Perfect Saturday

If I were asked to write an essay titled "A Perfect Saturday in London," it would have been today. And when I tell you about my day, you probably won't be that impressed, but it was just so amazing that I can't stop smiling.
We slept late this morning. We had gone to the movies last night and then we discovered that Sky TV was running the US VP Debate at 1 a.m. So we watched it. That put us to bed late, so we got our beauty sleep this a.m.
My sister is arriving next Saturday and one of the things on her must-do list is hitting the famous London markets. We decided to go to the Portobello Road Market today so we can increase our guide credibility. Apparently the real action at the market happens early, but we still had a fine time browsing. There were plenty of tacky souvenirs but even more beautiful china, silver and jewelry. Keith coveted a nifty Harris tweed hat at a Scottish shop and I found several antique silver toast racks. We didn't buy anything but we sure had fun looking - us and a couple of thousand other people. But it was great because the day was beautiful and everywhere you looked, there was something interesting to see. We even met a very nice dog, a Rhodesian ridgeback named Marlon who wanted to lick me.
The food of the day seemed to be crepes. We saw a number of crepe stands. They didn't seem very French but they were very popular. This seemed to be the recipe: crepe batter poured over a circular griddle, then Nutella spooned over the cooking crepe. We passed.
We had walked several blocks when we spotted a store I have wanted to go in for years - Books for Cooks. It's exactly what it sounds like - a cookbook bookstore. It was heaven for someone who loves the kitchen as much as I do - loads of cookbooks, from big pricey hardbacks to local paperbacks. In the back of the store is a kitchen where classes are taught and a small cafe where food is served. We arrived too late for chili in cornbread cups but we did have a pot of Earl Grey and a piece of courgette cake. "Courgette" is what they call zucchini over here, and no matter what it's called, this cake was fabulous. It was moist and delicious and was plated with yogurt and chocolate sauce. I don't have the recipe but plan to get it.
I could have bought a dozen cookbooks as I am quite a collector, but the tiny store was very crowded and I didn't have much time to look. The lady who served the cake suggested that weekdays are much less crowded, so I will come back and browse a bit.
After our stop, more walking, and then a bus ride over to Knightsbridge and a stop at Harvey Nicks. My sweet hubby bought me an early birthday present (some wonderful perfume called SheWood!) and we got some cold cuts for Keith in the deli. (It's College Football Saturday, after all.)
After our shop stop, we went to Covent Garden and ate a traditional dinner - Mexican!We had passed this place a few times - it's called Wahaca. It was very good - fresh and tasty and not very expensive, always a plus. I had Tortilla Soup and it was a perfect choice. By this time, it had turned a little colder and just a bit drizzly and the soup warmed my bones perfectly.
While we were eating, we had a madcap notion - why don't we walk home? It can't be more than a few miles, right? So we did!
The walk was perfect. We started there in Covent Garden, right by Trafalgar Square and we walked down Charing Cross Road, right through the theater and bookstore district. We passed by everything from the big old stores - Blackwells and Foyles to the specialty shops like the mystery book shop with a mannequin of Sherlock Holmes in the window. The street was busy and all that hustle-and-bustle was exciting. After Charing Cross, we hit Tottenham Court and Holborn, then on toward home. It was a long walk but a fun one. We saw lots of things you can't see on the bus - certainly not on the subway!
As I walked I just kept thinking that I must be the luckiest person on earth - I get to spend these days in the most exciting city in the world in my favorite season of the year with my favorite person in the whole world. How could life get even one bit better?