A few weeks ago my parents were in London visiting me and Ryan. We did a ton of touristy stuff. We went to Borough Market, the British Museum, and the Victoria & Albert Museum. We went out to eat, went to the cinema, and hung out. We also did some things I’d never done before like visit Oxford. My parents had been there before but through Ryan and I would love it. There’s lots of stuff to do there but let me tell you about a few highlights. Spoiler: they are mainly Harry Potter and museum related. 

First, we went to the Great Hall at Christ Church College at Oxford University. Whew, that’s a mouthful and I’m not sure I even have the name correctly.This gorgeous hall was the inspiration for the Great Hall at Hogwarts in Harry Potter. Also, the stairway outside the hall was used in the first Harry Potter movie when the students were received by Professor McGonagall. The space is lovely and I think it is pretty cool that students still use it for meals. The room is dark and wood paneled with high vaulted ceilings and lots of portraits on the wall. The sheer number of portraits on the wall reminded me of the corridors in Harry Potter. My favorite portraits in the hall were of Henry VIII and William Penn.

Outside the hall is a door with the graffiti “no peel” written in nails hammered into the wooden door. This graffiti dates from the 17th century. There are lots of myths about the motives behind the graffiti, but the real reason is that it was done in protest of the Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel. Apparently it was because it was about his changing views on religious reformation. Mostly I like that they kept graffiti around for so long. Nowadays that stuff would get cleaned up pretty quickly I bet.

Generally though the buildings and land around Oxford are beautiful and ornate. It’s a nice place, and I’m sure as a student it must feel awesome to be a part of a long and illustrious history. However, I felt like it was sort of quiet insular place and didn’t have the excitement and bustle that I like about college campuses. But still, I think the opportunity to use and live in a space so beautiful and historic would be awesome. So often places that look like Oxford used to be used but are now just for looking at. I think it’s sort of refreshing that here the places are still active and alive.

After the Great Hall we went to the Cathedral. Again there was some beautiful architecture. The ceiling was pretty cool. It looked like a snowflake or an interlocking web of arches and ribs. What I enjoyed best was the stained glass. You can see an image of one large window in the bottom left picture below. You can also see my parents in the foreground looking at a tomb.

In that window above at the very top is a beautiful stained glass ship. I liked that a lot because it’s an unusual thing to see in a church window. In the photo below is another interesting window showing the beheading of Thomas Becket (center of photo). According to another blog about this window, I found out that Becket doesn’t have a face because Henry VIII found it too graphic. Apparently a plain piece of glass was used to censor it a bit.

After visiting these two places in Christ Church we walked around Oxford a bit more and then found our way over to the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. I love natural history museums because I think they have such wow factor. It’s so amazing to see things I’m familiar with but never seen up close. I also like getting to see things I’ve never known about before. Also, I love seeing dinosaurs because they are just awesome.

There was a big exhibit on insects which my family loved but which gave me a bit of the heebie-jeebies. I got a little nervous by seeing the big hairy tarantulas. One of the things I loved the most was the scale model of the earth moon and sun. In the photo on the left, below, you can see my parents all the way across the museum waving. My father is the one on the right and you can kind of see a golden ball in front of him. This represents the sun and it was about the size of a basketball. Now, the photo below on the right was all the way across the room from my parents (so where I was standing when taking their picture). And this model shows the size of the Earth and Moon. So they are to scale in both size and distance relative to the sun. I knew the sun was big and far away but holy moly! We are tiny and peanut sized and I loved seeing it.

I also love natural history museums for the animals. We saw a gigantic taxidermied crab. I’m not sure crabs can be taxidermied, but it was a crab formerly alive but now in a case. It was gigantic, and about as big as me! I also love seeing animal skeletons. I liked seeing how they are similar, how they are different, and also how bodies can be unexpected. For example they had an elephant skeleton and it’s so crazy to see an elephant without a trunk.

Also inside the museum is the Pitt Rivers Museum. I love this museum because it is so quirky and full of fascinating objects. Accessed through the Natural History Museum the Pitt Rivers Museum was founded in 1884 by Lieutenant General Augustus Pitt Rivers who donated his collection to Oxford. It’s such a traditional cabinet of curiosity style of exhibit display which is fun any unusual today. Meaning, instead of displaying just a few things in a minimalist and orderly fashioned, a cabinet of curiosities has lots of things packed closely together. I enjoyed that style. I liked walking into the room and seeing it jammed full of objects. It’s like being in a museum while simultaneously being in an antique shop. You just never know what you’ll find.

The objects in the museum are arranged thematically rather than chronologically which I think is delightful and sometimes a bit random. So there are cases about religious objects, about musical instruments, and cases about writing. I saw a totem pole, a shrunken head, and a pipe. As I walked around it was fun, and surprising, to turn around and be face to face with all kinds of objects. I loved the small gorgeously handwritten object labels. And I loved the surprising collection of objects. The photo above in the bottom left is an ivory ball of many layers all carved from one piece of ivory. Amazing right?

Overall, I had a lovely day out with my family in Oxford. There are a number of things to see and it’s a nice place to stroll around and stop at the places that catch your fancy. I loved seeing the history at the University, I was charmed by the Harry Potter connections, and I really had fun at the Natural History Museum. It’s just a quick train ride outside of London so I recommend considering it if you want to get out of the city for the day!

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Last week, while Charlotte and Craig were still here, the three of us went to have breakfast at Duck & Waffle. I had heard of this place before from friends, Time Out, and the Londoner and had badly wanted to try it. The restaurant is on the 40th floor of Heron Tower, it’s open 24/7, and bookings at normal hours are hard to come by. I was drawn by the promise of great views and good food, and luckily Charlotte and Craig were game to be dragged out of bed for a 7:15am breakfast reservation. 

Truthfully, I was really excited, but also I was really nervous. I was making my friends get out of bed super early – while they were on vacation – to go to a possibly over-hyped restaurant. Thankfully, the whole experience was superb. At 7:15am, the place had a number of other diners but wasn’t full so the vibe was relaxed (ideal at such an early hour). It was also perfect because we got a spacious table in the corner by the windows so we had full views of London. I imagine at peak times getting a table in the middle of the room would be heart breaking. But, from where we were sitting we saw the Thames, Tower Bridge, the Gherkin, trains passing, and people commuting. I almost felt bad for those people 40 stories below. They were commuting to work, while I was having a lovely cappuccino in the sky with friends.

And look how gorgeous that cappuccino was! While you’re looking at the photo, tell me, what do you think about taking pictures of your food when you’re at a restaurant? I know some people hate it, but I’m cool with it (clearly, I do it all the time). I do acknowledge that taking too many pictures of your food is annoying, distracting, and can keep you from truly enjoying your food and the company you are with. I get it. It can be done wrong. But done in moderation (2-3 snaps per dish?), it’s ok by me. In fact, I have three good reasons for why I take restaurant food photos.

First, sometimes your food looks beautiful and it’s nice to appreciate the skill and effort that someone took to provide you with something so lovely. I mean, look at that cappuccino. It’s perfection, the milk is amazing, and it makes dining out feel more special than getting a takeaway cup from a coffee shop. And that leads me to my second reason: sometimes dining out is a special experience. Sure, you might go out because you don’t feel like cooking –  but sometimes you go out to celebrate an occasion, to feel fancy, and to experience something new. When you go on vacation you take pictures of the places and things you saw because it’s a special experience. Why should food be any different? My restaurant food photos are souvenirs the help me evoke sensory memories of the nice times with friends and the new foods that surprised and delighted.  And the third reason for restaurant food photos is that sometimes I love a place and I want other people to be inspired, be hungry, and try it. When I love a restaurant or a food, I want everyone to go there and have as lovely as a time as I did.

Which brings me back to my lovely time at Duck & Waffle. All three of us ordered the signature Duck ‘n’ Waffle (pictured above next to the cappuccino). We felt compelled to try the namesake dish, but Craig and I didn’t read the menu too well. He didn’t realize there would be a duck leg, I didn’t realize there would be a duck egg, and Charlotte just rolled her eyes at us being silly and asleep. It came with a mustard maple syrup, which sounds scary but was divine. It was a hint of sweetness and little tangs of mustardy heat. It was a gorgeous accent to the duck and waffles and was in no way overpowering. I really feel it helped unite all the pieces of the meal. In addition to savory, we were also drawn to the sweet waffle offerings. The three of us decided to share the bananas brûlée (above) – which was a waffle with a banana, homemade nutella, and ice cream. It was decadent and I was a little in love with the crusted brûléed sugar on the banana. I want to make this at home.

We ended our meal with a little walk around the restaurant to take in the views one more time. Before the fog rolled in Craig showed where we could just make out buildings in Greenwich. We admired the crazy orange tree in the lobby, the chandelier made of bottles, the gorgeous blue floor tiles, and the well stocked bar. It was a wonderful breakfast, and we still had the whole day ahead of us for touring. As we got into the elevator and whizzed back down to the street, I was really happy with our trip to Duck & Waffle. Everything, the food, the decor, the views were just as good as I had heard it would be. I loved it, and I would go back again, and even buy the cookbook so I could have more delicious food at home – and this time I wouldn’t have to eat at 7:15 am. 

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I have a bad habit. During the work week I don’t have a lot of access to natural light. I stare jealously at the sunshine that’s trying to peak through the cloudy skylights and wish I was outside. I savor my walk to and from the tube just because that’s the majority of the time I get outside. But then, on the weekend I’m tired and lazy and all I want to do is be un-showered in my pajamas at home. It’s a bad habit.

So this weekend, I was doing just that and relaxing when the sun shone through the window and mocked my lethargy. Go outside, said the voice in my head, weekday Mariel will be so mad if you squander this day. Fine, true, yes, let’s go outside, I said to myself. So I Googled “things to do in Islington,” because that’s the area where I live and I found the New River Walk. I put on my flip flops and went to enjoy the walk. Side note: flip flops was a terrible idea! It was the first time I’d worn them for the season and I wore them for a long walk and now my feet are all cut up. Sigh, rookie mistake.

I was drawn to the New River Walk because I’d be able to go near some water while staying close to home. The walk is part of a larger path, and it was originally an aqueduct (from 1613) that brought water from Hertfordshire to North London. If you’re curious, you can read about the whole path here.

What I love about this park, and actually a lot of parks in London, is that it’s a place to go where you feel like you’re outside of the city. London is always full and bustling and sometimes that’s overwhelming. It’s wonderful to find a place where you can see ducks splashing in the water, walk under gorgeous hanging swamp cypress trees, and feel the sun on your face. It was truly lovely. Now I hope you’re enjoying the pictures and wistfully sighing while you’re inside at work (like me).

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You know when you go grocery shopping it’s a good idea to go full, so that you don’t buy everything? Well when you go to Borough Market, you should go hungry. Last Friday I had lunch with Ryan at Ippudo, which is my favorite restaurant. Afterwards Ryan went back to work and I went to Borough Market. Only, I was stuffed full of delicious ramen, which was awesome, but meant I wasn’t so tempted by the market. And the market has so many delicious things to eat. 

Every time I go to Borough Market, I walk down a staircase with the Southwark Cathedral on my right and on my left are all the sounds and smells of food vendors making delicious meals. There are giant paellas, sausage rolls, and savory pies. I once had the most delicious sweet potato and goat cheese pie from the market. Anyway, after pushing through the crowds and further into the market, there are even more mouth watering goodies to take home with you.

Borough Market is a semi-enclosed market that is 1000 years old! Fruit and vegetables are the cornerstone of the market. Lots and lots of vendors have displays bursting with mountains of gorgeous colors. Look at that lettuce above! It’s all crinkly and green – it actually makes me excited to eat a salad. And the apples above are glowing from the sunshine. How could you walk away without at least one healthy piece of food? I bought myself some lemons and freshly pressed apple juice.

But it’s not just about the produce, there are amazing cakes and cookies, breads, meats and cheeses. I always want everything. Once, Ryan and I went at the end of the day on a Saturday. The vendors were giving discounts because it was the end of the week and as a result we bought thick beef burgers, artisanal cheese, and fresh bread – all to make some juicy burgers when we got home.

Although I don’t really eat pork, I was taken with the pig’s foot (above center) where the vendor would slice off fresh prosciutto straight from the bone. That seems like quality service. I also liked seeing the scallops in the shells. So often in the grocery store we’re shielded from where our food comes from and what it actually looks like. I enjoy the market because it shows food’s freshness and reminds me that food comes from the land or an animal.

I took a small break from browsing the food to check out the cooking demonstration. The person was making a savory pie with lots of layers of thin flaky pastry. Alongside him was a sign language interpreter – which I thought was so cool. I’ve seen sign language interpretation a lot throughout the UK and I’m impressed with how accessible things can be. I also stumbled along a bit blackboard wall where people wrote down names, jokes and something they wanted to do before they die.

Beyond the food, the space itself is a fun place to take in. There are so many people and I heard half a dozen different languages as I walked around. Since it was sunny the nearby pubs were filled with people and the sidewalks had people sitting on the curb and eating. I thought, I think I deserve a mini picnic on this sunny day off. So, I went and bought myself a Pimm’s cup No. 1 (a gin cocktail with some juice and fruits and veg in it – and it’s apparently iconic of English summer). The vendor asked me if I was older than 18, which was nice and made me laugh. When I told him I was old enough to drink, he gave me my cocktail and I ran off to sit on a bench and soak up the sun. Hard life, right?

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It has been one year since Ryan and I moved to London! Ok, so I went back to the US for a little bit, but Ryan has been working here for one year and we’ve had a London address for one year. My first post about London was last year on March 9. It feels like the move was so long ago, but also like this last year has flown by. We’ve been expats for one year, and we’ve signed on to stay for another.

This time last year, I was terrified about our move. Was Ryan going to like his job? Were we going to drive each other nuts? Would I find a job? Would we make friends? Would be able to make it in a brand new place so far from home? When we first arrived everything was overwhelming because we didn’t know how to do anything. We shared one mobile phone and struggled to make appointments to open a bank accounts, look at flats, and set up our cable and internet. I still remember being so embarrassed as I tried to pay for a coffee and couldn’t figure out which coins to use and then dropped everything on the floor. Everything felt hard and new, scary and exciting.

Today I feel so proud of us. We were able to uproot our whole lives and set up something lovely across an ocean. It feels like we really live here and that London is a home for us. Ryan really enjoys his job and I was able to find something full-time, fun, and in my field. Now when we cross the street, we look for cars driving on the left instead of the right. We know which coins are which. We can find our way around parts of London and don’t have to look at the map. We have friends, favorite restaurants, and we’ve traveled.

One of the best things about living here is learning and experiencing a new culture. It’s been great trying new foods like savory pie, or visiting thousand year old castles, and pulling a Christmas cracker for the first time. But I especially like the differences in language. When we moved here everyone said, “at least they speak the same language.” And sure, it helped to move here and be able to communicate. However, there are so many differences and every week someone at work says a word I’ve never heard before.

Now, Ryan and I haven’t gone totally native. We don’t have accents but we have adopted some words and phrases. Ryan says thinks like “speak soon,” instead of talk to you later. I say things like, “let’s take the lift,” instead of taking the elevator. So, to celebrate our one year anniversary, I wanted to share a list of 100 American to English translations that I’ve learned this year. The list isn’t perfect and maybe not accurate 100% of the time – but it’s true to my experience. And now let’s get on with the list (which fyi, is in no particular order). If you want to see what else we’ve been doing since moving to London, you can find it all here.

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Sometimes you want to get away and have an adventure, but you don’t really want to go anywhere far. That was me and Ryan this weekend. We decided to take a mini-stay-cation to Highgate, a neighborhood that is just a short bus ride away from our flat.

Highgate is so charming and beautiful. The architecture is beautiful and what I always think of as truly English. The buildings are all brick, with wrought irons garden gates, and creeping ivy regally snuggling up the walls. There are classic red phone booths – but they are clean without any smutty adverts pasted inside. And the pubs stand out for their gorgeousness, but are simultaneously tucked away into odd angles and hidden spots. It’s the kind of place where Ryan and I walk around and think, “wouldn’t it be nice to live in this here?” (Even though it’s expensive and not so near a tube station).

So if you’re thinking of an in-town day away, here’s what I think is a nice itinerary for an afternoon out in Highgate. Be warned, my schedule is all about eating. First, start out at the Flask, a pub which dates back to 1663. Have a pint and maybe a starter, but you don’t have to go too heavy. If you go on a warm day, the outdoor patio looks like the perfect place to while the way the time drinking a pint with friends. Not only is this pub so charming to look at, it also apparently has some good history too. The Flask was visited by famous literary greats like Byron, Shelley, and Keats. If that’s not enough for you, supposedly the pub is also haunted by two ghosts.

After, walk it off with a jaunt through Waterlow Park. It’s a bit hilly, so you can feel like maybe you’re working off those calories you put on at the pub. Check out the ducks and other birds in the lake. See some kids playing on a crazy rope based looking play ground and watch tons of dogs frolicking through the fields. The trees are all knobbly and both beautiful and eerie. If you’re tired out from walking, there are plenty of benches where you can sit and watch things go by. The best part though is to find the high points in the park and catch a glimpse of the tall buildings in central London.

Are you ready for more eating? Interested in more lovely feelings of English-ness? Check out the absolutely adorable High Tea of Highgate. Have a black tea and giggle at the cow shaped creamer dish. They sell those cow dishes too and if I didn’t already have too many kitchen tchotchkes, I’d be tempted to buy one.

Then, walk north up Highgate High Street and take a left on South Grove to take a quick walk around Pond Square to look at some of the pretty architecture. I read online that Pond Square also had it’s own ghost – this one though is a chicken. Then walk back to Highgate High Street from the far side of the square and you should almost run into Highgate Pantry. Buy a delicious pastry or cake for your ride home. Everything there looks delicious, but I found the giant donuts especially tempting.

Finally, if it’s conducive to your ride home, take the bus south towards Archway. Sit on the top level of the bus and you can see the Arsenal stadium. I took a really awful grainy picture, that I won’t burden you with, but let it be known that Ryan and I were impressed. All in all, and excellent in-town day trip stay-cation. It made me look forward to discovering other nearby neighborhoods. If you have any suggestions for places I should visit near London, please leave a comment below!

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYAN!

In the US it is also Veteran’s Day. Here in the UK it is Remembrance Day, and if you want a little taste of what’s being done here check out my post on the Tower of London poppies. And finally it is also Ryan’s twin brother’s birthday. Happy birthday Aaron! I wish I had a cute baby twins photo of them to show you, because they were adorable. I don’t so here’s an adult picture of them from Red Rocks in Colorado. Aaron, if you’re reading, and have a cute photo of you two like maybe in costumes or karate outfits, let me know. People need to see how adorable you two were. 

Anyway I love celebrating birthdays and am terrible at keeping surprises, so I tend to stretch out the festivities. Ryan has been allowed to open one present a day since Sunday. Last night we went out for a celebration dinner with our friends Alessia and Raffaello. And today we’ll have cake and a steak dinner. I’ll post the cake recipe later this week, but today’s focus is on last night’s dinner at Cantina Laredo.

Cantina Laredo is a Mexican restaurant in the Covent Garden/Leicester Square area of London. People say London doesn’t have good Mexican food and so far Ryan and I have had some mixed experiences. Chipotle is still yummy, while nachos at a bar are a big mistake. But, I had heard such good things about this place from both British and American people that I thought we should try it since Ryan loves Mexican food. Let me say upfront the pictures I took are rubbish. I apologize and to make up for the abysmal photos, Ryan has graciously allowed me to share this picture he drew when he was a little kid. It has nothing to do with anything, except for that it’s Ryan’s birthday.

Anyway, I’m so glad we tried Cantina Laredo because the food was really delicious. For me, good Mexican food is fresh and lets the individual ingredients speak for themselves. I don’t think Mexican food needs to be perfectly plated, overly fancy, or made too prissy because the food is good enough on its own. I also want Mexican to be satisfying. It doesn’t have to be overly indulgent like a giant burrito, but I want to feel like I’ve eaten something substantial and won’t have to stop for a pizza on the way home.

When we go to the restaurant, we were all totally impressed by its size. The restaurant is huge by London standards. It takes up most of its block. Also the tables aren’t next to each other. We could not see, or really hear, the nearby tables. Most importantly, our booth was huge. It was like the kind of booth you’d find at TGIFridays in the US. There was four of us and we probably could have fit 2-4 more people if we had wanted to.

 On the whole, the restaurant totally delivered on our Mexican food needs. We got chips and tomatillo salsa first. I’m sorry now I didn’t take a picture, because the chips were lovely. They were hot and felt like they had been made recently from actual tortillas (and not just processed somewhere in a factory). The salsa was nicely spicy but not over the top.

 I got carne asada. The meat was cooked medium, it was tender, flavored with lovely cilantro, and piled fairly high on a small tortilla. I also got arroz verde, which tasted very strongly of lime, which at first was weird but then turned out to be really pleasant. It made the rice a little citrusy and sweet, which nicely balanced some of the spiciness in the tacos.

Ryan and Raffaello got fajitas which is always a big hit. Their platters came sizzling out on the table, which is always a showstopper. I was actually a little jealous because their fajitas came with refried beans, guacamole, salsa, thick luscious sour cream, and a mound of cooked onions.

Alessia had tacos but instead of carne asada like me, she had carnitas. She said were really well cooked with a little bit of crunch that she liked. 

We all ended with a plate of churros. They came with a citrus cream and a chilli chocolate dipping sauce. Sometimes I find chilli chocolate sauce so spicy that I miss out on the chocolate flavor. But this wasn’t like that. The heat was subtle and was in harmony with the rich chocolate – not at all overpowering. The cream was really good too. Once we ate all the churros, Ryan had the brillant idea of using a spoon to dip the cream into the chocolate. I was jealous of his innovation and it was clear that his birthday has made him wiser.

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Anyway, one of the last things I did before starting my job was go to the British Museum. I had been there before, but this last time I went on a tour with London Walks. If you live in London, or are just visiting, I highly recommend doing a walk with them. You’ll get to see nooks and crannies in the city that are hiding in plain sight. They tell you amazing stories and some of the guides are hilarious.

For the tour of the British Museum the guide picks their favorite highlights to show to the group. My guide, Chris, is into the Classics so that’s mostly what we saw. I liked her. She said that she thinks museums are places to visit little and often (meaning regularly and for short bursts). I completely agree. It allows you to enjoy yourself, see what you’re in the mood for, and not feel pressured to see it all. Below are my highlights of her highlights. The museum has way way way more to see.

During the tour she showed us lovely reliefs from the North Palace in Ninevah, a city in Mesopotamia. The reliefs show a lion hunt, which was apparently only something the king could do. You can pick out the king because he is more ornate than the others. These are awesome because they are so detailed but in such low relief (compare them to photos of Acropolis reliefs below). How can you have so much detail and be so subtle?! Also, I love how expressive the lions look. They look natural and dramatic all at once. It’s so impressive.

On the way to the Parthenon marbles we saw this statue, which would have been outside an entrance. I don’t remember what culture it’s from, so I’m sorry. Anyway it’s cool because from the front the animal would look normal, you’d see just two legs. From the side it looks normal, because it has four legs. But from diagonal, the animal has six legs!

Chris handled discussing the Parthenon marbles so well! She talked about where they came from and the controversy about having them and returning them. She talked about Elgin honestly, and acknowledged some shadiness but also didn’t vilify him. And for me, that makes sense. He did some clearly wrong things but he was a product of his time and probably not pure evil. (Side note: if you’re interested in learning more, read Loot. It talks about all kinds of repatriation issues, including the Parthenon, and it will make your brain confused and thoughtful in the best way possible.)

But the best part for me, was that she didn’t let the issues of provenance and repatriation overshadow the beauty of the marbles and the stories they tell. Because look at them! This is what I was talking about before with the deeper relief.

These marbles below come from a triangular pediment (triangle part on the top) on the Parthenon. These sculptures show the birth of Athena, who is said to have sprung fully formed from Zeus’ head. You can see in the body language of the women, that they’re a little bit like, “whoa! What just happened?”

The horse would have been in the corner opposite the women. I love that it hangs over the side a bit and comes out at the viewer. I also love how the sculptor really used all the available space to great effective. This horse is either the sun going down or the moon going down, I feel bad I can’t remember which, but that’s why you can only see part of him. So lovely.

This sculpture below is near the Parthenon marbles. It was outside a tomb in Halikarnassos and the sculpture is largely believed to be Mausolus, who was the king. Chris told us his tomb was so large that it was called a mausoleum – and that’s where we get that word today. Cool right?!

If you are squeamish, keep scrolling. If you’re curious, stay with me. Below is Lindow Man. He was found in 1984 in England, but dating shows that he died between 2 BC and AD 119. (Interesting fact #1). This means he was alive when the Romans were in England! The body was found in a peat bog, which is a acidic, oxygen-free environment which allowed so much skin, hair and many of his internal organs to be preserved. (interesting fact #2). Scientists also have a good idea of his age, the work he did, and how he died. It’s incredible.

These photos below also show objects dating from Roman times in Britain. They come from a fort called Vindolanda and are the oldest handwritten documents from this region. What makes them cool is that they are so normal! These letters include invitations to a birthday party and a mom sending socks to her son to keep him warm in the winter. It’s so cool how things can be the same across so much time.

And just to end on something beautiful, here is a picture of a beautiful Sumerian artifact.

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My 29th  birthday was a little over a week ago! I went to New York to have a last hurrah. I actually hadn’t been to New York since my graduation, and I was excited to go back and see the city one more time. On Friday (the 20th) I went to Staten Island and stayed with my friend Inga (who also has the same birthday as me). It was so great to catch up with her. She and I were roommates years ago when we studied abroad in Rome. Visiting her, I got to see her new house, meet her  beautiful daughter, and celebrate our birthdays. We had sushi and cake and it was wonderful.

I then went into Manhattan and met up with my  friend Chris, from graduate school. We sat in Battery Park, talked, and looked at the Statue of Liberty. It reminded me of the times when we used to pretend to go for a run along the water, but really we’d just walk and gossip. Then, I met up with my parents and my brother and we had a blast! Seriously, we indulged in New York. We ate at a few of my favorite restaurants. Lunch at Ippudo, dinner at John’s of Bleecker, and dessert at Max Brenner’s. We also found a tiny place that only sold macaroons! We bought six and shared them all. There were amazing flavors like passion fruit and lavender-honey. We also went shopping on 5th Avenue and browsed books at the Strand. It was a great New York weekend with some touristy activity and some old favorites.

After New York I hopped on the train back to DC. I got dolled up in a fancy dress and went as my friend Anna’s date to the Ford’s Theatre Gala. I saw some great theater, had a tasty dinner in the beautiful courtyard at the Portrait Gallery, took pretty pictures with my friend, and said goodbye to some of old colleagues. Great night. I stayed out way too late, but loved it anyway.

Then Monday and Tuesday were my last two days at work. I don’t talk about my job very much on the blog but I have loved working with Live It Learn It. While at Live It Learn It, I’ve had a wonderful time. In this job I’ve been busy running all over DC, I’ve taught lessons, met great students, befriended some awesome coworkers, and led field trips throughout the city. I’ve eaten more Wendy’s than ever before, I’ve sent group texts of just emojis, and I’ve helped create hilarious and weird Mad Libs. And I’ve laughed so so much. Live it Learn It has been everything I was looking for in a job and even though I’m moving they can’t get rid of me yet. I’m hanging on even while abroad.

And today’s recipe is truly for them. In the last year, almost every dessert I’ve made has been shared with my Live It Learn It family – including this one. I decided to dabble in gluten-free baking because one of my coworkers keeps a gluten-free diet. Baking is fun for me because I like sharing the finished product with others – so it’s more fun if everyone is included. I have loved bringing in cookies and treats for them and it doesn’t hurt that they always say nice things and eat everything I bring. I will miss baking for them.

I then spent the rest of the week packing up my apartment. It was stressful and I had a hard time deciding what to ship, store, and pack. It might sound trivial but I had a hard time editing down and Ryan got more than one crazy phone call from me. My parents came down and helped me pack, trash things, and move out. Thank goodness for them because they helped me be decisive and keep from completely losing my marbles.  I could not have done everything so effectively without them! During this move weekend, we also went to my friend Lisa’s wedding. I have known Lisa for over 20 years and it was wonderful to see her get married. She looked amazing – and unfortunately I didn’t take any pictures of her! Her wedding was at the Center Club and it has the most beautiful view of Baltimore I have ever seen. The wedding was a blast. I danced with my friend’s 1 year-old son, I chatted with old friends, I danced some more, and then I sobbed when I said goodbye to my girls. We group hugged, and I felt loved and lucky. All in all, a great night and a wonderful farewell from Baltimore.

Now I’m sitting in my friend Charlotte’s guest room while her cat snuggles up on me. For those of you who know me, you know I’m anti-cat, but I’m actually liking this. What’s happening to me? My flight leaves later tonight – but until then my plan is to go to the pool and then out for dinner.

It’s been a busy ten days or so, but it’s been great. I said goodbye to many of my old homes – New York, Baltimore, and DC. I am deeply going to miss my wonderful network of people here, but being farther away doesn’t mean we’re really separated. To get a bit emotional, I want to say thank you for all the celebrations, activities, and fun I’ve had as I prepared for the move.  I’m so lucky to have so many wonderful people in my life.

But now I’m ready. I’m ready to go to London. I’m ready for new adventures, new jobs, new restaurants, new friends. Mostly, I’m ready to be back with Ryan. Get ready London, here I come.

This recipe is adapted from the America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook, How Can It Be Gluten Free? This book is awesome with lots of really clear and helpful advice and suggestions. I’ve changed it by adding a bit more xantham gum than ATK recommended. I thought it helped hold the shape of the cookie a bit better. These cookies are great and the only difference between these and regular cookies are the thin and delicate structure and shape. The other change was that I used chips and Reese’s pieces instead of normal chips. Gotta spice things up now and then, and get a little creative with the cookie add-ins, right?

Ingredients:

3/4 cup + 2/3 cup King Arthur All-purpose Flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp xantham gum

1/2 tsp salt

8 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup packed, light brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

2 tbsp milk

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/8 cup mini chocolate chips

1/8 cup mini Reese’s pieces

Directions:

1. Whisk together flour, baking soda, xantham gum, and salt in a bowl.

2. Whisk melted butter and sugars in a large bowl.

3. Add the egg, milk, and vanilla to the butter-sugar mixture. Mix until smooth.

4. Add in the flour mixture.

5. Add in the chips and Reese’s pieces.

6. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes.

7. Preheat oven to 350°.

8. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Use two spoons to arrange 1.5 tbsp size rounds of dough onto the baking sheet. The two-spoons advice is important. The consistency of the batter is stickier and softer than a regular cookie. The spoons help make sure you can make normal looking cookies.

9. Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, for 11 minutes. Rotate baking sheet halfway through. As they cook, cookies will spread and they can get dark quickly, so be sure to check on them!

10. Let cookies cool for 5 minutes before serving. The cookies are more fragile than gluten-full cookies so let them rest!

Messy level: This recipe is easy – there are only two bowls for this recipe and you don’t even need an electric mixer.

The post Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Reese’s Pieces Cookies appeared first on Cooking is Messy.

We can finally start decorating because on Saturday, our landlord came and furnished our apartment! Yes, to answer your unspoken question, we’d been living in our apartment for a week without furniture. Now, it’s starting to feel more like a real place to live because we can put things away and actually sit and relax other places besides the air mattress.

While our landlord was furnishing our apartment, Ryan and I got the heck out of there and went to Camden Market. This place blew us away! There were so many stalls and so many ways to explore. I lusted after a hand-made black leather purse. I ooo-ed over a knit baby hat with a double-decker bus pattern, for all the many friends I have back home who are expecting. We saw antique cameras, books, board games, jewelry, scarves. It was glorious. We bought a painting of a Big Ben cityscape to decorate the bare walls of our apartment.

Our new table, chairs, and painting

While the vendor was mounting the painting, we went to have lunch. We were overwhelmed! We stood on a walkway and looked down at the food vendors. There were so many choices and we decided to do a lap before committing. We found Polish, Peruvian, Turkish, Mexican, Spanish, Jamaican, and Argentinian foods just to name a few. Everything looked amazing, nothing looked mediocre. We decided to each get something different and share. I can’t wait to go back and eat some more.

Even though Ryan and I were out an about this weekend, these cookies didn’t make it until the end of the day Sunday. We devoured them! Also, these cookies are gluten-free and tasty! I know more and more people  who are gluten-free, but I have a hard time finding a good gluten-free cookie recipe. These should fit the bill. This might ruin the gluten-free factor, but these are also great when you put a little nutella on them and make a peanut butter nutella cookie sandwich.

Adapted from pbs.org

Ingredients:

1 cup smooth peanut butter

1 cup sugar (the cookies are pretty sweet this way, I think you can go down to 3/4 cup if you want)

1 large egg

1 tbsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°

2. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg.

3. In a large bowl, mix the peanut butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth and combined.

4. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Take about 1-2 tbsp of dough and make it into a rough circle. Place it onto a cookie sheet. Arrange cookies about 1 1/2 inches apart from each other.

5. Use the tines of the fork to make a hash mark pattern on  your cookies. You don’t have to do this, but it seems to be part of every peanut butter cookie recipe.

6. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

7. Let cool.

8. If desired, spread nutella onto a flat side of a cookie and top with another cookie. Peanut butter nutella sandwich cookie!

Messy level: One spoon. Four ingredients and all you have to do is stir, shape cookies, and bake! What could be easier?

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