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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?...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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 hugely popular exhibition and I still can’t get over how brilliant it was. If you’re only going to make one visit to a London museum this year, you want to make it this one.
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 there would be such a thing as a leisurely bike ride in London but at the same time loves everything else that comes with living in this city – including all its quirkiness – what better event to attend than The Tweed Run?
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 Stuarts used to party like it’s 1699.
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 eating.
So after starting the day with a delicious brunch at The Modern Pantry and a visit to Broadway Market, we continued our way to Conduit Street for an afternoon tea in a room that can best be described as…pink.
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 one I keep going back to. It’s less touristy than Borough Market, but a lot bigger than Maltby Street Market. Plus it’s the best place to casually observe hipsters in all shapes and forms.
I’ve blogged about this market before, but what I hadn’t shared yet is what comes next: walking along Regent’s Canal.
Some people compare notes about where to shop to get the best discounts. What the latest shows are that you have to see. Or what books to read. My friends and I compare notes about brunch places. Which one has the best coffee, the best poached eggs, pancakes…And let’s not forget the best interior and lighting. We’re talking bloggers here after all, so taking photos of your brunch (#onthetable) is a given.
During these ’the best of’ conversations, several people mentioned The Modern Pantry in Clerkenwell as one of their favorite brunch spots in London. I knew exactly where it was, but always had to admit that I still hadn’t been there myself. Until this weekend…
The Victoria & Albert Museum is one of my favorite museums in London. Their collection is incredible and every time I visit, I discover a new floor or wing that I hadn’t seen before.
This weekend I walked around the museum with my camera for a couple of hours. But instead of photographing the art, I decided to focus on the contrast between the antiquity of the pieces and the fleetingness of their visitors. Which is why I used a long shutter speed in most photos, to reduce the visitors to anonymous, temporary ghosts or dark silhouettes.
Old houses fascinate me. I wouldn’t necessarily want to live in one, but I love to visit them and pretend for a moment that I do. Walking down the grand staircase, reading a book in front of the fireplace in a library filled with books… It’s not often that you can visit and walk around houses like this.
But for only three months a year you can at 2 Temple Place, just outside Temple Station. It’s the most amazing experience and now tops my list of favorite hidden gems in the city. How could I not have known about this place?!
It had gotten to a point last year where it seemed that all I was doing in London was drink coffee. Of course that wasn’t really true, but I got a bit overly excited about sharing my latest coffee discoveries here on the blog. So I decided to focus on other things for a while, but that doesn’t mean I stopped exploring the London coffee scene. Especially when I need a break, I love sitting in a cool new coffee place, sipping my flat white and reading a paper or do some people watching. Okay, okay, and sometimes take some photos too. Only sometimes, really…
I’m starting to run out of ways to describe a London afternoon tea. Seriously, does anyone have a food writing for dummies book they can recommend? After so many tea blog posts last year, I decided to wait a bit before sharing my afternoon tea with Chiara at The Rose Lounge. True, all the photos with Christmas decorations now don’t really make sense anymore. But hey, see all these rose petals? And our table was in the shape of a heart (which I totally missed by the way). It could just as well be a Valentine’s theme, right? So let’s just go with that.
I realize that I’ve been focussing more on the ‘where to eat’ than the ‘what to do’ in London. What can I say? I’m one of those people who are always hungry. Anyway, this weekend I felt I needed to make more of an effort and cross some cultural things of my huge London to-do list. Starting with the Churchill War Rooms. Last week marked the 50th anniversary of Winston Churchill’s death, so the timing couldn’t be more perfect.
If I’m being honest, the real reason I wanted to eat at the Corner Room is because of its interior. It’s one of those places that kept popping up on my Instagram feed and I just wanted to see (and photograph) it myself. Visiting friends and family are always a good excuse to try new places, so before my sister had to fly back to Amsterdam I took her to the Town Hall Hotel for lunch.