3 Days to Go

There was a time when 4.5 months sounded like a long time away. I came to London on July 14th. It is now December. In just 3 more days, Tony and the puppies hop on a plane to come across 1/3 of the world to join me.






I'm so looking forward to seeing all of them. It will necessitate some changes to my routine as dogs are not the most welcome of pets here, and they are quite a bit more dependent on people than cats or fish.





They go to the vet today to get their flee and worm treatment. Paula, our pet relocation person will pickup the paperwork and get it all approved so that the dogs will be ready to go to the airport Thursday morning. They have to be there 4 hours before the flight.






I'm curious to see how the dogs deal with the long flight.

Thanksgiving - 2009 - Part 3

Okay, so I'm not Martha Stewart, and it isn't a turkey, but with a little imagination, both are possible. . .

For being in a country that doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving, I managed to celebrate it 3 times. Not bad. Today I went to visit my old friends Jeff and Damien, and we celebrated Thanksgiving again. Since it was just the 3 of us, we got a chicken, and I stuffed it with fresh sage, onions, and an apple - a rough approximation of the way Tony and I would cook a Turkey.




I'm learning to appreciate Brussel Sprouts, and since they are big in England, we had them as a nod to the country we are all living in. We also had a Christmas pudding with Brandy Butter (OMG! is that good). It was the first Christmas pudding I've had since I got here.

Jeff made a Pumpkin pie with a genuine can of Libby's Pumpkin that he purchased on-line. He then made the pie using his Grandmother and Mrs. Libby's recipe.

It was a very rainy afternoon, but it was a wonderful time with friends and cooking.

Thansgiving 2009 - London - Part 2

Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that Americans hold very dear. And I was invited by some dear fellow expats, Alan and Wendy to join them at their flat for a full-on Thanksgiving Pot Luck complete with a turkey and all the trimmings.

I volunteered to make the orange foods - Pumpkin Pie and Spicy Yams. The pumpkin, which is somewhat hard to find in London, I brought with me in my luggage with the plan to make a pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. The Yams were sweet potatoes that I bought at Sainsbury's which were grown in South Carolina (this somehow seemed natural).

I also brought one of the remaining bottles of Zinfandel that I'd smuggled over in my luggage.

Negin made this massive tray of what she christened, Mac and Crack. It was an amazing piece of classic americana. Tony would have loved it.

Alan and Wendy live in Hampstead, which about a 15 min walk, a 25 min train ride, and another 15 min walk (typical in London). I walked up the hill to the station carrying my pot of yams and my Pumpkin Pie. While there, I saw a couple other people carrying pans of food to their various dinner parties. In my mind, they were all Americans heading to their own Thanksgiving Dinners.

Thanksgiving 2009 - London Style - Part 1

It was Thanksgiving, and I really wanted to do something for it. I suspect that this drive was partially fueled by the desire to enjoy being what makes me different from a lot of the British people I work with - I'm American. And Americans celebrate Thanksgiving.





I hooked up with my friends Paul, Negin, Kim, and her husband Steve. We tried to go to this cool BBQ place in Soho called BoDeans, which was having a big Thanksgiving feast, but it was completely booked up for the evening. So we wandered through the streets of Soho until we came to The Diner.

It is a fun place attempting to be like a classic American Route 66 diner complete with Shakes, albeit, these shakes could also contain alcohol. Did I mention the Brits have drinking problems?

It has a lot of fun americana foods, and when I feel the need for a taste of home, I will probably go there again.

They were offering a special Thanksgiving Menu that night complete with turkey, dressing, and pumpkin pie.






All in all, it was a good evening even though the dressing looked like some small sausage puck. It tasted good, and felt somewhat homey. It was certainly better than not having something Thanksgivingy on Thanksgiving.

I felt a little jealous of Tony and my family and friends back home that would be having a true Thanksgiving feast.

Little did I know what was in store for me that weekend. . .

A Night Out with Oliver

Theater in London is Fabulous. My friend Lynn and I had talked a bunch about going to see some theater, and both of us wanted to see a classic London based story like Oliver. I'm grateful that my parents took me to a lot of theater, and one of my first theater memories is going to see Oliver. It is certainly a classic show.




We went to see it at the Drury Lane Royal Theater. Yes the same street where the Muffin Man I know supposedly lives. It is a stunning old theater with huge chandeliers and and many, many balconies.






One really cool thing that I saw there was an unexploded shell that is in the lobby. Evidently, the shell came through the roof during WWII, but didn't go off.

Bangers and Mac?

Bacheloring it in London has resulted in some unusual meals for one. I created this strange "fusion cuisine" concoction that is a spin on the old British favorite, "Bangers and Mash". This one combines it with the American favortie Mac and Cheese. And not just any Mac and Cheese - KRAFT (out of the box) Mac and Cheese. I call it "Bangers and Mac". . .

Notice the box was the Polar Express tie in where if you survived eating 3 boxes of Kraft Mac and Cheese, you could send in for a small Polar Express train engine. Of course I ate 3 boxes to get my train. . .

"Rubbish!"

What is it with the British and Garbage, or as they say "Rubbish"? I'd often heard Italy described as "dirty". I've visited Italy, and it isn't any dirtier than Los Angeles, which I thought "wasn't that dirty". Of course, that was before I went to Germany where I was introduced to how "clean" a metropolitan area can be. This made me realize that those complaints about cleanliness would also be leveled against Los Angeles.

However, nothing prepared me for the filth that is London. It's no secret, though somehow I wasn't in on it, that London is one of the most polluted cities on the planet. It is amazing to me that trash day can come and go, and yet nothing is picked up. I've seen huge piles of garbage in front of my building that are absolutely horrifying. I've been told that the city fathers are very afraid of rats, and that if the garbage gets too bad, simply to call City Hall and complain that I'm seeing rats crawling around the garbage bins. Well, if they'd just pick up the garbage like they are supposed to, there wouldn't be any rats to be afraid of. Thankfully, garbage pickup came this week, and now the front of the building and street are back to their only slightly dirtier than they should be state. At least until next week. . .

The Pie Pub

My meat pie obsession has taken me to strange places in search of exotic meat pies, but it reached it's zenith with my visit to the Newman Arms Pub. It is well known for its traditional meat pies.







Up until now, I've avoided the classic Steak and Kidney pie, but I broke down and finally ordered it.

But not just any steak and kidney pie mind you. I had a Steak and Kidney pie in a steamed Suet Crust. They actually call it a pudding, which scared me a bit. The image of Steak and Kidney Pudding. . .


I went with my friend and coworker Nick, who is British, to have the pie authenticated. I don't know that I would have had it if he hadn't assured me that this was the way his "nan" used to make them.







As it turned out the pie was delicious albeit very, very rich. Kidney as it turned out tastes a bit like liver (if you've had that). I don't know that I need to have another steak and kidney pie, but I do know that I will definitely go back to the Newman Arms for more pie.

My Local Neighborhood Canal

It's very European to have a canal system in your neighborhood. London and indeed most of Europe is networked with canals that were used for shipping in the past. Angel is no exception.








Angel has a canal complete with locks and small house boats. My friend Jeff wants to rent a houseboat and pilot it through the canals of England next summer. I've been trying for years to get Tony to go on a cruise .





It is lovely to walk along the bike/foot path on a sunny day. I've seen people in Kayaks and ducks and Swans.














I can't wait for the dogs to get here. Then we'll be able to take them for walks down there.

There's even a pub along the canal that serves some nice ales for those occasional warm days.

Moving Day!

Before I left the US, I ran the numbers on buying some new furniture in the UK and having our furniture stored vs having our furniture shipped over. I met with a couple different moving companies. The first was an International Moving company who wanted $10,000. The second was Shumacher Cargo, a shipping company who wanted $6,200 for a door to door shipment of my furniture. I quickly realized that when moving internationally, it was a much better deal to think of the move as an international shipment of cargo, albeit my furniture, than to think of it as an international household move.


Because the dogs couldn't enter the UK until after November 30th, Tony stayed in the US at the house even though I headed over to London back in July. In order to have our furniture delivered before Christmas, the shipping company recommended having everything shipped out at the beginning of November.



Monday November 9th was the day of the big move. A truck pulled up to the house in Los Angeles at 8:30 am with a crew of 4 people. They wrapped all the bottles of wine and alcohol, and boxed up all of the furniture.




153 boxes later, all of our stuff was loaded onto their truck. The truck was then driven back to their office where everything was transfered to a 7' x 7' x 20' container.





At this moment, all of our furniture is at the port in Long Beach waiting to be loaded onto a ship with a sailing date of November 20th that will carry it across the pond to Thames Port. There, it will be placed onto a truck again, and driven to our apartment in London.








It is estimated to arrive in London on December 18th. They usually deliver, pending any holdups in customs, within 4 days. that would be December 22nd. We packed all of the christmas ornaments and decorations. W

ith a little luck, we'll have quite a lot of unwrapping to do for Christmas indeed. . .

Meat Pie Fan Club

So I've come to be a huge Meat Pie Fan. I've had some amazing award-winning meat pies. Whenever I am down at Southbank on a Saturday, I always try to stop by the Buroughs Market to grab a meat pie or two for the week. I've had some amazing meat pies from Pie Minister. They make all different types of pies. I've had their Steak and Ale, Lamb and Mint, and their Pork and Apple Pie. All are exceptional.

One thing to remember when reheating Meat Pies, it is important to do it in the oven otherwise the crust gets doughy. If heated in the oven, it will remain flakey and wonderful.

There is a Pub that is renowned for its Meat Pies. I have yet to eat there as it is always booked up. But I will certainly keep trying.

Just today, I went to a place called "Eat", and I had a Turkey and Stuffing Pie with Cranberries for lunch. It was of course Carb-Overload, but it was spicey and decadent, and absolutely wonderful - Thanksgiving in a crust.

Goodbye to the Bendy Buses

Londoners have mixed feelings about the Bendy Buses that run up Route 38. This is the route I ride from my apt in Angel/Islington to work in Soho when it's raining. The buses are over 19 meters long (that's about 60 feet).

As a cyclist-commuter, I can certainly attest to the challenge of navigating around these big beasts. As a bus-rider, I can tell you that boarding the bendy buses is much easier than boarding one of London's signature double decker buses.

I may be going out on a limb, but I like the Bendy buses. I find them modern, spacious, and quick to load and unload. The double decker buses with their spiral staicase take a long time to get on and off.

As of November 14th, the bendy buses will be gone from route 38. I will miss them. I don't know what I'll do if I need to take my bike (albeit a folding bike) on the bus. . .





A bike's eye view of the back of a bendy bus on my evening commute home.

How do you like them Apples?

So My little Fuji Apple Tree has all grown up.

I was moaning that I wouldn't get to have any apples off my tree since I was going to London, but I was lucky enough to have 2 when I was back in LA. I planted this tree when it was just a twig. Now it is close to 20 feet tall. The first year I had it, it produced no apples, the second year, it produced 5. This year, when I left for London, it was covered with blossoms, and had 5 little tiny apples. When I came home for a visit, it had about 10 decent sized apples.

Tony sent me this picture a couple weeks ago. The tree was loaded with apples - more than he could eat, so he took two bags like the one in the photo to work.

Sadly, I missed out on making Apple Pies and Apple Tarts and Apple Cobbler and Apple Pancakes. . . Hopefully his friends at work enjoyed the apples.

I have found that I can get Fuji apples (the greatest apples on the planet) here in London, but the most common seem to be Braeburn Apples. English Apples, though small are quite good too.

How do you like them apples? . . .

Tribal Biking

A reality of transportation in London is that everywhere is about a 10 min walk to the tube, the tube ride itself, and about a 10 minute walk on the other end. A monthly tube pass is £99 for zones 1 and 2, which is most of town. A monthly bus pass is £40. Granted for longer distances, the tube is better, but for simply getting around the center of town, the quickest way is on a bicycle. It has limitations caused by weather, and I can tell you that it is no fun biking in the rain, but for most purposes, the bicycle is ideal.

When I first got to London, I was fortunate that a coworker was selling his bicycle, and I bought it straightaway. I've really enjoyed having it, and it has worked really well for my daily commute from Angel to Soho. It can be a lot of fun pedeling around town on the weekends, but during the week, it is all business.

There are more bicycles on the road than cars and buses. This leads to what I like to call, "Tribal Biking". This is where bicycles tend to band together like a group of raptors, and through their combined efforts, they try to rule the road.


There are two types of buses here in London. There are the classic double-deckers, and the 33-meter long bendy buses. jWith bicycles swarming around these buses, it looks much like a shark with the little pilot fish swarming alongside it. It is quite an experience biking alongside these buses, especially when they are moving side by side. At times, I have pedaled down the trench between them, and it can be a bit scary.

There's even rush hour with bikes, where the bike paths can become congested with too many bikes. London Transportation is working to improve the paths, and at certain times of the day, particularly in the morning, there is one spot where the path gets too crowded.

Still, biking is both a fun way to get around, and for short trips, it is the fastest. I've walked to work, and it takes about 45 minutes. I've taken the bus, and that takes about 30 minutes, yet on my bike, I can get there in about 15-20 minutes.

Skiing Angel Station

It turns out that my local tubestation in Angel is famous for craziness. It is said that its escalator is the longest in Europe. Having been to Kiev, and seen their escalators, I can assure you that there are longer ones.








Be that as it may, someone decided to ski down the escalator, and they've recorded it for posterity.

Do the British Really Love "Man's Best Friend"?

Here are a collection of signs I've seen while here in Europe explaining the rules for dogs. In a densely populated city like London, the need to control animals, and to make sure that people don't allow their pets to overwhelm it are very important. I believe a society can be judged in how it deals with children, whether human or of another species.





When Tony and I first decided to come to Europe, I was very excited to become a part of the world where Dogs are much more understood and allowed to participate in regular activities - more so than in the US. I was told I would be ablet o bring my dog, much like a child to a pub.

However, as soon as Tony and I began looking at apartments, we were told that finding one that allows dogs was going to be difficult.

It was explained to me that London is a "cat city" and that Dogs are more tolerated than embraced. It was also explained to me that the british like dogs, but it is the French and the Germans that really love and appreciate dogs.







One thing certainly is clear. The british do not like dog poop. the majority of signs regarding dogs is to the control of their poop. As someone who has stepped in dog poop in Paris (not an uncommon occurance there), I understand the need to avoid having the same unsanitary conditions occur here in London.


It struck me funny one day when I caught one brit allowing his dog to poop in a green median strip, and it was clear that he wasn't going to pick it up. When I nicely asked if he was going to pick it up, he told me flatly to, "F--- Off".












I think the jury is still out as to whether or not the British love "Man's Best Friend." In about another month, my dogs will be joining Tony and me here in London. Then we will really find out. . .