My Traveling Joys

Time 2022-09-15 18:59:52

Web Name: My Traveling Joys

WebSite: http://www.mytravelingjoys.com

ID:316189

Keywords:

My,Traveling,Joys

Description:

My Traveling Joys

Food, Travel and Expat Adventures in Turkey, Poland and Beyond

HomeAbout mePressContactIstanbul NeighborhoodsTurkey TripsOther TripsPlaces in PolandExpat Adventures in Turkey, Poland & Beyond

Top 10 Favourite Turkish Foods to Try

10 Autumnal Views Around London

Searching for Street Art in Brussels

13 German Christmas Markets in 5 days

Saturday, January 29, 2022

Looking Back and Best Meals in 2021

1/29/2022 01:27:00 PM by JoyNo comments

Looking back at2021 is tough as it was filled with a never-ending lockdown in the UnitedKingdom and several losses.

Volunteering, sourdoughbaking, making restaurant meal kits and cooking helped fill the voids, but thosewere temporary fixes. Losing a loved one is always difficult.

2021 started with Britainofficially leaving the European Union, and some crazy Americans storming theU.S. capitol 2 weeks before U.S. President Joe Biden took office.

We celebratedBiden’s inauguration from London with homemade hamburger buns,hamburgers, mac-n-cheese from a box and freshly baked apple pies.

Another Zoom cooking class from Africa to London.

On March 26^{th,we celebrated another wedding anniversary in lockdown by cooking up a Caribbeanfeast at home. We made jerk chicken and Jamaican peas and rice. Hey, might aswell try to “travel” somewhere, right?}

The UK lockdowndragged on until April 12th when pubs and restaurants with outdoorseating could FINALLY reopen – after being closed since mid-December 2020. OnApril 12th, I also received my second Covid-19 vaccine that day, andwe left London as fast as we could. We were itching for a break from thecity, so we hired a car and headed to North Yorkshire for almost 2weeks. Our holiday was filled with long walks and afternoon/early evening pubvisits so long as we were fully bundled up in layers. It was pretty chilly out.

You don’t realizehow much of your UK life revolves around the pub until you can’t go anymore.Not that we were total boozers, but we often went on long walks or bike rideson the weekends and then stopped at a local pub for a drink and food.

During our Yorkshirestaycation, the locals at the Fox & Hounds Inn in the wee village ofWest Witton made us feel welcome.

At the end ofApril, we had a family emergency in the US and we flew back for nearly a month.It was a very sad and devastating time for us all.

Summer 2021

The summer of 2021 wasfilled with many summer BBQs with friends in London, fine dining experiencesand as many English side trips we could fit in…because it was to be our lastsummer in London.

In June, we visited Stonehengeand, on the drive, back to London, we booked a tour at the Bombay Sapphire Distillery. Living in the UK for five years taught me to enjoy gin. Sittingin the sunshine enjoying our gin cocktails and eating a picnic box filled withlocal cheeses and charcuterie felt like perfection!

Having been deprivedof restaurants for so many months, we decided to treat ourselves to a fewMichelin-starred lunches and dinners.

We booked a belatedbirthday lunch at Marcus where we enjoyed 3 courses for £55. Highlights were English asparagus with roastedchicken fat mayonnaise, roasted salmon with Cornish new potatoes and abuttermilk panna cotta with cherries for dessert.

Then, we joined ourTurkish friends at Murano, Chef Angela Harnett’s one-Michelin starredrestaurant in Mayfair, for a fabulous five-course dinner. Highlights includedcrispy veal sweetbread with artichoke and fennel, risotto with summer trufflesand a perfectly-cooked beef fillet with bone marrow and black garlic.

In July, we managed tosqueeze in one last trip to Scotland to sightsee and visit our friendsin the Scottish Highlands. On our first night, we stayed in a 19^{th-centurymanor house that looked like a castle called the Kincraig Castle Hotel,just north of Inverness. Our lovely dinner included local scallops with pickledsamphire and roast apple, Scottish lamb with watercress pesto and local cheesesfor dessert. Delicious!}

At the end of July, myhusband moved back to the US to start his new job, I stayed on in London towrap up our international move and to spend more time with friends. I wasreluctant to leave. We had lived abroad for 11 years and now we were returningto the US. I felt like a foreigner in both places, but London had been my“home” for the last five years.

One special goodbyelunch was with my pastry girlfriend the elegant Hélène Darroze, athree-Michelin starred restaurantat The Connaught Hotel. There were toomany dishes to remember, but highlights included my main of roasted Welsh lamband the desserts. Dining here is a definitely an experience that you won’tforget!

TIP: Often, fine dining restaurants likethe ones I’ve mentioned offer incredible lunch deals, which are usually afraction of the cost of dinner. Also, look for special menus posted onrestaurant’s websites or through reservations sites such as Opentable.

Looking back, I had alot of delicious meals with good friends during my last few weeks in London.Whether we were having sushi, fancy cocktails or market hall lunches orcountry-side pub lunches, it all seemed special.

Moving back to the U.S.

At the end of August,I said a tearful goodbye to the good friends I stayed with my last week inLondon and joined my husband in Charlotte, North Carolina. I’ve writtenabout NC before on the blog because that’s where my in-laws live. Since we’velived outside of the U.S. for 11 years, we decided that was probably time tolive closer to family for a while.

So far, Charlotteseems like an alright place to live for a few years. The metropolitanpopulation is around 2.6 million people, so it’s a small city for us. We’rehaving fun checking out the local breweries and restaurants. Two dininghighlights from 2021 revolved around smoked meat. Since we’re in the South,we’re taking advantage of all the really good barbecue joints.

In October, we dinedat Supperland, an old church that’s been converted to a barbecue restaurant,for hubby’s birthday. Highlights included grilled oysters with burnt emberbutter that was poured out a ceramic teapot (outstanding!), charred broccoliwith bone marrow butter and grilled lamb neck. We’ll definitely be dining hereagain.

That same weekend, wealso had a friend visiting us from Austin, Texas, who had read about a popular barbecueplace about 45 minutes outside of Charlotte. Jon G’s Barbecue, locatedin the rural town of Peachland, is only open on Saturdays and serves BBQ untilit runs out. We arrived at 9:30 a.m. with our camping chairs and cooler in tow.This was one of the strangest, but also coolest things we had done all for thesake of good food.

Basically, everyonehangs out in an orderly line, talking to your neighbors and then you get toorder your BBQ. We waited in line a little over 2 hours, but so far, this hasbeen the best damned BBQ that I’ve ever had. We ordered a little bit ofeverything off the menu – pulled pork, smoked turkey breast, homemade sausages,mouthwatering brisket and side dishes. Even the “cowboy candy” – jalapenoslices cooked in simple syrup – was a delight!

Well, 2021 was aninteresting year – filled with a lot of highs and lows due to the ongoingpandemic. I’m hoping that 2022 will be a little bit kinder to us and that we’llcontinue to eat well.

FollowRead More

Thursday, December 30, 2021

Gingerbread Lane in Charlotte NC

12/30/2021 12:58:00 PM by JoyNo commentsEarlier this month, I tried to get in a festive mood and check out some local gingerbread creations.
The Ballantyne Hotel hosted its annual Gingerbread Lane event which featured handmade gingerbread houses made by local children and amateur and professional adults. to view an enchanting display of gingerbread creations from Friday, Attendees could vote on their favorite entries with $1 minimum donation per vote. All proceeds will benefit Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital (LCH).
Two of my favorites were a Dr. Seuss-looking tree house as well as a pink confection reminiscent of an old English house. Here are some photos for your enjoyment. Maybe next year I'll get motivated enough to make my own gingerbread house.


Read More

Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Repat: An American Thanksgiving

11/30/2021 10:36:00 PM by JoyNo commentsFor the past decade, I have usually celebrated Thanksgiving with friends in Istanbul, Warsaw, Germany or Melbourne. But this year was the first time in about seven years that we actually celebrated this American holiday with our family in the U.S. In August, we re-patted to America to make a new home in North Carolina. Hubby's new job took us here, and we also chose the location because his family lives in the same state. I'm very thankful we got to eat a celebratory meal together, but it also felt a bit strange. I feel like part of me is still missing. London was a huge part of our lives for five years, and now it's not.
I guess I shouldn't dwell on what was, but there are a lot of emotions during the holidays. And lots of food as well. Read More

Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Turkish Market Shopping in South London

8/31/2021 06:36:00 PM by JoyNo comments

Since living in Istanbulfor three years, I’ve enjoyed cooking Turkish food usually once or twice aweek at latest home in London.

Sometimes, I needto find some special ingredients or Turkish products that I enjoy using such asTurkish olive oil, beyaz peynir, pomegranate molasses, spices etc.Fortunately, we actually do have two small Turkish markets in our neighborhoodof Battersea where we live. One of the owners even proudly displays aTurkish flag in his small shop.

But awhile back, Idecided to venture out to a special Turkish market called Cheam Arena,located in North Cheam, about an hour south of where we live by bike. Thisstore also is close to the London neighborhoods of Morden, Kingston and Epsom.My Turkish friend, Ozlem of Ozlem’s Turkish Table, had recommended going to Cheam Arena. But if you don’t live in this area and don’t own a car, thenit’s not so easy to reach.

But during thepast year of the pandemic, I’ve biked my way around a lot of places in London,so I loaded up my bike with my paniers and went shopping. The first thing I noticedwhen I arrived at Cheam is that a lot of the produce was a bit cheaper than mypart of London. For example, lemons cost 5 for 1 pound in Cheam vs 2 for 1pound in Zone 2 London. The only way I can buy cheaper lemons or any produce isthe Saturday street market on Battersea High Street.

But Cheam Arenaalso sold special produce like sivri biber and dolma biber (greatfor stuffing), which I don’t often see in more central London.

The lovely producealone is enough to make the trek down here.

But inside thestore, there are tons of other Turkish products that I like such as sucuk,cheeses, less expensive pine nuts and pistachios and olive oil (1 litre for 6pounds). I also couldn’t resist the freshly baked baklava section andthe tubs of olives. Yum!

By the time, Ileft the store, my backpack was stuffed and so were my paniers. My bike definitelyweighed more going back home. I mean, check out my amazing haul!

With all thesedelicious ingredients, I couldn’t resist putting together a favorite Turkishrecipe:

Ozlem’s Lamb kebabs with pistachios. I served the kebabs withsome roasted vegetables and a Turkish-style tomato-herbed salad. If you canfind inexpensive, preshelled pistachios, then the recipe comes together moreeasily.

Afiyet olsun!

FollowRead More

Saturday, May 29, 2021

5 Spots for Bluebells in South London

5/29/2021 09:00:00 AM by Joy4 comments

Another sign of spring inLondonusually happens in mid-April, but the year because of our colder than usual spring, English bluebells didn’t start appearing until early May.

Bluebells are native to western Europe, with the United Kingdom being having the densest population.

·Did you know that nearly half of the world’s population of bluebells is found in the U.K.?

·But please do not pick or step on the bluebells as they are a protected species.

·Also, according to the National Trust, it can take 5-7 years for bluebells to bloom.

Here are a five spots south of the Thames River where you can find pretty bluebells in London.

Kew Gardens

A seasonal favorite of mine isKew Gardens. Thanks to our annual membership, we visit here often. In March and most of April, we visited the gardens nearly every weekend. Finally, on April 27th, I started seeing bluebells on the western side of the gardens and in the woodlands surrounding Queen Charlotte’s Cottage.

Battersea Park

Close to home for us isBattersea Park. Because of Covid restrictions, we’ve spent a lot of time walking, jogging or cycling through the park this past year. You’ll find most of the bluebells near the southwest entrance into the park.

There's another special spot for bluebells at St. Mary's Cemetery in Battersea. I was cycling past here and could see the vibrant bluebells from the road.

Wandle River

I think I’ve cycled more this past year than I ever had in my life. When you spend most of the year either unemployed or furloughed, you find yourself with a lot of free time. TheWandle Riveris actually a tributary of the Thames in southwest London and actually has a pretty nice cycle/walking path that runs for 12.5 miles, starting near Wandsworth and leading south to East Croydon.

Back in its industrial heyday, the Wandle River was the “hardest working river in London,” with more than 900 mills along its banks. You can still find two water wheels near Merton Abbey Mills and inMorden Hall Park. You’ll find quite a few bluebells in boths of these locations.

Near the end of theWandle Valley Park trail, you may find some more bluebells near Carshalton Ponds.

Lesnes Abbey

Aftter living in London for nearly five years, I finally made it over toLesnes Abbey, a 12th-century monastery founded east of Greenwich. The ruins of this medieval Augustinian abbey stand near the south bank of the Thames and was one of the first places suppressed by Carnidal Wolsey on behalf of King Henry VIII in 1525.

Behind the abbey site is a large area of woodland knownas Lesnes Abbey Wood, created from the medieval monastic parkland. This is by far the most impressive area of wooded bluebells that I have ever seen in London. Mark your calendars to see the bluebells here next spring!

From central London, take the train from London Bridge rail station to Abbey Wood and walk to the parkland.

Wimbledon Park

I wasn’t able to get to Wimbledon Park this year, but in the past, I’ve spotted bluebells while walking through the wooded areas. You can’t miss them, but please don’t step on the bluebells.

Where is your favorite area to find English bluebells in London or elsewhere in the UK?

FollowRead More Older PostsHomeSubscribe to:Posts (Atom)

Follow me

About Me:

JoyLondon, United KingdomAmerican expat in London for 3+ years. Lived 6 years in Turkey, Poland and Australia. Travelled to 40+ countries. Professional pastry chef. Avid photographer. Join me as I cook, eat, travel and write about my latest adventures. Smacznego!View my complete profile

Popular Posts

Sunrise and Sunset at 12 Apostles Along the Great Ocean RoadMy 3 Favorite Baking Supply Stores in Eminönü in IstanbulDIY Red Currant Polish Vodka3 Reasons to Visit Athens & Why I Disliked It7 Good Eats in Konya, Turkey

Subscribe here:

Read My Traveling Joys via a reader

Tags

ahtapotappetizerbakingbeansbeefbeerblueberriesbreakfastbulgurcakecheesechickenchocolatecupcakesdaytrip from Londondaytrip from Melbournedessertdrinkseggplanteggsexpat lifefishfruitgluten-freejam/jellykebabköftekünefelamblevrekLondonmarketsmushroomsnutspasta/ricepazarpizzaPolandPolish castlesPolish foodporkpotatoesrhubarbsaladsoupsteakstreet artsucuktomatoesTurkish holidaysTurkish restaurantsvegetablesWarsawwineyogurt

Blog Archive

▼  2022(1) ▼  January(1)Looking Back and Best Meals in 2021 ►  2021(6) ►  December(1) ►  November(1) ►  August(1) ►  May(1) ►  April(1) ►  February(1) ►  2020(20) ►  December(6) ►  November(3) ►  October(1) ►  September(3) ►  July(1) ►  June(1) ►  April(1) ►  March(1) ►  January(3) ►  2019(19) ►  December(3) ►  November(2) ►  October(2) ►  September(1) ►  August(3) ►  June(1) ►  May(1) ►  April(2) ►  March(2) ►  February(1) ►  January(1) ►  2018(28) ►  December(5) ►  November(3) ►  October(2) ►  September(5) ►  August(3) ►  July(1) ►  June(1) ►  May(1) ►  March(2) ►  February(1) ►  January(4) ►  2017(28) ►  December(1) ►  November(3) ►  October(2) ►  September(2) ►  August(2) ►  July(2) ►  June(2) ►  May(3) ►  April(3) ►  March(2) ►  February(2) ►  January(4) ►  2016(57) ►  December(4) ►  November(5) ►  October(2) ►  September(3) ►  August(4) ►  July(3) ►  June(7) ►  May(7) ►  April(4) ►  March(8) ►  February(6) ►  January(4) ►  2015(63) ►  December(4) ►  November(5) ►  October(2) ►  September(5) ►  August(4) ►  July(7) ►  June(5) ►  May(6) ►  April(4) ►  March(8) ►  February(5) ►  January(8) ►  2014(87) ►  December(7) ►  November(6) ►  October(11) ►  September(7) ►  August(8) ►  July(8) ►  June(6) ►  May(6) ►  April(7) ►  March(5) ►  February(7) ►  January(9) ►  2013(114) ►  December(8) ►  November(6) ►  October(8) ►  September(10) ►  August(13) ►  July(8) ►  June(9) ►  May(9) ►  April(10) ►  March(10) ►  February(9) ►  January(14) ►  2012(136) ►  December(13) ►  November(12) ►  October(8) ►  September(9) ►  August(10) ►  July(12) ►  June(8) ►  May(12) ►  April(14) ►  March(12) ►  February(12) ►  January(14) ►  2011(174) ►  December(13) ►  November(15) ►  October(15) ►  September(17) ►  August(12) ►  July(21) ►  June(18) ►  May(16) ►  April(17) ►  March(14) ►  February(5) ►  January(11) ►  2010(40) ►  December(9) ►  November(13) ►  October(14) ►  September(4)

My adventures on Instagram

FollowPowered by Blogger.

Copyright © 2012 My Traveling Joys | Powered by Blogger

Design by WebTuts.pl | Blogger Template by Lasantha - Premium Blogger Templates | SmsBlue.com

TAGS:My Traveling Joys

<<< Thank you for your visit >>>

Hot Websites