Bank Holiday Shenanigans - Part 3

Bank holiday Monday is always a treat, not only does it make the weekend a three day weekend, it also makes the following week a four day week.  

Precious time together

Normally the Oxford May Day celebrations are a major event, which means that the tiny pub the G.O manages opens up very, very, very early (5 am) to provide sustenance for the many jolly individuals taking part in the celebrations.  This year the celebrations went off without a hitch (or so they say), and with May day being on the Friday before bank holiday Monday, it meant G.O was able to spend the day with me.

Bright and breezy on the Monday we set off for the big smoke, parked the car in the usual car park.  It is such good value for your money £3.00 until 4am the next day, and there is a security guard.  Got onto the Metropolitan (my 'home' tubeline for 6 years) and headed on the longest tube journey in the world (obvious exaggeration),  it only took an hour but it takes you past all of the landmark stops and onto the Dockland Light Railway (DLR), which in my opinion is one of the greatest transport inventions of all times.  I have some very fond memories of the DLR, in what was a horrendous time I had a blast.  We arrived at Custom house and it was buzzing.

Watching one of the live sessions - George Clarke's Amazing Space Woman

G.O had purchased ticket to the Grand Designs Live show, it an three day event based on the TV show of the same name.  While G.O are in no position to build, renovate or even buy our own home at this time, I love visiting the show because you never know who or what you will see/meet. At last years show not only did I meet The Renovation Man himself, we also watched a live Italian Cookery show.  "You can make it yourself itsa eezee!  Only flour, egg and water".  Each stall holder is trying to, obviously, get your custom.  I enjoy floating past them with "sorry I don't have a house!"  Why are you here? they all ask.  Reasonable enough question.  

Behind all of the architect, builders, solar panel, hot tub stalls is the food and lifestyle section.  All manner of companies are there and all are giving away free samples.  G.O and I will go past our favourite stalls three of four times and the booty we have at the end is phenomenal.  We don't ever bring or buy our lunch, if you are savvy you can be fed and watered by the stall holders themselves.  We had cheese, wine, sausages, crackers, yogurt, bread, and ice cream all given to us by the companies.  It is a veritable smorgasbord.  Not only is there food to try, there are new gadgets that have just come on to the market.  We were suckered into buying glass cleaner fluid that made my ring sparkle (I later realised it was just the lighting, hey ho), a heated back massager that is amazing at getting rid of all the knots in your neck, back and shoulders and also gives the best hand massage (no double entendre here).

Building a house inside the Exhibition centre

After about six hours of wandering around picking up freebies here and there, we decided to hit one of our new favourite places to eat My Old Dutch in Kensington, on our last visit I had overdone it a tad on the Kaasballen, so this time I knew it was all about moderation, and as always it was delicious. It was the perfect end to what has to be one of the greatest Bank Holiday weekends of my life. 

 A Hoisin Duck Pancake

It was only the tube ride back that I had a feeling of de ja vu, it was exactly a year ago that I went into the Headteacher's office at the Little Village school and offically handed my notice in.  I had told the head that I was thinking about resigning in the April (three hours before Ofsted called to say the were going to pop in and see us), but that weekend, I had no stress and had had an amazing time with G.O so I decided that I wanted a better work life balance which I wouldn't be able to achieve at that school.  Also I wanted to move, but that is another story.

This was me not overdoing it!

This Old Dutch

"I know  a place where we can go for lunch!"  Famous last words.  

G.O didn't want to have his photo taken on the tube in front of everyone.  He did smile eventually, but I don't want to use that photo, cruel I know.

One day G.O will learn not to listen to me.  However while getting there may always, and I mean always be a chore, the end result is most definitely worth it.  This time I wanted to take him to a Dutch pancake shop I had been to with a couple of friends last year.  Now I knew that it was in Kensington but I couldn't quite remember how to get there.  This is never a problem as far as I am concerned as long as I know a general direction, soon enough either I will recognise the place or I will whip out my GPS.  This time I did a bit off both.

We start our journey as always (these days) by car driving to Hillingdon and parking in the all day car park there.  Then we board either the Metropolitan line (most of the time this is the train we take) or the Piccalilly line (if we are heading for the West End).  Both trains are in my opinion a 'trek and a half' but I have lived along both routes and so they are quite nostalgic for me.

I have fond memories of living in Rayners Lane - photo from 2011

Now I usually have a general idea of where we were heading and can plan a route in my head, glancing at the line station stops (whatever those things are called) on the train. Occasionally, I get  a little flustered, the old grey cells aren't what they use to be (as you can tell) and I need to consult and peruse, for quite some time, a map. 

It was while doing this, after I had reassured G.O I knew exactly where we were going (I Did kind of) that I realised that we need to get to Kensington High Street and not, as I had been heading towards, Kensington South.  In hindsight, this is not an issue, but we were trapped on trains that were packed with lots of pushy people and I just couldn't take it any more (sadly I am no longer a City Girl).

I proposed a plan to walk from Knightsbridge to Kensington, it would only be about ten minutes, (nearly forty five by the time we got there) this, on any other day, would have been fine.

I decided not to take the scenic route (the household cavalry barracks, is one depressing building), we would get glimpses of the scenic route through the building occasionally, but then it started to rain, just a drizzled at first but then it became a torrential  downpour and to make maters worse G.O's orange umbrella broke.  We needed to get there fast.

Like an oasis in the desert we rounded a corner and there in front of us in all its majestic glory was the Royal Albert Hall.  G.O stopped and took some happy snaps and this buoyed us on for the rest of the journey.

A little graphic of our journey, in green, with caricatures

Finally we reached 'My Old Dutch' a gorgeous little pancake shop, it was like a little piece of pancake heaven. I couldn't quite remember what I had had the last time but I knew that it was good.

I convinced G.O to share a couple of starters with me do we had Kaasballen and Frites, there is nothing nicer than Dutch frites and mayo.  Then I decided to have a chilli con carne pancake, G.O chose a modest ham and spinach pancake.

We they arrived they were enormous, I knew straight away I had made a serious error when I ordered the starter.  I struggled to finish the pancake. As delicious as it was, oh my word it was yummy, each mouthful was starting to cause me pain.  I started to slow down, the waitress told me that they didn't close until 10pm so I could take my time (it was half past four).  After half an hour it became really uncomfortable, I had new jeans on and they were tight. 

It was definitely a case of having eyes bigger than my belly, and with my Buddha Belly that is saying something.  I didn't eat anything for the rest of the day, but I know one thing for sure, I will be going back, those pancakes are delicious.

Goedemorgen from the Orange Country

One of the benefits of living in the North West of Germany is the proximity to borders.  We can travel through France-Belgium-Netherlands and be in Germany in three hours.  Mama and papa live about 45minutes from Enschede.

Enschede is a busy little city, but the real jewel in the crown is the market.

While there we normally partake in some liquorice, windbolle, chocolates and never leave without flowers.

Without a doubt we never leave without having a portion of Garnellen from one of the fish stalls in the market.

Deep fried crayfish with a yummy garlic sauce.

Today out eyes were a little bit big for our bellies, as we ordered two large portions.

After only four pieces, I could eat no more.  I don't know what's wrong with me.

Mum had the "best" idea, she wrapped up the leftover crayfish and put them in her bag to "save" for later.  Then the sum came out and it got hotter and hotter, I'll let you figure out what happened when we pulled the bag out at the supermarket.