London to Folkstone and back

---

Day 4 London

My niece Romy was waiting to greet me at Terminal 2 Heathrow which made the journey into London a synch. It was so lovely to see her daughter Chloe who was eating her dinner when we arrived in Temple Fortune. I had met Chloe when she was about 8 months old and now she was crawling and walking holding on to furniture and being thoroughly amusing.

Monday dawned bright and early the sun came streaming into my room from about 5am but no one else was awake except me.

Romy and Brett are millennials they work from home looking after their young daughter on Mondays and Fridays make appointments or go into the office Tuesdays to Thursdays when she goes to Nursery School/Creche.

After doing her morning pending duties for work we walked up to the shops to buy dinner and have some brunch. We shared a couple of delicious fresh salads at Gails on the High Street, bought some fresh salmon and samphire -something I had always wanted to try but had never seen it in Cape Town. I had planned to do a foraging course near Scarborough in May but did not manage to do it so the samphire had eluded me until now. Romy and I made a beurre blanc sauce steamed the veg and voila we had the most delicious dinner.

After Brett booked my ticket to Folkestone online. All I had to do was front up the next day with my credit card and Ref number and I would be A for Away. I left in plenty of time wandered around St. Pancreas Station, collected my ticket from the auto service machine grabbed a coffee and went to sit and wait for my train the 10.37 in plenty of time. Boarding was announced, I put my ticket through the machine and nothing happened. Well the gate did not open. There was an inspector there so I handed him my ticket and he said sorry this is the receipt not the ticket. Yes I explained I had booked my ticket online and the machine printed out this ticket. Where are the other tickets he asked. What do you mean I say this is the receipt. Yes he says however the machine is supposed to print out 3 tickets. Why on earth would it do that? How am I supposed to know? And here is my receipt. No madame was the reply you had better go down stairs and check the machine…………but my train is about to leave I wailed is there something you can do – no madame you need 3 tickets. But the machine only gave me one – well you need 3. This was becoming a loosing battle. I went downstairs all upset I had followed the procedure and not got my tickets. I went downstairs and checked the machine but there was nothing there – I mean an hour later? I asked a man at the desk if he could help me but NO was the answer you have to back upstairs (from where I had come) and speak to those guys again. So I went back upstairs frustrated, angry and now worrying about my rendezvous with Simon at Folkestone station. The ticket inspector said there was nothing he could do and then the tears began to flow what do you mean I have spent 30 quid on this ticket (R576 in South African terms I can fill my car with petrol for this amount) The tears worked even though they were unplanned and he could re-issue me a new ticket but I would have to pay 10 quid … he must have seen my face…… or GBP5.5 ok that will do just give me the tickets please. So my first dilemma was over now to let Simon know I will be late. Oh dear I hadn’t saved his number to my phone, I had no wifi oh well would just have to find a café when I arrived and contact him. The high speed train left and I was on my way I was so surprised how quickly we left the city and the English countryside went whizzing past my window. The wheat fields golden and ready for harvesting. My nokia local phone went it was Romy – Where are you (I should have been in Folkestone already) Simon has been waiting for you – I don’t have his number so but he had had hers so now I could get his and yeah it was all working out.

From the minute you get off the train you can feel you are closer to the sea. There was a fresh breeze blowing in over the channel. The houses and roads had a more spacious air about it. My friend Simon was waiting for me with his new bright red Hyundai. First stop was to see his delightful new home on the top floor of a converted house. It was really spacious inside with windows from the kitchen and lounge that looked out over a pretty little green. I loved looking around to see all his collectables from around the world and especially from South Africa some of which I been with him when he made the purchase. Lunch was home made pizza his first attempt and it was D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S topped with anchovies olives and a home made pasata it was followed by a watermelon granite and fresh mixed berries. We then went and walked it off. There is a wonderful beach front that is high above the sea and is made up of pathways at different heights. So we walked into town on the top one passed the Walk of Remembrance which was yarn bombed with red poppies past a delightful old church and grave yard and then through alleyways that reminded me of the Brighton Lanes on a much, much smaller scale and into a quaint harbor where they were selling cockles and crabs and other fishy delights. The tide was in. We went for a close up look of the The Mermaid who was modeled on a local lady of a mature age, which was most refreshing.

We popped into the harbor museum for a quick squiz and then took the lowest level past gaily painted bathing boxes to Sandhove the next town along. We had earned a cup of tea and shared a little tart before we headed back home looking in all the lovely houses and gardens. We worked off the treat on the steps getting us back to the top level and then we were back home. We reckoned it was about a 10kl walk.



Dinner was real treat. The only Michelain Stared restaurant in town is called Rock Salt and it over looks the harbor where we had been earlier. This time the tide was out and instead of bobbing boats they were all tipped on their sides in the sand still delightful. I chose a dish of sea trout with clams and sea vegetables which had unusual flavours and for me a first for this type of cuisine. Then it was time to leave and I am happy to say the train journey home was uneventful very very fast on the fast train and I was so in love with Folkestone.



Day 5

And it was my birthday. An easy day was planned starting out with a pressie from Chloe who had much delight in wrapping paper inside was a bright red computer case yippee just what I needed and wanted. My friend Lois came to fetch me and we went to the out skirts near Mill Hill to a flower nursery – so loved walking around with her as she has one of the best gardens I know – something in bloom every month of the year she always tells me. Love that. The flower baskets were unbelievable I wished I could pick them up and take them home with me. Lunch was catching up on the past year and half we had not seen one another. After dropping me off at home my final packing took place as after dinner at Nopi a restaurant by Yottam Ottolenghi I was going to Gypsy Hill to be with Joanne and Eric for the next part of the journey.

We took an Uber to the restaurant with a complete foreigner driving so he went solely on his GPS which might not have been the best route but it certainly was scenic and one I had not done since the 1980’s past London Zoo and into Regent Street.



Simon was waiting for us there and then we chose to share the little mixed plates so we could have more of a variety. Here are a few samples of what we had:



Burrata, peach, coriander seeds,plum wine; Twice-cooked baby chicken, lemon myrtle salt, chilli sauce; Beef short rib, smoked beer glaze,

horseradish;Char-grilled rainbow chard with tenderstem broccoli, yuzu ; Poached mackerel, savoy cabbage, oyster mayonnaise.

Yummy short ribs, scallops, honeyed chicken broccoli and kale seared and toasted, radish and pickles of unknown origins all delicious and different. Desserts were roasted pineapple with a coconut and lemongrass cream, an eaton mess, freshly made little chocolate sponges with a coffee cream very delightful.

We said our goodbyes Simon departing for KL in a few days, me off to my friends.

Sorry i cant get my photos to load so i am just posting the boring old story. next time i find wifi i will try to load the pics that go with these

shabbat shalom xxx

---