Our London Times: Bits and Pieces

A late greetings to 2011! We haven't been too wonderful at taking pictures lately -- maybe because it's been so cold that we are rushing to and from places and spending so much time by our cozy fireplace and wrapped in blankets in our flat!

We had a great Christmas in the States, seeing lots of friends and family, and were grateful to have gotten out of town, just about 3 hours before Heathrow Airport was shut down due to the massive snows that London got in December.

Here are a few tidbits from our holiday season, though...

Our cute little market street, Stratford Road, hosts an annual Christmas party one evening. All of the vendors have music playing, drinks and food served on tables on the pavement outside their store fronts, and special discounts. It was so special! I stopped by on my way to a dinner party and snapped this picture with my blackberry, so please excuse the low quality :) This is Fait Mason, our little French cafe we love, and they were serving their amazing waffles that night along with other delicious nibbles. They told me the that the Mayor of London even usually comes, but this year it was so cold, they guessed it kept him away!

As I was walking to the tube at South Kensington station one night, I heard caroling voices and come to find out it was part of the Royal Navy serenading (and recruiting, too, I think) before Christmas -- so neat!

One night in December, my friend Anne and I went to the American Women's Club annual Christmas Cookie Exchange at a pub in Chelsea. It was such a cute idea, and I felt like my tin looked like I'd been to a specialty bakery by the time I filled it and came home. We even got to take home everyone's recipes afterwards, so I can't wait to try some of these out!