'tis the season...

We are taking full advantage of being in London for the holidays.

Last year I got back here Dec. 23 after spending a month in California over Thanksgiving.  There was no time to experience all the things the city offered, so we are trying to do a lot this time. Last night, we saw a live orchestra play the soundtrack for The Muppet Christmas Carol (starring Michael Caine as Ebeneezer Scrooge) as the movie played on a screen above it. The audience, made up mostly of adults, was enthusiastic and gave the musicians a standing ovation at the end. The night before, we toured a light show at a wetland park in our village, Barnes. Matt has a surprise set for me tomorrow.

We got a live Christmas tree, instead of the slightly massacred fake one we found in a closet in our former flat in Islington. That one I decorated with a few ornaments representing England, including a crown, bobbies (police), a red double-decker bus and a Big Ben clock tower.  I added a few lights and called it a day.

Enjoying the Illuminature light show Saturday at 
London Wetland Centre in Barnes.                       

When we moved to Barnes June 1, we accidentally left the ornaments behind and starte,  from scratch. We found a tree lot and purchased a 4-footer from Scotland (the attendant was even wearing a red kilt). Matt lugged it home. The day was crispy cold, which suited our mission.

For its base, the tree fits into a 'round' cut from a trunk. All of this sits atop a wooden crate in our living area to give it some height. I added two poinsettias, two small wreaths…and there you have it. At home, I can go quite overboard with inside decorations because I love doing it. Matt handles the exterior, which here means he has the year off as we are on the second floor (first floor to the British).

We are booked for Christmas Eve dinner at the Red Lion Pub in our village, Barnes. It is a more of a restaurant than a pub. Finding somewhere to eat Christmas Day was more difficult as most places are closed. We settled on a pub a few train stops away from us: The Ship in Wandsworth on the south shore of the Thames closer to Central London. We went to Sunday brunch there in October to check it out.

We decided to eat out both nights because it is tough to cook a proper dinner in our flat as our kitchen has some limitations. I think most do. With that in mind, here are some thoughts on what the U.S. does better than England, and vice versa.

USA bests UK

* Appliances. All of them.  Brits mostly put the washer and dryer in the kitchen. Most are a combination unit in one machine, but the dryer never works. Never. Clothes get hot, but not dry, even after a 3-hour cycle. Ovens are small, fridges are very small, as are dishwashing machines. I think this is because most affordable flats are small, so you need small appliances. I’m pretty sure Lady Marlborough, wife of the 12^th Duke of Marlborough has larger appliances and a washer that handles more than three towels and maybe some undies at Blenheim Palace (childhood home of Winston Churchill). Perhaps even a workable dryer. I have to hang our wet clothes on an indoor electrical drying rack. We bought one that heats up the rack (quite the luxury) but it still takes two days for clothes to dry in winter.  Really!  Laundromats are not plentiful.  Our closest one is the next town over, requiring a bus or train ride.

Our much-used, razzle-dazzle heated drying rack.

* We have yet to find a garbage disposal in any of the many homes we’ve stayed in. 

* No ice makers in fridge.

* British homes have much fewer electrical outlets, which has a big effect on how you can place your furniture, etc. Our kitchen has one free wall outlet with two plugs.  We have a toaster, coffee pot and tea water pot so we have to keep rearranging the cords. Plus, it’s where I plug in my luxurious drying rack. There are two pop-up towers of electrical outlets that come out of an adjacent counter, but they are awkward to use. Plus, when not in use, they take up room in the lower cupboards. There are no outlets in bathrooms, other than a weak one for electric shavers.

* A king size bed here is the size of a US queen.

* Popcorn is lousy in the movie theaters and NO butter. That was a real stunner. They do offer a myriad of toppings, including sugar.

* I prefer our peanut butter. 

 

 UK bests USA

* Public transportation! You can get anywhere you need to go without a car. It’s not expensive either. Our London friend Bob sold his car last year when the value of used autos rose.

* I think their medical system is better. I’m not 100 percent sure about that last statement, but it is certainly easier than in the US. I have had to have quite a few tests run after a diagnosis of anemia (endoscopy, colonoscopy and CAT scan) and it was easier and faster to schedule these procedures here. No paperwork, no charge. I do have one big gripe: their sedation did not have any effect on me during the colonoscopy and endoscopy. I can’t quite forgive them for that.

* Recycling. Without a garbage disposal, we recycle food waste and it’s picked up with our other recycling and trash.

* Conservation is more in the forefront of daily lives here.

* Generally, I tend to prefer British movies, live theater and even books. The actors don’t seem like they’re “acting”.

* Green space is everywhere.  Even in central London there are numerous parks.  We have a great green area just outside of our flat here, and also did in Islington. 

* We both love the network of public footpaths and passageways. These are rights of way through privately owned properties. London is filled with passageways, many of which have brick walls on either side. Until you are used to them, you can feel a bit like a mouse in a maze. We have one that cuts diagonally through our neighborhood to a commercial area instead of us having to walk along the sides of blocks. It saves us a few minutes of walking to the small market where we do much of our shopping.

* Dogs are welcome all over. Brits love their dogs. The pandemic resulted in a huge increase in pet ownership here. They are allowed in most places, including (almost) all pubs and on public transportation. When we go to a pub, sometimes Reiver gets served water before we our waited on! 

* Municipalities are aggressive in keeping streets and sidewalks clean.

* The homeless are well cared for here. It is, of course, a problem but the opportunity to earn money is provided through on-street sales of a weekly magazine, Big Issue. They pay £1 ($1.23) per copy, sell for £3 ($3.68) and keep the profit. It is a good publication. The representatives wear distinctive red vests and have their own territories. In trying to make a sale, they are never aggressive.

* One positive result from having such small appliances is that we wear our clothes longer…much longer. Consequently, we are saving water and electricity (the drying rack requires less electricity than a machine).

* Many movie theaters are luxurious, with full bars, servers in some and seats you can fall asleep in. If only they had butter for popcorn.

* I love the whole pub culture. Friends gathering some days for a pint or two. Even if you don’t know anyone there, you will likely strike up a conversation with someone and make a new friend. The pubs are ancient and have incredible ambiance. Most pubs serve food, too.

* British architecture is more interesting and so much older than in the US. I’d love to own a "bolthole" (holiday property) that was built centuries ago. Some places in Barnes look like gingerbread houses.

Look closely: tiny me is waving at you from a row of shops in   
Barnes decorated for Christmas.                                                     

I will add on to this list as I think of things. It is interesting to make comparisons, but obviously both countries have their pluses and minuses. That is the joy of traveling…experiencing the differences. 

We wish you a glorious Christmas!
May 2023 be a better year for all of us!

(If you made it this far, keep going to find Matt's recipe

for egg nog for those who don't like egg nog)

Egg nog

Ingredients

100g caster sugar*

2 large eggs, separated

600 ml whole milk

¼ tsp vanilla extract

100 ml rum or bourbon

100 ml whipping cream

½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

* If you can't find caster sugar, put some regular granulated sugar in a coffee grinder BRIEFLY (or it turns into powdered sugar).

Method

1: Put the sugar and egg yolks in a bowl and whisk with either a balloon whisk or electric hand whisk until thick and creamy.

2: Heat the milk in a saucepan over a medium heat until almost boiling. Remove from the heat and pour into the egg and sugar mixture, whisking all the time. Pour the whisked mixture back into the pan and heat gently, stirring, until smooth and slightly thickened. Add the vanilla and rum or bourbon and whisk well. Remove from the heat.

3: In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks, then fold into the cooled egg/milk mixture. Beat the whipping cream until thick, then fold three-quarters of this into the mixture. Chill everything in the fridge until ready to serve.

4: To serve, ladle into 8 punch glasses and dollop 1 tsp of the remaining whipped cream on top of each. Finish with a good grating of nutmeg on each.