Edinburgh, baby

I had new mittens from the January sale.

We went to the Gallery of Modern Art.

Edinburgh was stormy and wet, but pretty.

I was wearing a favourite brooch.

We had coffee in the Gallery Café.

Then we went for lunch at the house of a very dear friend.

He has the best library I know. I want a library like this one day, with a step chair to reach the books at the top.

We sat around the fire, drank coffee (and whisky), ate cheese and talked all day until it was dark and dinner time, and then we went out in the very windy evening to eat in a restaurant nearby.

Scotland, I will be sad to leave you.

Aldeburgh

We went to Aldeburgh again this weekend, and it was as pretty as ever. Sadly my camera died after my first photo, so I had to use these photos from last year.. Aldeburgh was bathing in orange sunlight, the wind was brisk and the waves high. I took the chance to walk on the beach, breathe in the salty sea- air and look at the open skyline. I miss the sea so much. Having grown up so close to the sea, it feels really strange not hearing the sea gulls every day, and I feel trapped by the fields and lack of open water. It was wonderful to have a catch up, hopefully it won't be too long until next time...

Only in Scotland..

Only in Anstruther can you have the best fish and chips and the best view at the same time.

My London Alphabet: C

Apologies for the lack of photos in this post, I always forget to take my camera with me when I go to town. I promise to provide lots of photos for the next one!

Cabbages and Roses is an expensive but great shop. They sell mainly clothes, but also things like tea cups, cushions, table cloths etc. Their clothes are like taken out from a fairytale; long dresses with pretty collars, pastel colours and rose patterns. They remind me of long summer days in the garden, eating fresh strawberries, paddling in the fjord and sleeping in the hammock. Their main shop is in Avery Row close to New Bond Street, but they also sell their clothes in Jigsaw shops all over London. (www.cabbagesandroses.com)

Canal walk (Camden- Regent's Park). It's lovely to walk along the canal, and particularly if you are tired of all the tourists you find along the Thames. A good place to start is Camden, as you could have a lovely lunch in one of the restaurants by the canal before you head off. Then walk down towards Regent's Park. It's a really pretty walk, it's hard to believe that you're walking through the middle of London! Quiet and calm, and a nice break from the busy life in the big city.

Covent Garden is a nice area, in spite of all the tourists and particularly if you manage to go at a time when you'll avoid the crowds. Weekdays are usually good, and Saturdays a nightmare. It's a great area for shopping, many of my favourite shops are located here. Neal Street is great for shoes; you'll find shops like Office, Camper, The Natural Shoe Store, Dune and Birkenstock. Seven Dials and the surrounding streets are also great, and my favourite cheese shop Neal's Yard is situated in Shorts Gardens. One of my favourite restaurants, Belgo, is also in this area, and Le Garrick (another favourite) is nearby.

Cath Kidston is loved by many women and hated by many husbands. Thankfully, Husband doesn't mind it too much. This is the shop where absolutely everything is covered in either polkadots or flowers, the most 'girly-girl' place I have ever been to! They sell anything from clothes, shoes, towels, aprons and tablecloths to teacups, handbags, baby equipment and gardening accessories. They have shops all over London, and also a website: www.cathkidston.co.uk.

The hills are alive..

I have spent the last wonderful week in Austria, in and around Salzburg. I forgot my camera, so these are from my phone. I hope you are all enjoying lovely summer days!

My London Alphabet: A

Afternoon tea. This must be one of the most British traditions there is, with nicely cut sandwiches (without crust), cake, scones, tea and, preferably, if the occasion allows it, champagne. Considering how easy and cheap it is to get afternoon tea most places in Britain, it is surprisingly difficult, and expensive, to find it in London. The lovely Shipp's tearooms in Borough Market had to close down due to problems with their lease, and with them my favourite tearoom disappeared. You will find tea and scones with cream and jam on the menu in a lot of places, but to me afternoon tea is not restricted to simply being a culinary experience. Call me fussy or old fashioned, but afternoon tea should be enjoyed in a room together with people also enjoying afternoon tea, with a table that shows off the lovely homemade cakes, and proper china tea cups and saucers. It should also be a place with a lot of charm, like most of the tearooms in more remote places have. Why is it so difficult to find this in London? I have absolutely no idea, but I have found a few good alternatives:

The Orangery at Kensington Palace is located in Hyde Park, behind Kensington Palace. It's quite a posh place, but afternoon tea is not outrageously expensive. They have a big table full of lovely cakes to choose from, and their chocolate tea is delicious. Champagne tea is recommended! In the summer it is possible to sit outside, which is lovely, but be aware that it gets very busy on sunny days and during the tourist season in summer.

Fortnum and Mason is a big department store located in Piccadilly. Very English and very old fashioned, it is worth going to have a look at their hamper or tea selection. It is quite expensive, but feels very exclusive and very, very English. Lovely biscuits, cakes and scones. And needless to say, their tea is excellent!

The Vintage Emporium and Tea Rooms is a very eccentric place in Shoreditch, just off Brick Lane. Downstairs there is an antique clothing shop, with amazing clothes from the Victorian times up until 1950s. Very expensive, but absolutely worth looking at! The tea room upstairs feels like someone's living room, it is intimate and with lots of pretty things to look at. The tea and coffees are great, as are their cakes. The staff is very friendly, and they often have live music on weekends. Strongly recommended!

Bake-a-boo is a place in West Hampstead that I actually haven't been to yet. I've seen a few things written about it here and there, and I want to go and check it out soon! It looks like a place that offers just the thing I want.

Do you know of any other places to find proper afternoon tea in London?

In the wild country side...

Husband does not have a driving licence. This means that when he has concerts out in the middle of nowhere I have to drive him. I really enjoy it, as it means I get to see different parts of the country, and mostly places I would never think of going to anyway. Yesterday we went to Brockenhurst in Hampshire, just outside Southampton. Whilst Husband was rehearsing, I got to explore the area around, including the village of Lyndhurst, just nearby.

A very pretty little village.

It turns out this is where the real Alice in Wonderland is buried.

I love visiting old graveyards.

Poor 'Alice' doesn't even have her own name on her grave, she's simply Mrs Reginald Hargreaves.

As in most villages in Britain, there were more tearooms than shops. This tiny village with one main street had at least six.

And I couldn't resist the temptation of afternoon tea, of course..

Brockenhurst had more than a few houses that fit my description of a 'dream house'.

And now to the most bizarre thing; in Brockenhurst there were cows, horses, donkeys and Heilan' coos wandering around everywhere. We never got an explanation as to why, but it was very peculiar. All houses had either high fences or cattle grid to protect their gardens, but it didn't stop the animals from munching on the trees and bushes.

They also caused a bit of traffic chaos. This is taken from inside the car.

Hope you all have had wonderful weekends, with smiles, laughter and sunshine!

Bonnie Scotland

I love Scotland. It is so beautiful, and it also reminds me of home. Seaside, beaches, little fishing villages, fresh sea food. Just a little break from life in the big city makes a big difference. A little breath of fresh air.

Houses with amazing views...

Road trip

I really love road trips, there is such a feeling of anticipation and adventure. And the picnic basket is an important part of it. It sat very safely in the back seat the whole journey, providing us with coffee and sandwiches along the way.

Our sandwiches were wrapped in these wonderful things called Wrap-n-Mat. You wrap your sandwich in it, and when you're eating it can be used as a little mat that stops your crumbles getting everywhere. Just wipe if off with a cloth after use, and you can use it again and again. Very eco friendly, and also very cute with the gingham pattern!

You can buy the Wrap-n-Mat here or here .

My London Alphabet

I have decided to slightly change my London guide, and from now on I will be making my own London Alphabet! My own A-Z. Stay tuned.

Cambridge

Yesterday Husband had a concert just outside Cambridge, and as Cambridge is one of my favourite places in England, I decided to drop him off at the rehearsal and then spend the day there. It was such a beautiful day, and for a few hours I pretended that I was a part of one of the colleges, that I had a big apartment looking out on the river, and a pretty Pashley bike parked just outside. Oh, if it were only true.

I bought myself a beautiful pair of shoes (birthday treat for myself) and also something that was wrapped up very beautifully in a box with a pink bow on.
I sat down by the river and enjoyed this whilst looking at all the tourists punting by.

And the gardens were so pretty with flowers everywhere, and people lying in the grass, enjoying the sunshine. Blissful Saturday.

I hope you're all having a great weekends too!

London guide, Part 1: Markets

Here it finally is; my London guide! I will do it in several parts, focusing on different things every time, and I'll give you a little taste of the things I think are worth doing in London. I'll write about well known London favourites, but I'll try to concentrate on things that most tourists don't know about. In this first part I will write about markets.

There are so many fantastic markets in London, it's hard to know where to start! I absolutely love going to markets, either on my own or with friends. I love looking at all the things and people, feeling the atmosphere and getting inspired to go home and be creative. Here are some of my favourite markets.

Cabbages & Frocks

in Marleybone Village, situated at the top of Marleybone High Street, which runs parallell to Baker Street up from Oxford Street. Closest tube is Baker Street.

Open on Saturdays ca. 11- 5.

This market is quite new and small, but very worth visiting! You'll find anything from vintage clothes and accessories, to new designs made by young and often unknown people. I find a lot of inspiration in just looking around, and I often get new ideas for what I can make myself at home. There are also quite a few food and coffee stalls that sell delicious food to keep you going for the afternoon! The area around is also very nice, Marleybone High Street has lots of great shops and lovely cafés (I will write about cafés later on) and is perfect if you want to avoid the stress of Oxford Street (which I always do).

Southbank Book Market

Situated under the Waterloo Bridge, on the Southbank. Easiest way to get there is taking the tube to Embankment and walking over the bridge.

Open every day ca. 11-6.

This little bookmarket is often very overpriced, but you can sometimes find good bargains here. I still think it's great to look through the big piles of books that are laid out on the table, even if you don't find anything you want to buy. The area is also worth visiting; it's great for a Sunday afternoon stroll. The skyline is impressive, you can see Big Ben, Westminster and St Paul around you, and the South Bank area often has little stalls set up on weekends, selling food, coffee, clothes or arts and crafts.

Portobello Road

Open most days, but the biggest market is on Saturday ca 8-5.

Nearest tube is Ladbrooke Grove, but you can also walk down from Notting Hill.

I used to live ten minutes from Notting Hill a few years ago, and spent a lot of time in this area. Portobello Road is probably the most famous market in London, and it's very popular. Saturdays are crazy down there, so I normally try and avoid going there on that day. I find that Friday afternoon is a good time to go, as it's quiet, with fewer tourists standing in your way, but a lot of the stalls are still open, and so are all the shops. At this market you can find almost anything your heart desires, if you're willing to look for it! Most famously they have antiques, but they also have clothes, accessories, shoes, food, arts and crafts. You'll find young artists trying to sell their art or jewelry, stalls with second hand clothes and accessories, old china, or just random 'knick-knack'. The stall keepers are lovely and often very chatty, and they are willing to give you advise if you ask them nicely. A vibrant and exciting market to visit, and one of my favourites! Just be aware that a lot of the antiques can be overpriced, so check the prices in different places!

The market continues all the way down Portobello Road, under the West Way bridge through to Cambridge Gardens.

Northcote Road

Situated in Northcote Road, close to Clapham Junction. The train from Victoria to Clapham Junction takes about 10 mins. You can also get the train from Waterloo. To find it you have to walk through Clapham Junction (which doesn't look all that nice) up to the beginning of Northcote Road.

Open Monday to Saturday 9-5 (Wed. 9-1)

I lived in this area for a couple of years, and really fell in love with Northcote Road. It's got really great independent shops and lovely cafés with great food. There are quite a few kitchen and home-ware shops, in addition to antique- and clothing shops. The stalls at the market (which is situated alongside the road) sell flowers, food, photos, clothes and furniture. If you keep walking up the road there is a lovely antique shop just across the street from Cath Kidston (another shop worth visiting!).

Borough Market

Situated close to London Bridge, just off Borough High Street. Follow the signs from London Bridge.

Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

This has been my favourite food market ever since I first moved here. Sadly a lot of it has closed down because of the Thameslink Project, and a lot of the old historic buildings in the area have been or will be knocked down. This includes the building in which Bridget Jones has her flat in the films.. But the market has moved over a little, and is still going strong. You'll find food from all over the world, both prepared and fresh, and most stalls will let you have a little taste of what they're selling. You can walk around and try cheeses, olives, chocolate, cured meat, or buy your lunch from Greek, Indian, German, Italian, English, South American or Spanish stalls. Other stalls sell fruit, vegetables, fruit juices, smoothies, coffee, glasses of wine or hot cider. Try the Cranberry stall, where they sell umpteen sorts of chocolate covered fruit and nuts, or the one that sells a hot apple and cinnamon drink.. Walk around and look at all the exciting things, enjoy the smells and chat to the nice people behind the stalls.

The area around is also very nice, with lots of little cafés and restaurants. The cheese shop Neal's Yard is one of our favourites, and absolutely worth a visit. Shakespeare's Globe is only a ten minute walk along the river from Borough.

Greenwich Market

A very big market situated in the Greenwich area.

Closest tube is Cutty Sark.

The whole market is open Saturday and Sunday, but different parts are open at other times as well.

This market is almost too big to describe in a brief manner. Here you'll find anything from clothes, antiques, food, drink, toys, music, arts and crafts and general 'bric-a-brac'. Great place to just walk around, suck up the atmosphere, look at things and people and then sit down for a nice lunch or coffee. The markets are situated mostly inside big market halls and in tiny little narrow passages in between. If you're in the area make sure you also take a walk around the impressive Royal Naval College and the National Maritime Museum up to Greenwich Park.

Spitalfields Market and Brick Lane

Spitalfields Market is situated close to Liverpool Street Station (follow the signs), and Brick Lane is a 5 min walk away.

Spitalfields is open Thursday (antiques and crafts), Friday (crafts) and Sunday (all).

Brick Lane and markets around are all open on Sundays.

Spitalfields is probably my favourite of all the markets in London. It's quite a big area with lots of different market stalls, and it's less famous than Portobello, which means fewer tourists and often better prices! In the surrounding area there are several market halls similar to Spitalfields, which are also worth looking around, but I find that most of them have similar things to offer. There are also lots of interesting shops around, particularly second hand clothes and shoes shops, and lovely cafés and restaurants. The Brick Lane area is quite 'up and coming', which I guess it has been for quite a while, but this means there are lots of fascinating people to watch, and lots of things happening in the streets!

Sunday is the best day to go, as that's the day when all the markets and shops are open. The markets are full of young people trying to sell their own designs, both clothes and accessories like handbags, earrings and hats, and the prices are often quite reasonable. You'll also find lots of stalls selling second hand clothes, accessories and home- ware, and also their prices are often good. In between all these there are food stalls where you can buy your freshly prepared lunch, and lots of different nationalities are represented.

To me this area is the perfect place to spend an afternoon, strolling around, sucking in all the impressions and inspiration you find everywhere.

Lovely Bath

I went to Bath yesterday for the first time, and it was absolutely stunning! A small town filled with the most beautiful houses, surrounded by hills, trees and countryside. And, of course, the location of some of Jane Austen's books and also the screen adaptations. This location should be well known to those of you who know Austen!

We naturally visited the Roman bath.

And also the Jane Austen Centre, which was very nice. We had tea in the Jane Austen tea room on the top floor, with a stunning view over Bath. This man here was featured on the menu and on photos throughout the centre, and was in fact standing outside to greet the visitors.

And finally, a special treat for you! Whilst visiting the Roman bath and Pump Room, we also had a look inside the very posh tea room that is located in the same building. We were a little shocked when we looked out the window and saw the view.....and decided to drink our tea elsewhere.