London is the Best Place

I don't even know where to begin.  I just loved London.  So soon after my trip to Zurich, I felt like I barely had time to prepare for the trip.  So I hit the ground running on Thursday night and didn't stop until about two AM Monday morning.  Needless to say, Monday was a pretty pointless day when it comes to being productive.  It's hard for me to care, though, when I had such an amazing time all weekend.

It was really nice to be in a place that was so modern and urban - Florence is neither of those things, and it can get tiring if you're not used to it.  London seems like a really efficient place.  And I hate to say it, but it was really nice to be able to speak English again.  I think that the language barrier her is really good for me, but it was nice to be able to communicate easily.  

Hagrid is a fake robot. No seriously.

I had to write out a list of all the things we did to start working on this blog, because we were so busy the whole time that I might forget something.  On Friday, we went to the Warner Brother's Studio and did the Harry Potter tour (amazing), then went to see Once, the Musical (more amazing).  On Saturday, we visited Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park (beautiful), went to Portobello and Borough Market (delicious!), did the London Eye (spectacular), and saw Big Ben, the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, and Parliament (overwhelming).  Then on Sunday, we visited the Tate Modern (crazy) and Shakespeare's Old Globe (fascinating) before doing some last minute shopping on our way out.    

At the Stage Door with The Guy.

The best part of the weekend was seeing Once.  As I mentioned on Facebook, I cried three times during the production, then came home wanting to learn to play piano and the violin, then learn to speak Czech.  Friday morning, we went to Leicester square and scored tickets for twenty pounds.  It was so nice to have everything be a surprise that I really don't want to tell you that much about the show, but I will say that there is a certain quality you can only get when everyone involved in a production really loves what they are doing.  I am always the most inspired by people who love what they do, and when what you "do" is Once, I guess you're bound to love it.  It was an amazing work of theatre and I encourage anyone within a forty mile radius of any production of it to stop what they are doing and go see it right now.  Right now.  I'll be back to see it in New York, I'm sure.

But let's talk about what really made this weekend awesome.  Look at all the food!

I know that a few weeks ago, I called the Avocado Sandwich my favorite meal ever.  That was careless wording, I think.  Avocado sandwiches are my favorite thing to eat, but my favorite meal is the kind that lasts hours, spans neighborhoods, and includes food from numerous cultures.  That was the kind of meal I had on Saturday afternoon, and it made me so happy.  As I mentioned before, we hit both Borough and Portobello Market on the same day.  So I started eating lunch at the beginning of Portobello and didn't stop until the last of the stands at Borough Market.  It was amazing.

I ate Falafel, a Waffle, Fresh Orange Juice, a Vegan Burger, Thai Coconut Pancakes, and countless samples of fresh fruit, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, you name it.  So happy.  It was all right there and they were happy to give it to you!  I budgeted myself fifteen pounds for the meal, which is excessive, but I was indulging... I just wanted to.  That night, I was able to get a tiny dinner, so it worked out - I felt like I wouldn't be able to eat for a few weeks, but unfortunately to my wallet, it doesn't work like that.

Now, the British are not known for fine dining.  In fact, quite the opposite.  My impression of British food has always been unhealthy and, in the words of my mother, also "just not good."  In addition, not particularly vegan friendly.  But judging by the feast I just described to you, it's easy to see I had no trouble.

The truth of the matter is this: excluding the cider, I ate very little authentic British food.  Though I usually aim for an authentic experience, I am no Anthony Bourdain (yet).  Boy, was I happy to see a Chipotle.  I didn't only eat American food though: I ate Thai, Korean, Mexican, Irish, Japanese (is that what Mochi is?), and Italian food.  All coming from people who really knew the food they were preparing.  Along with that, I had an amazing amount of access to really healthy options: gluten free, dairy free, vegan, vegetarian, all readily available.

I think big cities are great places to eat if you know what you're doing.  They have so many options, and some of them are not healthy at all, but some of them are quite healthy.  I guess the large population demands variety, which can open up opportunities.  They also have access to knowledge and resources from around the world, which can be both good and bad.  So I took two things away from my trip to London that I think are important to share here:

1. Taking advantage of the largest variety of food available will help you stay healthy.  From the ingredients you use to the cultures from which your recipes originate, eating a variety will help you get a variety of nutrients and avoid excesses of particular additives or unhealthy ingredients.  Chances are, other cultures practice healthier food habits than your own.  Find out what they are and adopt them when you see fit.  With that said, in some ways, it is important to stay close to home:
2. Becoming a "locavore" will help you in many facets.  I know it seems difficult at times, but with the right knowledge, you can do it from wherever you live.  Moving to New York from California really opened my eyes to the difficulty, but I do it anyways, whenever I can (I know, Long Island isn't Siberia... but to this California kid it sure seems like it).  Now, from Florence, I really have no trouble at all.  Quite often, local food is the only food available.  Find out ways you can eat locally by searching for the Farmer's market, or even creating relationships with local farmers.  It helps the environment by eliminating some of the fossil fuels necessary for transporting food.  It will help the financial environment in which you live, by contributing to the flow of currency within your own community.  And the food you'll eat will be richer in vitamins and nutrients because there will be less time involved between picking and eating.  

This weekend I'll be taking it easy, maybe visiting some places around Italy.  Maybe studying for midterms, but if we're all being honest here, probably not.  Hopefully I'll be able to get some good writing in, though, because I will be spending the following in Paris, other cities in France, and maybe London again because I didn't see enough of it yet.  As always, I hope you let me know what you think of this article, and leave any questions, comments, and suggestions in the comments below.  My goals are to do more talking to and less talking at, so any feedback is greatly appreciated!