On Saturday afternoon I needed to get out. Alone.  I left Richard with the kids and we planned a meeting spot for dinner. 
I wanted to do two things. I wanted to go to the market at Duke of York Square, which is right next to the Saatchi Art Gallery, which was the second thing I wanted to do.   Unfortunately the gallery was closed for a private event so I’ll have to go back another time.  But the market was a sensory circus! 

There were booths everywhere stocked with culinary masterpieces from all over the world.  The displays of quiches and tarts were works of art themselves, looking both beautiful and delicious.  The smells at every turn had me walking so slowly I was becoming an inconvenience to the crowds.  There were cakes and pastries and baklava.  Sushi, empanadas, and ceviche.  Soups, kebabs, and breads.  Jams, sauces and drinks.  

I wish I had taken more pictures but I was totally absorbed in it all. I wanted to sample everything but since I was alone I just chose one thing, and settled on this lemon tart from a French girl who was kind and let me sample a couple other of her pastries.  

Since the gallery was closed I just wandered up and down the streets of Chelsea.  Chelsea is the posh part of town.  It’s luxurious and clean.  It is full of shops that are way out of my league.  It was a nice evening so there were tanned and well-dressed couples dining on the patios.   

The other night Richard and I looked at properties for rent in Chelsea and it blew our minds.  They are so expensive and so lavish and opulent.  Of course there are more practical properties but even the rent for those is three times what we pay.  It’s such a beautiful part of the city though, I can see why it’s so desirable.   But it also has a reputation as being glitzy and exclusive. 

When we were house hunting with Jo we saw a house that was lived in by two young bachelors.  I commented about how well decorated and clean it was for being a dude’s residence.  There were pictures on the wall of the home’s occupants, athletic, blonde, attractive and surrounded by gorgeous women.  After my compliments about the quality of the decor, Jo looked at the pictures and said “Of course! These guys were ‘Made in Chelsea!'”

After I’d gotten my fill of Chelsea for a day I took the train to Greenwich to meet the fam for dinner.  As a side note- any town/area/name that has a “wich” is pronounced “itch”.  The “W” is silent.  There is Woolwich (Woolitch), Dulwich (Dulitch) and Greenwich (Gren-itch.) 

Goddard’s at Greenwich is going to be a family favorite.  It is family friendly, inexpensive, and just plain comfort  food.  They serve the traditional pie and mash, which is a pot pie with your choice of meat(s) and mashed potatoes; with either creamed peas (blech) or beans (think pork and beans).  But the best is dessert- blackcurrant crumble with ice cream or custard.  Mmmmmm.  Yummmo.  

Greenwich is nice because it’s just a couple train stations away from us and it always has a lot going on, fun ambiance, and cute shops.