London Lights, Part Three

The Sampler, South Kensnington, London

22 December 2015

It took us all day to do not very much. 

Breakfast was late and slow at a cafe a quarter mile from the hotel. We considered walking to Marylebone. There be bad Santa ornaments and Jack's wine shop friend, Mederic at Nicolas. There's also a good book shop there. But no! Nicolas has closed!* We decided to go to Covent Garden instead.

First we went to fetch Jack's dry cleaning up near Euston station. On the way back to the tube, we were hit with some furious headwinds. Look at the poor tree:

We took a bus towards Covent Garden. I always visit a bead shop there. This year I've made next to no jewelry, sold even less, and I've bought no supplies at all. I was almost out of the store when I found the fun stuff in a corner. I might not finish the year in the black after all.

The sun sets at 4:00. Here's the tree next to the covered market in Covent Garden:

We had something like a lunch after that, and then we took the tube to South Kensington so that Jack could drop significant cash at The Sampler, where December brings vintage wines that Jack would never have the chance to taste otherwise.

While he sampled, I reported his antics on Facebook in real time. Keeping tabs on his tab, I searched eBay and threatened to bid on a vintage steel frame should his spending reach the price of a lugged steel Colnago. 

If this frame had been my size, some serious rationalization would have happened.

Over the past two sampling sessions, Jack has spent enough for me to bid on this Coppi. No chrome, no deal. (Pedro thinks I'm wrong on this, that Colnagos of the same vintage are inferior. I'm sure he's right, but that's not what this is about. This is about pure fantasy, because I do not need another frame!)

This frame is my size, and the colors are offensive enough for my stable, but Jack would have to drink twice as much for me to bid on it:

He didn't so I didn't, but it was fun pretending, all recorded on his Facebook because I made sure to tag him every time I posted a picture of him holding a glass.

 1924 Margeaux

 1959 Margeaux

We had dinner at an Indian restaurant. London is known for good Indian food.  We were 1.3 miles from the hotel. I wanted to walk off our dinner. It was drizzling. I didn't care.

Halfway home, the drizzle turned to real rain.

Harrods, on Brompton Road in Knightsbridge:

Next to Harrods:

Knightsbridge Road:

I put the camera away for good when the rain turned to pouring. Tomorrow's weather is predicted to be the same as tonight's. Unless it changes, we'll probably hang out in the hotel until it's time to see the Star Wars matinee around the corner. We already have our tickets.


(*Hey! Jack did some Googling just now and found Mederic at the sister Nicolas store only a mile from our hotel!)