Londontown

Greetings from London! We arrived at Heathrow 

Sunday morning and were met at the gate by 

our dear friends Cliff and Yolandie.  Usually,

I make my way from airports to flats via public 

transport; there is nothing better than an airport 

pick-up when traveling abroad - what a treat!

London is divided into villages and theirs, Hackney,

 is tucked delightfully in the heart of the East End, near 

what is reputed as the oldest public park in Britain, Victoria.

Think Williamsburg (Brooklyn), during the early 

days of its hipster gentrification and that's Hackney.

Yol styling me on my wedding day

Yolandie is a delight: a tiny, South African fashionista

with a flair for friendship and entertaining; her husband

Cliff is every American girl's dream of an Englishman,

replete with accented charm and a smile that melts.

Ignore that look on my face

I love it when my friendships become ours; the

 couple came north for our wedding week and it 

was Cliff who, along with the husbands of two of my other 

dear friends, stood alongside my husband drinking

whisky pre-ceremony and shook his hand afterward.

Logically, it made sense for us to make a detour to 

London this summer, en route to the Isle of Mull.

After a cat nap to counter our sleepless journey 

(for who can rest when Hot Tub Time Machine* 

is an option?), we sat down to a meal prepared 

from the cookery book above - a book I feel may 

just turn my culinary visions into realities because

its recipes are divided into 47 menus, thereby lessening

the creative burden many of us novice cooks suffer.

We then enjoyed a night cap of fresh apple cobbler,

served warm with lovely vanilla ice cream and the four

of us headed off to bed in order to rise early and brunch

at one of London's delightful eateries before Matty 

and I head to King's Cross to board our train north.

This is London.

* Matt, that's who...