We popped to London last October to see one of my favourite humans, Fran Lebowitz. She was doing a speaking tour and I managed to get tickets for the Barbican, amazing venue and what a hilarious night. If you haven’t heard of Fran Lebowitz, you have to check her out, if you have a dry sense of humour you will love her.
Whilst we were up seeing Fran Lebowitz, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to have a city break and stayed 4 nights at the Hoxton Shepherds Bush, which you can read all about here, if you’re interested. We used it as a base to explore London, we haven’t been in the capital for almost 10 years, which is wild considering how often we used to visit. It had been so long that everything felt new and exciting, so much had changed whilst so much was also the same (if you know what I mean). We didn’t have the best weather, but we managed to dodge the rain and for me unpredictable weather means you can visit more cafés, pubs and shops. Am I right?
As we were based in Shepherds Bush we spent most mornings in the Notting Hill area, always love it around here, the properties are stunning and there are so many streets off the beaten track that are quieter and fun to explore. I always like to veer off the main drag and see what hidden gems I can find, and there are fewer crowds so you get some time to meander and take it all in. The pastel coloured houses in this area are just so cute, and I challenge anyone not to daydream about what it would be like to afford to live that kind of life, it would be wonderful.
We did stop by Spitalfields, which is always hectic but well worth a visit. There are so many wonderful food stalls and spots to get coffee. We had pad tai and a cheeky coffee from the pretty pink Grind van. We were there during half-term, so would like to go again on a quieter weekday to be able to try more of the vendors and really see what was on offer, it was quite crowded, but still a vibe.
We walked around this area for a while, going in some of the shops (my husband bought a lovely puffer jacket from the new Rains store) and we soaked up the atmosphere and rich history. There are so many historical buildings, alongside some very, very modern ones. I recognised so many places from my favourite, Pretty City London book.
Taking photos of classic and unusual cars is one of my favourite things to do, I love cars and wherever I am I seem to spot them. London had so many, lots of colourful and expensive cars, as well as lots of old classics too, I might have to do a whole post dedicated to them, but I have included a few of my faves in this post, the pink McLaren at St Pancras Station, the blue, grey and green Porsche Taycans and the cute mint green fiat 500. They can make a photo look so much more interesting.
One thing London has in abundance are pretty shop windows and facades with so much history and detail. I think the old style ones are beautiful and so interesting. Around every corner, there is so much to notice and take in, you could simply wander up and down the streets all day and never get bored or run out of places to see.
St Pancreas is such a beautiful landmark, the train station and the hotel and both stunning, also just over the road is Origins Coffee Shop (underneath the British Library) it’s small but if you manage to get a seat in the window it is ideally positioned for some serious people watching. The coffee is 10/10, so too is the matcha, and they offer a small but delicious section of cakes, cookies and treats.
Alongside all the car photos I took, I just couldn’t resist taking lots of pictures of all the cute Notting Hill houses, they are colourful and charming. Every single street in this neighbourhood is stunning and so well looked after, it is easy to see why it is such a popular destination not only for tourists but also to live. It has a village feel even though it is in a major city.
What part of London do you tend to stay in, explore? Let me know if you have any recommendations of places to see and your top places to eat / drink?
