Tigger has a late start at work today so we are going into the City this morning to have brunch together. It’s a cold and wet day but what ekcan you expect in December?

Bus stop, St John Street

Just after 9 am we made our way to the bus stop in St John Street. We had a 10-minute wait for a 153 and I was looking forward to being on board in the warm.

Aboard the 153

The 153 eventually arrived and I was glad to go on board out of the cold.

Bus station, Liverpool Street

The bus brought us to Liverpool Street Station, its terminus.

The station – eerily quiet

As we passed the railway station, we looked inside. It was eerily quiet: the departures board was switched off and the only people in view were a couple of workmen taking a rest on a bench.

The gates are closed

We passed round the Liverpool Street entrance and found the big iron gates closed – the first time I have seen this.

Closure notice

The apparent mystery is explained by a poster: the station is closed from December 25th to January 2nd “for vital rail upgrade works”.

Wet and windy Bishopsgate

From Liverpool Street we turned left into Bishopsgate to be hit in the face by wind and rain. One reason why I hate over-tall buildings (apart from their gigantic ugliness) is that they turn the streets into windy canyons, as was only too evidently the case today.

Choose your brunch here

For our brunch, we went into a branch of Eataly. This was my first visit to one of their branches and I was duly surprised. I had assumed Eataly to be just one more Italian-style cafe but it turned out to be more than that. It combines the functions of cafe, restaurant and supermarket of Italian food and wine.

Brunch!
Photo by Tigger

In the centre of the cafe area is a large, circular counter with displayed food. You make your choice and pay. Any cold items are given to you straightaway and you collect heated items and hot drinks when they are ready (they call out the number on your receipt). Tigger had two kinds of croissant and I had a sort of hot sandwich with vegetables and cheese. We both had coffee.

La Via del Dolce

After eating, we explored the premises, starting with this passageway which is illuminated with 5,450 coloured light bulbs. It is called La Via del Dolce, which might be translated as “The Sweet Aisle”.

All kinds of sweets and choclates

The shelves are full of all kinds of Italian sweets and chocolates, some in imaginatively designed containers.

The shop

On the upper level is the shop which is as big as many local supermarkets.

A rich variety of Italian products

There is an extensive display of Italian products though for serious shopping you probably need to take your Italian-English dictionary with you because the labelling is in Italian.

The wine section

There is an extensive wine section and a dedicated counter for Salumi e Formaggi (cured meats and cheeses). Up here, too, is a pasta and pizza bar. As you know, I don’t usually wax lyrical about shops or other businesses but Eataly intrigued me by the sheer quantity and variety of goods on display and the creative packaging which was itself a showcase of Italian style.

Out into Bishopsgate

If I had forgotten the weather in the warm and welcoming interior of Eataly, I was forcibly reminded of it when we stepped out again into Bishopsgate. It was not a day in which to be out and about.

In Middlesex Street

We walked along Middlesex Street which contains some interesting buildings to which I would have paid the attention they deserved but for the horrible weather.

Wind on rain
Photo by Tigger

We were now making our way towards the time and place of our parting, the moment I had not been looking forward to.

Passage between buildings

We walked along this passage and then, via Goulston Street, to Whitechapel High Street and the bus stop. We reached it at the same time as my bus so that our sad adieux were also brief.

Aboard the 205

The 205 carried me through the City and along City Road back to the Angel. Tigger will be occupied in the office until 6 pm (unless staff are allowed to leave early in honour of the New Year) and then we can cheerfully say: “The weekend starts here!”