postcard from London

I started the day at Maltsby Market with food and drink purveyors in the shadow of London Bridge rail link. Every now and then I thought there was thunder, until I realized it was just the train overhead.

First dessert: a delectable cannele. Next stop: a Scotch egg with exemplary fries.

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The alley was packed with locals.

I stopped in at Jenson distillery for a boutique gin and tonic with cucumber soda. We need more g&t at markets.

 I succumbed to pricey but fresh oysters.

 Then it was time to see more of town.

 So many great buildings.

Today was London's Pride parade in Mayfair, and rainbows were everywhere.

 I headed to Bond Street and enjoyed the after gay glow.

Lots of happy people including many seemingly straight couples with young children. Great to see.

Then it was to visit the master: Tim at Postcard teas. I tasted so many exceptional teas: oolongs, black tea from Korea, Madagascar-scented vanilla tea.

A copy of a book Tim and his colleague wrote.

 The tea room is serene and soothing. We naturally got to know the other people who came to sample.

Then we raced across town to timed admission to the Sky Garden on the 35th floor of the walkie-talkie tower.

Inside you can see in every direction. That's St Paul's to the right.

 The cheese grater and the gerkin

 Looking east toward Tower bridge.

Last stop: a classic. We headed to St John's where the madeleines hark back to childhood nostalgia but make the recipes taste better.

I tried drinking sherry from the marrow bones, as we did in Vancouver.

Is the last dish of warm madeleines the culmination of everything so far? Downed with glasses of sherry, as a golden retriever blissfully chomped on bones on the floor.