AGOL Takes UK: Liking Lewes

Anton made a hearty recommendation for breakfast at Bill's Produce Store, kind of a produce farmy place with a killer deli and food action. Yummy took us there so we could "strap on the nosebag". How vivid.

We had breakfast there...big breakfast. While Yummy had a solid protein English breakfast of sausages, eggs, etc., I had pancakes with ice cream on top and lots of lovely fresh fruit! As much as I love ice cream, I didn't like it on the pancakes. The pancakes were also heavy not light and fluffy. Not bad, just different. Jeezus the coffee was strong too! Would try it again because I am enthralled with the atmosphere.

Their glass cases had the most beautiful arrangement of food. I was able to snap a picture before a lady behind the counter told me that pictures were not allowed. How the heck do you expect people to share the experience if you don't take a dadblurmed picture? Besides, I could buy one of each and rip off the design if that was my nefarious plan... Oh, a plate of brownies was below all the flowers and such.



Our excursion today took us via train to the charming town of Lewes. Yummy was very excited to explore this town near him. We set off walking in the town, but realized later it may be the wrong way to visit Anne of Cleves's House. A high school age boy was able to point us in the proper direction.

I am not used to sidewalks and I was busy gawking when I took a trip of my own. Unfortunately, I landed on my (bad) right knee and developed a bruise later on my right hand. I just brushed it off and kept going. Time to investigate later. Too many more things to see!

The following are some of the streets in Lewes.





Funny sign. Yummy read it, chuckled, shook his head and moved on while this ghoulish girl took the photo.


St. John the Baptist was yet another church that beckoned us in and this one had a rectory dating back to 1255!




Ancient church with modern technology creeping in the ceiling on the right beam.


I love church organs and these pipes just looked old!


Who is this gorgeous angel guarding the door?


Finally made it to Anne of Cleves House. Anne was the fourth wife of Henry VIII. She accepted the annulment offer and received a yearly stipend of at least £4,000 in the 16th century. Yes, she was a smart cookie...didn't have to lose her head.




I was able to grab a map of Lewes before we left Anne's, but nothing prepared us for stumbling into what seemed like a secret garden. Disney grass was everywhere! The colors on flowers and trees were just breathtaking.

We sat on a bench further in just happily enjoying people watching. There were moms and prams, various ages of school children in uniform running amok, adults sitting on other benches or on chairs they brought themselves.







We stopped at an antique bookstore called Bow Windows Bookshop. I was able to see a mini two-volume Lord Byron collection that cost £105! They were beautiful though. The whole place was just eye candy.

Yummy saw one of his favorite clothing shops and found out there was one in Brighton he could go to when he wanted. My personal shopper skills kicked in and Yummy came away with a nice striped long-sleeved shirt and a thin navy pull-over sweater. Both were on sale, too!

The day was wearing and we decided to just head for a pub and eat dinner later at home. It wasn't 5pm yet so no rush at the pub. I had my customary 1/2 pint while Yummy had his full pint. It was nice to let our dogs rest even in good walking gear.

Made it to the train station and got home where I could smell the bean jar that he had simmering in the oven for hours while we were gone. Yummy used a traditional ceramic bean jar from his beloved island of Guernsey in the Channel Islands.

When he was a lad, the homes nearby would assemble their bean jars and carry them to the local bakery where they would all cook for hours in the residual heat from the stone ovens, usually on a Saturday night. On Sunday, someone would be sent to fetch the cooled bean jar to have with breakfast. Yummy's granddad Dave made these trips for the family.

Nowadays, Yummy has altered the recipe for "herby goodness". He uses two different kinds of white beans that he soaks for hours and boils for one hour before adding chopped onion and garlic. In addition, he tosses in small pieces of pork and herbs like sage, thyme, parsley and whatever herbs are at hand plus pearl barley and a few lentils. The key is to slow cook it in the oven to meld the flavors together.

Yummy served us piping hot bowls of it with pieces of brown bread and white pepper to add ourselves. He loves it with a ton of white pepper. I was a little reticent at first, but he was right on the extra white pepper. We both had second bowls. I've been looking forward to this beany goodness for months! He made my mouth water every time he mentioned it.

AGOL Takes UK: Liking Lewes

AGOL Takes UK: Beer Sandwich

My hips were aching a bit this morning so with ibuprofen and a little rest, I was back to myself again in the afternoon. Yummy and I spent some time listening to Radio Four. I had begun to look forward to listening each day. The variety of programs and topics were intellectual candy.

Anton and Anna came around in the evening and picked us up for a proper curry night in England. We started off at two pubs which were all packed and then took a cab to Ashok in Hove. We ordered more beer for the curry coming to us. We ordered different dishes we could all share, not all spicy either. My palate thrilled at the different tastes!

When we were curried out, we made our way to another pub, but had to leave since it was closing for the night. (It was Sunday!) No worries, there was a perfectly good boozer around the corner. More pints and half-pints for all while sitting in a section of the pub.

It was fun to watch the volley of words between Anton and Yummy, affectionate ribbing of longtime friends. I gave them fodder with mentioning to Anna earlier in the evening that Yummy was wearing the new cologne I gave him, Vera Wang for Men. Wang and derivatives of were bandied about. The main thing was that they all concurred that it smelled very nice.

We had a great time with Anton and Anna. They were explaining to me the open houses (about 100+) for art exhibitions during the Brighton Festival starting the day I am leaving back for Tampa. I would've loved that tour! You just knock on the doors of homes participating and people show you their art in their homes.

We went home after the beers. Anton and Anna had to go into work the next day while Yummy and I made plans to go to a town called Lewes.

AGOL Takes UK: Beer Sandwich

AGOL Takes UK: Devilish Day

Twenty minutes on a double-decker bus found us at Devil's Dyke, a natural landform carved by the last ice age. This deep valley stretches for at least seven miles. On the way we saw golden canola fields with their stems swaying in the breeze.



Here was our vantage point from the top of the hill looking down.


Past the canola field towards the right, you can see two cricket matches being played.


It was windy this day and cooler, but bearable thanks to the sun. Some people flew kites nearby.



Nature shots in a small wooded area near the parking lot next to the pub and restaurant...




We rode the bus back to Brighton and meandered around the shops again. Something pulled me into a thrift store. Yummy and I perused through used books and other items still in great condition. I found a book on Sussex he could use for one of his projects which he bought. On the way out, I noticed a really nice black melamine Chinese-theme tray with high sides and nice handles. Yummy was in the market for a sturdy tray and this was perfect.

Lunch was in The Lanes at a Thai place called Mai Ped Ped. Yummy ordered a Green Curry Chicken and I had Pad Thai with Chicken and Shrimp. It was a flavorful and colorful meal enjoyed. I was able to take home enough for another meal later. We walked around some more before heading home.

It was my turn to cook dinner which I love to do. I boiled fresh ricotta and spinach filled tortellini and tossed it with some black pesto. A stir-fry melange of broccoli, zucchini, garlic, bacon bits and olive oil was freshened at the end with a squeeze of fresh lemon and chopped fresh parsley from Yummy's garden. I also toasted some baguette slices on both sides, rubbed fresh garlic on them and drizzled olive oil on top. All this enjoyed while watching another top del Toro film, The Devil's Backbone.

AGOL Takes UK: Devilish Day

AGOL Takes UK: Foodgasm

Today's goal seemed for us to work an appetite by wandering around Brighton for the English feast Anton was preparing for us this evening. This dear man had set himself a goal to prepare a proper English meal for me to experience weeks before I came over.

We had a light lunch in Kemptown at this restaurant called The Saint where the atmosphere was warm yet simple chic and the food was a feast for the eyes and the tummy. Here Yummy had the Fried Squid as seen below on top of a green salad with basil oil and a cream sauce and I had the Beetroot Risotto topped with Parmesan cheese. Holy Moly!

His was followed by a Fin of Skate (fish) with mashed potatoes and veg which was delicious and I had Smoked Salmon on top of a green salad and small potatoes (akin to the fingerling variety). We chose seafood for lunch so it wouldn't compete with Anton's roast beef. We decided to go for it and split their Apple Tart Tartin served with vanilla ice cream. Very nice.





Brighton is full of small to medium shops. I am used to the "big box" store mentality in the US. Flitting in and out of these shops was a joy. There is no big commitment to spend some quality time in the stores to see everything even though some of them have multiple levels.

One of the shops I tortured Yummy with was the UK version of Pier 1 called Pier. The packaging and item selections were too similar not to mention I found my Ginger Peach incense and candles on the shelves. Yummy has been probably dreading my forays into these shops with good reason.

Today he learned and didn't know he needed tablerunners, but no none made it home. He did buy stone tea light holders from Habitat at Churchill Mall as well as a chic white ceramic canister style uplight from a lighting store. Poor honey, he's that much closer to creating a candlescape (a manly one of course).

We visited my first official British grocery store, Waitrose as opposed to the Marks and Spencer location just a stone's throw from Yummy's home. He calls M&S his larder because it is so accessible for light shopping. The produce seemed more vibrant at Waitrose and the variety was incredible. Several items I've never heard of or seen. I totally dig that. The aisles were wider than American grocery stores. I didn't get the sense of urgency for marketing in a US grocery store where every inch is precious real estate for product placement. It was a very pleasant experience...

And now for the pièce de résistance -

Yummy's best friend, Anton, is a foodie extraordinaire. We have almost the same amount of cooking tools which I can respect and his seven-burner stove made me green with envy. It was obvious when Yummy and I arrived that he was hustling. He was like a bee buzzing around the kitchen and delicious smells were wafting everywhere. This man was cooking everything from scratch and it was fun to watch. Yummy teased me that the whole thing was like porn for me. He may have the slightest point. I didn't care because I was too busy enjoying my version of adult entertainment and getting turned on.

Yummy took mischievious delight in informing Anton of where we had our lunch. Oh, great. I get to follow that! was Anton's response. More digs were dispensed by Yummy to our host while he began to perspire from working diligently in his kitchen. I thought he was going to wait until after dinner to let him know. Devilish thing.

Anton's Main Menu
Roast Beef (from a special butcher)
Yorkshire Pudding and Beef Gravy
Roasted Potatoes Finished in Goose Fat
Peas and Organic Carrots
...followed by
Wine with Cheeses and Water Crackers
Roquefort (Yummy's favorite cheese), Tellagio ("what Brie wished it was"), Goat Cheese, and White Cheddar
...and for dessert
Steamed Spongecake with Treacle topped with sinfully rich English Custard

I took as many pictures as I could without getting too embarrassed. For me it was an event I wanted to capture. The following are my food porn pics for your enjoyment. Anton's lovely wife Anna came home from her pilates session and helped finish cooking and plating everything.

Master Chef Anton at the helm.


I used horseradish cream on my roast beef and tasted heaven. This is the best roast beef I have ever had in my life. It melted in your mouth it was so tender!


Anna is so pretty and a lot of fun.


Goose fat on the potatoes rocked and the beef gravy on the Yorkshire pudding was delish!


Veggies were still steaming in this picture.


Let me say a little goes a long way with this spongecake. The portion that Anna is seen slicing here was more than enough. It was so sweet I could almost feel my teeth crack from the Lyle's Golden Syrup used. The grated lemon zest cooked in cut a bit of the sweet taste and the English custard did, too. This was food for the gods.


All four of us were as full as ticks. More wine was still being passed around even after the coffee was served...Anton has an impressive record collection which he let us sample on his pimped out stereo system. Old school turntable. It brought me back. Music played while we ate, but now we were really listening to punk beginnings and some old London sounds as well as 80s tunes. I loved it. Yummy and Anton took turns giving some background history on the music.

It was a very impressive evening at Anton and Anna's and I was very appreciative of the effort and generosity in making the meal happen. Tonight's meal was definitely one for the AGOL annals of food. Great food with great people. It doesn't get better than that!

AGOL Takes UK: Foodgasm

AGOL Takes UK: Dragons and Tea with Turtles

The famed English weather finally revealed itself today! Grey clouds and a light rain greeted the morning. I cooked a big breakfast -- poor Yummy was not used to the farmer boy size portions that early, but it was all good. Armed with breakfast, walking shoes and he with a dark rain jacket with hood and me with creme jean jacket and umbrella, we set out for the Royal Pavilion in Brighton.

I didn't get to take any pictures outside the Pavilion because of the weather and pictures inside were prohibited. Just as well because there were so many rooms in this uber opulent home built by George IV. The outside reminds of India with the onion top architecture and inside was wall to wall Chinoiserie. There were so many things to note and gawk at that I was thankful for the little audio guides Yummy and I carried from room to room, giving us a good historical narrative.

It's last royal owner, Queen Victoria, sold it to the city of Brighton; it didn't meet her needs for a proper family home for she and her husband Albert and their children. Brighton was definitely the winner in that transaction...

Yummy took me to his famed Mock Turtle in The Lanes to enjoy his favorite cream teas and the best damn scones I've ever had. This tea room was rather cozy and the main floor full so we descended the stairs to the lower level. Our teas came with scones served with butter, cream (soft fluffy butter) and some killer strawberry jam. The first mouthful was heavenly. The scones do NOT look like the ones I've ordered in Starbucks at all. Those are like hockey pucks compared to these delicious morsels. All I can say is wow!

From The Lanes, we made our way to Brighton's Sea Life Centre for the local aquaria built in Victorian times. Yummy was a little worried about the fish. I kept asking them if they preferred garlic or onion. Wot? We saw gigantic sea turtles swimming among sharks in their largest tank. Experienced a submarine dive/show that cracked us both up with the agitating benches to simulate movement that coincided with the "movie".

Every minute is beer-thirty so we trudged back up The Lanes to visit The Druid's Head pub where we enjoyed -- what else but beer. This is bloody Britain and they drink by God! We also worked ourselves up to eat Mexican food. Tried to call Anton to get directions, ended up back home to get the address and took a cab. Our cab broke down and was called another one. Something about power steering fluid or was that catalytic converter? Never a dull moment.

Okay...........not a lot of Mexicans cross the pond let's just say. The Mexican food at Los Amigos (Mexican/Italian restaurant) was not like Vallarta's in Trampa. The salsa and guacamole were divine, but the rest was okay. The two beers with lime made it better. Yes, it was beer-thirty there, too.

AGOL Takes UK: Dragons and Tea with Turtles

AGOL Takes UK: Taking it Easy

On the Fifth Day, AGOL rested. My energy level is generally pretty high, but today even I had to beg off any activity. We had light breakfast and each did our own thing. Yummy tuned his guitar, played along a CD and worked on some writing. I wrote notes for my blog and dozed, essentially vegging.

Our easy day turned into an easier evening that included pizza and beer during a movie. Yummy had ordered a DVD set by Guillermo del Toro and we watched the latest release called Pan's Labyrinth which I've been wanting to see and had been highly recommended by a movie critic friend in Trampa. Not a children's movie, the creep and scare factors are too high. Enjoyed its fantasy theme immensely. Can't wait to see the other two movies in the set!

AGOL Takes UK: Taking it Easy

English Sun

NOTE: This has been sitting waiting to be posted for a couple of months now, but I didn't want Yummy to read it or the world since it was very personal. The relationship has ended as of this insert, but I have decided to publish it. He won't be reading it that I know of and it doesn't matter if he does. It was a true thing and I want to live in the beauty of truth.


Sitting on a gold sofa, I listen to my lover's voice as he is working out his poem. There are other sounds like the dryer upstairs spinning and desiccating damp clothes to hang and fold. A jack hammer vibrating on the road digging pits to reveal old pipes that need replacing. Seagulls squawk overhead like mini pterodactyls looking for a feed.

The sound I hear above all is the sound of my own mind finding solace in this land I am visiting. The quiet my mind has been chasing a lifetime has arrived. A large warm cloak of comfort swirls around me like a matador’s cape teasing my demons away. Tears drop as I realize the implication. I may have found home.

For now, I keep the truth to myself like the English sun shining through the window next to me. I say English sun because it is cloudy and gray, typical of English weather or so I’m told.

My mind focuses back on my lover’s voice, the source of my solace.

English Sun

AGOL Takes UK: Arundel Castle

The train took us to the mystic town of Arundel where the famed Arundel Castle has stood and been added onto for centuries. Very English indeed! Before our castle explorations, we stopped for a few mini adventures.

We were able to stand on a bridge over the River Arun when we arrived. I just loved the setting. You can see the castle on a hill as you entered the town of Arundel.



We walked near an entrance to Arundel castle but realized it was not the main entrance for our explorations. Since we were up the hill, we decided to walk around and see what else was nearby. Our first stop was The Cathedral Church of Our Lady & St. Philip Howard built in the late 1800s which is not very old considering this is England.

The cathedral's beauty was reflected both inside and outside. My eyes feasted on as much architecture I could see. Churches no matter what denomination have always held a special place in my heart. The only other church this big I've ever seen was Holy Name Cathedral when I lived in Chicago.

I lit three candles while Yummy explored inside and I sat down in one of the front pews and prayed silently until he joined me. We also stopped at the much smaller Parish Church of St. Nicholas. Yummy pointed to the floor where old grave stones were used to pave the floor. How creepily resourceful of them!




One thing you can count on in England is the scattering of funny road signs in the least likely places like the one below. The next picture is of a nice road, but please let me point out the Chinese restaurant at the right corner. Is it me or can you always find Chinese food even in the most remote places in the world? It's almost up there with Starbucks and McDonald's. Personally, I would choose the Chinese restaurant, but not this day.



We ended up at a very quaint tea room called Belinda's 16th Century Tea Rooms where I had my first official Fish and Chips and Yummy ate Steak and Kidney Pie. I wasn't brave enough to try his even though the presentation was beautiful with an array of colorful vegetables surrounding the pie. The skin was still on my fish which is unusual in the States, but it was just more flavor for me!

Bolstered by our lunch, we set our internal compasses for the castle. We somewhat followed the map given and just let ourselves loose. We were everywhere that was not cordoned off: spiraling up and down mini stone staircases, exploring the Keep and Dungeon, marveling at the furniture and the decor in the rooms, asking guides questions who were happy to answer and say to you "Pleasure" after giving them thanks. I was in Castle Heaven.

I've noticed a significant amount of walls (not just in the Castle or Arundel) these flint stones embedded in the walls which fascinated me to no end.


The next set is but a few examples of this magnificent castle. The lion flanking the entrance by the bridge/moat reminded Yummy of the Narnia movie. I just loved the grass that reminded me for some reason of Disney films with their sprinkling of daisies everywhere. Yummy was taking nature shots for a project of his.






The last big room we explored was the library. The entrance enticed you to come inside and swoon with ecstasy at its contents. It was my favorite room among all the dozens we passed through.

This incredible library was two stories of rich burgundy red fabric curtains, glossy dark wood staircases and spindles, and rows and rows of antique spines encased behind glass with crisscross metal lines on them. If the leather and fabric seating could talk, it would invite you to come stay a while. It is what a proper library should look like.

There were more of the castle grounds to explore but the day was already giving into the evening. I was getting fatigued and maybe feeling jet lag finally. We got home from our castle-full day and ate a light pasta meal that Yummy quickly put together which prepared us for warm apple pie with warm English custard for dessert. I am sure they never ate so richly in the 11th century when the original castle was first built!

AGOL Takes UK: Arundel Castle

AGOL Takes UK: Spanish Theme

Nothing like getting your flamenco on during breakfast by listening to a CD by Ojos de Brujo (Wizard's Eyes) . They produce a very modern version of flamenco. I totally dig it...so does Yummy since it is his CD.

We enjoyed Curse of the Golden Flower at the cinema in the afternoon. It was visual candy. I love watching Chow Yun-Fat (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; I have 3 Honk Kong produced films with him as lead, too) and Gong Li (Miami Vice, Memoirs of a Geisha) act in new films. They bring intensity and quality to the screen.

We were early for our dinner reservations so Yummy took me to my first "boozer" and I had 1/2 pint of bitter. Can't just jump into these things you know. Will work myself to a pint soon. Ha! Yummy is an exceptional guide. He gives historical info on places and people which I enjoy immensely. Pubs are tinier than their American counterparts. It is a place to drink (no real meals) and meet your pals, very to the point.

Thankfully, we ate at Casa Don Carlos (off Union Street) early in the week; it is hoppin' on weekends. Yummy asked me to order our food in Spanish so we could get hooked up muy rapido with tapas and cervezas. Each dish was a delight to share and the variety was great with our beverage.

Topped off the evening by watching Carmen, a modern Spanish version, on the widescreen. (I must admit his TV is way cooler than mine.) Loved the flamenco dancing and the guitar playing. Yummy informed me that a famous guitar player was in the film, Paco de Lucia. A great day that began and ended with flamenco. Me encanta.

The pics below are from Yummy's upstairs study where my suitcase exploded upon opening and where I sat and gazed as I made myself up before we went out.

AGOL Takes UK: Spanish Theme