The Rest of London

Ok, yes. I know. I am a total jerk for taking so long to finish writing about London. So that I have plenty of time to hang my head in shame whilst standing in the corner, I will keep it to the basics.

EAT:

Besuba Eathai: Three words. Uh.May.Zing. Some of the best affordable Thai food I've ever had. Laura and I visited the Soho location for lunch. The ambiance is dark, modern, and soothing. Communal tables made of the same knobby wood lining the walls makes it feel so cozy. The portion sizes are modest - about the size they actually should be - which was lovely. And, to top it off, the prices were totally reasonable for London standards. When we passed by again around dinner time, a line was already forming out the door around 6pm. Highly recommended, especially if you want good food and don't want to break the bank.

Vitao: According to its website, all kinds of celebrities have dined at this vegan hole-in-the-wall. I was super excited to go as they boast raw foods galore, but when Laura and I got there for dinner, there were only a few unappetizing raw dishes on the buffet. It's a cozy little place (also in Soho) with great people watching out the panoramic windows. The set up is a buffet with set prices depending on the plate size you purchase at lunch. At dinner, there is one plate size and all you can eat for one hour. Let's just say, we were stuffed! I wasn't totally blown away, but for the price and the abundance of veggies (a rarity so far for me in Europe), it was a welcome, yummy meal.

The Hummingbird Bakery: I can easily say this was the best cupcake of my life. No question about it. And, they even carry very yummy gluten free cupcakes that were cheaper than their glutenous friends. You can read more about our experience here on Laura's blog. It's a good thing I don't live in London just because of this place. I don't think I could control myself.



TO DO:

Tate Modern: Definitely the coolest contemporary art museum I have seen. And, it's free - as are all museums in London! If you come to London and don't make it here, you will have missed out on one of the coolest experiences you could have had. It is absolutely mind-blowing.

Amazing exhibit entitled 'Sunflower Seeds' by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. Containing millions of sunflower seeds hand crafted out of precious porcelain, this exhibit ' invites us to look more closely at the ‘Made in China’ phenomenon and the geo-politics of cultural and economic exchange today'. Read more about the exhibit and the recent incarceration of the artist here.
And, yes those are full sided humans in the back left of the photo. That's how massive this thing was.


The O2: The reason that I initially booked the trip to London is that my favorite band was playing a show at The O2 - the most massive live event arena I've ever seen. Within the compound there are about a kajillion restaurants and the arena itself boasts the best sound system ever. Total and complete aural bliss.

Yoga at The Life Centre: While the Notting Hill studio itself was small and rather dull, I took a class from a really great teacher named Lisa Sanfilippo. She is an American expat with oodles of knowledge in all things Anusara Yoga. Seriously impressive and a really soothing, yet energizing, class.

Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace: Yeah. We did it. It just felt like the right thing to do. I didn't eat fish and chips. I didn't go to a pub. So, I figured I might as well do something touristy. But, as it turns out, unless you get there crazy early, there is nothing to see. The mobs of other tourists have taken over the streets and you mostly just see the backs of other people's heads. But, meh, if you have some extra time, go check it out. I'm all about supporting old school traditions, so I think it's really cool that they still do this after so many years.



This was definitely just my first visit. I will be back. Living in the middle of the German countryside as a lively city girl can get me down from time to time. Germans aren't really known for their outgoing, perky personalities, and I feel like quite an outsider most of the time. But, being in London, I felt at home. It was more than just the common language. I felt comfortable and more safe than I ever have in such a big city. Even after the show at The O2, I rode the Tube and walked home well after midnight, and I felt 100% safe. The people were insanely friendly, and I had so many incredible options at my disposal everyday.

In a perfect world, the pound to dollar conversion rate wouldn't have been almost 2:1, but with the free museums, parks, and great affordable food options, one can definitely do a great trip to London on a budget.

Guess who loves London? THIS gal!