A day in the city

N and I are, for the most part, quite content to stay on the Island, pottering along in our own little way.  The only times we cross the water are for holidays or to visit family on the mainland - I don't think we even go over on shopping trips anymore (do others see us as boring, then, I wonder?)  

Yesterday (screen-free Sunday - I remembered) we had a trip to the mainland.  We went to London, no less, to meet up with my daughter, son and future DIL to celebrate my daughter's birthday - that's the one that comes after 29 but which we aren't allowed to mention ;-o   She didn't know that N and I would be there and she was certainly surprised to see us waiting for her.  

My son's present to her was a lunch-time meal at L'Atelier de Joel Robouchon, a 2* Michelin restaurant in Covent Garden.

We have considered trying a Michelin-starred restaurant in the past, as N has always been intrigued to see if the food was as special as we were led to believe, and with his experience in the food trade (albeit maybe not quite in the same gourmet class), N has a real interest in how food is prepared and presented.  

I have to say the meal was wonderful; it was a dining experience and one which we all enjoyed very much.  I think it brought home for me that the little touches are important - table linen, cutlery, decoration - they all add to the occasion.  I have for some time felt that I don't make sufficient effort to set the table at home, and I should because I know N goes to the time and effort of making lovely meals for us.  That's something I need to do this autumn/winter - table linen.

The food - I wish I could have taken some photos but it wasn't really the done thing! - was delicious.  The presentation and attention to detail were incredible, but nothing was superfluous or unnecessary.  N was fascinated to see exactly how the components were assembled to produce the final dish and it was interesting to see that there was no condiments provided on the table - the dishes were presented as the chef wanted us to taste them, without the option of adding anything, not even salt or pepper.  It was good to know that the ingredients were all fresh and the food was prepared from scratch just a few feet from our table - we could see the chefs at work.  I loved the way different flavours hit the palette - the sudden tang of fresh coriander at the end of my starter came as a real surprise, and my dessert of praline choux filled with nuts was simply devine.  Yum!  We all savoured the food and appreciated the time it takes to construct the courses.  Having all watched various TV programmes by 'celebrity' chefs from time to time, I think we were able to understand a little better the time and skill required to produce this style of cuisine, and that obviously has a big part to play in the cost of a meal like this.  It may not be something that we would do very often, but we are glad to have had the opportunity to experience and enjoy it.  

Having said that, N and I believe that the food we have at home has its own merits.  It is cooked from scratch using fresh produce where possible, often from our own garden, and N enjoys using herbs and spices to enhance flavours.  

We managed a little sightseeing as we walked from Waterloo Station to Covent Garden:

The London Eye

Houses of |Parliament and Big Ben

It was also the final day of the Tour of Britain cycle race, and on our way back to Waterloo we were thrilled to see the cyclists with their police escorts.  Good grief, were they going fast!  I tried to get some photos but everything passed us in such a blur; N did manage to catch a glimpse of one of his sporting heros, Mark Cavendish, so he was suitably impressed.

All in all, we had a great day out in the Big City.  It was a tiring day (we left home at 08.30 and didn't get home until 20.00), but it was lovely to meet up with the youngsters and enjoy time with them.