Marylebone High Street

Today, after an exciting visit to the Swiss Cottage Leisure Center (aka fitness center), where I watched as much bad British TV as I could take and attempted to lift weights for the first time in many moons, I met my friend Wyn for coffee and, shocked and dismayed that I actually spend time on Kilburn High Street (Not the most elegant or tasteful place and surrounded by council housing, but still convenient, Kilburn High Street houses such quality places as our bank, the grocery store and the drug store, all within a 5 minute walk!)she took me to Marylebone High Street, which, I must admit, was a much classier place.

Marylebone High Street (pronounced Mar-rhymes with bar-Leh-bone...not MARY LEIGH Bone as I tried pronouncing it) is not far from the horrendous Oxford Street, but is quaint and full of great window shopping opportunities. As Wyn pointed out, there is a shop for everything on Marylebone High Street--Kitchen shops, a bow shop,a teapot shop, a button shop, a pajama shop, and a wine and cheese shop are just a few of the many shops one can visit on Marylebone High Street. In addition to lots of restaurants and, on Sundays, a fabulous Farmer's Market. In the wine and cheese shop, the cheese was in a temperature controlled room and lined the shelves up to the ceiling. ONly six people at once were allowed in the room, in order not to put the cheese at a temperature related disadvantage. We tried two goat cheeses, which were both delicious, and I bought a creamy goat cheese to share with Jim.

After we wandered around Marylebone High Street, we visited Selfridges, which has, among other things, lots of American foods, such as Double Stuffed Oreo Cookies, Aunt Jemima Pancake syrup, Fluff (gross), grits, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, Lucky Charms, and (drumroll please)Krispy Creme doughnuts for a mere 95p to 1 pound 20p each (that's like $2.40 a doughnut! What a rip off!) Despite the high prices, I got two Krispy Kreme's for Jim, so he can start his day tomorrow the healthy way. Wyn was baffled by all the doughnut flavors. I guess over here, doughnuts usually just come in the standard variety. Anyway, we ate multiple samples of the doughnuts, so that we would get our money's worth. So much for my vow to cut down on sweets. And I don't even LIKE doughnuts. There is something about food from home that makes me eat and crave things I would never have thought twice about at home. Like hot dogs.

I hope that I can find a king cake here someplace. Otherwise I'll have to make one, which won't be pretty, I'm sure.