Now I want to go back

Two of my photos from our trip to London have been included in the Schmap London Guide! The Schmap series of guides are all internet based and even have mobile pages for your iPhone. They were kind enough to select a photo of Neal's Yard Dairy, the cheese shop of my dreams.

And one of my favorite photos, this shot of the Churchill Arms Pub.

You can see my photos here and here.

Statuette with his scarf

Pub Pride

I had been noticing a lot of flowers on pubs around London but this one was the most amazing. It is right down the street from Thomas' aunt and uncle's posh flat in Kensington. I snapped the picture thinking that if pubs had contests for flowers this one would surely win. As it turns out The Churchill Arms was awarded "Boozer in Bloom" at Chelsea Flower Show 2007 because it's fabulous.

I would live here if it weren't so expensive

Tucked in to a little part of London called the Seven Dials is a small courtyard bordered on all sides by brightly colored buildings. Neal's Yard is a funky escape from the hustle and bustle of Covent Garden. The Yard is hidden away from the main streets and has a cafe, a deli and a bead shop tucked inside.

Click here to view a larger image.

I brought some cheese home with me because I loved it so much

In preparation for a party on Saturday we headed out early on Friday morning to buy cheese. Thomas' uncle took us to a famous cheese shop in London. Nestled near Covent Garden is a shopping district called Seven Dials. The "seven dials" are sundials that sit on a pillar in the center of a roundabout pointing the way to seven streets that stretch out like spokes from the hub of a wheel. A few steps down Shorts Gardens and we arrived at Neal's Yard Dairy, also known as The Best Place I've Ever Been. Ever.

The wheels of cheese were as big as car tires, maybe bigger. I don't know. I was completely awestruck because I have never been in a shop like Neal's Yard. American cheese shops, when you can find one, are filled with little wedges of lots of different types of cheese. But Neal's Yard Dairy had only a handful of types of cheese and they had them in full force.

Seriously, have you ever seen something so fantastic? Neither had I. That's why at 7:30 in the morning I was leaping around, running circles around the two men, taking photos and lunging for samples of the cheeses Simon was selecting. Let's just say that the guys behind the counter will remember me.

So to calm me down we asked them where we could get a good cup of coffee. Without a moment's hesitation they sent us "through the Yard" to the Monmouth Coffee Company. "Best coffee in all of London," they told us. They were right.