so I found myself wondering if London was still a city with a British soul – there is definitely a big-time melting pot phenomenon going on here.  I am not sure if I captured the answer to this clearly and honestly as I spent most of my time around Mayfair, Piccadilly, and Kensington – the equivalent of the Upper East side of Manhattan, I guess.  When you walk down Fifth Avenue in New York these days, you don’t hear a lot of English, do you?  I think New York is a lot more hospitable to foreign shoppers these days – price-wise, but, do people really want to come to New York from Europe and Asia to buy sweaters made in China at Bergdorfs or on Madison Avenue?  Idk.

Well, anyway, I saw Kate Middleton’s new official portrait – featured in last week’s Time Magazine – in person at the National Portrait Gallery.  My own personal opinion?  Let’s just say, I believe this will be replaced in a short time with another one.  In addition, my travels took me to Buckingham Palace, the Queen’s Gallery, the V&A, ,etc.  All in all – I did quite a bit.

Anyone who says the food is terrible in London is sadly out of touch.  There is so much to experience here in fancy and casual places.  I had a amazing Dover Sole at Nobu, one also at Le Boudin Blanc, a great burger at Burger and Lobster (no menu – you just say “burger” or “lobster” – totally great), some very decent lunches and went to a long list of good Italian restaurants.  We literally ran into Arnold Schwarzenegger with his son shopping and saw Matt Le Blanc at dinner on Saturday.  The cab drivers were wonderful – one offering Ryan the 24-7 cab app for his phone and kindly offering him some good advice for getting home after going out, safely.  Londoners are friendly, helpful and civilized when dealing with their customers – we could use a good refresher here.

So, here is my little photo gallery – I didn’t take my laptop or my real camera with me as I was trying to travel as light as possible and Ryan was juggling a lot of luggage.

My Fortnum and Mason Photo Gallery:

Crazy for honey:

  

Bespoke Doughnuts and Victoria Sponge:

  

  I don’t think my Gelees from Pastry School looked quite like these!

A selection of beautiful and, in some cases, exotic fruits:

     Sorry, my iphone camera did distort this picture of what I am guessing to be Sicilian Apricots – they were beautiful!

Now, this is what I call a window display:

  

Fun in the baking department:

     Zagats, London Style!

  A beautiful Herend pattern I’d never seen before.

  got to love the British palate and ingenuity!

Early Spring Arrivals:

  

  more to do with clotted cream than have it with scones!

  the tea parlor at F&M

 

More from the “We Love and Live with Flowers in London all-year-long” Collection:

   Hellebores – yes, an outdoor window box – how can you not want to live in such a place?

  Window box on Curzon Street

Cyclamen and Hellebores – I saw cyclamen outside all over the place – I really didn’t know they could be covered with snow and keep their blooms!

 

  Early Pussy Willow Centerpiece in the Lobby at the Ritz

Miscellaneous About Town:

Guess they know what they are doing – cheesemongers –  in business since 1797!!!!!!

   Exhibit at the Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace

   Just Wonderful Photo at the V&A

 

  Piccadilly at 5pm Saturday

   Hyde Park at Dusk on Monday

  #1 rated Restaurant in Zagats – just around the corner from our hotel – sadly, didn’t get there

  ‘Nuff Said!

offerings at tea

  I don’t know where they are getting these – but this is reason enough for me to live here!  I mean, seriously, it is mid-January – not seeing anything like this in US.

  

  Yes, that’s a Fiat in the window – filled with Sicilian pizzas!

Saturday at the grocer’s, near Portobello Road:

  Roasted Vegetable and Burrata Salad at Tempo

   ‘lest you think there is no sunshine in London – a perfectly beautiful morning on Friday – and a gorgeous, Spring-like day all-round! (January 25)

  Nutella Crepes at Portobello Road – and why didn’t I eat one?????

My only purchases at the Portobello Road Market:

  

     

News of the week:  David Cameron calls for a referendum on membership in the EU – I am not eligible, but I vote YES!  Prince Harry returns from Afghanistan, footballer kicks ball boy who is delaying game, man shot in betting parlor…….    and, here goes on the editorializing again — Europe is so refreshing because: they are not as Euro-centric as we are America-centric – they acknowledge and report on the rest of the world fully and generally.   I love that they are so concerned with Africa, for example – something terribly absent here.  We could do a good deal better job of picking our heads up and looking out!   And, I did not miss the 24 hour political-obsessing that we are so totally entrenched in here – no MSNBC, Fox, etc.  Thank you – it was like a tonic.  Ok, I feel better now that I said that.

Well, that’s my quick synopsis of my last week.  I went to bed last night at 7 and awoke at 4 am.  More thoughts to come whenever my head clears from the jet-lag.   Cheers!  London and Ryan, I miss you already!

Effusive praise? Yes!   Happy with my visit?  Yes!  Going back soon?  Yes!