london trip// driftin'

A lunch made for one.

Cherry blossoms in the wind.

Cloud gazing.

Map reading and pavement pounding

The charm of the tube.

I had such a time in London. It's my birthplace, my old haunt, my history. 

Since I left it to roam and drift around I gave scarce thought to ever returning again. 

But in the warm, charming little bubble of my birthday visit I found myself falling back in love with the place, enjoying the crowds, the vibe, the unmistakable spirit of the big smoke. 

I felt home.

I love it when birthday gifts filter through long after the day has faded into history...

when I returned back to my parent's house in Ireland I had two lovely packages waiting for me.

Dallas sent me the sweetest bundle of Korean paper goods and a baby Totoro on a keychain.

A little baby Totoro!!! I can't even.

Also one of my best friends Jen runs a small print business and had my blog header printed on to a mug for me! It's shameless self promotion but hey, I love it!! hehe!

london trip// roll up! roll up!

Come one, come all,

to the majestic circus show!

The circus was in town while I was staying in London so on Sunday afternoon we took ourselves out to see the show.

I popped my circus cherry at the same time and also learned that you are NEVER too old for the circus ^.^

From the minute we spied the big top from the car window to the old timey popcorn and candyfloss vendors, the whole event was a great day out... we did lots of ooh and aahing at the contortionists and trapeze artists, snickering at the clown acts and we clapped and clapped till our hands were sore at the aerial silk performer (my personal favorite).

I got so carried away with the magic of it all...the whole day left me wanting to run away with the circus and spend every day spinning around in the air on ribbons and wearing a sparkly leotard...

And what better way to end a Sunday than with sausage,mash and onion gravy and sticky toffee pudding at the local pub?

It's hungry work, that circus biz!

london trip// turning thirty

Turning Thirty was a breeze for this gal, of course it helped that she was spoiled with the company of some very special people ^.^

The rainy weather (and too long taken to gussy ourselves up) caused us to veto our planned Jack the Ripper walk. Instead we raised our umbrellas and headed east for a stroll in Brick Lane.

We wandered through cobbled streets, touched railed clothing in vintage shops and toasted my birthday over fresh mint teas.

Later in the evening we returned for a long awaited Indian curry~ oh how I've craved a good curry with coconut rice and almond pashwari naan!!

We closed the evening at a beautifully ramshackle hole- in-the-wall hookah bar surreptitiously recommended to us by the waiter in the curry house.

We blew apple and mint flavored smoke bubbles and listened to some great 90's R & B until the clock struck midnight.

Here's the birthday breakfast rustled up for me by my cousin that morning using the goose eggs and walnut bread we bought from Borough Market the previous day.

How thankful I am for beautiful family and friends to add a bit of sugar to my birthday cake!

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london trip//borough food market

My first day in London I scooped my cousin Finn out of work early and we took ourselves to the beautifully archaic London Borough Market, a unique corner of the capital which is also one of London's oldest marketplaces.

Walking in to the market is like stepping into a time capsule and each stall is beautifully arranged with seasonal, gourmet fare.

It's a one stop shop for foodies, traders, restauranteurs and cafe owners to source delicious artisan cheeses, bread, meats, pastries, wine and every tasty morsel under the sun.

We spent a few golden hours wandering through the market, fingering goose eggs, sampling cheeses and chutneys and hot tea brewed up right in front of us.

We lunched on pancetta with mozzarella and tomatoes out in the afternoon sun surrounded by the bustle of tourists and baby strollers and the smell of fresh chorizo.

My favorite stalls were the ones laden with beautifully packaged tea leaves and the fabulous meat and game pies. I scooped up some organic chai tea and a wedge of goats cheese salami which may or may not reside in my belly now.

If you ever find yourself in Southwark on a lazy Friday afternoon this is the place to be.

We ended the day with a trip to the Cortauld museum on the Strand for a viewing of the Picasso exhibition.

I was quite taken with his early pieces showing bawdy can-can dancers and absinthe drinking patrons of early twentieth century Parisian cafes.

It was a day of good food and culture and stepping back in time to old Paris and London.

What more do you need from an afternoon?

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