Saturday was always going to be a good. For starters, I woke up and ate Goober Grape squished between two slices of soft white bread for breakfast. What’s Goober Grape you ask? Well, click on the link you lazy punk ass. Or wait. Because I am planning on a whole video post, yes a video post, just for my beloved Goobz.
After breakfast, I went for a haircut with my one and only (well, my one and only hairdresser anyway) who gave me the best shiatsu massage ever. As if that wasn’t already a great start to the day Panu and I then headed to South Kensington for a spot of lunch at Jak’s Cafe and right there in Jak’s Cafe, my life changed forever.
I spoke to a Prince.
And not just any Prince. Prince HARRY. The hot (albeit very ginger) one, in case you’re confused.
How did it all go down? Here’s the low down: We arrive at Jak’s Cafe hot on the heels of Harry, Chelsy and a mate on this sunny Saturday afternoon, and we’re seated right next to them at the very next table and for a whole hour, I’m literally less than a meter away from the Prince! *swoooooon*
We ordered our food ~ in a trance-like state of starstruckness, I had to rely 100% on my food brain and thank God my food brain takes control. All the time. It ordered for me the stuffed aubergine, which was my favourite from my last visit, with a side of green beans.
Panu, not nearly as gaga as I was, ordered salmon with a side of various vegetables.
We ate. I remember eating, mainly because that stuffed aubergine is seriously so fucking delicious that it managed to distract me from the Prince, who is just there, chatting to his buddies like TOTALLY NORMAL PEOPLE. I know, weird. Oh, we know that they chatted like normal people because believe me when I say Panu and I didn’t speak a single word the whole time so we could eavesdrop. Yes, the joys of being a commoner!
No matter how slowly we ate, eventually the food disappeared and we had to leave. I figured you know what, it’s like totally NOT COOL but really, I have to ask for a photo. Once in a life time, no? And if he thinks I’m a loser well hey, I am!
So with my stomach in my heart and my heart in my throat, I inched the 12 inches or so over to his seat and mumbled something insanely uncool like “um, this isn’t for me, it’s for my mum, but errr, can I have a photo with you?”
{Sorry mum! But if you can use your mother for something, it’s got to be this!}
And then time paused for an eternity as he deliberated having a photo with this weird little Chinese girl. And at this point I should clear up the fact that he was not wearing a Nazi uniform. After a millennia (or was it a half a second?) Prince Harry said to me “I’m sorry, I can’t. We aren’t allowed to take photos in public. I’m terribly sorry..” (and can you imagine him saying “terribly sorry” in his posh English accent. Yes you can.)
I think I spurted out “it’s ok! It’s OK!” and he continued to apologise like he meant it and I continued to say “it’s OK!” because I couldn’t string anything else together. At some point one brain cell woke up and I said “oh, well, it was nice to have met you!” and he said “you too” but ok, I know he didn’t mean that.
So I left with no photo but I SPOKE TO PRINCE HARRY!!
*squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee*
Coming off a starstruck high, I floated to Harrods where we wandered the levels slightly lost, and me – mostly lost in my euphoria. At some point we settled into Ladurée for coffee and cake, where I had this insanely good strawberry tart filled and topped with marshmallow (it has a French name but I’ve totally blanked and it’s not on the website ~ sorry!)…
After Harrods, we made our way to Covent Garden and window shopped the food market as I seem to be doing regularly on Saturdays. We killed time before wandering across the bridge to Southbank where the London Guitar Festival was being held.
In search for a quick and easy meal, we went to Las Iguanas, for better or worse. It was nothing to write home about really, except that five tapas for £21 (before 7pm) is a fairly good deal.
We shared nachos (which was actually fresh, crispy and delicious), chorizo, meatballs and a pato taquito – shredded duck and caramelised onions wrapped in a tortilla.
We also had the champinones (mushrooms), which was just bizarre. It was served in a bowl of spicy cream sauce, with two cone shaped tortillas. I guess the idea was to fill the tortillas with the mushroom concoction and eat it?
It was delicious, my favourite of the five tapas but oh boy is it messy.
Las Iguanas
Festival Walk, Royal Festival Hall
Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX
0207 620 1328
After our quickie meal we watched Gerardo Nunez & Carmen Cortes Quintet, a brilliant performance of Flamenco guitar and dancing. And then we went home. Via Chinatown and a bubbletea, of course.
So that was my Saturday. Not bad huh? Not bad at all.