November 13, 2004
November 09, 2004
Sunday Lunch London - The Old Dairy, Crouch Hill N4
Last Sunday, while cycling around being aghast at the price of property in London, the young lady and I found ourselves flying down Crouch Hill after working our way from Archway to Crouch End. We chose a route out of Crouch End of which we didn't know the destination.
So we were pleasantly surprised to find ourselves at the end of Crouch Hill and at the top of Stroud Green Road, opposite the Old Dairy Pub. What with it being a Sunday and all that, we thought that fate had dealt us a good hand, and so we chose a comfortable sofa and ordered roast with our beers.
The Old Dairy pub really is an old dairy. It is a huge pub, with a number of different sections, including the main bar area, a front room type area which we guess is where the dairy shop was, and a tiled area round the back of the bar which leads to what seems to be a carpetted dining area. It is an exceptionally comfortable pub, with plenty of sofas, chairs and tables. The front room area gets lots of light from its large windows, the bar area offers big screen football action in a convivial atmosphere, and the back area feels darker and hidden. Something for everybody!
I can fully and definately recommend the Old Dairy for sunday lunch. At £7.50 it is a big dinner. It came after a reasonable amount of time (i.e. they had properly cooked it) and came with the offer of sauces needed - I chose mint to go with lamb. A large robust Yorkshire pudding had tasty gravy sitting within it. Green beans, roast and new potatoes, carrots, lots of meat, cauliflower. It was a big dinner and we had to sit for some time, supping our beers, until we could climb back on our bikes and wobble home.
The Young Lady writes:
I too was very impressed by the Old Dairy Sunday lunch, and I'd give it 9 out of 10 - the lack of full marks being simply due to a lack of mashed potato or cauliflower cheese - my personal faves - but everything present was delicious: perfectly cooked veg - a delightful rarity - and my choice of poussin was a welcome change from slices of dry chicken breast, and a surprise at the price of £7.50. I was too full to attempt a further course, but the steamed puddings arriving at neighbouring tables were eyed with envy before the main course arrived. All in all I would say this is one of the best Sunday lunches I've ever had in a London pub.
November 05, 2004
The London Aquarium
A shark meanders past the Easter Island type statue
Some time ago now, I went to the London Aquarium which had been recommended to me by many people. It is a very very good aquarium. Now, I'm not a particular fan of aquariums - to some extent it is a just a bunch of fish. But I was most impressed with the huge, two story tanks absolutely full of fish. Large shoals of fish swish around the tank while the odd shark and ray swim through the shoals, seeming not to notice each other. In the middle of these tanks are odd Easter Island type statutes.
I found the big tank the most mesmerizing thing. We stood and watched the fish for ages, there is so much to watch in this watery world. The best thing is the way that the Ray fish swim, with their under water wings.
This year I also visited Vancouver Aquarium (who have an excellent website). There, I saw a very interesting Dolphin display and some friendly Beluga whales. I recommend Vancouver Aquarium not least as it is set in the beautiful Stanley Park. Interestingly, both these aquaria cost the same amount to visit!
Huge tanks make for engrossing viewing
November 02, 2004
Kamari Bay, Kefalos, Kos, Greece
We recently went to Kos Island in Greece for a late October holiday. The weather was great - 29 degrees - and the whole place was nice and quiet. While in some ways there isn't much there, I'm assured that this is the point. The Rough Guides 'low rise sprawl' around the bay is actually some pleasant bars and restaurants with some of the friendliest service to be experienced on the planet.
Lying on a beach is not a typical holiday for me, and it was extremely relaxing with the novelty of getting into the sea (cold, shock) never fading. I don't think I've ever slept as much as on this holiday.
We hired a quad bike - easy to drive - and headed to almost empty beaches at the west of the island. We walked up a huge mountain (about 850 metres) for excellent views of the whole island. We bathed at night in sea water heated by volcanic activity which was too hot to touch in some places. You can lie back and listening to the bubbling volcanic activity with your ears under water, while gazing up at stars and the bright moon.
The food was good as well, although we did fail to find some of the more exotic items mentioned by the Rough Guide - by that always seems to be the way, wherever you go!