The Serpentine Bar and Kitchen

The Serpentine Bar and Kitchen

Our most recent Monday Morning coffee was at the lovely Serpentine Bar and Kitchen located in Hyde Park (near Hyde Park corner) right on the Serpentine (water).

It was a sunny day so this was an ideal location for "MMC".  They have a huge selection of food items for take-away or eat in as well as a large selection of teas, coffee, and hot chocolates.  You can eat inside or outside...whatever your heart desires...  The prices are fair and the people are actually quite nice.

Would I go back? Totally
Was the coffee good? Yes, it wasn't the best I ever had, but it definitely wasn't the worst either
Was the tea good? My friend who is not even a tea drinker said he loved the tea.

Here are a few pictures of the Serpentine Bar and Kitchen for you to enjoy:

inside Serpentine Bar and Kitchen

Hyde Park

Earl Grey at Serpentine Bar and Kitchen.

By the way, 

if you don't already know the McCooey's are on their way back home from China today!!  

I can't wait to share the trip with you guys! 

Spring has sprung in London

Spring has sprung in London

I don't know why but the flowers abroad always look so much better than they do in the States...

Hyde Park

Hyde Park

Embankment Park

Embankment Park

Embankment Park

Cow and Coffee Bean Shop

We went for a walk in Regents Park for the first time (yes, I know, shame on us for waiting so long...) and I spotted this little hidden jewel "Cow and Coffee Bean".  I cant wait to go back and try out their coffee and other goodies. It is adorable! Maybe a future Monday Morning Coffee spot?

Off Chester Road Regents Park, London NW1 4NU - 020 7224 3872

J.M. Barrie

picture from google or wikipedia...

After reading a friends blog the other day it inspired me to do some research on J.M. Barrie...
so here you go... just a little something short and sweet about a very cool dude.

J.M. Barrie (9 May 1860 – 19 June 1937) is a Scottish author who moved to London...

You may know him better as the man who created "Peter Pan" a boy that never wanted to grow up and who was friends with a girl named Wendy (*cough* my favorite name *cough*). They hung out in a place called Neverland...

Check Wendy out in this picture... That could totally be me *wink*wink*...

Peter Pan became his best-known work, credited with popularising the name Wendy, which was very uncommon previously.

Before his death, he gave the rights to the Peter Pan works to Great Ormond Street Hospital, which continues to benefit from them.  Isn't that the nicest thing you've read in a while?!  Makes me want to give him a hug!

There is a great statue of Peter Pan in Hyde Park. You should check it out next time you are taking a stroll...

Can you spot me in this picture? (Peter Pan statue in Hyde Park)

Barrie died of pneumonia on June 19, 1937 and is buried at Kirriemuir next to his parents and two of his siblings. He left the bulk of his estate (excluding the Peter Pan works, which he had given to Great Ormond Street Hospital) to his secretary Cynthia Asquith.

His birthplace at 4 Brechin Road is maintained as a museum by the National Trust for Scotland.

Cheers to J.M. Barrie!!

Hyde Park

I went for an "exerwalk" in Hyde Park (350 acres) with Emily and this is what we found:

Peter Pan... Can you spot me in the picture above? 

Then we spotted two bears hugging:

 Some swans taking a nap on the walkway:

We thought for sure they were going to attack us.

Cheers,

WMMc

Elfin Oak

Yesterday my friend Emily and I went for an "exerwalk" in Hyde Park.  I never thought I would say this, but I live just down the road from it.  At the beginning of our exerwalk we stopped to check out the coolest tree that I have ever seen the "Elfin Oak"

Elfin Oak

Originally carved in 1911 and maintained for over 40 years by sculptor Ivor Innes

With grateful thanks also to Spike Milligan CBE and his friends whose interest and support enabled complete restoration of the wee folk, 1996.







Here are a few close ups to enjoy:

I'm a sucker for a good tree. If I were a teacher I would bring my class to see this every year so that we could all take a good long look at it, then head back to class and each of us make up a fun story about all the characters we saw.  I love a good imagination.
Creativity is so 2010.

Cheers,
WMMc