Christmas in Berlin

London 8 Leicester/Late Thanksgiving

Friday I walked up from Charing X along Seven dials, Monmouth at the border of SoHo and Covenant Garden.

In the afternoon I took the bus up to Leicester. We went to a fun house party.

Saturday we slept in, went to the High Cross shopping center and prepared a Thanksgiving dinner for the three of us in the evening. 3 hours of preparation, 3 people:

Turkey crown, stuffing (aus der Packung), cranberry sauce, roast potatoes, cornbread (thank you Aunt Jemima), sweet potato suffle (fresh from the market), corn, pumpkin pie and blueberry apple pie for dessert. YUMMY

Sunday also slept in, walked into town, went to bikram yoga 55C in the afternoon, sooo hot, don't think it's really my cup of tea. Had Saltfish Aki, a Jamaican dish for dinner followed by Aladdin

London 7

Monday I went to a Health Systems lecture by Anne Mills.

Tuesday morning walk up to Leicester Square from Charing X, finally

got to say the National Gallery during the day.

St. Martin's between Trafalga Sq and Charing X

London Colloseum Opera

University College London -UCL

Tuesday I stopped by the Wellcome Collection, I enjoyed perusing the bookstore and look forward to some of the events in January like walking tours of medical London. I had pizza at Icco on Goodge Street with Evelyn and went to the Is the Welfare State sustainable in an Aging Society? panel discussion in the evening.

Wednesday I went to Lidl in Camden Heights for some good sunflower seed bread. From there I went to Japanese.

Thursday for a change I took the train to Victoria Station and the Victoria Line up to King's Cross. I visited the

British Library The King's Library, Magna Carta, Gutenberg bible, Canterbury tales, Shakespeare, Virginia Wolfe)

Ecohost dinner at Navarros

www.navarros-tapas-london.co.uk I found out one phd student did AmeriCorps and a WHO internship and another a work holiday in Japan and went to Harvard.

London 6 Best of Weekend Dec 9-12

Friday I took the train to Canon Street and walked up to Bank where I found

myself across from the Bank of England and the Stock Exchange.

St. Pancras International in the morning

unseasonal cherry blossoms

Went to the British Museum during my lunch break, the covered courtyard is breathtaking!

Visited most of the highlights: the Rosetta Stone, Lion's Hunt, Parthenon

but my personal favorite was this from Lykia

Saturday

Beautiful crisp morning, smell of autumn, except that it's December

On the way to Maida Vale tube stop ...

Arriving at Tower Hill Station

(5.7 miles)

and onward to Tower Bridge

City Hall and Tower Bridge City Park

The Tower from the other side of the river.

30 St Mary Axe "The Gherkin"

Hay's Galleria

More fun pub names "Mudlark" check out the sign.

Southwark Cathedral

Didn't stop by Monmouth because of the lines, must go back!

Burough Market, foodsie paradise!

Shakespeare's Globe Theater

View of St Paul's and Millenium Bridge from the Tate Modern.

Looking back at Charing Cross from the Southbank Christmas Market

after visiting the Southbank Center and British Film Institute

Southbanklomdon.com

on Westminster Bridge

spectacular London Eye

Big Ben

Parliament, hope to do a tour there while I'm here.

Westminster Abbey

I took the train back to Mansion and walked along Canon Street to

Saint Paul's, upclose this time!

I continued along to the Barbican where I met Alina and Harry.

We went to the arts and crafts festival at Barbican, then Alina

showed me around Shoreditch, Spittel Field Market and Bricklane.

We went to Owl and Pussycat Pub.

(3.2 miles)

I took the tube to Green Park walked to the Winter Wonderland Christmas Market (1.2 miles)

in Hyde Park but it was too crowded, they weren't letting anyone in. Took the bus to

Piccadilly Circus and walked up through SoHo Brewer, Wardour St, and all along

Oxford Street to Holborn Station (1.2 miles)

with Evelyn at Jish's housewarming party in Finsbury Park

Sunday

I walked along Randolph Ave to Saint John's Wood, by the big London Mosque, all around Regent's park including Queen Victoria's Garden, I absolutely loved the park and adjacent Primrose Hill.

(5.5 miles)

From there I walked along one of the adorable canals to Cambden Locks Market

Stopped by Lidl and found sunflower seed bread, muesli bars, supposedly they have good salami, proscuitto, parmesan, mozzerella, next time. The Camden Town tube stop was closed to prevent over-crowding so I got on the Mornington Crescent tube stop and took the tube to Nottinghill Gate. Without intention I quickly stumbled upon Portobello Road and found Charlie's, an excellent recommendation from Alina. I stopped to rest and have a Latte.

(1.5 miles)

Walking back through Notting Hill I thought of what my students have told me that Meguro is the Notting Hill of Tokyo, it's true, not quite as pretty but just as peaceful. I could imagine living in Notting Hill

Took the tube from Holland park to Charing cross (Central and Northern Line0

I met Evelyn and Peter at the National Gallery.

Took the tube Bakerloo line back up to Maida Vale

Persian dinner w Thalia

Walked back to Thalia's place along Edgeware Road - Middle Eastern (1.3 miles)

View from Thalia's kitchen

View from Thalia's kitchen. Monday morning means back to reality and work ...