Updates - Egyptology, the Circus & the Engllish countryside

Lets talk Egyptology, circus acts, wonder.land, a new production of the Tempest, a Roman bathing spot, cute villages, rolling hills and the simple pleasure of a hug.

You'll have to forgive the complete dry up of any blogging over the past four(!) weeks, I've been busy with mum who has been visiting all the way from Sydney. Its been great having her in London. There have been coffees, chatty brunches, English countryside trips, travel adventures and lots of hugs (you're never to old for a good hug!). I'm sure there will be loads more in store but for now, here are some things I've been up to.

A few of weeks ago, after work, I went to the Beyond Beauty exhibition at Two Temple Place. There I was, looking at ancient Egyptian artifacts, learning about how the Egyptians viewed beauty, in a gorgeously restored medieval hall, and to top it off, listening to live jazz music floating through the air. I had a 'this is why I love London' moment that made me grin like an idiot. Sadly the exhibit is now closed but Two Temple Place will be open again to the public during London's Open House weekend in September – put it into your diary, this place is worth seeing even without the Egyptology exhibit.

A few days later a couple of friends and I ran away to the Circus. Circus Restaurant that is. All dressed up, with a booking made months ago, we sat down to dinner while being serenaded by a drag queen dressed in Olivia Newton-John nightie from 'Grease' who took absurd pleasure in stroking a fellow diners bald head. Well, at least that was one of the acts that had us giggling away. From trapeze artists swinging above diners to hula-hoopers(?) the acts made everyones jaw drop. It was a fun night out at one of Londons quirkier restaurants.

Now, for someone who loves the theatre, I've been quite remiss in booking anything. Or so I thought. I almost missed seeing Wonder.land entirely. I was drifting asleep the night before when my brain decided to tell me about it. That shot me awake in no time and had me frantically searching through my emails to confirm. Whew. It was one of the oddest productions I've seen. It is a modern adaptation of Alice in Wonderland mirroring our current relationship with technology. Cleverly done with special effects blurring the line between physical and virtual actors - there is a great scene where the actress playing 'virtual' Alice drops into the top of a structure and is shown as a virtual character disintegrating. However, I left simultaneously not sure if I'd necessarily want to see it again and desperately wanting a teapot full of glitter.

Over the Bank holiday weekend I took mum to Bath and the Cotswolds and had the pleasure of seeing her face light up at the old Baths, the bright yellow flower fields of rapeseed in the countryside and the incredibly cute Cotswold villages. One of our stops was at Lower Slaughter (no I'm not making that up, its a real name and comes from old English for 'wet land' or muddy place). We had tea and sandwiches in a cosy room with stone floors, huge fireplace, low ceilings, wooden beams, lead windows and the smell of fresh scones from a neighbours table that made our mouths water despite our own tea!

This weekend, mum  and I hopped up to Edinburgh and landed an awesome room overlooking the city and the Balmoral Hotels clock tower. Mum was speechless, it was adorable. She had a great time touring around Edinburgh and getting lost in its layers of history, the stories in its stones and its beautiful views. Seeing her wide-eyed and in love with the city was worth missing out on London rare 25 degree weather and donning layers for Edinburgh 12 degrees. By the way, if you are going to visit Edinburgh from London, unless you are strapped for time or the airfares are much cheaper, I recommend going by train. Its only about half an hour's difference in the end and it means you skip the security, immigration, boarding saga.

So that's been my life for the past few weeks, bit manic, filled with warm hugs, good chats, and adventures. Till next time, what do you do when family visits? I'm always on the lookout for new ideas so any suggestions are most welcome!

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Updates - London Expat Life

Last week...what a week! It was brilliant, full of yummy dinners, catch ups with friends and loads more. While my blog posts are in the pipeline, I thought I'd share tid-bits from my week, I might even make this a regular thing, who knows?

So what did I get up to...?

TLDR: Flatmate dinners, catch ups with friends over delicious authentic Thai food (blog post coming up), new challenges, escape rooms, socials, book hauls, secret projects, breath taking views, train rides, cute villages, and finding out why in the past ladies actually wanted to get a rolling pin from their sweetheart sailors! I promise, it wasn't so they could clobber them over the head with it.

The longer version:
One of the things I quite enjoyed last week was catching up with a couple of my friends over some delicious Thai food. We all met up, chatted away over our hot and sour Tom Yum soup and other dishes. I've found a spot in west London that is as authentic as it gets - this was my third visit and I kind of want to keep it to myself but have decided to let you in on it, coz, you know, I kinda like you all. Stay tuned for the full post.

Ok so I don't want to lose you with this 'new challenges' one so bear with me. Tuesday was my first foray into running thanks to the encouragement of my friend K (you're a total start K!) – but don’t worry, I'm not going to turn into a crazy fitness fanatic, I've just always enjoyed running and thought it'd be nice to be able to do a City Dash event without losing my breath in the first 30 seconds. I only managed the first two runs (a minute each with a walking break between them) without dying losing my breath...lol! Baby steps! Baby steps!

You may have noticed I have a thing for Escape Rooms...sort of like my thing with Immersive Theatre...but I promise, the escape room on Friday was all about introducing K's hubby into that world, it had absolutely nothing to do with my addiction enthusiastic interest in wanting to check out how Hint Hunt fared against other games I've played...nothing at all! We escaped by the way :)

After feeling very restless on Saturday that resulted in a charity shop book splurge (4 books!), on Sunday I took a day trip out to cute town with a sketchy past. I learned about Rye's maritime ties and smuggler history, walked the old banks of the river and found out about those rolling pins. It was great to chill out on the train ride down and watch the rolling green countryside go by dotted with sheep, lambs and rabbits! I'm planning a post for this one too.

So yeah, it was a pretty busy week. Its not always like that, even as an expat (four years and counting), knowing there is so much to see and do in London, sometimes its hard to fend off the couch but as the score stands, starting this week, Sam 1, couch nil.

Have a great week!

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Recap of 2015 in photos

Ive been looking back at 2015, all the things I was lucky enough to see, do, experience. And when I see all these photos, it is really easy to see what a wonderful year it has been. Then again, its highly unlikely that a year, which starts out with furry purrers, to turn out badly right? ;)

*Warning: This is going to be a long post!! Grab a coffee or popcorn!

January started with my first visit to Lady Dinah's Cat cafe where I fell in love with the teddy bear of a cat called Petra followed by a massive bloggers afternoon tea at the Browns Hotel.

February was a quieter month with a quick escape to Cambridge, one of my favourite day trips from London.

March took me to Spain to see Valencia's Las Fallas festival. I was stunned and amazed by the often towering paper mache sculptures and the level of detail and care put into them. It was wonderful to see all the festivities accompanying the sculptures such as the Falleras parading down the streets, the music, street food stalls, street lights, daytime fireworks, Flower Offering, all culminating in the Crema - the burning of the sculptures.

In April I discovered a time portal in London, checked out the awesome stage adaptation of 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime', made another trip to the cat cafe and sampled delightful macrons while discovering London's beautiful Mews.

May was a bit of a busy month. It threw me down Alice in Wonderlands rabbit hole where I became part of the Red Queens guard with the lovely Emma. I also managed to squeeze in a trip to Amman, Jordan and a jaunt to Margate and the mysterious shell cottage. Such a busy month demanded coffee and both a brunch at Beany Green and the London Coffee festival were happy to provide the requisite caffeine. I also voted in a UK election for the first time!

June was time for more theatre; A night at Shakespeare's Globe to see a Comedy of Errors, and the immersive kind, thanks to Punchdrunk's collaboration with The Maritime Museum.

July saw my dressing up in blue for my friends wedding in  Dole, France. It was brilliant to be part of such a special occasion and I fell in love with rural France. Back in London, I found my way to a cute little park with a memorial for everyday heroes and joined a tour of hidden treats in Piccadilly.

August was like May, but hopped up on caffeine. There was an abundance of good food, from finger licking slow cooked ribs to the zing of a Peruvian brunch, even Sushi Samba saw a repeat visit. I dodged Enigma Escapes Killer thanks to some quick thinking from my team and did a taster session at the Heartbreak Hotel. Bloggers were out in force too, with two trips to amazing sites, Eltham Place and the original home of Downton Abbey - Highclere Castle.

Crab Churros - Pachamama

 

Sushi Samba

Eltham Palace

Highclere Castle

The same day as Highclere Castle saw me make a mad dash back to London and the airport to fly to Dublin. I spent that long weekend checking out Ireland's Cliffs of Moher, Galway, driving along the Wild Atlantic way, traipsing back to the UKs Northern Ireland for a Black Cab tour of a troubled Belfast, walking in a giants footsteps at the Giant's Causeway and crossing a rope bridge to the site of the Iron Islands from Game of Thrones. Ireland's natural beauty is breathtaking, I'd love to hire a car and drive around at my own pace one day. And Dublin, what a fun city, live music, friendly people, and of course the bookworm paradise of Trinity College library, I'm still mega bummed that it was so touristy that they shuffled you around the ground floor and you couldn't reach the books or the upper level :( boooo!

Cliffs of Moher

Dublin - Temple Bar

Dublin - Trinity Collage Library

Diner en blanc launched for the first time in London in September. Thanks to the lovely Emma, I joined 1200 other guests in a sea of white for the most elegant picnic I've ever been to! Absolutely stunning. Later on I tried another cool cafe with decent coffee in Shoreditch and discovered London's second kitty cafe! September brings with it London Open House weekend and I was lucky enough to get a freebie ticket to see INSIDE the St Pancras Apartments - the clock tower one to be exact! I also managed to finally book myself in to the backstage tour run by the Theatre Royal and then walk across to see 'Heartbeat' by Charles Pétillon consisting of 100,000 white balloons floating above Covent Garden. The totally sweet Mandy invited me to join her at a private viewing of the Science Museums 'Cosmonauts' which was brilliant, really fascinating and I have been so remiss in not blogging about it yet, especially as we were given the privilege of taking photos inside! Lastly, for a change of pace, I did a bit of bird and otter spotting at London's Wetland Centre - it was so odd to see such a place in the middle of London!

Diner en Blanc in London

October involved brunching and exploring Exmouth Market, trying 101 Thai kitchen (the most authentic Thai restaurant I have come across so far in London) and my first work trip to Wroclaw, Poland where I got to see a real Lamplighter! Some very organised bloggers arranged a charming country outing filled with Autumn colours, fallen leaves, noisy ducks, a silk mill and idyllic countrysides vistas. I also finally got to see Austentatious, a brilliant improv theatre company, one that had me laughing weeks later.

I chose to escape to Seville in November for a few days to celebrate my birthday. It was great to walk around in warm 25 degree weather with crystal clear blue skies, dine al fresco and buy delicious biscuits from cloistered nuns. A lovely new brunch spot (Restaurant 34) was on the menu along with a repeat visit to 101 Thai Kitchen for a birthday dinner. Oh and Stomp, a West End percussion production high on buzzing energy - it really is amazing what you can do with the smallest items to make music.

December brought a whirlwind trip to Beirut, a beautiful lunch at Clos Maggiore, work xmas parties and all the festive decorations and atmosphere in London. It also was my first Chambers of Flavour experience, another one I have been remiss in blogging about. And lets not forget my trip home for the holidays :)

Quite the year! Part of me hopes 2016 will be bigger and better. Part of me wants to nap the whole way through to recuperate from 2015! Either way, it'll be another year in London and I'm sure, no matter what, I'll love it.

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Life lately - update

Sorry, I am, really, I disappeared on you without any notice. Its been 4 weeks since my last post. I did start the year with the best intention to not to fall off the blogging bandwagon and I've been much better this year I think, other than this slight hiccup. But that's Life, you know? And London, that heady temptress, luring me away with tantalising experiences that I can't help but be drawn in. But I do love her, after all, she was my Valentine this year ;) Anyway, I won't make any more excuses. If you are still here, thanks so much for sticking by me!

So, you want updates, right? What have I been up to? What's next on the agenda?

What I have been doing in London?

So, so much. There has been the usual, brunches, chit-chats over coffees and dinners. I've also been checking out the theatre: Stomp and Austentatious (a great improv theatre group). I've also been lured by the Gingerline into their Chambers of Flavours, a brilliant dining experience, I could tell you more but it's all very hush-hush. Being the festive season, I've been wandering around London, enjoying her Christmas lights, trees and window displays (Harrods has a fun one on).

The entrance to the 'Chambers of Flavour'

Oxford St & Selfridges Christmas lights

Brunch at Restaurant 34, Mayfair

The shoemaker and the ...mouse? Harrods window display.

What I have been doing personally?

So I've had a bit on my plate, I had some family stuff that ate up a good few weeks of my time and sent me to Beirut for two days. I didn't get much of a chance to explore so would love to go back and explore that city. Also, there is that project that I keep alluding to and was in my last years New Years Resolution, it's been started, progressed and is now flagging due to other commitments.

Beirut street art - sorry for the fuzzy pic!

What's next?

Those of you following me on Twitter (@travelsbyvp) know I'll be turning tail over Christmas and heading to the sunnier climes of my home in Sydney. I'll be there for a good few weeks for some much needed R&R. (BTW are you going away or staying home?)
Now here is the question I have been wrestling with. Should I continue my online break so I can plan, prepare and refresh? Or should I continue to blog? I'm thinking I might 'officially' take a break and if a happen to post then it'll be there waiting for you when we're all back from the holiday season. Hmmm. Either way, I'll be sure to let you know and not leave you wondering about my going AWOL again.


I hope your past few weeks have been good and you're looking forward to some much deserved fun and festivity.

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London life lately

It seems that I have finally fallen off the blogging bandwagon despite my New Year's resolution. Life has been busy since coming back from my trip to France and blogging has unfortunately taken a back seat. So just what have I been up to?

On the food front, coz really, London is full of great food spots, I've been brunching at beautiful Pachamama on Marylebone High Street, having the most melt in your mouth BEEF ribs at Lord Wargrave off Edgeware Road, and visited Sushi Samba for a second time - it was as delicious as my first taste.

But no busy London life is complete without a trying out one of the latest Escape Room games (this one with a bit of creepy twist), following a white rabbit to Alices Adventrues Underground (for a second time!), and having a taster session at the Heartbreak Hotel.

And lets not forget the Art Deco beauty of Eltham Palace and stepping through the doors of Downton Abbey before flying off to Dublin for the Bank Holiday before coming back and then going to Londons first Diner En Blanc on Thursday which was amazing! Whew. I'm exhausted just recapping all that! I'm itching to share all this with you but for today, I'm going to slow down, head out to one of my fav chill out spots, grab a cup of tea and some cake and just relax with a good book.

What have you been up to lately?

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My First UK Vote

Its official, I voted. My first vote in the UK. I wasn't going to do it, to tell you the truth. If anything, all the media coverage did, was show that no-one really had a clue. But what else is new? Its always like that and I suspect that most of the time people just vote for the lesser of two evils. So it came as surprise to me, when I found myself looking at the manifestos of the different parties.

My subconscious mind had pushed and shoved and got my attention with the 'immigration policy' section. I know there are loads of more pressing issues out there, but as an expat, immigration policy is a huge deal to me. Its become harder and harder over the past number of years to live and work in the UK as an Aussie. The working holiday visa is great for those wanting a taste of British life, but what about those of us who want to stay?

I had to jump through hoops, to get my sponsorship visa, gladly I might add, as I do love London, but still, it wasn't a walk in the park. That visa was the only thing I was eligible for. I'm a professional, working in an area that is on the UKs skills shortage list and, thankfully, make a decent enough living so I can pay my exorbitant London rent and still have a bit left over to enjoy what this amazing city has to offer. But its so hard to move here that I'm sure it puts a lot of highly skilled people off.

Anyway, out of all the parties, only two had a policy that made me feel like I would be welcome to stay, and not in a grudging manner. So I voted, for whatever my two pence were worth.

I went to my polling station and got my slip of paper from the sour woman ticking off names. I swear, she hid the names on the page because I accidentally glanced at them when I gave her my address. Seriously?! Anyway, I took that itty-bitty paper to a rickety booth that looked like it would fall appart if someone so much as sneezed next to it. (By the way, what is it with pencils in the voting booths?? We have them in Sydney too. Are they going to rub everything out and change the votes later or are they so cheap they are worried people are going to steal pens? Honestly, if someone wants to steal a pen from a polling booth...let them have it!) My mark made, I dropped it into the box, dodged those people outside who also want your address for heaven knows what reason and I was done.

And you know what? Voting felt...great. It was such an unexpected feeling! I felt like somehow, that small action was a little turning point and I belonged a bit more here. Go figure.



Did you vote today?

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How to meet people in London

Im interrupting my Valencia posts for something I've been wanting to write about for a while now.

When I moved to London, I didn't know anyone. I had no family, no friends, nada. I met my first friend in the hostel I was staying in, it was rather awkward. Since then I've made a few more friends, its not always easy, you do have to put yourself out there, but one of the great things about London is that there are so many people in the same boat, you are bound to meet others looking for friends too!

Also, lucky for you, I'm here to help you get started. If you are thinking of moving to London but don't know anyone, here are 7 ways to meet people in London (that don't involve going to bar or pub!) and, hopefully, make life-long friends.

Hostel
Obviously not everyone moving to London will stay in a hostel, but it is a good way of meeting people. Some people will be travellers but keep an eye out for people who are looking at shared accommodation websites or job sites. Like I said, I met my first friend in a hostel, I eavesdropped on her conversation and plucked up the courage to butt in and now we hang out every other weekend :)

Work
This might be a bit more difficult depending on which industry you are in. In my first job I made friends with the receptionist who was an Aussie who'd also recently moved to the UK. Everyone else seemed to be content with their own circle of friends. However in my next job, I met a bunch of people, one of whom I became good friends with and recently asked me to be her bridesmaid!

Meetup.com*
I met two more friends through this site. One of which has become one of my best friends. If you haven't heard of it, Meetup.com is a site that is all about getting people together to do stuff, any kind of stuff, whatever you are interested stuff. From knitting, to rock climbing, to culture-vulturing, to dancing and partying and absolutely anything in between and beyond. If you have an interest, no matter what it is, chances are there is a social group for it. I signed up to a few groups, and went to some socials and viola, met a bunch of people, two who I've remained good friends with. They can be a bit hit-and-miss as they can be set-up and run by anyone, so its a good idea try a few. Some groups charge a small fee, but usually you can go to a couple of socials before you decide whether you want to hand over your cash. I wouldn't recommend any that don't do that really. Being London, there are hundreds of groups and you can easily find something else.

ThinkingBob.co.uk*
I found these guys through Meetup.com, where they initially started out. They have since branched off to form their own social club and I am actually a paying  member. I like them because their events are a bit different, they get you thinking and you always meet interesting people. The people who run the club are lovely, really friendly and fun and if you ever meet Phil...well, lets just say he is quite the character! I enjoy their treasure hunts the most (I think it was this post that i mentioned the treasure hunt around Covent Garden where I saw a snowman lick a bin) but they have all sorts of socials to cater for different interests.

Internations.org*
Internations is an expat community website. They have forums for your questions, 'ambassadors' who are local points of contact for the expat community, guides about London and, similar to meetup.com, social groups run by members. Membership is free or paid, Ive opted for the free one. I haven't been to any socials yet, so I cant comment on how good they are for meeting people. However, I mention Internations for 2 reasons, 1) I wrote an article for them a while ago on finding a new home in London so, as a source of information, you know you are getting information from people who live and work where you are. 2) You can approach people directly. Today I met a girl who reached out to me through this website. We come from a similar background and it was nice to meet and get to know her a bit. I'd like to think we got along well and I do hope that I gain another friend as a result. 

Blogging/Tweeting/Instagramming
I have found the blogging community a great source of wonderful people who are open and inspired to go out, meet people, and have adventures. It really is one of the more unexpected benefits of blogging. I have met so many bloggers since moving to London and engaging in the blogging community. There are at least 4 bloggers which I have been getting to know over brunches, afternoon teas and other get-togethers. It really is nice to have someone as keen as you to explore this city with. So if you have been toying with starting your own blog, DO IT! If blogging isn't your thing, try Instagram or Twitter. You are bound to meet lots of people who share your interests and make new friends.

Sporting teams/groups
I'm not a sporty person, but I've listed it here because its worked for my friend K. She joined a running group where she met her fiance. If that isn't a recommendation, I don't know what is! I know there are a lot of sporting teams out there, you see them in the parks on weekends. So, if you are the more active type, this will be a great way to meet people too.

*Not sponsored. These are sites I have personally tried.


Do let me know if any of these work for you or if you have any other ideas to share!

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In love with London

Dear London,
Its been three years since we started this relationship and you ought to know all the things I love about you...

I love your small alley ways and gas lights
I love your theatres with shows for every mood and taste
I love your architecture from St Pauls to small Mews
I love that the sight of Big Ben always makes me pinch myself

I love that I can watch Shakespeare under the stars 
I love all the weird and wonderful things to do, from escape rooms to immersive theatre
I love your free museums and the amazing events put on during the monthly late openings
I love your history and literary ties

I love your quirky tours and quirky cafes
I love that there is always something to see or do
I love your obsession with pop-up anything, bar, restaurant or cereal shop
I love your tube announcers making sour faced commuters smile
I love that I never  have to check tube or train departure times because there will usually be one along in a few minutes

I love how on any given weekend, someone will spot adults in costume without batting an eye
I love the sense of 'anything is possible' you exude
I love the amazing mix of people I've met
I love the plethora of afternoon teas on offer

I love your long summer days
I love your parks, gardens and commons, stretching out on a warm summers day with a good book and just relaxing

I love how close you are to everything else making a trip to Madrid, Venice, Athens, Iceland or lots of other places, an easy hop.

I love that I can go on a day trip to so many interesting places 
I love that you have challenged me and helped me grow
For all this and more, I love you.

Happy Valentines Day London. Here's to many more happy years together.
Xoxo.

Tell me, what do you love about London?

P.S Happy Valentines Day to all my lovely readers!

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Christmas Afternoon Tea at the Conrad Hotel St James - #LDNBloggersTea

There is photographic evidence floating about the interwebs of a savage, brutal decapitation of a poor harmless snowman. The perpetrator? Yours truly. I didn't want to do it, they made me. "They" who had already chopped their snowmen to bits and devoured them, red gummy scarf and all. The snowmen didn't stand a chance. The scene of the crime was littered with bits of meringue and tiny chocolate chip eyes. Or mouths. Or buttons. But oh were they delicious!

I was a last minute addition to the September #LDNBloggersTea last year (talk about an overdue blog post!) thanks to Emma mentioning it over a coffee. On entering the Conrad Hotel, I was greeted by a smiling hostess and shown to the room reserved for all the bloggers. Id never met a single one of them before, though I've read their posts, commented and tweeted them. It was one of those times when I tried my best to put myself out there and not shy away. It was worth it. I met so many lovely bloggers and had a lovely time. I'll admit, having a luxurious room to while away the afternoon in while scoffing sampling the afternoon tea and being serenaded by a harpist helped too.

The Conrad Hotel was showing off their Christmas afternoon tea for the upcoming season (hence all the snowmen). It was a creative Christmassy twist on the usual favourites and a few surprises. Can I just say that I'm a huge scone lover (clotted cream first, then jam) and they had an amazing blackberry curd which I wanted to lick right from the bowl. Their entire afternoon tea was brilliant, great flavours and attention to detail. Some of the savouries on offer I wasn't sure about, like the brussel sprout shot but, believe it or not, it was actually quite delicious and a lot of other bloggers thought so too!

The pièce de résistance, however, was the white Christmas scene at the end. I'd never seen anything like it. EVERYTHING was edible. And gluten free - not one for nut allergy sufferers. The Christmas tree, the macrons, popping candy, battenburg. And of course, the snowmen. Totally adorable and too cute to eat. But I did. Under protest.

Unfortunately the Christmas afternoon tea is no longer available but I'm sure their regular afternoon tea will be just as well thought out. Or maybe they'll do something special for Valentines day or Easter? Worth keeping an eye on them I think.

All in all, not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon in London wouldn't you say?

Have you had a themed afternoon tea?

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