There’s no place like London, 2016
LONDON. I never dared to blog about you. Because I don’t know what to say, to be honest. I have no idea how to express what I feel, when I think about you. But I will try now…
The first time I visited London was back in 2009 when I was just 17. And I fell in love right away, for it felt like home. Together with my twin sister and my parents, I explored the city and was immediately drawn by the magic and business of it. Old victorian houses right next to modern buildings made of glass and this strange sensation of past times in the air – of dark times with plagues and crime, but also of times when the world seemed to turn slower and everybody was dressed elegantly while strolling about cobblestone streets. But it’s not only the historic aspect that fascinated me right away. It is also this dynamic and creative vibe, that goes out from all the different people around you – every face is different (obviously) and everybody has his or her own style, which I adore. I could spend one whole day just riding the tube and staring at people … OK, that might have come out wrong 😀 But you know what I mean, don’t you? As a believer and a photographer, I’m just so fascinated by diversity and I LOVE individuality. Also, I love to eat. I may not look it, but I enjoy delicious food, such as Indian dishes. And of course, London is one of the places on earth to find a whole bunch of different restaurants from all over the world…
I could go on and on and tell you even more about the things I love about London. I’ve been to London 10 times since 2009 and I still can’t get enough of this city. There are always new things to explore and spot, alongside with the things that I always do when I’m there such as taking a walk through Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens and visiting different markets. But for now I want to tell you the story of our adventures in London that we had in late October this year.
Day 1
Together with my dear friend Christina, we took the plane quite early in the morning and arrived at Liverpool Street not too long after sunrise. The weather was beautiful and we decided to have breakfast at the Italian Gardens in Hyde Park. We watched the ducks and dogs and went on to stroll through Kensington Gardens, where we met our childhood hero Peter Pan, enjoyed the colourful autumn leaves and made new animal friends (best day ever!). Before we spent the rest of the day in a pub looking for a place to stay (yep, you read that right, our air bnb apartment was … well, let’s just put it that way: F*§$ing GROSS), we visited the Albert Memorial and found a lovely little fish-n-chips shop, which also had delicious cheese cake (my weakness!).
Day 2
After we finally found a (nice and affordable) place to stay, we spent the evening on our big hotel bed eating take-away sandwhiches and salads, freshly showered and tired. The next day we wanted to visit some markets, first in Notting Hill, which is just around the corner of „my hood“ (I usually stay near Lancaster Gate, so I’m quite familiar with this area) I just love those colourful homes and the Portobello Road Market, where we enjoyed a very rich, british breakfast. Next, we went on to Camden Town, which is a colourful and crazy neighbourhood in the north of London, where you can find exotic food, stylish clothing and a lot of nonsense. Halloween was around the corner, so we decided to munch on some wonderfully crafted cupcakes (they were SO good) at the riverside, our legs dangling down just a few inches above the water. We went on to explore the old royal stables, in which you can find very perculiar objects from the past, alongside fascinatting objects from all around the world.
In the evening we dressed up nicely for an event that was one of the reasons why we came to London in the first place: We attended „No Man’s Land“ at the beautiful Wyndham’s Theate and saw Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Patrick Stewart live on stage and even got to meet Mr McKellen afterwards. As a major fan and freak of „The Lord of the Rings“, this was truly a magic moment for me (best. day. ever!).
Day 3
On Sunday, everything was a bit slower in the city than usually. We visited Covent Garden, ate delicious cupcakes again and listened to the street musicians there. Also, we bought a whole lot of art prints at the nearby Old Spitalfields Market (I can’t get enough of these, although my appartment’s walls are almost full). We dined at Zizzi’s, which is a fabulous Italian restaurant, right next to the Tower of London. Though this day was a bit more chilly than the first two days, the evening greeted us with beautiful sunshine again, as we crossed London Bridge and observed how the water surface of the Thames changed its colours from blue to orange and purple.
Day 4
On Monday, our last day in London, we started by visiting Oxford Street, one of the busiest shopping streets in the metropolis. But we were lucky to go quite early, so we didn’t experience the massive crowds and the hustle and bustle. the Christmas Lights were already mounted, but it was not time for them to be lit yet. At Liberties we gazed at the stationary, fairy lights and sweets and enjoyed the first Christmas songs this year. We even bought one little ornament for ourselves, a corgi and a Queen’s Guard.
After that we went on to South Kensington to meet Sarah and Philipp for a sweet engagement session. They live in London and are getting married at the end of January in their German home (can’t wait!). The shoot was very lovely and we had such a great time. Aferwards, Christina and me were treated to a delicious Indian meal by those two lovebirds, before we had to head back to the airport to catch our flight.
What more can I say than that I LOVE this city so much and that it is always a pleasure to travel there.
