"Orange" You Glad I Posted Again?

Nestled deep in the trees of Kensington Gardens, is the cutest little Orangery...

Code of Dress: cute

The menu choice: fruit scone with clotted cream and jam.

"Clotted Cream" is butter to the most pleasurable extreme... in case you were wondering...

Yup. I was THAT hungry and it was THAT good.

Could life be any more wonderful?

Just you wait...

After a change of clothes and a minute to message my love...

(Yay for Gmail text messaging!)

We headed here...

It's called Borough Market 

and it's like a Farmer's Market but on steroids.

(And I wasn't even there on a Saturday!)

Their samples put Costco to shame. Just sayin.

New Dilemma:

I want to buy souvenirs for my family and friends.

But it's SO hard.

Scarves are always a good choice for the girls.

Ties are always an option for the boys.

But I want it to be special - something they'd enjoy as much as I did this experience.

After sampling the jams and honeys and marvelous mushroom pates...

is it really such a horrible thing to bring back food?

Speaking of food - we were hungry.

(Scones are just not filling for 4 hours) 

So we stopped here.

Talked to this man...

who called me angel and told me that the best thing to get was the lamb "hot dog."

I say "hot dog" lightly because - well - it's not your typical dog.

This very fun cook asked me if I liked spicy.

Psh. if I liked spicy...

Well - it had a nice little zing with the sauces he told me to add.

The aftermath:

Some of the other girls were in the mood for cheesecake...

and raspberries...

How they had room for it after lunch, I'll never know. I was full until nearly midnight!

So we tiredly headed to the National Theater where we had bought standing tickets 

(only 5 pounds! Woot!)

for the show called London Road.

It's about the murder of the 5 prostitutes in Ipswich in 2006...

But the show focused more on how the people living on London Road were affected...

(since the serial killer was their neighbor).

The whole musical was done "verbatim" meaning the playwright actually interviewed people involved, recorded their opinions/feelings/perspectives and put their exact words to song.

So, although it was a musical, it wasn't like you'd go and buy the soundtrack for the catchy tunes.

The soundtrack I would buy? Whatever this jazz singer was singing!

The National Theater is a community in and of itself. 

It offers food and free music to anyone and everyone before the shows start....

The music is so good, this cute old lady 

in more sparkle than I had ever seen on a woman of her age,

just started to dance!

I think I want to be like her when I get old. She still had moves.

Well - the 5 pound tickets were worth it, but our backs/feet didn't agree.

Intermission: the time to sit and rest.

Today was incredibly fulfilling,

but there were several moments where I was let alone with my thoughts.

Dangerous, I know.

I've never been the kind of person that really relishes in time alone.

I'm social.

I like people.

But as of recent, I've loved my quiet moments alone...

just to think...

As I sat and listened to this jazz singer, 

I reminisced on some memories of my Dad.

He's been a jazz lover since long before I was born.

Smooth Jazz...

You know, the stuff that puts you to sleep in the dentist's chair.

But, despite our differences in music, I missed him as I sat their and listened. 

He is one of the calmest and most pensive people I know...

So, I sat and listened to jazz - like my dad.

It definitely was a good day.