Regular readers will know that I’ve got a bit of a thing for street art. Rio is covered in the stuff and some of it is really good! In fact, if you’re looking for things to do in Rio, may I suggest you check out my Gardens and Graffiti walk?
Since I’ve been back in London I’ve been keeping an eye out for some interesting graffiti – last night I found some!
Lovely isn’t it? This is on a door shutter in Hoxton, east London.
Although 2 months back in England sounded like a lot when I arrived, the weeks have flown by and already I’m approaching the half way point. Before I know it I’ll be back in Rio – good cachaça and pão de queijo will be available on every corner, but rhubarb, samphire and British native oysters won’t be on the menu. So, with the clock ticking, I have resolved to indulge in some English delicacies while I still can.
On Sunday I went down to the rather splendidly named Lordship Lane in East Dulwich. It was a lovely sunny day and a good friend of mine lives nearby, so we met up and strolled in the sunshine, chatting as we went. Before long we found ourselves outside Franklin’s, a pub, restaurant and farm shop.
Franklin’s is a farm shop, grocer, delicatessen and across the road it becomes a pub and restaurant.
As I browsed the baskets and crates of locally produced food, I realised I had come to the perfect place. Read more
As I approach the end of my third week back in the UK I have to say that being back here has stirred up a complex mix of feelings. I’ll quickly get the negative part out of the way and say that I miss my special one back in Rio – 2 months is a long, long time. But on the other side of the things, I spent last night enjoying a wonderful meal with my mum at a spectacular restaurant in South East London – when you live more than 5,000 miles away, these occasions are rare and precious.
And as I sit here tapping away, I look to my right and see a delicious glass of chilled Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and a plate of yummy cheese from Switzerland (gruyere, since you ask). If you ever consider a move to Rio, you’d better get used to doing without these little luxuries.
This is just the cheddar section of the medium sized supermarket that I was in today. JUST the cheddar! So much choice and quality! Incidentally, I’m saddened that most of the world is either unaware of cheddar or thinks of it as a dull, tasteless cheese. Real cheddar is rich, sharp and tangy! How I miss it when I’m back home in Rio…
Two weeks after arriving back in England, I finally found a weekend to head back to my childhood city of Winchester to see my mum. It worked out rather nicely actually as today (Sunday 18th March) turned out to be Mother’s Day (all part of my plan, naturellement).
Although my new life in Brazil is rich and wonderful in countless ways, it has been tough to be away from my lovely family for such long periods. This time it had been more than 8 months since I’d seen my UK people so it has been great to come back and reintroduce myself. And one of the most comforting things about coming home is comfort food cooked by my mum:
Ah this takes me back to my childhood. In our house we always called this Shepherd's Pie, though a lot of people call it Cottage Pie instead. Whatever you call it, this is utterly yummy and delicious and uncomplicated. Perfect for a chilly winter's evening with a warming glass of red wine. Thanks mum!
Woo, check it out – 2 posts in as many days! I am back baby! And am I going to pick up where I left off yesterday with another tale from my adventures in London.
Last weekend I set off to meet some friends at a Dutch pub located on a street that borders Chinatown and Soho. I hadn’t been to this particular pub in more than a decade, but my memories (made misty through the combined effects of time and Oranjeboom) were that this was what a Londoner might describe as a “decent boozer”.
The Oranjeboom was gone, but this Lindeboom went down very nicely, even if it did look a bit like an ice-cream!