London Love

I have been living in London for the past few months and, my friends, I'm in love. But, to my mother's unhappiness, not with a man, but with this city.

It may just be that I am not used to living in a city where so many things are at your finger tips, but I am just enamored with London. Living and eating here has been a cake walk. Literally, I've eaten so much gluten free cake!

So here are some things I've picked up...

First of all - cider! At home people scoff at my cider drinking at parties and out at bars. It's a "girly drink" they say. But in London - and the UK in general - cider is loved by all! Every pub has at least one drought cider and a few different bottled ciders. At home I have found about three different brands of cider, but I'm hard pressed to find them in the liquor store, and definitely do not find them on tap anywhere. Here there are dozens of brands, in fact I am going to a cider festival this weekend at our local pub.

Living in Kensington has been wonderful. Partridges, a small grocery store on the corner, carries gluten free crackers, cookies, and (most important!) gluten free carrot cake! There are bakeries everywhere with cakes and goodies galore! And Starbucks is beginning to stock gluten free yummeis, unlike in the states... still my only option is a rice crispie treat (unfortunately no rice crispie treats to be found in the UK... so I guess they both have their plus and minuses).
And do you love Indian food?? Well I love it. And it is amazing! Since I cannot partake in the English fish and chips (although I do eat the chips and pray they aren't contaminated... bad Anna!), the next best thing is Indian which, because of the colonization and the large population of Indians in London, has become an "English" type food. My dining hall at school serves an Indian dish almost every night. And there are four Indian restaurants on my block. I'm in heaven! As long as you don't eat the bread, everything is gluten free! It's love!
But the city, oh the city! And this has nothing to do with Celiac disease or anything else... I am completely enamored with London. I never want to leave. Ever. Does anyone have a job and apartment they want to offer me so I can live here forever??