Phat Duck goes to London

April 25th: adventures with Paul

2005-05-03T15:19:00.000-07:00

On a monday I was given a tour of London by an Paul, who is from Ireland. I suppose who better to lead a foreigner around than another foreigner. Well, we covered quite a bit of ground, had a few snacks, and made it home by 5.

Doesn't Paul look thrilled to spend an afternoon with me?? Paul and I took the train into London on a Monday and he gave me the tour of the city. Ok, there it is, seen enough, lets go. We had dim sum in china town and fried seaweed. All in all it was a fun day

2005-05-03T15:17:00.000-07:00

west minster abbey

2005-05-03T15:16:00.001-07:00

Hey look kids, there's big ben!

2005-05-03T15:16:00.000-07:00

parliment with the clock tower

2005-05-03T15:15:00.000-07:00

The house of lords

2005-05-03T15:14:00.000-07:00

Covent gardens. This used to be the open air covered market for vegetables, food, stuff like that. Now it has fancy clothes stores and a flea market in the center. Paul and I had coffee here and a cornish pasty, which is like beef stew in a dough pouch.

2005-05-03T15:13:00.000-07:00

inside covent gardens

2005-05-03T15:12:00.002-07:00

inside covent gardens

2005-05-03T15:12:00.001-07:00

covent gardens

2005-05-03T15:12:00.000-07:00

me in picadilly circus

2005-05-03T15:11:00.001-07:00

picadilly circus

2005-05-03T15:11:00.000-07:00

the eye of london. Sounds kinda creepy but it's just a bit wheel. next to it is the aquarium

2005-05-03T15:10:00.000-07:00

trafalgar square

2005-05-03T15:09:00.000-07:00

trafallager square

2005-05-03T15:08:00.001-07:00

me in trafalager square

2005-05-03T15:08:00.000-07:00

me in a red box

Saturday, April 23rd, my 26th birthday

2005-05-03T15:07:00.000-07:00

On my birthday I met Chris in London and had a cooks tour. We started in burroughs market, early before it filled with tourists and you could still get tastes of things. There we bought things for dinner, looked around, and sampled some great cheeses. After that we went to Books for Cooks, a place a cook could loose them selves in. We walked through portebello road but the picked his gastronomically saturated brain, and we cooked dinner with Dawn, Chris's wife. Chris and Dawn are also from Seattle so not only was I treated to a fabulous meal, but I got a little bit of home. I couldn't have had a better birthday here.

Me in portabello road. I couldn't help but hum the song from bed knobs and broomsticks. We got a quick bratwurst from a vendor and got out of this maddening crowd. Way too many people here

2005-05-03T15:05:00.000-07:00

A distorted picture, but this is Books For Cooks. Inside I found the largest collection of books for cooks that I have ever thought possible. I spent most of my time with the El Bulli book, also the Buchon book. We could have stayed for hours but there was food in the bag waiting to get home.

2005-05-03T15:03:00.000-07:00

Here is me on the morning of my birthday at the gates of Burroughs market. Inside Chris and I would explore and find the makings of my birthday dinner that he and his wife so kindly invited me over for.

2005-05-03T15:01:00.000-07:00

Oh boy, do I ever wish there was a cheese shop like this in Seattle..... I'd be in heaven, and in pants a few sizes bigger. With a simple request, "what's showing well today?" Chris and I were given tastes of so many beautuful cheeses, all brittish. Niels yard the shop is called. It will be a pilgrimage for me each time I go into london from now on.

2005-05-03T14:59:00.000-07:00

My favorite shot of the market, these beautiful scallops on the half shell. I was told that in america, the coral would be grey instead of this striking orange.

2005-05-03T14:57:00.000-07:00

hoof to knee, looks like we are eating the calf

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Pricey little ham

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ham being sliced with a sword in the spanish stall at the market.

2005-05-03T14:54:00.001-07:00

slicing bacon on a fire engine red meat slicer. What a beautiful machine

2005-05-03T14:54:00.000-07:00

an octopus in the market.

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Our steak came from the ginger pig, a propper butcher in the burroughs market.

2005-05-03T14:51:00.001-07:00

ready for the fire

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A steak fit for a feast

2005-05-03T14:50:00.000-07:00

Chris and Dawn's beautiful table with Chris's masterpiece of a meal laid on top. The bernaise was etheral and the porterhouse was devine. What better way to bring in my 26th year than with a wonderful meal like this. And with out a single brittish accent around, I almost felt like I was home.

2005-05-03T14:49:00.000-07:00

do I look 26? I guess the question is do I feel 26?

2005-05-02T16:22:00.000-07:00

My birthday was missing one thing. Half way across the world Russell was racing in Walla Walla, and sending me birthday wishes tellepathically. And I was cheering for him tellepathically too!!