Memorial Day

Memorial Day
Sons and Daughters died fighting
Are we safer yet

Saw Greg Proops Friday May 13 at the Bell House in Brooklyn and he read some Haiku which were very funny.  Just recently Chef read me a very funny Haiku from The Oatmeal website(comics) methinks, it was along the lines of
    Haikus are easy
    But sometimes they don't make sense
    Refrigerator

Current Blooms:
Peonies, they have been getting smaller each year, they shared their garden with other plants and that it seems is incorrect. I removed most of the other plants and added well composted mulch and we'll see next year how they do.

Also in bloom Roses, herbs, Sweet woodruff, coral bells, perivinkle, Campanula Saxifraga.

Started picking lettuce, garlic is almost ready. Need to plant squash and more basil.

Beers in the Fridge:

 Bought the Mint JulIP(sic) Ale (get it...  IPA) before the Derby. Bottle says brewed with mint leaves, Honeysuckle and bourbon flavors. Tasted the mint and that was it. Just OK, but never need to get that again. Flying Dog Brewery 6% ABV 20 IBU.
 Harpoon's Unfiltered Offering, White UFO, 4.8% ABV 11 IBU, very refreshing. They have a whole UFO range including a HefeWeizen, and some seasonal beers, a shandy and a pumpkin.

Paulaner Hefe-Weizen, 5.5% ABV 10 IBU, another refreshing Wheat beer for the summer.
Montauk Session IPA, Just OK 4.9% ABV 42 IBU, none of their other offerings appeal much to me. Luckily there is no lack of Beer choices. We are in a second Golden Age of Beer.
Brooklyn Brewery Pilsner 5.1% ABC 33 IBU. Liked it, but would easily try other pilsners. Rather prefer the Brooklyn 1/2 Ale, it might be my favorite Brooklyn Beer.

Past Trip: London April 2016

London April 16 to April 25, 2016.

The purpose of the trip was to attend The Eldest's Wedding in London where she lives. It may have all started here, in 1993.
Sights:
The Book of Mormon at the Prince of Wales theater, some foul language.
Wellcome Collection, Saw 2 exhibits, This is a Voice and States of Mind. Both were good, I enjoyed This is a Voice better.
Royal London Hospital Museum, Small museum, but well laid out.
Old Spitialfields Market. I don't know how some of the vendors make any money. Bought a new Barbour jacket.
V and A Museum of Childhood, A collection of toys kids would have had throughout the ages. We made the visit for the St George's Day concerts, playing were Beacontree Brass Band, a group playing Swedish tunes and a group singing sea chanteys. Could have lived without the Sea Chanteys.
Schott Music, store sells sheet music and books about music. Saw a Contemporary Guitar concert, 3 different artists. Howard Alden was the headliner. Events are listed here.
London Fields Brewery Tour and tasting. Small brewery, good tour, good beer.
Murdock, not really a sight. Had a wet shave here. Was quite enjoyable and relaxing.

Food:
Busaba, Thai food.
Andina, Peruvian. Excellent. Had my first Pisco Sour the national drink of Peru in London.
Chop Shop, on Haymarket in St. James. Not far from the Prince of Wales Theater. Very good.
Bela Vita Broadway, South Hackney London, Italian. Tried to get Sunday Roast at the Dove, but it was packed. Got to hear about the MiniMoon to Cornwall.

Pubs:
The Owl and the Pussycat, Shoreditch
Young's  bitter 3.7%

 The upstairs room set up for the reception.

The upstairs bar. I had one beer here before I realized some were heading downstairs for some real ale. I had a bitter that I can't recall, but the Young's Bitter was a much better Bitter. The Bartenders made some nice drinks, we ran into one of the bartenders on another night and he remembered us.

The Wedding Cake. One layer white, one layer Red Velvet.

Bree Louise, Euston.
We had 4 great pies and some excellent real ales after the Wellcome Collection visit, just a few blocks away. The Young One got a cider/perry. A CAMRA award winning pub, the food was better than I expected after walking in. I'll keep this place in mind for our next visit, we usually visit the Wellcome Collection.

Approach Tavern, near Victoria Park
Oatmeal IPA and a bitter and lunch after the Museum of Childhood visit. A very nice place.

London Fields Brewery, Hackney
Tried 2 cask conditioned ales and 2 keg ales.
White IPA, Shoreditch Triangle IPA 6%, Red ale 4.2% and another I can't recall.

Flight Home

Lodging:

Our first AirBnB experience was good, the flat in Shoreditch was clean and spacious, though the table and counters were black and showed every finger mark. We had 2 bedrooms, and 2 and a half baths. Close to a bus stop, an Overground station and there were lots of restaurants in the area.

Expenses:
4 adults, 8 days
1USD = 0.66GBP