While the Italian was away in Vegas, participating in pool parties and playing poker (the latter I’m not really sure of), I re-visited London’s parks this weekend. Hampstead Heath and Primrose Hill are perfect park life spots.
On Saturday, Miss E and I walked from Crouch End to the Heath and stopped in Highgate for water refill. Highgate is a very quaint village with impressive mansions scattered around the high street. Their bakery selection disappointed, but Melrose and Morgan in Hampstead, later made up for that.
When we reached the Heath we sat down, read Giles Coren’s review of Massimo, ate candy and cursed the clouds for preventing our pretty freckles from appearing. Eli, one of my oldest Swedish friends who now lives in Swiss Cottage, had never been to the Heath before (it’s just twenty minutes from his house after all…) so he joined in. He obviously loved it, everyone does.
After a while we got pretty hungry and walked towards Hampstead Village. Since they had stopped serving food at Miss E’s favourite London pub, the Horseshoe, Eli and I popped into Melrose and Morgan opposite and pretty much bought everything on display; chicken drumsticks, roast beef, chickpea and aubergine salad, wheat berry salad and Coolea cheese. This fancy deli, that also has another outpost in equally fancy Primrose Hill, has pretty much anything you can wish for, including the best smoked salmon quiche I’ve ever had. And probably will ever have too.
My cookie craving was also satisfied with a deliciously chewy apricot, cranberry and oat cookie. We washed it down with a jug of Pimm’s and agreed that life was treating us pretty good. A stroll in North London on a warm summer’s day is hard to beat.
Thanks to Chris Tubbs for use of Melrose & Morgan photos.
still or sparkling? 