- I got carried away with my Johnny Marr post, so I did not mention the other fun thing I did on Friday (October 18): I attended the inaugural London Salon du Chocolat. Think of it as a (smaller) Food and Wine Show, but for chocolate. Yes, it is possible to have too many free samples of high end chocolate. (And fleur-de-sel caramels. And nougat. Fresh nougat is awfully good, BTW. ). About a third of the exhibitioners were from France, mostly from Bretagne; speaking to them en français was fun. I dropped £41 on caramels, chocolates and pineapple confiture. Other than the jam, I am guessing not much of that is coming back to Canada.
- There is a wonderful anarchy to English pubs.
- Some pubs of note that I visited:
¤ The Ten Bells in Spitalfields, which was on the way from Liverpool St station to where I was staying. One of Jack the Ripper's victims was last seen alive in front of the pub.
¤ The Black Friars, near Black Friars Station in the City. Described as a 'art nouveau' Victorian pub, it is simply gorgeous, with reliefs of monks adorning the wall above the bar and a ceramic domed ceiling above the dining area.
¤ The Old Cheshire Cheese off Fleet Street in The City. A 400+-year-old establishment, the pub has evidently hosted Daniel Johnston, Dickens, countless tired and emotional journalists and Polly the Parrot, now deceased, no more, a former parrot, etc.
- I left London with 20p left on my Oyster card (transit card), which I am attributing to phenomenal planning on my part.
- Some metrics: 2 operas; 1 requiem; 1 bitching rock show; 3 museums; 3 galleries; 4 'London Walks'; 1 chocolate show; 10 pubs; 1 zapped computer power chord.
- London is cool.
Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.
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