Asiago Cheese, a Meeting, and Some Catching Up

     This morning I woke up with an extreme craving for an asiago cheese bagel, so I called Goldberg's and had them prepare it so it was ready when I got there. It was literally the best start to what would be a very busy day of catching up. I unintentionally took Wednesday off. I had a voice lesson, a lunch date with friends and I went to see The Adams Family The Musical. It was a great day but it left me quite behind on my planning, so I spent today catching up on what I'm supposed to have done by tonight, which is everything through dinner on April 18th. I also had a brief 30 minute lunch meeting with Bailey to touch base on our plans, packing lists, and confirm our arrangements for the airport, coming and going. 

Saturday April 16-

Breakfast: St Johns Bakery 

Monument’s 311 steps 

Lunch: Melt Room

Look Mum No Hands Coffee Shop

Dinner: Bim Bam Bap

     St Johns Bakery, located near Maltby Street Market is a popular bakery known for its fresh doughnuts and breads. Saturday seemed like a good day to start with a carby breakfast because afterwards I'll be hiking the 311 steps of the London Monument which, built to commemorate the great fire of 1666, provides an excellent view of London from high up. Especially fit climbers like myself who make it to the top receive a certificate of achievement which I plan to obtain at all costs. Once I am exhausted and in need of some fuel I will head on over to Melt Room, a quick sandwich joint to get my energy back up for what will be an afternoon of work. I have carved out Saturday afternoon to compile everything I've done so far to make sure I'm on track to make my book when I get home. I found what promises to be a laid back working environment at Look Mum No Hands Coffee Shop. I find that I do my best work at coffee shops anyway so I'm excited to check this one out and feel like one of the locals working away. For Dinner, I have decided to expand my horizons and try a Korean place, specializing in one specific mixed rice dish. I feel I owe it to the readers of my travel guide to give them a variety of options even though I could just eat mashed potatoes all day. After dinner I will have to find something fun to do because my desired activity, visiting the royal observatory, actually closes at 6:30 and isn't a night thing as I had hoped. Not to worry though, friends, I will find something exciting. I also want to note that I did not include times for this day because none of my plans require tickets or are time sensitive. 

Sunday April 17-

11:15 Sung Eucharist - Westminster Abbey

1:30 Lunch: Hawksmoor Spitalfields 

4:00 Shrek’s Adventure 

Dinner: Rök

     I am especially excited to commence my Sunday with a church service at the famous Westminster Abbey. Since it starts early and promises to be crowded, I will have to grab something quick to eat at Ms. Montgomery's house before I go. Hawksmoor Spitalfields is a meat establishment specializing in Sunday lunch. I should really feel like a local at this point. After lunch, don't judge me, I plan to experience Shrek's Adventure, a 4-D experience that is extremely popular to visitors of the city, narrated by Donkey. I wanted to include something family-friendly and fun in my travel guide, so this is the perfect activity. For Dinner, I am again sticking with my foreign foods theme and eating at Rök, "a Nordic eatery and bar for smoked meats, pickled veggies and British ingredients in wood-decked digs." I'm excited to get some international foods in there since this is for my Global Studies diploma distinction and I would like to include lots of options for the copious amount of readers I will have.

Monday April 18-

Breakfast: Lundenwic

Imperial War Museum- Churchill War Rooms

Lunch: Molly Bakes Café

London Eye

Dinner: Brasserie Zedel 

8:00 Comic Monday

     I will start off my Monday morning with breakfast at Lundenwic, a café specializing in coffee, porridge, and juices. After that I get to go learn about my favorite historical figure of all time, the great Winston Churchill at the Churchill War Rooms, one of the five branches of the Imperial War Museum. I have always had a fascination with World War II, especially the British success in decoding the German Enigma code. My lunch spot is 100% the place I'm most excited about visiting on this trip. Molly Bakes Café specializes in insane milkshake creations as pictured below. 

They remind me of New York's "Black Tap" which also creates crazy milkshakes and I am extremely excited. I will have earned this milkshake after walking miles each day around the city. Of course, after lunch, I have to be a tourist and once again visit the London Eye, a large 30 minute long ferris wheel that gives a breathtaking view of the city. For Dinner, I will go to Brasserie Zedel, "a grand French art deco restaurant with classic brasserie dishes and choucroutes in 1930s building." After dinner, I will attend a free comedy show known as Comic Monday that attracts people of all ages for a night of laughter. 

     Overall, today was a lot of researching and work, but I am starting to see this trip shape into something really great and well-rounded, perfect for a guide book.