This past week, one of my dearest friends from college, Meredith, came to visit and stay with us in London. Taking advantage of a fortunate coincidence in holiday breaks from our respective educational jobs, Meredith arrived in London last Saturday, and left again for San Francisco this morning. It was probably the most time we've spent together since we were roommates in college, and though our lives have evolved quite a bit since then, nothing at all has changed between us. To sum up this past week with Mere, I have only one word: PERFECTION.
And, here's why....
PEOPLE magazine extravaganza! With a weekly subscription to People Magazine, and no time during the school week to indulge, Meredith schlepped six People Magazines across the pond, and they became a regular fixture in our low-key evenings (and, as you might imagine, my encounters with People Magazine are very few and far between since we've moved to London). An absolute treat for both of us.
Evening meals to rave about. We began the week with dinner at Wagamama, one of Meredith's favourite restaurants in London, and ended the week with a traditional pub dinner, to satisfy Mere's love for Fish & Chips. And on the nights in between, Bryan completely spoiled us with his cooking :). Thank you handsome....
River walk, on a beautiful day. Perhaps my favourite walk in this city, beginning at St. Paul's tube station, crossing the Millennium Bridge, and meandering along the river towards the Tower Bridge, complete with lunch from the vendor stalls at the Borough Market, enjoyed on a quiet bench overlooking the Thames. Divine.
Film, and lots of it. Taking advantage of ₤3.50 Tuesdays at the historic Coronet Cinema in Notting Hill, we logged a double feature together on Tuesday - Never Let Me Go in the afternoon, and The King's Speech in the evening with Bryan, followed by a late-night trip to nearby Gelato Mio. Brilliant.Even moments of silence were allowed, appreciated, and perfectly comfortable. We fluctuated between catching-up, laughing to the point of tears, and enjoying the city side-by-side in silence, the combination of which was most refreshing. As someone once wrote, "The best kind of friend is the one you could sit on a porch with, never saying a word, and walk away feeling like that was the best conversation you've had."
Ceramics! On the top of my to-do list in London, since we moved here, has been to spend an afternoon at the Biscuit Ceramic Cafe in Greenwich, for not only is Greenwich one of my favourite areas of this city, but the idea of drinking tea and creating my own ceramic masterpiece has always sounded lovely. And, lovely it was - painting, sipping tea, and watching the week's one and only rainy day from the comfort of the coffee shop (and yes, you read that correctly - only one day of rain during the week - we lucked out for sure!)
Tea & cake is best when enjoyed on a daily basis, and did we ever enjoy it; from proper afternoon tea at Harrods, to the Orangery at Kensington Gardens, to Bryan's farm cafe, and my local coffee shop by work. We had lovely cakes, lots of tea, and spent one afternoon reminiscing for hours about Santa Clara. As far as tradition is concerned, the British definitely have afternoon tea & cake down right, and when in London, one must oblige.
It's ok to sleep-in on holiday! Perhaps the most luxurious part of the week was sleeping in, lazily getting ready together during the late morning hours, and spending half days on the town. We packed a lot in to the week, but did so at the most delightful pace.O the bargain shopping! From fantastic sales to souvenir missions, from High Street Kensington to Portobello Road, from standard British pie & mash to Dutch pancakes, we did it all, enjoyed every minute, and refueled along the way :)
No rushing, no hurrying - we have no where to be, and all the time in the world to get there. Our very simple, yet blissful motto for the week.
Perfection is a difficult thing to achieve. That being said, I'm fairly certain that we did it. I miss you already Mere! Thanks ever so much for traveling so far to see me, and for being a wonderful roommate once again.
-Brandina
P.S...Thank you Mum ♥
"The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart." ~Elisabeth Foley
