The highlight of my January, and of the past many months and probably the months to come, was a week in London with Mr. Professor. We came back two weeks ago but I’ve thought about little else. So here’s my monthly round-up, London edition:

Reading:  Carter Dickson’s The White Priory Murders, a Christmastime murder mystery (1934) that I received as a Christmas gift.

Art: Old favorites at the National Gallery (Caravaggio, Gainsborough, Vigée-LeBrun…) and so many new favorites at the Victoria & Albert (where to begin?!).

Audio: Spotify’s British Invasion playlist kept me distracted and content on the plane.

Video: A documentary propounding a new historical theory about the two young Princes in the Tower, watched in our hotel one night. It was unexpectedly fascinating.

(Tr)eats: Meat pies. Cardamom buns. Scones with clotted cream. Bangers and mash. Sticky toffee pudding. Sunday roast!

Drink: In London, a few half-pints of very good ales. Home again, a tin of Black Tea with Strawberry, picked up at Fortnum & Mason. (You can keep Harrod’s, seriously. F&M is where it’s at.)

Garb: A William Morris print scarf from the Victoria & Albert gift shop. A 1970s print dress from a vintage shop on Brick Lane.

Beauty products: Skincare from Neal’s Yard, including Rose Facial Wash, Wild Rose Beauty Balm, Rehydrating Rose Facial Oil, and Wild Rose Eye Brightener. This brand is hard to find in stores in the US, so I stocked up on trial-size items at their boutique near Borough Market.

Pleasures: A self-guided historical walk around The City, a visit to Highgate Cemetery, evensong at St. Paul’s, dinner and beers with a friend from home who happened to be in London for business, strolls through the Portobello Road antiques market and the Columbia Road flower market…and some very productive perfume-shopping for brands we don’t have in the U.S.

Plans: I hope I can keep this trip fresh in my mind, for inspiration in my own work and for pleasant memories when I’m stuck in a slow commute or just bogged down in other less-fun aspects of the daily grind.

image via Google Bard