LONDON
NATURAL STATE.
Londinium was it's name, long ago established by the Romans. After the fall of their empire, the Vikings swept in and deemed Danelaw their territory in 886 AD. It was not until the 11th Century that Westminster Abbey was built under the rule of King Edward the Confessor that London became the main point of trade for the island of Brittania and soon to be the nation's capital. By 2008 it was merited as one of the three most influential cities in the world.
DO. TRIM THE HEDGES
This town is impeccably dense, many neighborhoods, many aesthetics, many different types of English accents. For some, it is a place often visited, and for others it is new bounty. For me, it is typically a hub on my adventures where I stop over to see friends. However, I always ignite the flame of the city whether it is visiting the tried-and-true points of heritage or wandering off-course. All I know is that this town is friendly, in blue or grey skies, and I keep coming back for more.
TRIED-AND-TRUE POINTS OF HERITAGE
Tower of London (Unesco World Heritage Site), St Katharine's & Wapping, EC3N 4AB
Buckingham Palace , Westminster, London SW1A 1AA, UK
Tate Modern , Bankside, London SE1 9TG, UK
British Library, 96 Euston Rd, London NW1 2DB, UK
Kew Gardens, Richmond TW9 2AA, UK
WANDERING OFF COURSE
Westbourne Grove Street, in Notting Hill a retail street with shops and restaurants
Little Venice , Neighborhood of Canals at 6 Park Place Villas, London W9 2PF, UK
Shoreditch, cool neighborhood in East London
Sherlock Holme's Museum , 221b Baker St, Marylebone, London NW1 6XE, UK
The Regent's Park, (take a stroll at sunset) Chester Rd, London NW1 4NR, UK
EAT. A FEW SANDWICHES SHORT OF A PICNIC
Granger & Co , 175 Westbourne Grove, London W11 2SB, UK (courgette fritter plate, make sure you get halloumi)
Taqueria, 141-145 Westbourne Grove, London W11 2RS, UK (rolled cheese taco badass)
Jamavar, 8 Mount St, Mayfair, London W1K 3NF, UK (malai stone bass tikka or bust)
Chuc's Dover Street, 30 Dover St, Mayfair, London W1S 4NB, UK (club sandwich babes)
Phat Phuc Noodle Bar, The Courtyard, 151 Sydney Street, London SW3 6NT, United Kingdom (veggie pho with cilantro and extra chillis)
SHOP. THE FULL MONTY
London has its high-end niche retailers as well as trunks of vintage finds, here is where I make the circuit.
Grays Antique Centre, 58 Davies St, Mayfair, London W1K 5LP, UK
Brown's , 24-27 S Molton St, Mayfair, London W1K 5RD, UK
Frock Me, 175-177 A3217, Chelsea, London SW3 5EE, UK
Joseph Multibrand , 236 Westbourne Grove, Notting Hill, London W11 2RH, UK
Atelier visit with Eleanor Balfour, by appointment only
