Markets & Grocers – Page 2

Odds and Ends – Roast Duck from 99 Ranch (Balboa) and Ibis Market Revisited

May 8, 2025 mmm-yoso Chinese BBQ, Markets & Grocers

The weather has started to "bounce around" a bit. Nothing illustrates that more than these two "meals" from grocers a few days apart. So here's a quick post for today.

Ibis Market Revisited:

Good lord, has it already been 2 1/2 years since my last visit to Ibis Market? Well, at least it wasn't a 20 years gap, like before our previous visit. The weather had been skewing warm and the Missus wanted a Hummus Sandwich like we had recently had in Mendocino. Yes, a sandwich, not a pita. Options for decent hummus had pretty much disappeared from our area since Harvest Market on the corner of Clairemont Drive and Balboa closed a while back. Balboa Market sells the Sadaf and similar brands, but we wanted something a bit more fresh. North Park Produce came to mind, but we didn't want to make that drive….then of course we remembered Ibis. I'm thinking that the location; tucked away on the corner of Ibis and Fort Stockton, in, of all places Mission Hills, can sometimes slip away from my aging mind…..

Ibis Rev 01

The same really nice couple were working and all of our "favorites" were in stock.

So of course; even though I had just thought of getting hummus…..

Ibis Rev 02

I got a nice array of items.

Ibis Rev 03

And the price? Well, all of that for $20; a bargain these days! I need to revisits again soon…I'm thinking that their falafel might reheat real well in the Air Fryer.

Stay Tuned!

Ibis Market
1112 Fort Stockton Drive
San Diego, CA 92103

Roast Duck from 99 Ranch (Balboa):

The Missus and I were doing a bit of shopping and 99 Ranch Market when we both, for some reason looked at the Roast Duck in the case.

99 Ranch Roast Duck 01

It didn't look half bad. Now we had tried the roast duck from the deli section at the Clairemont Mesa location of 99 Ranch Market years ago…..it wasn't very good. But we just kind of wondered how this would be. Though the price of $19.99 for half a duck……well, that gave us pause.

99 Ranch Roast Duck 02

Man, that Styrofoam container felt quite heavy.

This was quite a hefty half duck.

99 Ranch Roast Duck 03

It was however, more quantity over quality. Very meaty, but on the tougher-dry side of the scale. The skin rubbery, the usual savory-sweet-anise tones muted.

99 Ranch Roast Duck 04

We tried it three different ways. As a side dish…meh, in a bao, more meh. Finally, because the temperature had dropped and the weather got cooler, I went and used the duck drippings/sauce/fat, along with some shiitake mushrooms and did that 20 minute Zhou/Jook. With all the duck sauce and fat and the earth mushrooms this came out quite good.

99 Ranch Roast Duck 05

Topped with the skin crisped up in the Air Fryer……well, this was pretty good.

Not that we'd get it again. Though, if you want a real meaty-bland fowl…….

99 Ranch Market
5950 Balboa Ave.
San Diego, CA 92117

Now, what I wanna know is how you've been eating with the see-sawing temps?

Genoa – Antica Friggitoria Carega and Eataly

February 22, 2025 mmm-yoso Cinque Terre/Genoa, Liguria - Italy, Italian Restaurants, Italy, Markets & Grocers, Seafood, Travel

We were sad to leave the Cinque Terre. We had really enjoyed our stay. My first instinct when planning our trip was to head back to Milan. But while planning things out, I watched Stanley Tucci's Searching for Italy and in the episode on Liguria he visited Genoa and basically indicated that it was the "home of pesto". The episode featured a restaurant, Il Genovese, yes I made sure to call Genoa, "Genova" during my time in Italy. Anyway, the owner of the restaurant established the Pesto World Championship. And heck, we'd had pesto almost everyday during our stay in Liguria, so it made sense to stay in the city, right?

It was a mere hour-and-a-half train ride from Monterosso to the main train station in Genoa. We were staying in near the Old Port, Porto Antico. It was an interesting half hour walk from the train station as we got an introduction to the Caruggi di Genova, the narrow alleyways of the city. Our hotel, the Best Western Hotel Porto Antico Genoa was right down one of these side streets. We had arrived too early to check in, so we stored our luggage and went for a walk.

There are quite a few things to see in the area. It seemed quite touristy during the days, but quiet during the evenings. We quickly figured out things when we saw two cruise ships in port. Still, in spite of having a population of over a half-million, things seemed so relaxed.

It was interesting to watch folks line up for the Bigo a lift on cranes which give you views of the city.

We decided to just relax, especially after all the walking and hiking we did in the Cinque Terre. Just take our two nights and enjoy things.

While walking down the lovely porticos of the waterfront we noticed this little shop. The smell of frying seafood wafting in the air.

Looking things over, we got a "Misto a Piacere" (mixed seafood), "medio" (medium) for a mere 9,5€!

The Missus didn't want the calamari, so we got just the Gamberi Fritti (Shrimp) and Fritto di Pesce (Anchovy). Man the shrimp was fried nicely, still crisp, and quite briny-sweet.

I loved the crisp-savory anchovy. Like I said before, the seafood in Liguria!

Nothing like some good fry-o-lated seafood to get started in Genoa!

Antica Friggitoria Carega
Via di Sottoripa 113r
Genova, Italy

We decided do a bit more exploring before heading back to the hotel. There's quite a bit to do. The Genoa Aquarium is right across…well, across and under highway SS1 which hugs the shoreline, there's Vascello Neptune, a replica of a Spanish Galleon. It was market day at the port.

Part of which ran right under the highway.

We took our time checking things out.

And though we didn't find anything we were interested in; this little one seemed to be happy with its purchase!

We passed this historic building. It's the Palazzo San Giorgio, which is currently the HQ of the Port Authority. This lovely building was built in the 13th Century and the palace was once a prison.

Which housed the one and only Marco Polo. It is said that during his time in the prison, Marco Polo dictated his travels to a fellow prisoner; the writer Rustichello da Pisa. The manuscript which eventually became The Travels of Marco Polo!

A bit further down the port we noticed a location of Eataly.

Well, we'd been to Eataly locations in Copenhagen, Florence, and Bologna, so we thought why not check it out?

As always, there's much to tempt you if you have the $$$$ or in this case the €€€€.

The cheese looked quite enticing, but we were only spending two nights in the city.

And we'd find better ways to spend our Euros.

Still, it was a fun exploring…..

Eataly Genova
Edificio Millo, Calata Cattaneo 15
Genova, Italy

As we left the shop, we figured it was time to check in and take a break before heading out to dinner.

We were enjoying our time in Genova!

Thanks for stopping by!

Morro Bay – Giovanni’s Fish Market And Galley

February 6, 2025 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Seafood, Travel

JJ seemed to be enjoying Morro Bay. After taking a short break, we decided to head out for dinner.

Like I mentioned in previous post, I had forgotten that it was MLK Day, but during our pre-dinner walk, things didn't seem to busy. Well, when we set out for dinner it was a whole 'nother story. Places were packed; we stopped by the Galley which didn't take reservations hoping that because it was winter folks wouldn't be sitting on the patio…well there was an hour wait for a table! We went down my list and the story was the same…..man, it was busy!

In the end, we decided to check out the place we'd stopped by before Giovanni's Fish Market And Galley, which I recalled had an outdoor dining area to see what was going on.

So, the Missus went to take a look at the market, while went to the walk up window.

And while still waiting in line, the Missus returned with Her bounty. I ordered to supplement what She had bought.

She had gotten the smoked fish, which was mild in flavor.

IMG_5187b It was very moist; though it had a ton of bones. Still it was not bad.

She also got the smoked mussels, which had some "grit" and was on the chewy side, but still retained the oceany-sweetness and a touch of smokiness. Also not bad.

Of course, the important accompaniment was the Pitcher of Modelo.

IMG_5179b

Our favorite item of the meal were the Garlic Fries, which had been dusted, thus making it quite crisp.

They weren't shy about the amount of garlic or cheese, which made this quite enjoyable.

I also got a Dozen Oysters.

They also strangely gave me some packets of Tapatio….and after tasting the oysters I knew why. I'm always a fan of the "finish" when having oysters; these were on the chewier side and really mild in flavor. The Missus lamented the lack of a Mignonette, which cracked me up….as this was just a food stand of sorts.

It wasn't quite the dinner we had in mind.

Giovanni's Fish Market And Galley
1001 Front St.
Morro Bay, CA 93442

Though JJ wasn't complaining about things.

In fact, I think he offered to catch dinner for us; but I quickly pointed out the "No Fishing" sign……

And our after dinner walk was quite lovely!

Thanks for stopping by!

Wooltari Premium K-Food Opens on Clairemont Mesa

January 30, 2025 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers

My visit to the new location of Zion Market had me wondering what the status was of the upcoming San Diego location of the Korean specialty market Wooltari, which I first noticed was opening back in September in the Crossroads Center off Clairemont Mesa Boulevard. So, I drove on over and noticed that the front door of the shop was open!

Wooltari 01

I decided to park the car and stroll on over and perhaps take a peek inside.

When I was crossing the parking lot…the open sign was turned on! Ok, I guess they're open!

Wooltari 02

I walked on over and entered. And much like "FOY" Peter described based on his experience with the former business; the shop is a small rectangle with cold cases and freezers occupying east and west facing walls and shelves in the middle stocked with all kinds of goodies.

And this being a Korean based market, well ginseng specialty products greet you as you enter.

Wooltari 03

Speaking of greeted….well, I was met at the door by a very friendly and shall we say super-enthusiastic woman. She sort of became my "personal shopper" and insisted on following me and explaining what everything I looked at was, the source, and how that product was of great quality. Now, I really appreciated the enthusiasm and she was very nice; but I wanted to explore myself and of course the basic reason you'll not see too many general photos from this first visit was because she was right next to me the entire visit.

There was of course kimchi.

Wooltari 04

Yes, it is $55….but those are 5 kilo bags of baechu kimchi! I was so tempted and the woman told me where it was made in Korea, but I've forgotten. There's just no way I'd have enoguh room in the fridge and even containers to store the stuff once I open it. I'm wondering how long it would take us to finish this as well. Still, I'm tempted.

Wooltari 05

Wooltari 06

There are of course frozen meats….

And even Jokbal….

Wooltari 07

I did get a couple of items before leaving and I knew the Missus would enjoy shopping here. The woman was really nice, but a bit much.

Wooltari 08 Wooltari 09 Haven't tried the pajeon yet, but the Maneuljjong Muchim, the panchan made with garlic scapes was maybe the best I've had! Still quite crisp, decent, but not overwhelming spice and fermented tones, hint of sweetness, and most of all, great, pungent garlic flavor! It was awesome with some rice porridge…which we've been having quite often during these cold evenings. The Missus enjoyed the Mechurial Jjorim, the briased soy sauce quail eggs as well.

So, of course the Missus wanted to check the place out. We headed over after hitting up 99 Ranch Market arriving right when they opened. This time, there were two older gentlemen working; it was much more laid back, but they were also full of info as well! And they both had a great sense of humor when I joked about how much the Missus was going to spend.

Wooltari 02b

This time I managed to get a few photos to give you a better idea of the layout.

Wooltari 02c

The really nice gentleman told me "yes, we are more expensive than Zion or H Mart, but you won't find what we have there. Our buyers source regional specialties which are either packaged and distributed by various manufacturers or in some cases packaged by us. On the back of each bag, you will see the source location for each item."

Wooltari 12

The highlight of the visit was when the gentleman, who knew I was Japanese, asked me if I liked "natto". I exclaimed that we both enjoy natto. He proceeded to grab a package from the shelf and give a sample of this.

Wooltari 08b

It's freeze dried fermented soybeans. We loved it! Crunchy, you get the initial sweetness from the coconut sugar and then it goes into funky "natto town"! If you like that flavor profile; you might enjoy this. We bought two bags.

Wooltari 08c

Of course the Missus got Her ginseng stuff and we haven't tried the mushroom soup thing yet.

Wooltari 14

The Missus watches a lot of K-Dramas and shows on Netflix and Amazon and told me that LactoFit….it's a probiotic powder is one of the latest things.

Wooltari 15

Ohhh-kay…..

The Missus is enjoying the frozen persimmon thing and seeing both chili and gobo type chips, well, I had to get those.

Wooltari 16

Wooltari 17

You know me and gobo chips, right? These are interesting, both the chili pepper and gobo chips have been coated with corn starch and glutinous rice so both are quite crunchy. THe chili pepper chips are quite spicy, but that's about it. The Gobo chips have a nice earthy-sweetness, with a touch of saltiness.

Wooltari 18

So, with the freeze dried fermented soybeans and the gobo chips I have two "keepers"! Wooltari 21

The Missus was admiring the sesame oil, when I told Her it was "time". The two guys working cracked up!

We were told that Wooltari will be having their grand opening on Valentine's Day and are currently in soft opening mode.

I think it's a nice addition to the area!

Wooltari
7420 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111

If you do check them out; let me know what you think!

Zion Market – A quick look at the new location

January 24, 2025 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers

Well, as I mentioned in my post this past Sunday, Zion Market finally opened in their new location which had first been announced way back in 2022. I've got a love-hate relationship with Zion, which I won't go into detail about. But, we needed fermented kimchi, a staple in the household, so I thought I'd give the place a visit this morning, like right when they opened since I'm somewhat familiar with that parking lot which seems a bit on the small side for the market.

Zion New Loc 01

I got into the lot and parked in the last row. The lot was pretty full, except for the tow rows of EV dedicated parking. There's still construction going on, so hopefully there's more parking in the future….especially since I'd heard the Marugame and Bafang were planning to open a shop here! Yeeesh, can you imagine how crazy it'll be?

Anyway, Paris Baguette's shop is right past the front entrance and seems to be larger than the previous location.

The spacing between the cash registers and the shelving was quite spacious.

Zion New Loc 03

It's funny, the produce section, which is where I spend most of my time at Zion looks basically the same as did the prices.

Zion New Loc 04

And other things as well. I got hit by a shopping cart driven by a wild "Halmoni" while taking this photo. I wasn't even in the middle of an aisle!

Zion New Loc 05

How long until the "Please do not throw the fruits and vegetables" sign goes up?

Anyway, I got what I needed.

Zion New Loc 06

And fighting the temptation to get the heck out of Dodge, I decided to take a quick look.

The shelves for the house prepared panchan and food is quite large, but I'm guessing they are still working on things as it was more than half empty.

Zion New Loc 07

Speaking of prepared foods; I don't recall the "old" Zion having such a large quantity of refrigerated packed foods.

Zion New Loc 08

It could just be that I was always on a "mission" when I shopped at Zion that I never noticed before.

There was one last section I wanted to check out; the meat department. It was kind of interesting as the cold case for meats was rather small, though what was available there was the $$$ stuff.

Zion New Loc 09

I asked the guy who was stocking where the typical sliced ribeye was and he pointed to one of the freezers? Hmmm….this is interesting, I'll need to follow-up leter.

Also, while I've never bought the marinated meats from Zion, I noticed that the butcher case that stores the prepared meats has it in pre-packaged containers; another change.

Zion New Loc 10

Well, while some things seemed the same; I'm not sure about the parking….I'll be coming early and hopefully during the week and having the standard 10up sliced ribeye frozen is not something I'd really go for.

So, we'll see in bit.

Zion Market
8330 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111
Current Hours:
Daily 9am – 9pm

Zion New Loc 11

So, my good "FOYs"; if you drop by the new location of Zion, please let us know what you think!

Happy New Year!

December 31, 2024 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers, yoso-silly

Ah yes, another year passes and we turn the page to 2025!

Just like I've been doing every NYE morning since way back in 2005, I went to check out what was going on at the various Japanese markets. These days, it's mainly Nijiya that does Osechi.

NYE 2025 01 (2)

NYE 2025 01 (3)

It seems that Mitsuwa does preorders and I'm not sure about Tokyo Central, which didn't have anything out when we visited.

I got some stuffs from Nijiya as well as Kinpira Renkon, Konasu Karashi, and Karashi Mentai Takana from Niitakaya, the Tsukemono stand in in Mitsuwa. It made for a nice lunch.

NYE 2025 02

NYE 2025 03

NYE 2025 04

Instead of having this as basic okazu, the Missus wanted a salad. So, I put one together.

NYE 2025 05

This was a nice lighter lunch. We would be having NYE dinner at Et Voila, taking JJ along. I'll get that post done in a bit.

While walking on Adams, we noticed a wedding taking place at the Adams Avenue Theatre. On New Years Eve???

Well, the groom ain't got no excuse for not remembering their anniversary date, right?

Anyway, as we upend the calendar for 2024, and turn the page to 2025, we'd like to wish everyone a wonderful, safe, and delici-yoso New Year!

NYE 2025 06

Happy New Year!

Milan – Duomo di Milano Rooftop, Lunch from Rossi & Grassi Srl, and Starbucks Reserve Roastery Milano

December 14, 2024 mmm-yoso Caffeine Fix, Italy, Markets & Grocers, Milan, Travel

The day before we headed to Liguria was going to be our busiest in Milan. We had activities scheduled for both the morning and afternoon. Like basically two of the major sites.

We headed out to the first. I had gotten Fast Track Tickets for the Duomo di Milano, which included access to the Terrace, i.e. the rooftop of the Cathedral. I really wanted to check that out after seeing it on an episode Stanley Tucci's Searching for Italy where he visits Lombardy (I hope his new upcoming shows do well). I thought both the architecture and the view was fantastic.

Our assigned time was 10am, so we headed out a bit early. We were way ahead of schedule when we reached bustling Piazza Cordusio. Among all the financial businesses and high end shops we noticed a location of Starbucks Reserve Roastery. Though we're not big fans of Starbucks, we had been to Seattle location of the Reserve Roastery, so we were interested in taking a look.

As one would assume for Milan….this location was pretty fancy.

The line for coffee was crazy; so the Missus got some tea which She rather enjoyed and I had some sparkling water.

It was an interesting place to visit. There are currently six Starbucks Reserve Roasteries around the world. If you'd like to see what the Tokyo location looks like, you can check out Kat's post here.

Starbucks Reserve Roastery
Piazza Cordusio 3
20123 Milan, Italy

It had started drizzling and things seemed a bit "wet" when we got to Piazza del Duomo.

But heck, we weren't going to let a little drizzle stop us. We were zipped up by the elevators to the "terraces". To a world of spires, statues, and gargoyles.

We were told that many of the statues were carved as a gift to God and were only seen by the workers who climbed the stairs for hundreds of years. Now an elevator can whisk you up in minutes.

It's as if you've entered another world. The amount of work is stunning. No wonder it took almost six centuries to complete.

The view, even on a drizzly day was wonderful as well.

If you ever have the chance to visit the Duomo, we highly recommend doing the rooftop!

Once back down on earth, we entered the cathedral. There's so much to see….I'm just going to post on a couple of tihngs that really caught our attention.

The nave of the Cathedral is impressive, at a height of over 200 feet and stretching over 500 feet long!

There was an "interesting" statue of Saint Bartolomeo, one of the 12 apostles. Check it out.

Bartholomew was famously martyred; skinned alive and beheaded by the Romans.

We also went to the basement of the Duomo, which was quite interesting. The highlight were the ruins of the Baptistery of San Giovanni alle Fonti.

The Baptistry was constructed in 378 AD and is where Saint Ambrose (who became the Bishop at the Duomo) was baptized.

There are different foundations of churches that stood here before the Duomo. Many artifacts, even some tombs.

Yes, there's much to see here. Especially if you go from "top to bottom".

I had thought 2 to 2 1/2 hours would be enough, but it wasn't. We needed to get some lunch and a take a break before heading to our afternoon "appointment". So, we took our leave. We'll be sure to return someday.

As for lunch. Well, we headed back to the apartment. Because we had a nice sized kitchen we were using it for breakfasts and such. We passed this shop on Via Ponte Vetero and walked on in.

IMG_2476a

The place had a good selection of prepared foods, salumi, and stuff. Though it was kind of pricy. Still, I couldn't resist the Porcini mushrooms, which heated up well!

Earthy, nutty, slightly sweet, in need of salt, but there was some in the cabinet.

I also wanted to try the Cima alla Genovese; which had everything from offal to boiled eggs to pistachios in it.

It's basically stuffed veal belly. Boy, this was potent! But quite filling!

Luckily we had some bread leftover from breakfast.

Yes, this place was quite expensive for a deli; in fact, this cost more than the dinner we had in a restaurant on this day! Still, it was great to be able to try this!

Rossi & Grassi Srl
Via Ponte Vetero 4
Milan, Italy

It was time for a nap; then we needed to head on out to our next "tour"!

Stay tuned!

Midweek Meandering – Coffee Culture replacing Hola Paris, Isa.Bella Closes, and an update on the Karaage from Tokyo Central

December 11, 2024 mmm-yoso French Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Pizza

So, last week "FOY" Junichi was kind enough to let me know that Hola Paris had closed in the comments of one of my posts. Ever the thorough investigator, he even mentioned their Instagram site. Which states their last day of business was November 10th.

So, this past weekend, on the way back from my errands, I decided to drop by.

Coffee Culture replacing Hola Paris:

And it looks like a coffee stand named Coffee Culture is replacing Hola Paris.

Sad to see Hola go. It seems that the Urban Market can't sustain businesses.

2548 Congress St.
San Diego, CA 92110

Funny how random conversations can provide interesting info. I saw Nate the owner of Poseidon Project while getting my caffeine fix at Bay Park Coffee. He mentioned that isa.bella, the pizza place that used to be in the old Boll Weevil location on Avanti, off Morena (you can find my post here), then moved to the food court at Clairemont Town Square had closed.

A few days later, I was over at TJ Maxx doing a bit of shopping and decided to hop on over.

Isa.Bella Closes:

And yes, the sign is gone.

So, it looks like the they are closed. Though our friend "Google" says "Temporarily Closed".

Screenshot 2024-12-11 154735

And their website says they are looking for a "new home".

Screenshot 2024-12-11 154844

On my last visit to Main Chick, I had made a mental note to check them out….but I guess that note never got filed?

So, we'll see…..

4705-A Clairemont Drive
San Diego, CA 92117

Update on the Karaage from Tokyo Central:

A few months back, I noted how happy I was to have found a replacement for the "new and improved" chicken karaage at Nijiya, which I thought was pretty bad. At that time Tokyo Central was touting their chicken karaage, which turned out well when heated in our Air Fryer.

Well, on recent visits, I had noticed that the chicken karaage, at least the one's in the warmer looked terrible.

I tried this twice and was not a fan.

And then I noticed that the "original chicken karaage" in the warmer looked different.

Hmmm……

And then I went in and found both versions in the bento case. Both are called "Original Chicken Karaage" but look vastly different.

The one with the "Wagura" label costs $5.49. The other is sold by weight.

The one sold be weight is the one I get. It's much better when heated in the Air Fryer.

Like we needed more confusion?

Tokyo Central
8125 Balboa Ave.
San Diego, CA 92111

London – Early Access Tour of Tower of London, Lunch from Fortnum & Mason, and Twinings – The Strand

November 23, 2024 mmm-yoso London, Markets & Grocers, Travel

**** Not much food in this one. So unless you'd like to see photos of His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, you can turn back now and return tomorrow!

Looking back, it did seem like we were making up for lost time in London. Trying to get in all the places we should have visited long ago. One of those places is the Tower of London, originally started in 1066 by William the Conquerer as a symbol of power, to instill fear and awe in the Londoners he had conquered. Talk about a "royal flex". Being the center of power and having many roles; prison being one of the foremost of them.

We really didn't want to do the very popular Ceremony of the Keys….by 9pm we'd want to be settling in. We would be flying to Milan the next morning and while it wasn't a very early flight, I just wanted to be well rested. Instead, after doing a bit of research, I found an Early Access to Tower of London Tour and decided on that.

So, we took the Tube from Piccadilly to Tower Hill. Arriving early, we grabbed our caffeine fix, before finding the meeting spot. The group consisted of about 15 people on this morning.

The view of the Tower Bridge from here is quite outstanding.

We entered and the first stop was watching the Opening of the Tower Gates. The Tower is still considered a palace, so of course there's a process and ceremony. Handled by the Beefeaters, the official guards of the Tower.

The Yeoman in charge this morning was really funny as he explained the process that has been in place since the 15th Century. He cracked a lot of jokes at the expense of the officer walking over the keys.

They keys were exchanged….various funny comments made and the guards moved about to open up the Tower.

One of the benefits to having this tour is that we are the first folks to see the Crown Jewels.

No photos allowed; but let me say, it's quite impressive. It was great getting early entry as we could take our time; our guide waited outside until everyone was finished. As we moved on to our next stop there was a huge line, like of over a hundred people it seemed!

The tour was fun, along with going over the history of "The Bloody Tower", there was a lot of other info provided. Like about the The Royal Menagerie. For over 600 years the Tower housed a collection of animals "gifted" to the Royal Family. Thus, you'll find sculptures that commemorate those animals that were created in 2010.

Those Baboons looked quite lifelike from a distance. If interested, you can read more about that here.

The views from the walls are also quite nice.

This is the Tower Green. A site that supposedly marked where scaffolds were located. The location is much disputed.

I had recently read Ravenmaster by Christopher Skaife, so of course I had questions about the Ravens at the Tower.

The Ravens of the Tower are believed to be the protectors of the Tower and the Royalty. The legend states: "If the ravens leave the Tower, the kingdom will fall.

We really weren't aware that other country's celebrated Halloween and really enjoyed seeing how they did!

And of course, the last place was the actual White Tower.

Which was an interesting place to visit as you're introduced to life at different statuses medieval London and then the bloody history of the Tower is exposed.

The Royal Armory has displays of arms over the centuries……

And then you'll find something that seems out of place; like this chair.

It turns out that this chair was used in the last execution at the Tower of London. Of an German spy named Josef Jakobs on August 15th, 1941.

All in all, having access to the Tower before opening and the Crown Jewels before the Masses made this a worthwhile tour.

The tour had taken about 3 hours. We decided to walk back to our hotel in Piccadilly. As for lunch; well, remember I mentioned the lower level food hall at Fortnum & Mason? We decided to stop by and just got some freshly made pasta.

As well as some broccolini.

The pasta was a nice al dente, but the Carbonara like sauce was bland and too thick. The broccolini was overcooked and under seasoned. Still, not terrible.

We took a break and had a nice nap. Upon awakening the Missus, who loves Her tea wanted to visit the flagship Twinings shop in the Strand, so we decided to walk on over. The Strand looked like a major theatre district with some interesting structures.

The location of Twinings in the strand dates back to 1706! It's a nicely lit small shop. The Missus enjoyed shopping here and just had to get the special King's Coronation Blend.

The Missus did enjoy the Darjeeling Blend and the young lady working was very nice.

At this point we headed back to the hotel. We had put in a decent amount of steps on this day and a nice nap sounded perfect!

Thanks for stopping by!

London – Checking out Fortnum and Mason

October 25, 2024 mmm-yoso Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, London, Markets & Grocers, Travel, yoso-silly

Man, time is flying by isn't it? We've been doing so much traveling since Covid subsided. I think with getting older comes more a sense of urgency. The desire to get those "bucket list" items is higher. What do you think? Anyway, hopefully better late than never.

We had flown thru Heathrow so many times. Mostly as a layover to Paris. This time, we decided to stick around and explore London a bit. After consultation with the Missus, I booked our stay in the Piccadilly area. Yes, it's tourist central, but heck, we are tourists after all, right? We stayed at the Dilly a historic hotel.

As we usually did we flew on British Airways, Business Class. And as I mentioned in a previous post, it seems that the food has returned to pre-Covid levels.

That celeriac gratin was pretty good.

I did make the mistake of ordering the "Full Breakfast", which lived up to its name….I was quite full after this.

The Heathrow Express made getting from the airport to Piccadilly a snap and our hotel was centrally located. We had slept well on this flight and the Missus arrived just rarin' to go. I had made dinner reservations at a place I'd wanting to visit since I bought their cookbook in 2016. But first, the Missus wanted to explore a bit. Thre is of course, so much to see here!

So we headed on out from the hotel.

This seemed to be a rather "high-rent" district. It was fun to see a K Minamoto here….we always stop by the Ala Moana store when "back home".

There was one place in particular we wanted to check out. When at Heathrow, we always stop by Fortnum & Mason, just to have a look around. In fact, we once bought one of their pre-packed "hampers" for a pretty penny to snack on while waiting for our flight.