Dilatory Me

I was going to blog much earlier and then 3 people called in a row!

However, the delay between Memorial Day weekend and today is long enough that my blog ought to be nice and succinct.

We went to Cape May, New Jersey.  The End.

Just kidding.

Here are some pictures:

We stayed at the Angel of the Sea, one of the best B&Bs in the country.  J said he chose a place where he thought an angel would sleep.  ;-)

The Pink House

The Union Jack with the Stars and Stripes

A Mustang on Ocean Drive

This is the Fire Department!

This is a bank!

Sunset, Day One

Cape May Lighthouse, Day One



Cape May Lighthouse on 5x optical zoom

On Saturday evening after dinner at the Ugly Mug, we played skee ball, which was a ton of fun.

Tea at the Angel of the Sea

A seaweed-covered jetty on the beach.  It was chilly on Sunday but we ran around on the beach collecting shells and stones, getting sand between our toes, catching our feet in the lapping waves, and digging up baby sand crabs.  Then we played mini golf.  In the evening, we smartened up a little and enjoyed a fine dinner at the Merion Inn on Sunday night, where an old guy played some excellent jazz numbers on a baby grand, and someone sang along.  It was all so good that we wanted to kidnap the old-timer and haul the inn back to Bethesda.

But it was suddenly HOT on Monday!  We had popcorn and frozen custard and got tanned.

The 3 hour drive there took double the time on the way home because everyone else was travelling at the same time.

We passed through Goshen, New Jersey, at a snail's pace, so I got some interesting pictures of classic white churches, there was even an old one-room school house but I couldn't get my camera out in time.

Sunset over an inlet at Cape May, one of the best photos I have ever taken.

This weekend, J and I got some pics developed, bought frames, and put them up in our respective offices.  He's had fun showing us off to colleagues and clients.

Well, it's past my bedtime so I bid you goodnight!  I'll come and see you soon, a few at at time for the rest of the week.

Little Thanksgiving

I haven't celebrated Thanksgiving since moving back to London 5 years ago. Now that my mother has moved back too, and we are missing the old life even more, we decided to follow up some leads, knowing that someone must cater to the large community of American expats here.

So we went to Christophers American Bar & Grill in Covent Garden.

	3 course traditional menu - £38 Begin your Thanksgiving celebration with Christopher’s Cranberry Martini - £8 Roast corn and sweet potato chowder Warm tomato tart guacamole cream, cilantro dressing “Grand Central” oyster and scallop pan roast Traditional ‘Waldorf salad’ smoked duck, walnut oil dressing Slow cooked ballottine of Norfolk Turkey corn bread, hazelnut and Michigan cherry stuffing, cranberry relish, buttered beans and creamed potatoes Missouri roast rump of lamb, Avocado tamale, dried tomato & cilantro dressing Roast Salmon with apple, pecan & wild rice griddle cake Sauteed baby spinach, Californian raisin and pecan brown butter Pumpkin pie bourbon cream Blackberry and apple cobbler blueberry ice cream Chocolate fudge brownie raspberries, vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate sauce

Apologies for not taking the photo before demolishing half the plate!
Waldorf salad with rocket leaves, sliced celeriac, smoked duck slices, golden raisins, and warm walnut oil dressing. Very cosy eating, that!



Missouri lamb rump in a sundried tomato and cilantro (coriander leaf) sauce, with an avocado tamale. Again I'm sorry I ate half of it first :) The medium done lamb was melt-in-your-mouth, mmmmm....



Spiced pumpkin pie with bourbon whisky cream and a sugar wafer. Just the right size dessert.



All rounded off with looseleaf (!) peppermint tea and dark chocolate truffles :P



Mum trying to figure our her new phone camera



Me going strong on the rose wine

We had a wonderful time there and wish we could go for Christmas too (if public transport is working on that day). The service was wonderful, attentive, precise, efficient - the table was even scraped between courses with a brass scoop - something I haven't seen since the Flying Dutchman on the Kemah waterfront in Texas, where we ate things like beef wellington and soft-shell crab.

At Christophers, we forgot we were in London, felt very homey, comfortable, and happy. The sort of happy where your heart rises for a moment. Neither of us have felt that in a long, long time...