Joyeux Noel Strasbourg!!

France isn't really well known for having superb Christmas markets, even the French themselves would probably concede the title of best christmas country to their neighbors to the East, being Germany. However, the residents of Strasbourg have boldly self-proclaimed their city as la Capitale de Noel, suggesting that one of the best places to celebrate Christmas is actually in France (albeit only since WWII most recently as Strasbourg has switched owners several times over history). As such, we felt it would be appropriate to give it a go!!

One would think getting to Strasbourg would be easy from London. Au contraire my friends. There are very infrequent direct flights to Strasbourg airport so if you want to fly, its Ryanair into Baden, Germany. Another option is to take the Eurostar into Paris, then the TGV to Strasbourg, but that is both time consuming and quite expensive. As we had to pay only taxes for the flight, we choose the Ryanair option, flying out of Stansted airport, which is a 45 minute train ride from Liverpool Street station. Once we got to Baden, it was all aboard a little shuttle that took the 45 minute bus ride across the border into France. Joel, our friend from Ireland, joined us as well, literally sprinting across the airport to make the connecting flight, but as he reassured, "I'll make it, you forgot who you're dealing with, Big Joel!" We all made it and let me stress that when we arrived at our Hotel in Petite France, all the hassle in getting there was gone, the city is beautiful and absolutely oozes Christmas cheer.

We went to two different bars after arriving at 10:30pm both near the Cathedral. The latter, Les Freres Botham, was amazing, offering three kinds of Chouffe (I would claim as my favorite beer) on tap. We had two pints of the 10% N'ice Noel, paying for it the next day.

The city at night is really beautiful, with the massive, largely cobbled pedestrian-only zone with the typical German chalet-style timbered houses and christmas lights illuminating nearly every street. Petite France is perfection!

The next morning we rolled out of bed and began to hit the Christmas markets. With over 10 markets in the city, definitely consult the website dedicated to the markets and print a map and brochure. The most crowded market is definitely the one around the cathedral, but it was extremely crowded. Despite the crowds, the setting is remarkable with the cathedral towering above the stalls. There is also an impressive market near the Opera, a Russian-themed market near the Cathedral, and a really cute little one in Petite France, just a stones throw from our hotel. We had a nice lunch at Au Petit Tonnelier after a few markets, then around sunset went to the top of the cathedral to take in some spectacular views!

The markets themselves had pretty standard fare with many repeats, but all in all it had a nice mix of food, mulled wine, commercial ornaments, "handmade" crafts and kids stuff. We had lots of mulled wine, got a christmas market mug, two ornaments, one handmade by an artist that was selling his goods at his booth and a couple gifts for family at a little Christmas store in Petit France.

This one is for Monique, they had all sorts of cool old maps in French...

I think this market and the one in Prague had the best Christmas vibe, with the only drawback being the lack of german sausages! This had more authentic crafts on sale when compared to Prague, however. The mulled wine was also the best at any market we've been to, especially a week after having some terrible mulled wine at a stand in the Borough market in London. As you can see below, the setting is perfect.

After a power nap we set out for dinner, at Au Brasseur a brewpub that serves up excellent Flammkueche, an Alsace speciality that is essentially a ultra thin and crispy pizza with onions, cheese, sometimes with ham and sauerkraut. The beer was good, but not outstanding (better than the brewpub in Tallin that we went to with Betch, that's for sure). Following dinner we went for a walk and to two more bars, Les Aviateurs and L'Acedemie de Biere. The latter had dancing to go along with an outstanding selection of beers.

After a long night, Joel left early on Sunday morning to make a flight to Dublin so Erin and I strolled around the city all day, going into the Cathedral and marveling at the grandeur of it all, including a really cool astronomical clock dating back hundreds of years. The church itself was completed in the 1400's and was for a time the largest structure in the world. Construction on the new church began in 1176, spanning over four centuries. Needless to say they went through several master builders.

After some more mulled wine, Erin and I hit the road for home, capping yet another great Christmas market experience!!

An English Thanksgiving

We spent our first Thankgiving abroad in Dublin in 2007.  It was just the two of us and I managed to find a turkey breast at a local butcher.  The lone turkey breast and my make-shift stuffing mildly resembled the traditional meal, but didn't seem to have the most important element - people - which made this year's Saturday celebration so special and true to the holiday's nature and spirit.  Why celebrate on a Saturday? London and everywhere else in the world treats the third Thursday in November as just another day in the cubicle.  Thus, everyone was working.

In addition to reminiscing about each other's traditions - eating, napping, card playing and football - we were also really excited to share Thanksgiving with a newcomer.  It was really funny to see her curiosity towards some of the items we presented...squash with marshmellows? A weird concept to those unfamiliar with the gooey, goodness of my favorite dish.  Overall, she tried everything, dove into the pumpkin pie and seemed to embrace the joy de vivre that represents Thanksgiving.

 

European kitchens, especially the refridgerators, are small.....really small.  Thus, it was definitely a challenge to host Thanksgiving, roast the turkey (we don't even have an oven, seriously, which presented a very peculiar situation) and find storage for all of the leftovers.  I have the utmost adoration for mothers and grandmothers that always seem to have everything warm and served on the table at the same time.

Across much of Europe, turkey is considered the grand dame at Christmas.  Thus, most stores don't start carrying turkeys until the middle of December.  To my delight, London's strong expat community makes it much easier to source American style products including a free-range turkey, chestnuts, cranberries and even pumpkin pie filling. However, we did import Kraft marshmellows via care package.  I can recall small tantrums thrown on camping trips when my mom decided to purchase the grocery store generic marshmellows for smores.  They just aren't the same!

Several London department stores have a special American section in their food halls that carry everything from  Lucky Charms and Marshmellow Fluff to Dr. Pepper and JIF.  I find that Partridge's in Sloan Square has the best selection and variety of products.  I find these really interesting and also comical as the people walking by seem to have the impression that American's only eat Kellogg's pop tarts, A&W Root Beer and Betty Crocker cake mix.  Thus, an imaginary line is drawn right from the grocery aisle straight to America's obesity problem.  I'll admit, I'm tempted.....especially for graham crackers....but at $9.95!!  Luckily, we have amazing farmers markets to patronize instead, buying up amazing raw cheeses, meaty olives and Spanish charcuterie.

Guy Fawkes Day

On the 5th of November each year, Guy Fawkes Day is celebrated across England to mark the failure of political conspirators to blow up Parliament.  The plot, known as the Gunpowder Plot, was launched in 1605 to displace Protestant rule by killing King James I and other nobility who were in Parliament at the time.

To commemorate the unsuccessful attempt, effigy's of Guy Fawkes, one of the conspirators, are burned and fireworks displays are held across the country.  Our friend Todd joined us in celebrating the  the 404th anniversary of Guy Fawkes at Alexandra Palace, a manor house perched on a hill overlooking London, which provides one of the best fireworks watching locations.

We had intended on watching the fireworks with two more groups of friends, but given the usual weekend closures on the tube and other logistical nightmares, including the crowds, that didn't happen. Afterwards we grabbed a couple pints in a nice pub (BRB at the Gate) near Alexandra Palace Station (overground line from Kings Cross), alternatively, the Piccadilly line at Wood Green is another way to the palace and pub.

We then joined a couple other friends for dinner at a great Greek restaurant in Primrose Hill called Lemonia; an authentic Greek restaurant with great personality. The best way to make your way to Primrose Hill is via the Chalk Farm tube stop (Northern Line), and a 3 minute walk to the Primrose Hill neighborhood.  It was a great place for a group and would be great in the summer as well after a hike up Primrose Hill to take in the views of the city.

Going Local

I find moving to a new place, whether it is an apartment, neighborhood or city, inspiring.  An opportunity to rid yourself of all of the clutter accumulated from life - paper, clothes, toileteries, you name it - and start fresh.

However, with that new sense of organization, comes the desire to find new things to make your place comfortable and feel like home.  Thus, the cycle begins again.  We love our new flat, with its big, bright windows and relaxing views of our neighborhood garden across the street.  Wedged between Holland Park tube stop and Shepherd's Bush tube stations, we have the largest shopping mall in Europe a block away, but still get to enjoy living in an area with all the traditional charm and cosiness that one expects in London.  Holland Park doesn't quite have the same reputation as Notting Hill.  However, it is only a 5 minute walk to Notting Hill and the main street is filled with gourmet food stores, the greatest little travel bookshop we have ever visited, and my favourite Italian delicatessen, Specks.  I love walking into the cramped little shop, loaded to the brim with Italian meats, cheese, noodles and their daily hot, homemade takeaway bar.  I'm looking forward to becoming a regular.

Portobello Road market in Notting Hill is one of the most well-known markets in the world, and a must experience, for anyone visiting London.  In 2005, my sister, who was studying abroad at the time, introduced Lou and I to the mayhem.  Portobello Road is literally a long residential street lined with colourful row houses, antique shops, funky independent clothing stores, cafes and food stalls.  You could easily fill a whole day browsing, eating and people watching.

It is best to go early to avoid the crowds.

The smell of slow-cooked pork, meandered through the market on a recent visit and our American hearts, just couldn't resist.

Cambridge, UK - an improv day trip

Three weeks ago, we went to brunch with Stu, a colleague of mine, his wife Kate, and two of their friends at a cute little spot in Little Venice. As we didn't have many plans afterwards, we joined them on a day trip to Cambridge, only a 45 minute train ride from King's Cross/St. Pancras station in North London.  It took as long to simply get from St. John's Wood to the train station given the standard weekend tube closures. Once we made it to the station we picked up tickets from the counter. Remember if going with 3 or more people, you can get discounted tickets, so don't default to the machines as humans are cheaper in this instance. We got to Cambridge at about 3pm and immediately charged across town to Jesus green and along the river, where we took in the great fall colors and crisp autumn air.

The goal was to punt, so we were discouraged for the first 15 minutes along the river as we saw only crew boats. We eventually found a nice spot to rent a boat to do a little punting on the Cam, only GBP15 for an hour of fun.

Stu is a surprisingly seasoned veteran in punting having taken on rivers all over England with his agile strokes, and looks to lead the US national punting team to next year's world championships of punting in Northumberland. Who would've thought the city boy from Texas would have the punting genes in him. [ok there are no world championships that I know of and I don't even think the US would have a team - the point is Stu basically owns the Cam].

The best way to take in the town is via the punt/boat, where you meander along the river past several of the colleges, all with beautiful campuses. As we punted from 4-5pm, it was when it was getting dark and the lights on the buildings along with sundown were magical. When walking around town, you don't get too much vision of the student life behind the school walls, so I highly recommend punting.

Following punting we were all thirsty and began our mini pub crawl around town, starting at the Pickerel Inn, an old pub dating back several hundred years. It was halloween so they had some decorations but not enough where it took away the charm of the pub. The staff was nice and joked around with us, the typical tourists. The beer on tap was good, with a range of Woodforde's ales and a couple others. The bar also had a fireplace and plenty of seating.

Following the Pickerel Inn, we went to the Castle Inn up the road, which had great food, an even better selection of beer and the pub itself was good too. It looked like they had a nice beer garden in the back for the summer. The pub has an outstanding range of Adnams ale and lager, with several great guest beers. I had one called the Wild Goose. A nice IPA that is more balanced than the US style pale ales due to more maltiness. As I only had my phone camera and it was too dark for good pics, credits for the Castle Inn photo go to Fancy a Pint, a great pubfinder website specializing in UK pubs.

We hit one last bar up and hung out with plenty of dressed-up students, including the great Doctor Proctor before heading back on the 10:45pm train to London to catch the last tube home.

For a last minute late-afternoon excursion it was a great trip; getting out of the city is always a welcome activity.

Hola Holland Park

We moved into our new flat last week in Holland Park and have been busy trying to make it feel more like home.  With a nice little balcony that overlooks a park across the street, our first mission was to find a BBQ.  I found the only cheap one left in the city at Argos, a 'department' store that is a shopping experience unto itself.  Literally, you walk in and browse through what can only be compared to as a JC Penney's catalog.  You select what you want to order, choose it from a list on an electronic vending machine and then when your number is flashed on the screen in the store, you go to the counter and pick up your item.  Thus, there is no viewing, touching, or inspecting products before purchase as they are hidden somewhere in a warehouse behind the counter.  After buying our bbq, we proceeded to haul it onto a public bus to commute it to its new home.

Luckily, we are becoming more savvy at putting things together ourselves.  Two hours later - Tada! Our second mission - to find propane gas in London - was much easier as it was ordered online and delivered right to our door.

Day trip: Hampton Court Palace

Last Sunday, Lissa, Erin and I jump on the half-closed London public transportation system to do a day trip to Hampton Court Palace.

When doing trips around London during the weekend, its always best to consult the public transport website, as the weekends are when all maintenance work is done and there are usually tube lines closed all weekend, stations closed as well as some over-ground (train) transport route closed. The website is actually quite helpful at suggesting the best route given the current maintenance.

We made it out in less than an hour despite the maintenance, going to Kingston and jumping on a bus to the palace. We arrived at the palace and had lunch before setting off on the famous maze that was the third such maze we've done in our European travels, after one at Blenheim Palace outside of Oxford and one at the Real Alcazar in Seville. The maze was great and all three of us ran into several dead ends before finally making it to the center.

We then walked around the beautiful gardens of the palace before going into the palace. It was originally built for Cardinal Wolsey in 1514, who was a close friend of King Henry VIII. When the Cardinal couldn't get one of his early marriages annulled with the Pope, he fell from favour and Henry took over the palace and enlarged it in 1529. The following century William III undertook a massive expansion project and its remained this way since.

The palace itself was really nice, allowing most of the palace to be viewed by the public. I think our favorite part was the old Kitchen, which had huge fireplaces, stoves, and cellars. One of the fireplaces had a fire going which warmed us up and added a nice scent to the tour. The rest of the palace rooms aren't unlike those in Versailles, Blenheim, the Hapsburg Palace or Peterhof, all with fancy decor, nice antiques and beautiful paintings and tapestries.  The best room however is the trophy room..."I'm gonna get dat tirdy point buck!!!" Darrell would've definitely been impressed by the points on some of the deer!

I think we enjoyed the gardens best, but the palace itself is a great weekend getaway from the hustle-bustle of London and a productive and historical day trip from London!

George Inn

In attempt to share my love of beer to those who read the blog, I am going to try and share my experiences about a different pub about once a week, discuss the beer and the vibe and tell you my (and usually Erin's) verdict. We've been to a good dozen old pubs in our three weeks here, but I wanted to find a truly great pub to start out this series that will extend until play time is over and its time to go home. Most of the info I'll include these posts is from my observations, talking with locals or barmen, or consulting the Good Pub Guide or various pub websites. However, it sounds like Cooper Irish Pub is a good 1st ring Minneapolis suburb substitute for the 300 year old pub experiences I will share. Congrats Kieran on another Mpls pub opening.

On to the older stuff.  George Inn is a London institution dating to the 16th century, yes thats the 1500's my friends. It is London's only surviving galleried Coaching Inn just off the foot of the London bridge, easily accessible from the London Bridge tube station. Once you get off the tube, take the Borough High Street exit and head left along Borough High Street for about 1.5 blocks and you'll see a gate and barely catch a glimpse of the 300+ year old pub from the street. Take a left to the lively courtyard with several long picnic tables where you can enjoy your pint outside on hospitable days and evenings, the view from the courtyard is perhaps the best, with the creaky bar and her well preserved galleries at your back.

The George is owned by the National Trust, with the current bar dating to 1676, rebuilt after the great Southwark fire of 1676, and when approaching and entering, there's no question why the National Trust took it over, as the atmosphere takes over when you approach and enter the bar; one can easily imagine Charles Dickens sitting in the coffee room, where he is rumored to have spent countless hours during his days in the city. You can definitely picture the carriages from the days of old pulling up to the pub and tipping back a couple before moving on to their destinations. Unfortunately the "old bar" was closed on Saturday afternoon when we visited, but we found a great nook in one of the several other cozy rooms to cuddle into our beers for an hour. I'd like to go back in front of the fire and play a game of steel-tipped darts in the old bar.

The beer itself is relatively standard by English standards, with all the Greene King beers on hand pump (which is obviously cool itself), including IPA, Old Speckled Hen, Abbot Ale, Royal London Traditional Ale, and the George Inn Ale, also brewed by Greene King.  There are 1-2 others on CO2, but who cares when you can have a traditional hand pumped ale.  I tried the George Inn Ale, which was a fairly standard english ale, but I am not usually one to send back a beer.  Erin had the Royal London, which had a similar result. Given the choice of the Greene King beers, I'd go for the IPA or the Abbot, which posses much more character.

All in all I would highly recommend the pub, if anything for the galleries, which are truly unique to a pub in our day, let alone central London. Combine it with a trip to the famous and nearby Borough Market, which is open Thursday to Saturday and has a lot of everything you would possible want to eat for lunch, or bring home to make a dinner or picnic.

George Inn
The George Inn Yard, 77 Borough High Street, Southwark, London SE1 1NH
Telephone +44 (0) 207 407 2056

Settling In and Saddling Up

Visits from family and friends were getting very few and far between during our last 6 months in Dublin so it is with sincere elation that we recently enjoyed visits from Lou's sister, who is pregnant but was the ultimate power tourist, and our favorite francophile Tanya and her charming beau out from Brussels.

Thus, we finally took time to start enjoying our amazing, sizable city starting with the epicenter for all foodies - The Borough Market.  Open Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays, the market is a mecca for noise, crowds and amazing produce.   We arrived around 1pm and snagged some falafal and brautwursts for lunch.

If you are going to buy groceries versus browsing, I would plan on arriving by 9am, to beat the crowds as you often have to jostle for space.  The English blue cheese, Spanish charcuterie and locally-grown, affordable vegetables are particularly worth the trek.  Coffee beans are also high up on the list of market must-haves, as the line at a shop called Roast was easily an hour long.

After the market we walked over the Millenium Bridge, which provides an amazing view of the London skyline (if there is such a thing) and has been featured in Bridget Jone's Diary and the latest Harry Potter movies.

We also enjoyed a quirky meal of fusion tapas at The Providores down the street from our flat, which we highly recommend.   There is a white tablecloth style restaurant upstairs, but we preferred the busy, local vibe and communal seating on the main floor.  Note that they do not take reservations so you will likely have to wait for a table.

Last but not least, after viewing more than 30 flats, we are happy to announce that we have a new flat to call home.  Starting at the end of the month, we'll be living in Holland Park about four blocks from the Tube station.  The high ceilings and terrace sold us as we hope to buy a bbq and spend many nights sitting outside.

The Big Smoke

Goodbye Dublin, hello Big Smoke.

Living abroad can be pretty brilliant. Exploring little cobblestone streets.  Stumbling upon a Sunday farmer's market.  Visiting incredible museums.  Tucking into a pint in an old pub. Meeting new people.  Jumping on a flight and landing world's away.  Tasting local, sometimes unidentifiable, cuisine.  No matter where you live, there is something to be said about truly becoming a local.

So as our time in Ireland recently drew to a close, we found we weren't quite ready to pack up our bags and head home. And while we will always recall with fondness walking to work, the nice people and the days the easterly wind smothered Dublin with the smell of brewing Guinnes at St. Jame's Gate, we were also ready for a change of European scenery.

London might be only a 35 minute flight from Dublin, but it is chaotic, colourful and at times, seemingly worlds away.  We set-up temporary camp in Marylebone, in the heart of the city and are enjoying the finer things of life whilst in corporate housing.....free rent.

In a nod to our newly formed Irish roots, our first evening we set out to find a local - Pontefract Castle.  A local meaning the closest pub to our door.  The Pontefract is a mere 20 feet from our flat and is great for specialty ales. Despite being only a block from the crowds of Oxford Circus it retains a traditional English pub charm.  Oxford Circus is my new nemesis as I fight the crowds to find the little hole in the wall that leads to St. Christopher Place where we live.  I swear sometimes it feels like half the population is trying to walk or push past the H&M.

As our second task, we scoped out neighborhoods all across the city that have been recommended and suggested as friendly, safe places to live.  Using the Tube is a little bit like being a mouse, scooting through long winding tunnels, riding up and down escalators and then popping up in fresh air in a completely different locale.

After commuting to work everyday for several years using the Metro in Washington, D.C., I have a great appreciation for public transport and was grateful that after hours of walking in Notting Hill, Fulham, Clapham Junction, St. John's Wood, Regent's Park, Camden, Primrose Hill, Earl's Court and South Kensington, I could duck underground, grab a seat and find myself home in under 20 minutes.  (London lesson 1 - Buy an Oyster card for the Tube or it will cost you a small fortune).

To Arthur...TO ARTHUR!!!

Last Thursday, we happened to be in the most IN place in the entire world...Dublin Ireland for Arthur Guinness Day, a magical day of alcohol-induced celebrations to mark the 250th anniversary of the black stuff.Strauss was kind (and savvy) enough to score tickets for us to attend the Foggy Dew, a historic pub at the foot of temple bar. The events, held at more than 15 pubs with a huge performance at St. James' Gate brewery itself, featured famous acts that were unannounced until the moment they arrived. We were treated to the Kooks, an english rock band who have a very chill vibe, check them out for yourself.

At the pub were Erin and I, Katie, Joelskie, Strauss, Cormac, Germaine and Tony. Arriving at 6pm, the Guinness game hard and fast, and didn't stop till the wee hours.

After the Foggy Dew we went to Hogan's on George's street, another popular Dublin bar, and met up with Strauss' office for yet a few more.

At the end of the night, it was Joel, Erin and I alone at where else other than Kehoe's, for a late night pint outside on the street. After Erin so heroically sent an older man who had split his head open on the curb to the hospital (his friends were going to let him continue drinking), we danced off the pints at Cafe En Seine and made one last (or second to last) Baggot street walk home.
The following day I had off as the movers came and picked up our goods for London, so I turned in my computer and was joined by about a dozen EY faithful for a series of pints at Kehoe's, outside until Guido complained too much about the cold, then to the upstairs bar which resembles more of a living room. Kehoe's is literally the best pub I have ever been too, with great history dating back to the 1800's, a great post-work outdoor scene which defines Dublin, and one of the best pints in the city. Thanks to all the current and post POD 3'ers for the great night, I'll miss you guys. After that, I hate to admit Colm, Oli, Mairead, Emer and myself washed down the Guinness with a couple bottles of not-so-wine-spectator-recommended wine. Mmmmm, vinegar. Nothing a little dancing can't overcome!!!