Good Times at Hard Rock

Shopping, AGAIN!

The Portobello Road

Kris has decided that she needs more retail therapy. John, admittedly, shows “great” interest but eventually is convinced to forgo Harrods and instead head to the Portobello Road.

So, tube maps in hand, and GPS on standby, it is off to the Portobello Road to hunt the shops.

Did we say that Kris was the shopper? Hang on, who is this that is buying left right and centre?????? Different gender I believe.

We both had a great time, wandering the full 
 
 
length of Portobello, stopping for a coffee and pain au chocolat at a wee café, diving onto the antique shops, especially the sporting antique shop with its old cricket bats, cane fly rods, Wheatly Fly boxes and , believe it or not, two wooden aeroplane propellers!!

One chap tried to sell John a scarf but somehow, on him, it didn’t look quite as sexy as it did on the blokes in Paris; something to do with the chins!

John spies a pair of Doc Marten boots in a lovely cherry red. The first shop however doesn’t have a matching pair and we are not going to take a punt, even with a bigger discount, on the chance that will eventually match up in colour. So it is across the road we go and there you are, a lovely pair, right size at the same price.

We are on a roll now so it is back to the scarf ship to buy a real Scottish merino and cashmere scarf to wear with his winter jacket. Pity we are going into summer. John, of course, immediately twirls the scarf around the neck, just like they do in Paris and off he goes.

NZ War Memorial, Hyde Park Cnr

Back into town on a mission. John needs a Hard Rock Café tee shirt from London. Once again, thanks to Google maps we make it to the shop after a few detours, one of which ends us up at the New Zealand war memorial at Hyde Park Corner.

Tee shirt is bought and we decide to have a meal there as well. Last Hard Rock experience for John was in Bangalore where for $20, you got a burger, fries, two beers and a tee shirt. In London, the tee shirt was $50 on its own!!

Anyway, we spent a significant time waiting for a table while we had a drink and people watched on an outside table. A great experience except for the occasional waft of sewer smell.

We were looked after really well and Hard Rock is hard to beat. Great food, amazing rock memorabilia, great staff, great music and a really fun vibe even for those turning 60 in two days!!

We are full as bulls so decide to walk back across Hyde Park along the banks of the Serpentine to our hotel. The walk was packed, crowded, with people everywhere, and we were the only Caucasians. It seems that every Asian in the town was out promenading with their families. Quite a cool buzz and a lovely walk in the evening warmth.

Back to the hotel, quick freshen up and down to the Mitre for a pint to watch the Abs v Namibia game. The pub wasn’t really into the rugby apart from one very loud Japanese chap in an All Black shirt who kept trying to start an All Black All Black chant. Didn’t go down all that well with the locals.

Another scratchy game but another win. Hope the boys can get on track for the business end of the tournament.

Back to the hotel, alarms set. Early start tomorrow. We are heading home.

Car or driver???