Today is our last full day in the UK. It is rather bittersweet to think that this time tomorrow we will be back in the US. We are sad to leave all the new people we have met, but we are also looking forward to seeing our families again.
Breakfast was lovely again, made better by our greetings from both Corinne and Chef Vincent. I asked Corinne if she hires all of the staff. She said that she doesn’t hire them but she trains them in how to take care of the guests. Corinne, you have done an amazing job! EVERY staff member we have met has gone out of their way to make us feel not only comfortable but special as well. From Sandro explaining the amenities of our room upon our arrival, to the door man loaning us umbrellas before we walked around the block to the theatre, every detail has been thought out and taken care of.
Following our breakfast, Chef Vincent joined us at our table for an interview. We asked him what sets The Balcon apart, and he told us about the fresh, locally sourced ingredients, as well as the simplicity to his approach in the kitchen. He lets the main ingredients be showcased, highlighting the inherent flavors in the meat or vegetable. He does not bog down his dishes with a lot of heavy sauces or heavy seasoning, which do not allow the food to shine. His approach is brilliant, and it is working! He invited us back into his kitchen, where he showed us how to make a pan-broiled duck breast, honey-roasted fig, sauteed vegetable melange, an a duck confit croquette. Along the way he gave some fantatstic, practical kitchen and cooking tips that we will both take home and be able to employ in our own kitchens! The meal took only a few minutes to cook, and of course, we had to sample the final product. I wish I had not eaten breakfast, because this was outstanding! I went back for bite after bite, even after our full English breakfast. Courtney, who is not a big fan of duck, was made a convert on the spot! What a pleasant morning we spent with Vincent, who is not only an incredibly talented chef, but also an incredibly nice guy! Merci beaucoup!
We hopped a bus to go out for some last-minute shopping on Oxford Street. This is pretty much the street for affordable, regular-person shopping. The bustling street is thick with shoppers, and lined with department stores like John Lewis, Debenhams, and Selfridges. There are also trendy clothing shops (think teens) and sports stores, as well as touristy souvenir stalls on the street. Something for everyone!
We rounded out the afternoon before our tea with a visit to the British Library. The mission was to have a quick look at the Magna Carta. What we found when we entered the treasury was an absolute thrill to us both. Inside are true treasures of literary, musical, and sacred worth. We began with a centuries-old print of Beowulf, and progressed to manuscripts written by Shakespeare, Wordsworth, Jane Austen, and so many more. The original score of Messiah was there, penned by Handel in only 24 days! Stunning. Other composers were represented as well, including Beethoven, Mozart, Mendelssohn, and Ravel. Bolero was a highlight for me. There were illuminated manuscripts dating from the 9th and 10th centuries, the colors of the illumination still vivid and bold after over a thousand years. We walked around in awe. Included in the sacred writings collection are Tyndale and Wycliffe Bibles, and a Guttenberg Bible, which revolutionized Christianity and returned it to its original intent – God’s Word to all people, for all people. In a case at the far end of the room was the Codex Sinaiticus – the most complete, oldest Greek manuscript of the New Testament, and an amazing resource for showing the reliability of Scripture, printed on the skin of about 43 gazelle, and dating from 325 A.D. As we stood looking, a group approached and a guide began telling all about the document and its importance. He must be a Christian apologist – it was fascinating and also amazing timing. We learned that his name is Jay Smith, and that he does such apologetically themed tours of the British Museum and the British Library. Something for us to check out when my colleague and I lead our student trips to Europe. After looking at the Magna Carta, which no longer seemed to us like the most impressive display, we rounded out the room with some of DaVinci’s sketches, letters written by Henry VIII, and the death warrant of the Earl of Essex, signed in beautiful script “Elizabeth R,” Elizabeth the first. we left with dropped jaws, in awe of the unexpected treasures we had discovered.
Tea in the Rose Lounge was a real experience. We had skipped lunch, and this was to serve as our dinner as well. That doesn’t sound like it would be enough food for a day but believe me we were stuffed! We were started off with a Champagne and cocktail then presented with an assortment of tea sandwiches, roast beef, salmon and cucumber, ham on beetroot bread and coronation egg in celebration of the anniversary of the Queen’s coronation. On the second tier were 3 different kinds of scone and then cream, jam and lemon curd. Everything is made from scratch. After we were basically as full as possible, we were told that we would get to choose two of the array of French pastries from the patisserie cart. TWO! There was no way either of us could eat two, no matter how delectable they appeared. We asked if we could have one now and then have the other wrapped for us to eat after our time at the theatre. Greg assured us that this was no problem. He boxed up our choices and set them in a lovely bag for us to take to the room. Other than the food, the part of tea time that is most memorable was the harp music playing in the background. At one point she started playing a song from a movie called North & South (BBC version) that Heather and I love. We just stopped and looked at each other, then glanced at the doorway to see if Mr. Thornton himself was coming to join us for tea.
It was now time to get ready for the theatre. When we returned to our room we had another surprise waiting for us. There were two gift bags from the SoSpa and a note from Corinne. Thank you Corinne for your kindness to us! Her Majesty’s Theatre is literally around the block from the Sofitel St. James. The theatre is owned by Sir Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Really Useful Theatre Group. When we stepped outside we noticed that it was raining slightly, so we decided to go back to get our umbrellas. The doorman wearing his top hat noticed our dilemma and quickly went back inside and gave us two umbrellas to use. Again, the attention to detail here is unparalleled. We were early on purpose so that we could sit in our seats and write thank you notes to all of the amazing people that we have met along our journey. Phantom was breathtaking and we both cried at the beginning and the end. People often say that this story is very “dark.” Really, in the end the Phantom does the right thing because he loves Cristine more than he loves himself. A lesson for all of us.
Upon returning to our room, we decided to have our pastries from tea. What a surprise we had when we opened our boxes to discover we each had two pasties instead of one. Greg had remembered the ones we had been deciding between and placed them both in the box. What a superb way to end our last night in London and the UK!
Enjoying the last night of our journey!
Courtney and Heather
