When in London, why not Piccadilly?

While I know it sounds touristy, this combination of fun things to do in west-central London do not seem at all like that to me.  I suppose it's because few people go to a bookstore while they're on a vacation; they usually do this before they leave, usually to pick up books on the places they'll be visiting!

The first place, though, I learned about by reading a book, Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Pattillo.  If you're looking for a fun, light read, perhaps for while you're on vacation, check it out -- even my husband liked it!

Hatchards

With a Piccadilly location, right across the street from the Royal Academy and made up of 5 floors, broken into subject matter sections, Hatchards is the proud 300-plus year-old (only the Cambridge bookstore is older) supplier of books to the monarchy and holder of three royal warrants.  Besides the history, though, Hatchards is a wonderful place to lose yourself for an afternoon, as you wander the stacks, leafing through the different books that interest you. 
A great plus:  you can go to Fortnum & Mason next door with your purchase for tea!

Hatchards storefront

Fortnum & Mason

Fortnum & Mason is one of the places we enjoy visiting every time we come to London, even if we go only to look.  It's as though we need to go there to get our bearings and, once we've been there, we're again in Britain.

Fortnum & Mason

The more time you spend in F&M, the more you learn just how varied and extraordinary its offerings are. There are teas and foods from around the world, as well as clothing, toiletries, household goods, fine wines, home furnishings, and this is just naming a few. This video (above) will give a better idea of what you may find when you visit. In this case, seeing really is believing!

Right next door is the Piccadilly Arcade, home to some of London's finest retailers, including Santa Maria Novella Apothecary, the makers of the wonderful soaps and lotions you now do NOT have to travel to Florence to enjoy.  There are also fine men's toiletry items, bespoke tailors and women's clothing, artbooks and other luxuries to be found, so a walk down its cool, marble paved passageway is a treat, especially on a rainy day.  Not to be missed:  the skull and crossed swords motif dressing gowns and socks at New & Lingwood's twin shops at the end of the arcade!

Another neighbor is Burlington Arcade, which offers up additional temptations in the form of antiques, silver, shoes, jewelry and fashion for discerning shoppers.  When you are done going down one side, why not turn around and take a careful look at the other?

Be sure to stop at both arcades - you won't want to miss the beauty of their window displays!

Jermyn Street
If you believe every man in your life has all he needs to be a gentleman, then you haven't taken a walk down Jermyn Street.

The shops on Jermyn Street present the epitome of the groomers' art:  special bristle brushes and shaving soaps, magnifying mirrors, strops, single edge razors, scissors of surgical fineness - they are all to be found in Jermyn Street at Taylor of Old Bond Street. 

And while there, don't forget to pick up some finely made shirts and suits, an old world map, perhaps a piece of fine art or an antique sextant or globe -- these are all available in the various shops along Jermyn Street, which is happily as quiet as it is refined.   This site provides a current list of the retailers located on the north and south sides of the street.  I doubt it's changed in many years.

Some Great London Weekend Ideas

Now that the weather's begun to warm up, and the days are lasting longer, getting through the week with a great weekend ahead is not just a dream but a reality.  With this in mind, I've put together a list of fun things to do in and around the capital; even if you choose just one, you'll feel as though you had a brief break from your regular routine!

• Visit one of the outlying villages that are actually part of London!

A couple of weekends ago, we visited the village of Blackheath, which is close to Greenwich on the south side of the Thames.  It was a cool, windy and drizzly day, but our enthusiasm wasn't dampened one bit, once we saw the town:  it's small high street area is filled with adorable shops, cafes and plenty of restaurants.  We even found that the lot beside the station has a weekly Farmers' Market, which offers freshly baked goods, plants, produce, juices, fish, meats and poultry, eggs, cheese and other dairy, as well as cooked foods.

Blackheath Village 

Another fun town to visit, is Dulwich (pronounced Dull-itch), which also lies to the south of London, though to the west of Greenwich, and further from the river Thames.  Dulwich, too, is filled with charming restaurants and shops (like Roullier White, which I mentioned in my earlier blog), and has much to offer to someone willing to explore.  I'd suggest spending an afternoon wandering there - or perhaps longer!

Dulwich

Barnes is a third village to the south of the river Thames that is worth a visit, though more for its natural beauty.  The village itself is quite small, but the London Wetland Centre and town green are both areas to explore, as they are quite beautiful year-round, though the town's section of the Thames riverbank is probably most reknowned for being one of the best locations for viewing the annuall Oxford-Cambridge boating race. 

• Another suggestion:   Go to The Globe!  Now that the rain has stopped for a bit (fingers crossed!) buying one of the standing room tickets ( £ 5 - the best theatre deal in town) under the open roof isn't the risky idea it was earlier this season.  And now that the English language versions of the  plays will be performed (various international theatre groups have been performing this spring), you have no excuses!

The Captain Kidd Pub, Wapping

• Enjoy a pint with a view.  One of the first pubs we really enjoyed as we explored London neighborhoods while hunting for a place to live, the Captain Kidd pub is a real gem.  It is located right on the Thames and features a bankside garden that is second to none.  Couple this with inexpensive beer, great chips (fries) and its link to the notorious pirate (Captain Kidd was hanged not once, but twice from the Wapping hanging docks after being found guilty of murder, 5 counts of piracy) - the first rope snapped and he was taken down and rehanged. This may not be the area's oldest pub, but it certainly has a colorful namesake.
• Walk or cycle through some or all the 20+ miles of garden history on the London Gardens Walk/Chelsea Fringe map!   You can cover nearly 700 years of garden design history by following the blue markers on this map of central London, which features gardens from 1500 to the present day.  On a nice weekend, it's a great way to organize your wandering!

So I suggest, try one of these ideas or one of your own - but definitely get out and enjoy the weekend!

Stave Hill Ecological Park and Surrey Gardens

On Wednesday evening, our son arrived from Edinburgh, having finished his final exams, the wrap placed on another school year.  Understandably exhausted from his time spent studying, followed by closing up his apartment, he wanted to simply relax by walking in the park near our hotel:  Stave Hill Ecological Park.

A wild rose in Stave Hill Ecological Park

Since spring has finally arrived here in London, it was yesterday was the perfect day to do just that.  As we strolled, we enjoyed seeing the geese and ducks with their broods of goslings and ducklings, mums with their pushchairs and everyone in a generally good mood.  Skirts suddenly got shorter or didn't exist, shirts were removed -- everyone was trying to expose themselves as much as they could to the sun's rays.

The plants, too, were doing their best to reach for the warmth.  Flowers, leaves and insects are now fully awake and bursting fragrantly at every turn. 

On our return, we stopped at Surrey Docks Farm, a small farm along the Thames, complete with kitchen garden, goats, chickens, ducks, geese, etc.  They sell plants and eggs and have a nice little place to eat, Frizzante Cafe.  Their menu changes daily and all food is cooked fresh on the premises and is quite good.  It's worth a detour for lunch or breakfast - they close at 4:30 PM.

It's a beautiful time to be in London!

Flowers in Stave Hill Ecological Park










Flowers in Stave Hill Ecological Park





Artichokes at Surrey Docks Farm

A Weekend of Contrasts

This weekend was a weekend of contrasts.


On Saturday, we decided to head over to Paddington Station (one of my favorites), and on to Oxford for the day.  The train ride took just under an hour, with stops at Slough (rhymes with "how") and Reading (rhymes with "bedding"), and travels through fields filled with a changing array of livestock (horses, sheep) and crops (especially brilliant yellow mustard). 

By Lisa, Oxfordshire Fields. Aquarelle on paper, 19 May 2012

Although we'd visited Cambridge a couple of weeks ago, we didn't know what to expect in Oxford, aside from a few vague impressions, garnered from recent films (Harry Potter, to name one) and PBS broadcasts of the Inspector Morse series, the narrative of which is based in Oxford.  Given this, we were open to learning more.

Exiting the Oxford train station, our first impression was similar to that of Cambridge:  it was a short walk to the city center, and there were of plenty of people and means on offer to get there.  We chose to walk, since it was a short distance; though someone with need of a taxi or bus would surely have found these in abundance, as well.  There were also people hawking tours, which didn't interest us.  We were there to take in the atmosphere, not a lot of data. 

You can do both, though, by just meandering around the city. This is what we did, and we found nearly all the "famous landmarks" listed on maps provided throughout the city. And, as it was a commencement weekend, we enjoyed the added bonus of seeing many happy graduates and their families, dressed up either in their robes or party best, beaming in celebration. Along the way, we saw many places that were simply a joy to see: lovers punting and rowing on the Isis (Thames) river, the Rhodes House gardens, quaint homes with flowers sprouting out of their roof crevices, beautifully kept spires, weather vanes and buildings that have withstood the ravages of time.  

Rhodes House gardens

Some of Oxford's many spires

Here are a few images that will give an impression of what Oxford has to offer.  They were taken on our one day there, so they cannot completely convey the beauty of the city.  Rather, they are meant to whet the appetite!

A rooftop garden

Rowing on the river Isis

A don, hurrying home after commencement

The following day, we remained in London, and decided to walk the several miles from Rotherhithe to Brick Lane.  Located in the old Bishop's Gate area of the city, Brick Lane is home to the largest number of south Asian restaurants in the city, and yesterday the area also played host to a street festival.  After walking through the neighborhoods of Limehouse, Stepney, Whitechapel and Aldgate, we arrived to find Brick Lane filled with people and and unusally high number of bobbies, as well. 

What a contrast to the relatively quiet streets of Oxford! The energy, smells and lively atmosphere were a fun change. Here is some of what we saw and sampled along Brick Lane and in and around the Truman Brewery and the adjacent Boiler House.  Just the smells, alone are worth a visit!

Ethiopian Vegetarian/Vegan fare

Pedestrians along the way

Delicious Cuban Foods

Chinese offerings

Leather Forever - 175 Years of Hermès

Let me pose a question: am I crazy to brave a driving rainstorm to attend an exhibit that glorifies the use of animal skin to make useful (and not so useful) articles for man? 

In a word, OUI!  Because you have never seen an exhibit such as Hermès' Leather Forever, presented at the Royal Academy of Arts (8 to 27 May 2012), which gives a more intimate view of the house of Hermès' history and, as a result, a greater appreciation for the art of harness and saddlemakers (the house's humble beginnings) and how it grew to be the icon of classic, tasteful style that it now is. 

Various hues and types of leathers used to produce Hermès designs

It is also remarkable that the House of Hermès is still in the hands of the original family of owners, despite corporate attempts to purchase.  The pride of this ownership pervades every design, every fabric choice, every stitch in execution.  We saw the leathers used to create articles, artisans working at their craft, plus examples of historical and current designs in a variety of presentations, from a stage filled with handbags (with opera glasses provided for us to see their details) to a room filled with fine white sand, with saddles and harnesses hanging against this stark ground.

But the most magnificent articles were the bags -- travel bags of all types, steamer trunks like miniature closets, and a scale model shoe carrier case, complete with miniature shoes, all made to show a design idea to a bespoke client.  The care given to each and every detail shows why Hermès has been around for 175 years, and most likely will be for at least another 175.  You can even bid online for one of your own on the Hermes site by 31 May.  All proceeds from this charitable auction go to the Royal Academy of Arts.

Vive Hermès!

The re-upholstered interior of a Citroen 2CV, with coordinating bags, as done by Hermès

Adventures in Dulwich and Beyond!

"Life is always either a tightrope or a feather bed.

Give me the tightrope.”

Edith Wharton

Yesterday, I decided to go out and explore a new part of this big city of London.

When researching dishes for our new apartment, I'd found an Australian brand, Maxwell & Williams, online, but wanted to see what they looked and felt like up close and in hand. So, I researched London-based sellers and came upon a shop that intrigued me: Roullier & White, which is not only a kitchen supply shop but also a sort of general store for anything but general items.

The shop carries small, obscure brands that either you or your mother would recognize, especially among its scents and toiletry items: Rigaud candles, scents by Demeter, 4711, Juliette Has a Gun, plus soaps and R&W's own line of home scents, candles and toiletries. There are even some clothing and jewelry items to add to the surprises that await the visitor. I had a great time exploring this little shop. If you can, do visit. If you cannot, you might want to check their blog.


Copyright: roullierwhite.blogspot.com

Copyright: www.dipity.com

As if the trek to Roullier & White was not enough, I got off the bus at Elephant & Castle and walked around the shopping centre located there. While there's nothing remarkable about the shopping centre's shops, its lively energy was. The place was jam-packed with people shopping, strolling the stalls both in and around the centre, selling and buying cheap electronics, clothing items and so on.  At midday, this struck me as unusual -- no one appeared to be at work, but busy looking and possibly spending -- perhaps this is the local social scene?  I'd have to return to learn more.
Since my arrival 2-plus weeks ago, I've been busy house-hunting, while living in a hotel room with my husband.  It goes without saying that getting out the door has been an essential part of each day.  Despite the weather (which has been cold and rainy for the most part), I've been lured out.  There have been plenty of opportunities to see new and unusual exhibits.  I could do this every day, if I had the energy and inclination.  Over the last week, I've seen:  Damien Hirst's diamond-studded skull from 2007 at the Tate Modern; the Hermes Leather Forever exhibit (twice, actually!) at the Royal Academy, I've walked past Shakespeare's Globe Theatre 3 times, heard Big Ben chime the hour once -- I'm not at the point where I take this for granted -- tried scents at Jo Malone's and Penhaligon's shops on Brook Street in Mayfair.  What a fun time, spent sniffing and having shop girls offering me scents to try!  When I left, I had been spritzed on both wrists and forearms, and was very happy to say that I'm still undecided.  Oh well...!