YANKEE INVASION

Last Sunday we went to a BMW-sponsored London Symphony Orchestra concert in Trafalgar Square. They performed selections from a variety of Prokofiev pieces, including Lieutenant Kije and Romeo and Juliet. The music was great, but it was almost ruined by some rowdy protesters who smuggled flags and banners into the front row. They booed the LSO conductor, Gergiev, for his views on the crisis in Ukraine. Security quickly removed them and their banners, though, and the orchestra played on.

On the last day of our trip, we packed up and took the train to Geneva, which is the other side of the lake from Vevey.  We spent a lot of time on the waterfront admiring the Jet d'Eau.  We saw the cathedral where Calvin preached Reformation (although apparently he hated the cathedral and preferred the church next door), and climbed the tower for a view of the city.  Then there was time for one more espresso before we had to say ciao and head to the airport.

We took a short drive to Gruyeres (yes, of cheesy fame).  The countryside there is green and rolling, and the Chateau de Gruyeres is perched on a hill, surrounded by some small shops and restaurants and beautiful views.  Jim sampled raclette for lunch - we were not yet tired of cheese.

We stayed at Chris's family's apartment, overlooking Lake Geneva.  The view was stunning.  We spent as much time as we could out on the wrap-around porch, bundled up in blankets and drinking coffee (and wine) to stay warm.  The last picture is the only one not of their view, but farther down the lake, of vineyards.  We did sample the local white wine - it goes very well with fondue.

Chris took us to his favorite restaurant for fondue in Vevey.  They make it quite the event when they bring out the scalding hot pot of molten cheese (which got a little too close to my face for comfort!).  We tried to work off some of that dinner with an evening stroll around Vevey's waterfront.

On Easter Sunday, we took the train from Milan to Montreux, Switzerland.  The scenery on the way there was gorgeous as we went past the lakes and right through the Alps.  Upon arriving in Montreux, Chris and Allyson caught up with Chris's mother and her boyfriend, and Jim and I went to check out the Chateau de Chillon, on an island in Lake Geneva.  It is a total fairy tale castle, complete with a dungeon that inspired Lord Byron to write The Prisoner of Chillon. We had time to tour all the little passageways and enjoy the views, and even take a selfie by the lake, before meeting up again with la famille for dinner.

Our second day trip from Milan was to Pavia, a university town south of the city.  We had been hoping to go to Lake Como one of the days, but the rainy weather made us want to save that one for a sunnier trip.  Pavia was deserted by the students due to the Easter holiday, but the winding streets and river were very pretty.  We saw a clever attempt to "fix" graffiti, and had some of the most delicious espresso drinks ever - pistachio, nutella, and zabaione.  On the way back, we stopped at the Certosa di Pavia, which is an incredibly ornate monastery set in the middle of farm fields.  Pictures were not allowed inside, but the church itself was very impressive.  We also met a friendly fat cat.

The old town of Bergamo, the Citta Alta, is up on a hill overlooking the modern part.  You take a funicula to the top.  We loved the little winding streets and the view from the old castello.

Haven't posted anything in a long time - between packing, moving, and traveling, we've been pretty busy.  So it was nice to take a long break over the Easter bank holiday weekend to visit our friends Chris and Allyson, who are living in Milan.  We flew in Thursday evening and walked around the Duomo, the large cathedral, toured central Milan, and then had dinner near the Naviglio Grande.  The next two pictures are of the Castello in Milan, which had a very odd art exhibition of giant birds.  A little out of time order, but the last two pictures are of the central train station in Milan, which was partially built by Mussolini and definitely has that "l'air du fascism" about it.  Milan is a very nice city and probably very livable, but it does lack the beauty of Rome.

Lovely place to have drinks- The Mayflower in Rotherhithe, where the Pilgrims set sail

The cats have decided this new place is alright

Keys to our new flat in South Hampstead!  

Our first furniture purchase: £10 each from Lassco, an antique shop at Maltby Street Market.

Spring fever

and here's a few pictures from Craft Beer Rising last weekend

Given that you’re casually following our travels, you may know that we both really enjoy craft beer.  It became a fun little hobby trying to find the next exciting brew.  This has been slightly more difficult on this side of the pond.  The English, while having a rich history in ‘real ales’, are sadly lacking behind the US in terms of craft brewing by a good 5-10 years.  We’ve been trying to find some good local options with mixed results.  Fortunately, we stumbled upon Craft Beer Rising, a craft beer festival, while surfing the web.  It was hosted in the Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane and featured over 70 brewers from England all the way to New Zealand.  It really was a great opportunity to get some more exposure to the craft beer scene in London both in terms of what is available and what the people are like.  In the end, we sampled well over a dozen beers, a ginger beer, and a cider over our 6 hour day drinking extravaganza.  The highlight was the beer tasting hosted by The Yeastie Boys from New Zealand which featured a Beetroot Saison, an Earl Grey IPA, a Pumpernickel RyePA, and a Peat-smoked Strong Golden Ale.  

A first attempt at making macarons...they are not pretty. Going to need more practice. These are pink and strawberry for Valentine's Day.