Each week at ProSoccerTalk we will hear from from U.S. national team and Stoke City defender Geoff Cameron, who is now a special correspondent for NBCSports.com.
[ RELATED: Cameron’s latest on PST ]
The proud Bostonian tells us what life is like behind-the-scenes in England’s top-flight with Q&A’s, first-person pieces and more. This week Geoff spent a few days with PST in England’s capital, London, after several months away from the States. What does an American do to reminisce about home? Here’s Cameron’s guide for an American in London who is missing the USA...
DINNER
Ready to roll at a Texas steakhouse...
A taste of home...
Thumbs up from the American abroad...
Geoff’s take: “Man, I love cornbread... Hah! It was great to get a taste of Texas in a traditional American steakhouse in Central London. This place really reminded me of the type of restaurants I’d go to in Houston when I played there. I can’t remember the last time I had BBQ as good as this! I can’t eat this kind of food regularly due to my diet and nutrition but it’s great every once in a while and especially when I had a few days off. A real taste of home with ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, wings and more. So, so good. Makes me miss Texas a little.”
ENTERTAINMENT
Navigating the tube in London. Not really for tall people, at all...
Street performers in Leicester Square. Geoff critiqued their break dancing...
Geoff’s take: “It’s always such a cool place to just drive around in a cab and see the sites. There’s plenty of cool monuments, museums and a little taste of America in lots of places with statues of Franklin D. Roosevelt and others all over the place. It was cool to be in London on St. Patrick’s Day which is such a huge deal where I am from up near Boston and for most Americans. Seeing the fountains in Trafalgar Square lit up green and getting to see the Bruins play on TV in the evening, what more can you ask for to remind you of home?! Plus just walking around is an experience in itself. We saw street performers, then we people watched and just relaxed. London is a great city to explore and get lost in because there’s so much to do.”
BREAKFAST
Hot chocolate with a view...
Settling down for a vegetarian English breakfast. Little bit healthier than BBQ...
Looking over the River Thames towards St Paul’s Cathedral from the Shard, the tallest building in Europe...
Taking in the City of London and the Financial District...
Geoff’s take: “Great to play the tourist sometimes in London. Even though I have visited so many times since moving over, it’s really cool to go up high anywhere you can to get a view over the city. It is a massive place and there are so many cool buildings with the old and the new right next to each other. You have skyscrapers right next to the ancient Tower of London and stuff like that. It’s a really neat place. Talk about breakfast with a view!”
SHOPPING
Heading into Niketown London...
Stoke City skipper Ryan Shawcross sent Geoff this snap from a Nike store in Dubai...
Back to London, and Geoff was getting the superstar treatment...
And was pretty happy about that...
Successful trip...
Geoff’s take: “The guys at Nike take real good care of me and I love hanging out and doing some shopping in my downtime. Be it at Nike for some sports gear or at Karl Lagerfeld, I am really into fashion and clothes so given all of London’s amazing shopping streets I make sure to spend plenty of time doing that whenever I visit.”
LUNCH
Found it...
Gameface is on...
Happiest man alive...
The technique...
The technique, part two...
Geoff’s take: “Chipotle!!! If there’s an American out there who doesn’t like Chipotle... what are you thinking?! Seriously though, every time I visit London I go to Chipotle. There are four of them in London and that is it for England. There are zero Chipotle’s in Manchester where I live, so I have to make the most of it when I can. Pro tip: the key is to get a burrito bowl and then get an extra tortilla so then you have the best of both worlds. Also, always get a lid for the container and shake it all up to get the flavors going. You can tell I’ve done this before... Great way to end a few days in London.”
Note: For full disclosure on Geoff’s Chipotle obsession, his girlfriend Lindsay tells a story about their first trip to London and getting out of a cab and not knowing where the heck they were. They were, of course, heading to a Chipotle.
Before Lindsay could get out her phone to look at the map, Geoff was off and striding with intent in the opposite direction. “Where are you going?” said Lindsay. “We don’t need a map, it’s this way,” replied Geoff. “How do you know?” asked Lindsay. Geoff came back with, “I can smell it!” while sniffing the air. Needless to say, a few hundred yards down the street there was a Chipotle. The guy is a pro.