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Archive for the ‘LONDON’ Category

Full English breakfast01

One of the best foods of British kitchen is full English breakfast, a big portion of cooked breakfast which contains eggs (scrambled or fried), sweet beans, bacon, mushrooms, tomato, sausages, black pudding and hash browns. Of course with HP sauce and a cup English tea.

It’s tasty and fulfilling. After eating one portion of full English breakfast you can feel full almost until the dinner time.They serve it all day long and not only during the morning, so if you are not open minded for a heavy breakfast like this, you can try it during the lunch time also.

In UK, best places to try full English breakfast, are small cafes nicknamed “greasy spoon”. They are not fancy, they might not be as good looking for your expectations or the best place you would choose for a breakfast but believe us, the yummiest English breakfast you gonna eat are not in London’s most famous cafes, in these modest “greasy spoons”.

When we were living in London, every few weeks, we were eating full English breakfast in our neighborhood at Workers Cafe in Upper Street no:172, if you are around Angel, Islington you can give them a chance.   Full English breakfast is definitely not for everyday’s breakfast of our Mediterranean bodies or to eat if it’s a hot day but when you are in UK even in summer you don’t hear this “hot” word, so go on.

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Dünya mutfakları arasında oldukça zayıf bir yeri olan İngiliz mutfağının en leziz gıdalarından birisi, kocaman bir porsiyon kızarmış veya çırpılmış yumurta, tatlı soslu kurufasulye, kızarmış domuz jambonu, ızgara mantar, ızgara domates, domuz sosisi, black pudding isimli bir tür domuz kanı sucuğu ve hash brown isimli bir tür patates mücverinden oluşan İngiliz kahvaltısı. Tabii ki yanında bir İngiliz klâsiği olan HP sos ve bir fincan çayla birlikte.

Bu lezzetli ve kalori bombası kahvaltı o kadar doyurucu ki, sabah yedikten sonra, neredeyse akşam yemeği saatine kadar tokluk hissedebilirsiniz. İşin güzel yanı, sadece sabahları değil, bütün gün servis ediliyor olması yani sabah sabah bu kadar ağır bir kahvaltı fikrine açık değilseniz, öğlen yemeği niyetine de afiyetle götürebilirsiniz.

Birleşik Krallık’ta, en iyi İngiliz kahvaltısını tadabileceğiniz yerler “greasy spoon” (yağlı kaşık) adı verilen küçük kafeler. Kesinlikle şık değiller, beklentilerinizi karşılayacak kadar iyi görüntüleri olmayabilir ya da kahvaltı için ilk seçeceğiniz yer görüntüsüne sahip   olmayabilirler ama bize inanın, en leziz İngiliz kahvaltısını Londra’nın en şık ve pahalı kafelerinde değil, bu “yağlı kaşık” denilen ucuz, mütevazi kafelerde yersiniz. Bu arada işin ilginç yanı, bu tipik İngiliz ürününü servis eden bu kafelerin çoğunu Türk kökenlilerin işletiyor olması ve İngiliz müşteriyle dolup taşması.

Londra’da yaşarken birkaç haftada bir, mahallemizde, Upper Street numara 172’deki Workers Cafe’de İngiliz kahvaltısı ziyafeti çeker, her seferinde “ah, vah, çatlıyorum, en az altı ay yemem” der, bir iki hafta sonra yine damlardık. Eğer Londra’da yolunuz Angel, Islington civarına düşerse kahvaltı için bu kafeyi bir deneyin. İngiliz kahvaltısı bizim Akdenizli bünyemiz için kesinlikle her gün yenecek bir kahvaltı türü değil ya da sıcak günlerde tüketilecek bir gıda değil ama Birleşik Krallık ellerinde “sıcak” kelimesi yazın bile duyulmadığından sorun yok, afiyetle yiyin.

Workers Cafe01

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londra kapi015

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North London doors.

More London doors here, here and here.

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Londra’nın kuzeyinden birkaç kapı.

Londra kapılarının devamı burada, burada ve burada.

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Edward Rutherfurd - London01

A historical London novel written by Salisbury born writer Edward Ruherfurd is recently published in Turkish. A story of London and Londoners through the ages since the geological formation of the city. No, not kidding, just started to read it and the second sentence of the novel starts like this: “Four hundred million years ago, ….”. Not sure how it’s gonna be our relation for the next 1083 pages…

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Salisbury doğumlu yazar Edward Ruherfurd’un Londra isimli tarihi romanını aralık sonunda görüp aldık. Meğer daha yeni çıkmış piyasaya. Kitap, şehrin jeolojik oluşumundan günümüze, çağlar boyunca Londra’dan ve Londralıların yaşamlarından kesitleri içeriyor. Yok şaka değil, daha ikinci cümlesi “Dört yüz milyon yıl önce…” diye başlıyor. Önümüzdeki 1083 sayfa boyunca kitapla nasıl bir ilişkimiz olacak göreceğiz bakalım…

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Happy New Year 2014

Happy new year everyone!

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The Old Queen's Head01

Beautiful pubs we had in our neighborhood in London.

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Aybige Kerim heading to sun01

Our three years stay in our little kingdom comes to an end and we are heading back to sun, turquoise blue Aegean and Mediterranean waters, fluffy street cats, variety of juicy and tasty fruits and vegetables, amazing smell of the bakeries, adventurous motorcycle rides and Mediterranean style slow living.

There is a long list of the things we won’t miss like rain, unbeatable British summers, health and safety craziness, tea with milk but we gonna miss our home, the pubs, antiques shops and markets, city foxes, first class football, film quality British dramas, the smell of the fireplaces in the middle of the city, Guinness, canal walks, small theatres, delicious Indian food, our friends in London and also in a very special little pub in Edinburgh.

But,

at the end,

the question still is:

What’s the meaning of Stoneheeeeeenge?

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Traveller's Children in London Fields01

A black and white documentary photography book we bought on Saturday. Clerkenwell born photographer Colin O’Brien which is taking London photos since 1948, captured Irish travellers’ children in London fields in 1987. Photos of little ones with a grown up expression on their faces…

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Regent's Canal04

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Saturday came to London with the joy of the sunshine. Following an early wake-up and breakfast, we walked to Broadway Market by the Regent’s Canal. At weekend, for us the best time for walking in canal is early hours of the day, before big happy families, lost tourists and crazy cyclists time. The Regent’s Canal walk is one of our favorites in London. Every time you can see different boats each with its own character, discover little details like a street/canal art, a wood fired earth oven or meet a big heron in the middle of the city.

After the Broadway Market, we walked back home, then to Camden Passage Market and Chapel Market. Bought some photography books, some christmas decorations, made some grocery shopping and tea time, we enjoyed our recorded dramas, photography books at home.

We were expecting another sunny day today but, you know… Then we changed our plans to go to Colombia Road Flower Market and following a lazy morning at home, we went to King’s Head to celebrate the “Super Sunday” accompanied by few pints. First match of the day, Aston Villa-Man United was a good quality 90 minutes football. Man United won with a score 0-3 against Aston Villa. The next match Tottenham-Liverpool, despite the 5 goals of Liverpool wasn’t as tasty as the first match but the result was nice. (Sorry Terry, “it” happens).

Now it’s the time for curry, then tea and British crime dramas at home. Super Sunday=Happy Sunday.

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Bill's01

Bill’s is one of the charming cafes of our neighborhood. We like its grocery style decoration with shelves full of  nice products. We have been once there for a latte and croissant and the coffee seemed very week to us like drinking pure milk.

Yesterday evening we met with two greek friends of us and went there for a dinner this time. It was full but we could find table without reservation with no problem. The photo is from the end of the evening. When a turkish and a greek couple go out to dinner, this happens. You eat and chat and enjoy “yavaş yavaş” or “siga siga” (slowly slowly).

 As starter we tried hummus and tzatziki plate, green gordal olives plate, potato and rosemary bread and sweet potato fries. They were all good but the highlight was the potato and rosemary bread which was one of the best breads we ate in London. As main we tried rump steak, duck pie and pumpkin risotto with blue cheese and they were all good also. We are little bit picky in dessert that’s why no comment about them. And this time we ordered the coffee double shot and it was better. La Garenne  Shiraz  from Languedoc we tried was very smooth but tasty and we didn’t know where did they go two bottles in couple of hours.

And yes, we didn’t take the bus and walked to home after eating half of the menu…

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Strangers on a train01

Yesterday evening after few pints at The Dog&Duck, our favorite small pub in Soho, we went to Gielgud Theatre for Strangers on a Train, a play written by Craig Warner based on the same name novel by American crime writer Patricia Highsmith.

We didn’t watch the film of the novel directed by Alfred Hitchcock but we can say that the theatre version was brilliant and it was another London theatre production show. The projections they used in the play were impressive. The only actor we knew from before was Laurence Fox from tv series Lewis and we were excited to watch him in a live performance.  All cast was really successful and we are very pleased to have a chance to watch the play. Definitely recommended.

“A seemingly innocent conversation soon turns into a nightmarish and dangerous reality for Guy Haines when he meets Charles Bruno on a train journey, ahead lies a lethal nightmare of blackmail and psycological torment that threatens to cost Guy his career, his marriage and his sanity. His choice: to kill or to be framed for a murder he didn’t commit…”

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