After thinking that we might go to Iceland for Easter, and then quickly changing our minds when we saw how much last minute flights and hotels were, we decided to stay in London this Easter and do all those things we've been meaning to do for ages, but never got around to.
To start, I went to the Serpentine Gallery in Hyde Park with a friend. The best exhibition was at their Sackler wing by a collective called
Das Institut - lots of neon accompanying brightly lit perspex/mineral cut-outs and projections. A very small, but perfectly formed, exhibition. I'll have to get back in the summer to see one of their famous
pavilions.
It was a gorgeous Good Friday and so after sitting in the sun eating ice-cream, we wandered past the Royal Albert Hall into South Kensington and then home.
One other interesting thing we saw were these bracelets that were hanging in the trees in the park - apparently it's a Bulgarian tradition to mark spring. The bracelets are called a "
Martenitsa" and from the 1st of March, when you see a blossoming tree or a stork or swallow returning from migration, you then take off the Martenitsa and either tie it to a tree or place it under a stone. If you place it under a stone and go back the next day, the type of insect closest to the Martenitsa will determine your luck for the year (larva, worms, ants = good, spiders = bad). How interesting!
Saturday we finally made it to two places we've been meaning to go to for absolutely
ages. First stop,
Burger and Lobster Soho. Despite having been open for a few years now, this place still regularly has queues down the street (no reservations) so we didn't do too badly only having to wait half an hour (and inside, perfect considering it was raining...).
The drill is that they've got three options: a lobster, a lobster roll, or a burger, all served with french fries and salad, and all for £20. We shared a grilled lobster and a lobster roll (much better value than a £20 burger!) and I have to say, it was pretty delicious. Loved the lobster bibs and everyone was very friendly despite the rapid turnover. We had an early dinner, arriving at 5.45 (hence the short queue), so by the time we left, it was carnage in the waiting area.
Then it was off down the road to go to
The Mousetrap! This is the longest running play on the West End and is currently in its 64th year. We were really surprised with how full the theatre was, but I guess people are coming for the exact same reasons as us - to see the phenomenon rather than the show per se. But it was really good, very tightly acted, and of course, we're not going to tell you "who dunnit"!
Easter Sunday started with a breakfast of champions (in bed no less!)...
...followed by the annual hot cross bun baking session. Given the overdose of buns that occurred last year with the
bun-off, we decided not to include the competitive angle, but try the Edmond's recipe in the KitchenAid (rather than mixing by hand as Adrian did last year). They look pretty good don't you think?
Adrian spent Sunday afternoon at the
Imperial War Museum and I worked on the article that my co-author and I are contributing to the
Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Climate Science. Between the sudden spring-time showers, the sun was streaming in on our new Persian carpet and it all felt pretty idyllic.
Later that day I made
sunbutter, as a friend had given us a big stash of sunflower seeds. While I thought the food processor was going to conk out given how hard it was working, it all came together in the end and is pretty delicious.
Easter Monday was about finishing off my article, clearing up the garden after Storm Katie (lots of branches strewn everywhere), and having a walk in the sun followed by a drink at a local pub (and then running home in the rain!).
So, a happy Easter was had here in London - hope it was the same for you!
