Sep 3: Greatest Hits

Today we dragged our jet-lagged selves out of bed (after 3 hits of “snooze”) at 10:30am, determined to acclimatise properly, however groggy we felt. Even so, neither of us had slept for 33 hours before turning in last night. We agreed on a gentle day of “Greatest Hits”.

Staying here, hanging with Gareth and Fabi are two of our favourite London things. We also have a few “touchstone” traditions that serve to settle us in and remind us how to feel at home, or at least comfortable and family in a few of the city’s neighbourhoods.

We started our day with brunch at Briq on Bethnal Green Road. They do a legendary shakshuka; coffees that have Italian names (cappuccino, espresso and so on), but Turkish heft. From there, we walked the 5km through Clerkenwell and Bloomsbury up to the British Museum where we swanned past the snaking queue, flashing our Membership card. We mooched around the Southeast Asian galleries today and skipped our usual coffee in the Members’ Room, still buzzing from our coffees at brunch.

It is interesting to see the British Museum navigates its Indian collection. They invite a “compare and contrast” reading by dividing the large gallery in Room 33 into 2 halves – India to the left, China to the right. China is treated as a monolith, a traditional, singular and linear narrative, from pre-history to Communism via the various dynasties, presented in a few hundred (gorgeous) items. India is presented with a similar number and quality of items, as a mosaic of areas and religions. The design of the permanent collection includes sections on cultural cross-fertilisation, Colonial rule and the fight for Independence. These differences obviously reflect the different histories and political structures of the 2 regions, but they also feel like they stem from a difference in intimacy and awareness. That’s a good thing and leaves the China part of the gallery feeling somehow old fashioned and “foreign”.

We skipped the walk back, tubing it instead, intent to quench our thirst at the Florist Arms, which is a small, airy neighbourhood pub just West of Victoria Park. We lounged for an hour on a comfortable, if cliché, red leather sofa, wedged in under the stairs. I had their own-brew lager, Carey a Bavarian pilsner. Both were good and on tap. They were closed for refurbishment during our last trip.

Not every “greatest hit” remains available to us. If you ask GoogleMaps to show you the Starbucks in London, you will see them clustered close to the river in the Centre-West of the city. However, there used to be a single Starbucks atop the Central Line station, about 5 minutes down the road, where we supped many a cup (more accurately, whence we took many a cup from). It has closed down, quel horreur! This is not a Starbucks-sustaining area. Change is the nature of any thriving city. Carey has mourned its passing, fueled by coffee from other sources, but he has not yet moved on.

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Inspired by our 2024 Camino Francais, Karen has a periodic podcast called "I sent you a bloody boat", personal thoughts on faith by a person who believes in thinking. Also, known as "The Reluctant Christian". You can listen to it on Spotify and on Apple Podcasts at: