Stompin' at the Savoy

Not really. Just drinkin' at the American Bar. And people watchin'.

There were the gathering of serious business men with shiny shoes who were knocking back scotch and waters like no tomorrow. During our brief stint, they had downed four each. Those Brits, no matter the upbringing, can drink.

A couple of ladies were enjoying a glass of wine after a day of shopping.

A negroni was the poison at our table accompanied by an olive assortment.

Prices were dear, but the experience memorable.

Greenwich and The Mitre Free House

There's just something about Greenwich. Although close to London, it portrays a different vibe. It's easy to get there; just hop on the Tube or take a ferry. If you have never been before I recommend the ferry in order to see the revitalization of the Thames, the Tower Bridge, and how the tides affect this famous ribbon of water.

Greenwich offers many choices for the tourist, most containing a nautical theme (Cutty Sark, Old Royal Naval College, Maritime Museum). And then there is the park with the Royal Observatory at the apex. On this visit we concentrated on three things: The Cutty Sark, Old Royal Naval College, and The Queen's House Museum. The last two were free (the Observatory is free, too).

We began with the Cutty Sark. That way-fast tea clipper whose life span was shortened (at least as a tea caddy) by the steam ship and the Suez Canal. The last time we were across the pond, the Cutty Sark had suffered a restoration setback via a fire. Hubby was devastated. He was much happier this time. The Cutty Sark is a full-blown museum. Although admission is a bit steep at 14 pounds, for us, it was well worth it and afforded a lot of photo opportunities. Particularly impressive was how they have suspended the ship off of the ground to relieve undue pressure on the hull.

Upon disembarking we were hungry (the Cutty Sark cafe did not appeal to us) and happened upon The Mitre Hotel and Free House. It looked and acted like a pub. Upon a tiny bit of research I discovered that a Free House was a pub that was not tied to a particular brewery.

We chose a cozy spot, perused the menu, and ordered from the bar. One thing to note. Our menu listed beers, but all of these beers were by the bottle. We had to ask (or recognize the tap) about anything on draft. Hubby had a decent ale with an unrememberable name. I ordered a Bulmers Pear Cider. I like pear cider and most places carried some version of the stuff.

We both had very traditional lunches. Me with a Steak and Ale Pie; hubby with Bangers and Mash. Both were tasty and mirrors our versions of comfort food. The pastry for my pie was a bit thick and heavy for my tastes, but the beef inside was fork tender and satisfying. And who can turn down a lovely plate of mild sausages, mashed potatoes, and gravy? And topped with sauteed onions? A right proper lunch.

After lunch we headed to the twin domes that Wren built at the Old Royal Naval College. The building was originally used as a royal hospital for seamen and then converted to a naval college. Now it's a museum. Underneath one dome is a chapel and beneath the other is the Painted Hall - the most lofty and elaborately decorated dining hall I've ever seen. Once the hall was painted it was also deemed too fancy to dine in.

These buildings are HUGE and a bit surreal. Just walking around can be fascinating.

As previously mentioned, the Painted Hall is over-the-top elaborate with soaring arched windows. The ceilings and non-window spaces are painted in the curlicue-baroque style. I thought it was interesting that the list of benefactors were also painted on the wall with the amounts contributed. These days, benefactors are just named on the museum or hospital wall.

The Chapel is just as ornate, but much brighter in hue. The carved ceiling intrigues and was difficult to capture.

While it is not overtly apparent, there is an underground passage that connects both domes. In the middle the  Royal Naval College motto appears: By Wisdom As Much As War.

We then headed to The Queen's House, a small art museum portraying naval treasures and a spectacular spiral staircase. The naval paintings were okay.

The tulip staircase, however was awesomely brilliant. And a contemporary textile installation entitled Flower Helix by Alice Kettle hung from the center. The mix of vintage and contemporary kept me happy for quite a while.

We had a great day in Greenwich. Even though the place contains many attractions, it still has a small-town feel.

Piccolino in Mayfair

Piccolino is located just off of Regents Street in Mayfair. We had experienced a long day of traversing London. It was getting a bit late and the sun had set (yes, we saw sun that day). We had ventured around Carnaby Street to find a place to have dinner. Lots of imbibers had spilled out into the pedestrian walkways and everyone was LOUD. We headed to Heddon Street and settled on Piccolino and some traditional Italian fare. We were lucky that a table was available. This place, too, was busy and loud, but we were hungry and really wanted to get off of our feet.

Dinner was very enjoyable, but the conversation from the tables next to us were all the more fascinating. On one side we had two blokes out on the town. They had already had a few drinks. When the waiter delivered their meals, he dropped the dishes. Food and drink all over. Profuse apologies ensued and the manager offered to comp the fresh meals being brought out. These guys proceeded to wrangle quite a few more free cocktails before leaving as well. Brits can drink us under the table. The table on the other side of us comprised of two women who were not able to secure dates for the evening. These gals could chat up a tsunami. We finally realized why waiters in the UK always waited for us to ask for the bill. It's the only way to determine if the dinner party had finally shut up. Part of the conversation revolved around one woman's allowance. Apparently, Daddy had lowered it this year to 120,000 (pounds) and she was having a hard time living within her means. Not sure I can sympathize. She still snagged the entire bill and paid in cash. I kept wondering why her friend came for dinner.

Enough sniping for one blog post. We still had an enjoyable meal and the later it got, the calmer the restaurant became. We liked the classic cocktails (much needed) and the traditional prosciutto, Parmesan,  and mozzarella as well as the calamari. We were a bit surprised that the calamari did not include some tentacles. I appreciated the wood stone oven pizza and the different ingredients available. The porchetta and sage pizza was unusual , but tasty.

Aperol Spritz

A board of meat and cheese - Yum!

Fried Calamari

Porchetta and Sage Pizza

A Little Peek at Holland Park

London has some great green spaces. The parks feature wide open spaces, tall trees, gardens filled with color, and hidden gems. The same holds true for Holland Park. We only covered about half of the place, but discovered sculptures, a chess board, and a Japanese garden. Another plus - the parks have decent restroom facilities, too.

Churchill War Rooms

On a cloudy day we went to the Churchill War Rooms. This was a bunker in Whitehall where Winston Churchill and staff planned strategy during World War 2. In some ways this place was fascinating. The bunker is recreated as it was then. I really liked the vintage items and the signage. Because of the close quarters and the audio guide, it's hard to maneuver around. Attached to the bunker is a fairly new Churchill Museum. This place was dark and hard to follow. Most of the items required a ton of reading, but with the number of visitors, this was tough to do. If we had visited at the height of Summer, it would have been so much worse. To top it off, admission was 17 pounds. Very expensive and crowded. Not sure if it was worth it for us.

I did mange a few snaps of the bunker area, however.

Entry to Staff Sleeping Quarters. The hall was not tall enough to stand erect.

Winston's Office - He also made a few radio broadcasts from here

Remington Noiseless Typewriter

Sleeping Quarters for the minister of Information

Veritys Fan

Window to the Map Room

Durbar

A small Indian restaurant tucked away off of a main artery in Bayswater made for a lovely and not-too-expensive meal one evening. Durbar features Indian cuisine from across the subcontinent. The place was established in 1956 and has garnered various awards and have been visited by a variety of celebrities throughout its existence. The best recommendation was from a couple of Brits walking out of the restaurant after a satisfying meal  - Best in Town.

We both enjoyed the meal and the quiet atmosphere. Entree choices were many and it was very hard to decide. One of the things we noticed with several Indian restaurants around London; the menu options offered beef dishes. While we both ended up ordering chicken, we thought this aspect was interesting.

Durbar Entrance

Kingfisher Beer from India

Durbar - Interior

Onion Bhajee with Mint Sauce

Chicken Makhani - Tandoori chicken breast with a spiced tomato and butter sauce

Lorient Chicken - Chicken with onions, yogurt, tomato, pepper, and coconut