The Quest for Robin Hood

First weekend in England! I slept in this morning since I went to bed pretty late, just for the sake of it being Friday night. It was a relaxing day, and I strolled around Leister in the late morning. There is quite a bit of shopping in the city center area, which is pretty convenient. I have to say, though, there is just a weird vibe about the city that I am not too fond of. There a sense of shadyness in the air.

With any con, there's always a pro. A big pro is the awesome farmer's market less than a 10-minute walk away. Filled with colorful fresh fruits and veggies, it is a massive market with vendors shouting about their ripe peaches loudly in monotone song trying to get their produce sold. It was quite a scene, and reminded me a bit of the fish market in Brooklyn Chinatown. They are known to shout aloud too.

Leicester Market

As it was approaching lunchtime, I wanted to experience true English tea and planned to visit a nearby place called Mrs Bridges Tea Room but didn't quite make it. My Google map was acting wacky and it did not take me there. I will have to save that for next time. On the way, I came across a coffee shop/cellar restaurant called Crustys. It was pretty ordinary and it seemed like most of the people were regulars. I did not feel weird eating alone here, since there were plenty others doing the same for their morning coffee and breakfast. I had the Small Breakfast plate that consisted of the normal breakfast items: bacon, sausage, sunny-side up egg and toast. There was also a choice of tomatoes or beans. I chose the tomatoes, but they were not what I expected. Actually, the plate was not what I expected. The typical American breakfast usually consists of a crispy bacon, which in this case was more like a dry greasy ham. The sausage also had a different flavor profile, that was also more stale ham. The tomatoes were more like canned tomato mush that had a spoiled sour taste to it. It certainly was not the most palatable of foods, and by appearances not the most attractive either. So far, England lives up to its reputation of mediocre food. The coffee was very mild. It was the first cup of regular roast coffee I've had in England, so I can't really tell if that is just how it is in the UK. It's drastically different from the strong, flavorful, bitter Puerto Rican coffee my husband and I had on our honeymoon. Far from it! While being very mild, it was okay... this is coming from a non-coffee drinker. The meal was around 4£, although I don't remember the exact number. Overall, I would give the place a C.

Crustys Small Breakfast

The afternoon approached and I headed off to the train station to get to Nottingham. Wikipedia says it's linked to Robin Hood. I have heard my

Leicester Train Station

colleagues say it is a nice area, so I wanted to take a look and explore. It was about a 25 minute ride north and only 2 stops away from Leicester. Immediately, I felt the odd energy I got from Leicester disappear. The city center area was quite similar to Leicester with shopping malls, shops and restaurants but the people were mostly young families. It seemed so much safer and cleaner. I really wish I had the chance to visit the area before I decided on a place to live. Despite Nottingham being a 40 minute drive to work and needing to rent a car, I am seriously considering moving there.

Old Market Square, Nottingham

This is an area called Old Market Square, a large public area where people just hang out. There are festivals and events that happen there. It was the Night of Festivals today and the square had people dressed/painted as festive skeletons and dragons dancing and parading to drums and music. 

Night of Festivals

Dinner was at a Turkish restaurant, paying homage to the project I am on at work for the Turkish market. I saw it as an opportunity to immerse myself in Turkish cuisine, which I know absolutely nothing about. The place was called Anatalya. I went in with no expectations and an open mind, and asked for recommendations. The waiter pointed to the Iskender Kabob, cubes of lamb, chicken and köfte with home-made sauce served on pita bread, garlic yogurt and aubergine. It was tasty and very filling. The lamb was tender, which I preferred over the chicken. The dish was mostly meat and sauce-soaked pita bread with the occasional tomato and pepper. After the meal concluded, I was presented with a few slices of complimentary fruit. I guess that offset the meat... a little?

Iskender Kabob, from Anatalya Turkish Restaurant

I was satisfied with the food. Although I got plenty of strange looks from patrons for eating alone. Oh how I miss my other half! 

Overall, I give it a C+. It was decent but not exceptional. The final bill was at about 12£.

Where I really wanted to go for dinner was a French restaurant called Le Bistrot Pierre. It got really good ratings, however the place was fully booked right at dinner opening (5:30 pm). Most people made advance reservations. Next time!

Cheers to beautiful Nottingham! Operation-move-me-there-asap!