The Daily Commute

You often really dread the same boring commute day-in and day-out, trudging through traffic and occasionally engaging in road rage, while listening to KFAN or MPR.

For me the commute is a tale of two halves, much like the Vikings football games. The first half is a little manic, where I stuff myself into the tube on the Central Line, changing at Bond Street to the Jubilee and ending my tube journey at Westminster.

As long as I am in the tube by 8am, its no problem. But soon thereafter it begins to resemble the running of the bulls...

Alas, when I make it to Westminster and pop out of the tube to a lovely walk across Westminster bridge with Big Ben and Parliment over my right shoulder and the London Eye along the wandering Themes  in the foreground on my left.

This commute can always be frustrating in the morning, stiving to get to work early with stress carried on your shoulders. However, its always appropriate to take a step back on the bridge, do a 360 and realize these are amazing times we live in, thankful to be a part of it all!

Oxford, UK

Sorry about the delay, but I finally have a little (very little) downtime to do a post or two. This is from our Oxford trip in December.  The weekend after Strasbourg and before returning home to the Minny, Joelskie and I took the opportunity to experience the Christmas cheer in Oxford. It wasn't too Christmassie there, but it didn't matter, as the night was reserved for a historic pub-crawl and the following day for meandering around the old city.

We took the Oxford Tube to Oxford, which picks up right in front of our place among other spots along the North side of Hyde Park heading into the city. The tube is really cheap and easy, making Oxford a great day trip from London. We arrived at about 8pm and went over to what we think was the first Oxford christmas market. It sure makes you appreciate the ones that have had 400 years of practice at the art. There were about 30 stalls that had nice goods, but it lacked the Christmas spirit that the other Christmas markets in Europe we've seen. It is in a good setting (at the enterance to Oxford Castle) so I think once it develops a bit, it'll be a great place to enjoy.

After getting an x-mas sausage into us, it was onto a pub crawl, which many would say can be wrapped into a history lesson as these pubs, through their ageless walls and warping ceilings have seen many generations of students, teachers, tourists and locals come and go. The link above highlights lots of Oxford bars.

The first place we went was the Bear Inn, dating back to 1242, making it one of the oldest in Oxford (the world too?). It is just two little rooms, one with a fireplace, and the age on the building shows by the slanted ceiling and floors, which have settled into their foundations nicely! The beer on tap is Fuller's and the fire is really cozy! I wouldn't be hesitant to say this is one of the top 10 best pubs I have been to. Mind your head!! I nicked this off google images, so thanks to he who provided!

After this pub, we went to the White Horse, one of the older pubs in town with slightly-less-shiftier foundations than found at The Bear. We started talking to a group of students at the bar who were in the midst of the 12 Pubs of Oxford crawl, led by none other than an Irish girl from County Cork.  We decided it was in our best interest to try and meet them at some of the other spots (without being intrusive), so it was onto the Turf Tavern.

This is another great pub of Oxford, dating back to the 13th century, who also contests to be the oldest pub in Oxford. Erin and I had gone here in 2005 when visiting, but it definitely deserves a repeat performance (once a week:). As you can see, the ceilings weren't made for modern humans! The pub is also set right outside the old city walls, whose ruins remain there today (albeit integrated into the nearby buildings). One of the students mentioned that it used to be popular for bare-knuckles boxing and cock fights, since they weren't allowed in the city. The beer on tap is much better than the other spots we went and had the greatest variety in the city.

Those were the two best pubs in my opinion, we went to four others that night, including the Turl, the King's Arms, the Wheatsheaf, and Grapes. They were all really nice pubs and unique in their own way. The Turl was the most old feeling, the King's Arms more of an Inn type pub, and the Wheatsheaf a long and narrow pub down a longer and narrower close that had good beer on tap.

After ending the night with a kabob, we walked around the next day, touring Oxford Castle and Christ Church College. Both tours, while expensive, are worth it. King's College is especially cool, the great hall used in the filming of Harry Potter and the King's College Chapel full of history, including a beautiful stain glass depiction of the assassination of Thomas Becket, who was famously murdered by King Henry's followers in 1170 at Canterbury Cathedral.

It is always fun just to wander down the narrow streets and taking in the history of Oxford. As you can hopefully tell, it was a quick, easy and successful night away in Oxford!

Worthy Hiatus

We have high aims for the blog this year.  Plans to document everything from the best Mexican fix in London to neighborhood hole-in-the-walls with terrific Belgian beer to hopefully a trip or two to far-flung India to see Jamie and even the pyramids in the Middle East. However, with unexpected emergencies back home, our efforts and attention have been elsewhere. We won't make any excuses, as the hiatus was a worthy one (Linsey we love you, work not so much).  In a reflection on the last four years of having a blog, we really aren't sure what the point of it is aside from keeping everyone in the loop on our life as expats. We welcome any suggestions and hope to spread the travel bug.

Christmas in America

For the first time since 2006, we spent the holidays in the comforts of our Minnesota home(s).  Despite the logistics of having family and friends in all corners of the state, we had one of the best US visits yet and had plenty of time to spend with everyone.  The holidays are always a little tricky when you have to balance two families, siblings, and multiple sets of grandparents that all want to see you (we wanted to see you too).  It is even much more difficult as expats.  However, this year ended up being a breeze and thus, our trip home was fun and relaxing, if not a tad over-indulgent (too much merry-making, clearance sales, dinners out, and days stormed in with nothing to do but eat more and play cards).

We kicked off our tour of Minnesota at the W Hotel for a classic Christmas sweater affair.  The Prohibition Bar, while slightly pricey, has fantastic views of the city and was a comfortable place to catch up with friends.

BB - You have officially arrived.

The morning after prohibition, which most definitely did not live up to its name, we headed down to St. Peter for an early Christmas celebration with Lou's family.  Next time we see them, there will be an additional dishwasher.

We then hit the highway for the long drive up to East Grand Forks where we had originally planned to spend a few days and then gather with my entire family in Brainerd.  Unfortunately, 26 inches of snow prevented us from leaving our driveway.  We played all indoor games - cards and board games galore and the usual outdoor activities - sledding, snowmobiling, igloo building, deer-feeding.

Our future roommate.  Hopefully this expression doesn't reflect how easy she will be to live with.

My sister's boyfriend from California getting a few pointers on the art of snowmobiling.

More Christmas and Oxford to come soon....

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.