London Town - London, Great Britain

When I found out that I could throw London into the trip for an extra $400, I jumped at the chance to catch a bit of the Olympics (see older posts) and see family as well. Since I revisited the city in 2005, London has had a special place in my heart. Being a bit of a history buff in high school, I thought it was so incredible to see a bit of history everywhere you turned. From Westminster Abbey to St. Paul's, the Globe Theater to West End, it seems as if every street corner is associated with something significant in history. People over a thousand years must have taken the same steps I did all over the city. How cool is that?

St. Pancras Train Station

Somewhere in Greenwich...

Hmm...something weird about this place...

And the parks! I spent one of the days walking around the expanses of Regent's Park with my cousins Amanda, Adelaide, and Gerald. To take in the scenery, we ended up renting Boris Bikes as well as rowing on the lake. I don't think there's anything quite like getting lost in greenery in the midst of one of the most urban areas in the world. Makes me wish Los Angeles had huge lush parks.

And the food! Goodness, I'm not sure the stereotype of bad British food still holds true, especially since British gastronomy is now one big melting pot. My friend Sau Ling and I went to the Borough Market, apparently foodies galore, and my mind (and taste buds) blew. From Swiss raclette to Spanish paella, seared scallops with bacon to fresh raw oysters, the Market was definitely one of London's highlights. Please go if you're ever in London and tell me how it was. Kthx.

Inspired by the market, I ended up cooking with family one of the evenings. Feta and spinach stuffed chicken wrapped in bacon and mushroom risotto with a red wine reduction. Yea, that's right.

 

 

*Here's a random story: Before I left for London, I watched a news segment on some dude from China who rode his trishaw from Beijing to London. He's like 55 years old! Apparently he was based in London's Chinatown for the duration of the Olympics, so I made it a point to go see him when I got to London. My family and I ended up seeing his trishaw, but not him. Sucks, but it was cool anyway.