We booked the 9.18am train from Northampton, but there were no coffees or pastries to enjoy today because of the long queue at the station café. We made straight for the platform where the London train was already waiting, but we couldn't get onto it as the doors were firmly closed! More and more people gradually arrived on the platform, and I could see we were all moving almost imperceptibly to the doors! About five minutes before we were due to leave we were eventually allowed to board and Sophie and I were delighted to get seats. We had thought the train would be packed because of Winter Wonderland taking place, and also there were supposed to be protests today in Central London about Gaza and Israel.
We settled back in our seats and watched the sunny late Autumn landscape flash past. I was so glad that it was cold, but sunny today. There was a convivial mood on the train and two men further up the carriage had already started on cans of Stella Artois lager, and vodka and coke. It was barely 9.30am... don't get me wrong, I am partial to a tipple myself, but at this early hour? As the journey went on, they became louder and louder!
We arrived in London, desperate for a coffee and something to eat, but the little outlet we used to visit in Euston was closed, and there were long queues at Starbucks. We decided to get a black cab and head to Brick Lane to see if there was a little café there where we could enjoy a coffee and pastry.
We managed to get a cab easily, and the journey to East London didn't take long. He dropped us off a short distance from the street and we walked towards Brick Lane, where there was a great buzzy atmosphere, with people looking in shops and milling about in the cold sunshine.
We found a perfect place for coffee and pastries - a café called 1001:
They were offering cooked breakfast, but we chose a pastry and a coffee. I found a seat next to a huge Christmas tree and felt like I was abroad! There was a party of young French girls at the next table, and a sign outside was written in Spanish and Italian!
It was great to sit and relax and soak up the atmosphere. We had plenty of time before our timed arrival at the Monet Immersive, so we indulged in some people-watching - the man who had been in front of us in the queue was definitely a character, wearing what looked like a kilt over trousers and loudly talking to the staff!
After our coffee, we made our way to the Boiler House, taking some photographs of the vibrant streets along the way.
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| We love Harry Styles! |
We were a little early for the exhibition, but we were warmly welcomed into the building to start our tour. First up were message boards about Monet's life and his travels to London and Venice with his wife. I love his London paintings of the Houses of Parliament in the fog. We read all the information and then moved into a room that was designed to resemble the bridge at Giverny. The colours were beautiful!
The exhibition wasn't crowded, and there was plenty of room to mill about and look at everything. We moved from this room into another, set up to look like part of his house at Giverny with paintings on the walls.
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| The paintings weren't real but superimposed on the canvases |
Next up was the large room where his paintings were displayed on the bare walls. Again, people were relaxing on deckchairs, bean bags or stools to enjoy the exhibition. We stood and watched, entranced by the colours.
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| Caricatures he did when he was in his teens. |
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| One of my favourites - I love the expression on Monet's face as he looks at his wife. |
As well as the paintings displayed on the walls, there was relaxing music playing. Some people looked like they had fallen asleep! We both agreed that the cats would love all the patterns on the floor and would chase them!
We stayed for a while and then made our way to the Virtual Reality part of the exhibition. Last time it was included in the entrance fee, but with the Monet Immersive, we had to pay £3 each if we wanted to take part. We did, of course, because it had been so enjoyable before. This time we were taken to a high stool and the member of staff fitted the visor.
I wish I was able to film the Virtual Reality tour, as it was fantastic! We started off in the house in Giverny and made our way through the countryside, visiting a train station in Normandy and then London in the fog, which I thought was particularly beautiful. At one point we were hovering above the sea and cliffs and also in a landscape filled with snow. It was wonderful!
In the gift shop, Sophie bought a tee shirt and we made our way outside. It was still sunny and cold so we decided to visit a vintage vinyl and clothes market a short distance away. I've never seen so many colourful clothes in one place!
Sophie bought a pair of sunglasses and earrings, and I messaged Mike saying he would love it! I'm still on the lookout for a Ralph Lauren shirt that he'd bought at a thrift shop in the US a few years back, and had shredded on barbed wire fencing, rendering it unwearable!
On the way to Spitalfields Market, we came across a Crisis charity shop and couldn't resist going in. There were some beautiful clothes and Sophie found a lovely chenille jumper and a tie-dye teeshirt. She tried both of them on but the tee shirt wasn't a great fit so she reluctantly put it back on the clothes rail. I spotted a selection of Christmas cards and bought two packs.
It was great to be back at Spitalfields Market and we had a good look at all the stalls. It was fantastic! There was so much on offer, including clothing, art, gifts and food. We looked at some of the stalls and decided to have a cocktail at a busy bar within the market called Players Social.
We were shown to a high table with stools and chose our cocktails. I opted for a Negroni while Sophie had an Old-Fashioned. We also ordered some wasabi peanuts to nibble on with our drinks.
Next to us was an American couple and they were obviously feeling the cold as they asked for the overhead heaters to be turned on. It was chilly as, although covered, the market had open sides.
The drinks arrived and Sophie picked a wasabi peanut to try. However, after putting it into her mouth, she immediately spat it out again! She hadn't realised that wasabi is very similar to horseradish and it was too strong for her liking! It was hilarious! I ate some but we put the rest into a bag to take home to Keith!
We sat and chatted, and soaked up the atmosphere. There were people eating and drinking and having a wonderful time. After our drinks, we had another look around the market and Sophie bought some fudge for Vikesh. It was a perfect place to buy Christmas gifts, and Sophie bought another pair of earrings.
It was a short walk to Cinnamon Kitchen, where we'd eaten in April. There was a heavy police presence in this area, and we'd learned that protests were planned in Central London today and tomorrow. Our table was booked for 3pm and we hoped it would be busier than it was the last time we visited. Luckily, it was and we were shown to a table near the entrance. Two musicians were playing and it was quite loud if I'm honest! We were given menus and Sophie chose our starters and main courses. It looked as if the Festive Feast menu wasn't available but we were happy to choose our own dishes.
We ordered a bottle of Spanish white wine and the food. Sophie chose Punjabi samosa and Chettinad shrimps to start, followed by paneer butter masala and Lucknow-style chicken biryani with Peshwari naan for our main courses.
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| Our starters |
The food and wine were delicious and luckily, the musicians stopped playing and went and enjoyed their own meal! Several other parties turned up to eat so we weren't alone!
We both chose Rasmalai tres leches cake for dessert and it was beautiful! We could have eaten much more of it! It was creamy and delicious!
Outside, it had grown dark and after paying the bill (£100 plus a tip) we left and I took a photo of the beautiful lights in the surrounding area. The heaters weren't on so there was nobody sitting outside!
Back on the main thoroughfare, we tried to hail a black cab, but they were all carrying passengers. We found a taxi rank nearby and took one to Euston. Our driver was a very glamorous lady with lovely blonde hair and immaculate nails!
We were able to get on the next train back to Northampton and grabbed two seats facing one another. An Italian couple sat next to us and never stopped chattering in their native language the whole way to Milton Keynes. It's a beautiful language and so lyrical! I wish I could have understood what they were saying!
Keith met us at the station and we made our way home where we relaxed with a drink. He had slow-cooked brisket of beef all day and the smells were divine, although both of us were still full from our late lunch!
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