It's a Lipstick Jungle

Thames 

I am sitting in a small coffee shop with Helen and Perri where we have an adorable window table with old-fashion fold down theater seats. From our window we can look out and watch people walking by. I have a cup of Earl Grey with soy milk and it came in a cute teal cup with a saucer, something straight out of your grandmother's cabinet. I am eating a brie and beet sandwich with a mango chutney on a sunflour-seed baguette. It is amazing and I don't want it to end. Today we have dedicated to doing homework and catching up on things. I had a pretty laid-back week since I didn't have my internship but it allowed me to go exploring and find some really cool places.

On Monday I had classes all day, nothing exciting, but on Tuesday I slept in and ventured to Bloomsbury Coffee House which is this great cafe with old mismatched wooden chairs and tables. The staff was really friendly and it was bustling with people the entire four hours I was there. I got a cup of tea and a goat cheese and pesto sandwich. I did a little homework but mostly just read a book and listened to conversations around me. It was a great afternoon and definitely a place I will go back to often. On Wednesday I had another free day and went to a different coffee shop with Rena. It was called Store Street Expresso and a little more modern than Bloomsbury. We had tea and talked for a while ignoring the work in front of us. Rena, someone I did not really know at all before coming to London, is an amazing listener and has great advice. There is such a diverse group of us from Clark here but it is really great getting to know everyone better and becoming closer friends.

On Friday a bunch of us went to the Tate Modern. Because it is so big we decided to only do one floor and go back again to finish the others a different time. There were a ton of photography exhibits which were really cool and a lot of abstract sculptures and pieces. Kyle, who was feeling slightly out of his comfort zone, took over as camera man after I strapped my camera around his neck but ended up really enjoying himself. No one is too cool for museums.

Cape Cod at the Tate 

Later Friday night we went to a bar called The Warwick which was so much fun. When we walked in it was a little more laid-back with less dancing than we were hoping for but that didn't stop us from dancing away and getting others to join. We met a lot of interesting people that night, some cool and others who should have been home with their wife (if you know what I mean). Regardless, it was a blast and definitely a night some of us will never forget!

On Saturday afternoon Perri, Helen, Rena and I went down to the Thames and got a closer look at the London Eye. It was really windy by the water but an absolutely gorgeous day with blue skies and sunshine, a rarity in London. There just happened to be a market going on by the water that day too and we had to check it out. Food markets are everywhere in London and dangerous for those on a budget. I realized that an ideal job of mine would to be an international food critic, so I am going to practice here and give you descriptions and opinions of the foods we ate. I feel like this is becoming more of a food blog than anything else but honestly the food has been so good it would be a shame not to talk about it.

Bruschetta 

I have to say I was a little hesitant about venturing into the market because it all looked so good and I didn't want to torture myself by looking at all of the amazing food I couldn't buy. But I am so glad they convinced me. Everything was so fresh and it had a lot of organic and natural foods. All of the vendors also love giving out samples so we sampled our way through and went back for the things we just had to try. Perri and I, the vegetarians, stuck together for the most part and decided to go back and try bruschetta. It was a thin slice of crusty sourdough bread piled high with tomatoes and basil, drizzled with olive oil and topped with parmesan cheese. It was a little too cold for my taste but the bread was soft in the middle and the tomatoes were ripe and sweet, even for this time of year.

Welsh Rarebit 

We also got a Welsh rarebit which was out of this world. It was thick crusty bread spread with a Welsh farmhouse cheese, a spicy mustard and infused with ale. We chose to put caramelized pears on top too. So good! Helen came up with this great scale to help make comparing all of these foods easier. The scale is from mush to crepes (for those who have been reading this you will understand). I would give the bruschetta a 7.5 and the Welsh rarebit an 8. It was an overall very successful day.

I have to wrap this up I have been writing this for way too long and sitting in this cafe eating way too much, the flaky croissant with melted cheese and tomato is a new favorite of mine here. I am excited for this week ahead since I will finally be starting my internship! Hope all goes well.

Cheerio. X