That's the problem with making travel plans too long in advance. Things change. But then how could I have known that three weeks after I booked my return ticket London - Japan, I would come up with the brilliant idea to turn 2 weeks Japan into a three month trip?...
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Starting my Journey in Style at the Great Northern Hotel
That's the problem with making travel plans too long in advance. Things change. But then how could I have known that three weeks after I booked my return ticket London - Japan, I would come up with the brilliant idea to turn 2 weeks Japan into a three month trip? And that I would stay in the Netherlands the weeks before? And so last week, I had to fly back to London. Only so I could fly to Tokyo via Amsterdam the next day. Yes, I like to make things complicated for myself. But to make things a bit easier, and definitely a lot more fun I decided to stay at one of my favourite London hotels the night before my flight: the Great Northern...
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Our Cozy Cornwall Cottage at Artist Residence
I'm a big fan of Artist Residence. Their London hotel in Pimlico is one of the nicest hotels I've ever stayed in. So when Jess, Jo and I got invited to stay at their Cornwall hotel, the only question we had was: When? For those of you who don't know Cornwall. It's on...
Sunday Brunch at The Cambridge Street Kitchen
It all started with a picture of pancakes. It helps that my friend Giulia - who took the picture - is also a talented food photographer, but I also trust her judgement. (Would you question an Italian when it comes to food?) So if she says the pancakes are...
How to spend a weekend in Brighton (with video)
Brighton is the perfect day trip from London. Only an hour by train, there's a beach, a fun pier, great food... and yet I had only been once. I was already planning another trip when I received an invite to spend the weekend at the new Brighton Harbour Hotel with some...
Inside London’s Hidden Sights: Clapham South Shelter
I often have to remind myself to look up when I'm exploring a city. But sometimes a city's best kept secrets are hidden underground. For two years I was living right above an important part of London history: the deep-level shelters at Clapham South. Built during...
Finding your signature fragrance at Penhaligon’s
There's this famous study about the 'paradox of choice' that shows that too many choices (in this case varieties of jam at a supermarket) will lead to decision-making paralysis and unhappiness. So far I've managed to buy jam without getting depressed,...
English road trip to instagram the famous Gold Hill
Once upon a time, not so long ago, there were these three London girls who were obsessed with a hill. Not just any hill. No, this hill had reached Instagram fame. Seriously, if this hill had its own Instagram account, it could make millions (#ad #spons)....
Brunch at No 11 Pimlico Road
Chelsea is one of my favorite neighborhoods in London. Great shops, beautiful houses. But when it comes to food or coffee, I often struggle to find something nice. Maybe it's because everyone who can afford to live here has personal chefs to cook them a perfect...
Autumn Day Trip to Hampshire
After a couple of minutes of unsuccessfully not trying to stare at the two ladies in the corner of the room, Jess takes the initiative to walk up to them. Of course they'd seen us looking and whispering and it was getting a bit awkward for all of...
Bloggers’ Breakfast at The Ivy Café
Bloggers love breakfast. Just look at their Instagram feed and you'll see more eggs benedict than steak frites. Why? Well, to start with we prefer daylight to take our photos and you're not going to get much daylight during dinner when sunset kicks in around 4.30pm....
Afternoon Tea at Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace is a bit of a movie star. It starred in The Royals (with Elizabeth Hurley as queen of England), in The Young Queen Victoria, Cinderella, and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Just to name a few. Add the fact that Sir Winston Churchill was...
Inside the Foreign & Commonwealth Office
There was one building that I really wanted to visit during the Open House London weekend: The Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Last year I'd seen Kelly share pictures of the building on her blog and it looked amazing. Since I had a million other things to...
Inside St Pancras Chambers Apartments
With the current real estate prices in London you can't have too many demands when you're looking for an apartment. More space, a view of the city, a roof terrace...Maybe when you win the lottery? But a girl can dream, right? So I love looking at apartments that I...
Visiting Highclere Castle with Downton Abbey fans
Back in March, a friend suggested to get tickets to visit Highclere Castle, better known as Downton Abbey. I knew Downton Abbey was serious business in (and outside) the UK, but being among friends I thought I could speak freely, saying that I would love to join...
The best Swedish cafés in London
I’m in Stockholm! This city is just as fun and beautiful as I’d hoped, I love it! One of the reasons I got so excited about visiting Stockholm is that Sweden - or Scandinavia in general - is hot in London. No longer associated with IKEA and Swedish...
Art Deco Glamour at Eltham Palace
Now that's an entrance designed to impress! Even though the history of Eltham Palace goes back centuries (it was an important royal residence between the 14th and 16th century), it were the millionaires Stephen and Virginia Courtauld who in the 1930s turned it into...
The Picture Perfect Streets of Rye
Trying to see more of the UK this summer, I jumped on a train and went to a town that's famous for its picturesque cobbled streets: Rye. Rye is one of those places you've probably never heard of if you're not from the UK, but look up any online article about...
Slow Food & Living Market
London is a city full of temptations when it comes to food. And if it were up to me, I would eat it all. I love the food scene in London, but after two years of indulging in afternoon teas, brunches and eating out, I'm now really trying to live a healthier life. I'm...
Step into 18th century London at Osterley Park
Until recently the only way I knew Osterley was as one of the many stops on the Piccadilly line to Heathrow. It's when you know you're not in zone 1 or 2 anymore because you're above the ground (and can use your phone). I never thought any of these stops would be...
Best books & blogs for your next trip to London
So it turns out that when you move to a new city, after two years you'll need a separate bookcase for all the books you've collected about your new hometown. You'd think I'm doing a PhD on London...I'm not. Writing a blog post also doesn't require a lot of research....
Sky Garden
Despite my fear of heights, I can't deny that London looks incredible from up high. I'd already faced my fears when I visited The Shard. But for a spectacular view of London including The Shard, you need to be at London's latest panorama attraction: the Sky...
London Village: Bermondsey Street
Something that still surprises me, is that you can be in the busiest, most touristy part of London - you turn the corner - and all of a sudden you're in what looks like a small, pretty village. I love exploring these London 'villages', each with their own unique...
Fairytale Castle Colleges in Cambridge
Looking back on my years at the University of Amsterdam, I was pretty lucky to study in interesting historic college buildings. I spent most of my time in the East India House, which was the headquarters of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in the 17th century....
Summer in the City
With a group of friends from so many different countries, each with their own traditions, you get to celebrate a lot of new holidays. Two weeks ago I was celebrating the Swedish Midsummer, and this weekend I joined my American friends Jess and Jo for 4th of July....
Shoreditch Staycation at The Hoxton
With all the traveling I've been doing lately, you'd think I want to sleep in my own bed when I'm in London. True...But then, I don't get breakfast in bed when I'm at home. And even though I've been living in this apartment for over a year, my bedroom just doesn't...
Strawberry Hill: London’s Fairytale Castle
Once upon a time there was a politician / writer - also known for being the son of Britain's first Prime Minister - who wanted to build a summer villa in London. Not just any villa, but a Gothic castle that would be a theatrical experience to visit. Sir...
Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty
There's fashion. And then there's Alexander McQueen. There are art exhibitions...And then there's Savage Beauty at the V&A in London. Savage Beauty has raised the standard for all future V&A exhibitions to come. It's now been two days since I visited the...
Tweed Run: London’s most stylish bike ride
I was not going to miss it this year! The first time I heard about it - I had just moved to London - it was after the fact. The next year I had already booked a trip to Madrid. So no, no matter what, I would not miss it this year. For someone who wishes...
Entertainment & Death at Banqueting House
Extravagant royal parties and the execution of one of its hosts. That's basically what the Banqueting House in central London is known for. Since I'm a sucker for a happy ending, I wasn't really interested in the death part, but more in seeing where the...
Pretty in Pink Afternoon Tea at Sketch
One word of advice: if you're going to treat yourself to an afternoon tea at Sketch, skip the brunch, food market and dinner plans. It was all a bit much. But when foodie friends from Holland are visiting, you just have to be a big girl, stop complaining, and start...
A Perfect Sunny Saturday in London
If there's one thing I love doing on a sunny Saturday in London - well, apart from having brunch obviously - it's combining a visit to Broadway Market with a walk along Regent's Canal. There are many farmers' markets I like in London, but Broadway Market is the...