Camden Market

We love our markets and Camden Market (aka Camden Lock) was another favorite. It's located in Camden Town near the Hampstead Road Lock of the Regent's Canal and is a maze of adjoining markets and shops selling vintage clothing, novelties, crafts and bric-a-brac. The covered arcades run along cobble stone streets and there are many wonderful shops and places to eat. Our tastiest vegan meal was at inSpiral Lounge where we had a great view of the canal and the most delicious food.

Portobello Market

I LOVED Portobello Market. It's one of the world's largest outdoor antique markets nestled between city blocks of mid- to late-Victorian terrace houses and shops. It was jam-packed when we went and full of energy. I could have spent the whole weekend scouring through the shops and stalls as there were so many wonderful treasures to sift through. There were also several stalls with tasty treats like cupcakes and deep-fried goodness from the sea. It was a great opportunity for people watching and taking photos, too.

The white cliffs of Dover

D+L took us to Dover Castle one afternoon and we walked around the grounds and interior. There were a lot of twists and turns and nooks and crannies to explore. We even went on a guided tour of the secret wartime tunnels. I really enjoyed that part because there was lots of vintage ephemera and interesting antiques on display.

Whitstable

Whitstable is a sweet little seaside town located in the district of Kent (and a short drive from Canterbury). We spent a few hours there - walking along the shore, visiting the different shops and boutiques, and stopping in at a pub. I found a cute red rain slicker with little white polka dots and a faux fur neck warmer at one of the lovely thrift shops, as well as some great postcards with sixties advertising.

Canterbury Tales

I'm finally getting around to posting some pictures from my trip and thought I would start with Canterbury. This is where our home-base was while we were traveling and as I mentioned in a previous post, where we were so fortunate to stay with our friends D+L. They were so kind and accommodating to us - they gave us a comfy place to hang our hats, fed us delicious food, introduced us to Yorkshire Tea, took us to the most interesting places and they were just so much fun to be around. (On our first night, they even gave us thoughtful little presents!) I hope that we're able to repay them some day as they really did make our trip extra extra-special.

Thanks so much for everything D+L+K+B! ♥

As for Canterbury itself, it's a charming town in the district of Kent in South East England. It's rich in history dating back to prehistoric times when it was first inhabited. The city lies on Great Stour River and is filled with many beautiful medieval structures and buildings (pictured below) and lovely storefronts like the Hospice Shop (one of my favorites). There were also places with funny names like the Bishop's Finger which always caused a few groans each time we passed it.

My cup of tea

I wasn't always a tea drinker. In fact, there was a time I used to drink nothing but home brewed coffee with milk and sugar. (This was when I was a broke University student living at home and when those big plastic portable cups were all the rage). Then, a new kid came to town - I'll call him Tim...Tim Horton's - and I was all over him like a dirty shirt. For a couple of years I was all about Timmy's "extra large triple triple" and couldn't start the day without a visit to the drive-through to order one. I'd even visit throughout the day to feed this mild addiction. (Rumour had it that there was MSG in each cup.) From there, I found myself being seduced by the next big thing - the competitor who boasted trendy, sophisticated drinks with frothy foams, sugary syrups and fancy names like latte, frappuccino and misto. To boot, I had stopped consuming dairy and found that my new suitor offered lactose-free alternatives like soy. I was hooked. Soon, it was Starbucks and nothing else would do.

I'm not exactly sure when I began scaling back on my decadent coffee beverages...perhaps it had to do more with the fact that to feed this addiction I required deep pockets or the subtle hint of tightness around my waistline and the appearance of ill-fitting pants (these drinks come with a price, you see). Whatever the case, I found myself growing curious about liquid gold and began to develop a deep appreciation for the leaf and all of its varieties. I started off innocently with English Breakfast but soon found myself courted by the exotic black teas and lusting over the flavored pu’erhs. Most recently, I have fallen head over heels with organic Hojicha creme from David's Tea.

Of course, to keep my relationship with tea alive, I make sure not to discriminate and always keep an open mind to new blends and flavours. I've flirted with maté (I love its potency), spent time with oolong and rooibos (both lovely especially when enhanced with flavours) and experienced the smoky varieties of imported European teas (a wonderful surprise!). I'm always trying something new but I definitely have my favorites!

I'll drink several cups of tea a day. My routine (since returning from our recent travels) has been: a cup of Yorkshire tea with breakfast, two cups of caramel tea during the day and a special blend after dinner and perhaps again before bed (preferably Hojicha with soy milk and sugar).

I'm supplementing my tasting by also feeding my brain with books about the history of tea, the harvesting and processing, the traditions all over the world and how tea culture is making an impact these days. I especially love reading blogs about people's passion over the brew, tips about steeping and pairing with food (especially biscuits and sweets!) and reviews of different varieties. A recent comment posted by a Monsieur de la Cour has even inspired me to go on a tea tasting tour around the city. I think this would be fun!

So, whatever your cup of tea is - enjoy! I'll leave you now with this video on Tea Making Tips (circa 1941). Take care and talk soon. xo

This time last week...

I was...

...looking at beautiful Parisian buildings,

...in awe over the number of skulls and bones housed in the catacombs,

...scouring the Marché aux Puces for vintage treasures,

...admiring curiosities and antiquities (and even purchasing a few),

...pinching myself.

Go back to sleep

I've been awake for almost two hours now, despite feeling like I'm extremely hung over (which I'm not) and fatigued. My body is aching and I'm feeling nauseous but I know it's just the jet-lag kicking in. I was fine yesterday but feel gross right now. In five hours, I'll be facilitating a workshop. (Help me.)

I think I hear H tossing in her bed too. I'll get up and check on her. Maybe we can have a really early breakfast and take our time getting ready for the day. I'll review my presentation materials and then cross my fingers that the day goes well. (Sigh)

This is what I meant about getting back to reality. I'm really not good at it even on the best of days. I wish I could magically snap my fingers and be back on a plane, going on another adventure with my family.

[Wonder what D+H are up to right now in Canterbury and if the weather is cooperating...]

Back to reality...sigh

We flew home yesterday and spent the day settling back into life again. H was really excited to get back to school today to see her friends while I was happy to have the day to unpack, do laundry and hang out with J. I felt a bit nauseous from jet-lag but otherwise okay. I always have a hard time getting back to "reality" after going on holidays.

I took several pictures (okay, so maybe it was over 1000) on the trip and will be posting some once I've sorted through them properly. In addition to my DSLR, I took a little point-and-shoot, several toy cameras and an old Polaroid. I got some great shots with the Polaroid and am glad I brought this cumbersome friend with me on our travels.

More posts later. Hope you're all well and keeping warm. (Did I mention how cold it was on our trip? Brrr.) Talk soon. xo

Tapas

Last night, D+L treated us to a lovely dining experience at Cafe Maresque for tapas. We sampled many tasty dishes including Seafood and Saffron Paella, Crispy Fried Calamari With Saffron Aioli, Grilled Haloumi Brochette and Hummus Roast Almonds With Smoked Paprika...just to name some of our choices (we had 14 in all). It was a great atmosphere and was surprisingly busy considering the crazy weather outside.

We've been so spoiled with all of the wonderful meals we've had during our trip - both homemade and at various restaurants and cafes. On top of this, we've been enjoying the different candies, chocolates and tea available here.

[I'm devoting about 10 lbs. of our luggage to transporting some of our favorites so we can continue to enjoy them when we get home and of course, to share with our friends and family.]

Stranded

We were "stranded" in London the other night due to extreme weather conditions (translation: heavy snowfall). It was just awful...we were stuck eating delicious homemade curry (three varieties, no less), surrounded by the nicest people and forced to sleep on a comfy bed in a cozy flat in London. (Can you imagine?) In all seriousness, we were unable to make our way back to Canterbury which has been our homebase since we arrived but it was a welcome diversion. J's friends, A+H, had us over for an intimate gathering with some of the English language teachers that J had worked with in Japan (before we met). It was great to finally meet these people I had heard so much about and seen so many photos of. They were all as wonderful as I'd imagined and really cool. I think the coolest of them all was little Flo who was a bundle of energy and so entertaining.

The following morning, the three of us made it over to the Tate Modern which I was happy to see but to be honest not as impressed with as the National Portrait Gallery. After seeing all of the beautiful paintings and drawings and imagining how many hours of work each portrait must have taken, I just could not appreciate Marcel Duchamp's or Jeff Koons' dadaist interpretations of art. When I saw Koons' installation of vacuum cleaners in a glass case, I found it a little offensive, although I realize one of the contentions of modern art is that the word "artist" should not be just confined to those who have specialized training or expertise and the notion that anyone can be an artist.

In any case, my highlight of the Tate was the amazing gift shop they had. Seriously folks, housed in the shop were many lovely items from the hundreds of book titles available to the racks of gorgeous postcards to the coolest children's art-related items. It was vast and wonderful - like a really special bookstore which you could spend hours in.

And sadly, today was our last day in London. We had grandiose ideas of what we'd be able to do but the unpredictable and inclement weather dictated our schedule. We had plans of visiting the British Museum but found out that many of the trains were running on limited schedules. In fact, people working in London were advised to leave downtown by 7:00 pm to avoid being stranded due to the limited trains. I didn't mind because we had a really amazing day anyway. We visited Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station (and took cheesy pictures), had a delicious lunch at the Inspiralled Lounge (which rivals our all-time favorite meal at Hermitage - it was that good) and of course, traversing the maze that is known as Camden Market.

And tonight? We're chilling out in Canterbury with our lovely friends, drinking tea and anticipating UK's version of Big Brother (there's something addictive and mesmerizing with its banality). Oh yeah, and we need to pack our things for Paris which we hope to be able to get to seamlessly and smoothly, depending on what happens with the weather tonight and how the trains will be affected. Fingers crossed! Then, it's three days in Paris and back to Canterbury on Monday night to pack and spend our last night in the UK before leaving for Toronto on Tuesday morning. (Sigh)

Take friends and keep warm. Talk soon. xo

(Did I mention it's freezing here?)

Happy New Year!

I hope 2010 is off to a good start for you all...

Quick note from the road. We're here in the UK now and having an amazing time. We're staying in Canterbury with our friends, D+L, who have been the most wonderful hosts and tour guides. They're so accommodating and kind. I hope we get the chance to repay them, someday.

Canterbury, itself, is a charming medieval town with beautiful buildings and streets. It feels like being in a fairytale. We also visited a seaside town called Whitstable which was equally as charming with its little shops lining the streets and cute little homes sprinkled throughout.

We've also been to London twice - the first time was to celebrate New Year's Eve and the second was today to shop at Portobello Market. For NYE, we were on a bridge over the Thames when the clocks struck midnight. Downtown London was just crazy and busy.

And Portobello Market? What can I say? It was just amaaazing. It was jam-packed with people, full of energy, antique shops and stalls with all kinds of goodies to buy. I could have spent the whole day there (and we almost did). Thanks to J+H+D for being so patient with me. One of the treasures I picked up today was a vintage wooden photo album full of cabinet photos.

I have so much to tell but will leave that for later. Just wanted to touch base and let you know that I'm here now and having a really lovely time. Hope you're well. Talk soon. xo