so ... we got up extra early this morning to tidy up and head to st pancras int'l station for our 8:31am eurostar, arriving nearly an hour early due to the swifty tube. but we dwindled that time away at the station coffee shop as i was completely unaware of the 30 min prior check-in requirement. :( doh ... we would be put on the next train to paris, departing at 3:30pm.
i. was. bummed.
good thing one of us was level-headed and kept us in high spirits as kevin suggested we check out the british museum and dishoom, two places we hadn't had a chance to hit up.
after an EXTREMELY LONG circuitous walk to the british museum, we decided it would probably be better for kevin to navigate going forward. special note!! the british musem is a 15 minute walk from st pancras int'l and has a very reasonable baggage check-in, so take advantage as necessary :)
we checked out the germany: memories of a nation exhibit which was quite interesting, and enjoyed the beautiful architecture of the great court designed by foster+partners. it felt like you were inside and outside all at the same time, and in my opinion, the great court design enhanced circulation and the symmetry and shadows were beautiful to look at. 315 tons of glass!
next we walked around the shops in seven dials and were quickly seated for lunch at dishoom, a bombay cafe in london. we weren't familiar with the concept of bombay cafes, but after some reading, learned that they were actually irani cafes opened by persian immigrants in bombay and quite famous for their chai teas and tasty foods.
the decor was phenomenal. tiled floors, wood trim, pendant lamps, and tattered mirrors. the food was phenomenal! we had the pau baji, black house dahl, chicken ruby curry, and LOTS of garlic naan. my earlier frustrations from the train complication had melted away.
i. was. bummed.
good thing one of us was level-headed and kept us in high spirits as kevin suggested we check out the british museum and dishoom, two places we hadn't had a chance to hit up.
after an EXTREMELY LONG circuitous walk to the british museum, we decided it would probably be better for kevin to navigate going forward. special note!! the british musem is a 15 minute walk from st pancras int'l and has a very reasonable baggage check-in, so take advantage as necessary :)
we checked out the germany: memories of a nation exhibit which was quite interesting, and enjoyed the beautiful architecture of the great court designed by foster+partners. it felt like you were inside and outside all at the same time, and in my opinion, the great court design enhanced circulation and the symmetry and shadows were beautiful to look at. 315 tons of glass!
next we walked around the shops in seven dials and were quickly seated for lunch at dishoom, a bombay cafe in london. we weren't familiar with the concept of bombay cafes, but after some reading, learned that they were actually irani cafes opened by persian immigrants in bombay and quite famous for their chai teas and tasty foods.
the decor was phenomenal. tiled floors, wood trim, pendant lamps, and tattered mirrors. the food was phenomenal! we had the pau baji, black house dahl, chicken ruby curry, and LOTS of garlic naan. my earlier frustrations from the train complication had melted away.
a few hours later, we arrived in paris's gare du nord! the last time i'd been here was during the summer of 2003 while backpacking with my friend, melissa. eleven and a half years and +25 countries traveled later, i felt empowered at the gare du nord, a place where we'd spent many hours checking schedules, trying to schedule and reschedule trains, and napping in my early twenties.
when we arrived at our st germain flat, our hostess, charlotte, was waiting and ready to give us the tour. it seemed like the eiffel was also waiting for us as it twinkled for 2-3 minutes as the clock struck 8pm :)
dinner was next on the agenda and we found it at a local cafe in st germain, on the recommendation of two parisians smoking out front. it turned out they worked at the cafe haha! kevin had something with sardines, and i had the most ~heavenly~ warm camembert cheese salad. i am definitely trying to trick at home! crispy, yet warm, tasty, refreshing, and hearty.
the morning sure didn't start off perfect, but the ending was going rather well.
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