London! I went! I had been before, but only for a day here and there as a stopover to other fine destinations. This time I thought, London, you will be the star of my vacation. And it was worth it entirely, and is now the city I dream of writing books in, at least for a few months of every year.
1. The theme of my vacation was “art,” and so I hit up every major museum and gallery. There are a lot, and naturally I missed a lot — but what I did see was superb. The Tate Modern had a fantastic exhibition by American photographer Taryn Simon that completely absorbed and astonished me. It’s hard to boil down, but it essentially takes the mindset of journalism (delving deep into social issues that exert their influence in often hidden and quiet ways) but applies a visual conceptualist’s rigor to it. It does what the best art does: expand the spirit and your knowledge of the world, stretching your consciousness just a bit. I’m still thinking about it.
I also saw “The First Actresses” at the National Portrait Gallery. If you ever had an interest in movie stars, actresses, the history of theater, this is for you. And the paintings are so beautiful.
2. I insisted on doing a proper afternoon tea, which I know is way touristy, but whatever….I was a tourist! I did mine at the Wolseley, which was wonderful. The building is an old Victorian bank, so the decor was kind of wonderfully Art Deco-y. I was super fond of all the little sandwiches, as to be expected, because I do like finger foods. And the price isn’t insane like some of the other high teas floating around.
3. I also delved a bit into pub fare, which I discovered is a part of merry old England I do like a lot. Bubble and squeak! Toads in the hole! All charming names for foods that I quite liked, along with mushrooms on toast! And loads and loads of beer! All the time! And no one thinks you’re an alcoholic if you indulge in the day! I enjoyed Mason & Taylor in Shoreditch, which had a wide range of beers, although to be honest I just drank lots of black currant Lindeman’s and told myself it was part of my fruit-and-veg allowance. It’s a lovely space, nice and mellow, cozy and warm yet spacious. Go!
Also I spent a late afternoon and evening wandering around Marylebone with no map (eek) and stumbled on the Swan and Edgar, which rewarded me with a tiny yet wonderfully decorated room and a superb glass of wine. It was the type of place that I’d want to make my local bar, if I was a classy, rich lady who lived in Marylebone. (Even I could tell that it was a very $$$$$ place to live. But beautiful! All those lovely buildings!)
4. I was not much of a shopper on this trip. I did check out all the high street shops, but I’m older, so I’m not so much interested in trendiness as before. My frivolous purchases were mostly perfume; I did some damage at Miller Harris and Jo Malone. (I did also pick up a pair of Tom’s, though, because here is a travel tip: wearing Frye boots three walking-intensive days in a row, as lovely and comfortable as they usually are, is murderous for your feet!) I did get jealous that the U.S. lacked a COS shop, however, enjoyed Antoni & Allison muchly and bought loads of gifts for my femininity-inclined loved ones at the Cath Kidston shop. I also stumbled on a shop in Covent Garden that sold loads of Hello Kitty, Miffy and every other adorable cartoon mascot on the planet, and my 20-year-old self basically had a heart attack of joy.
5. This is so not British-y, but they sell Laduree macaroons in Covent Garden and OH MY GOD. Can a macaroon really encapsulate joy, magic and a universe of pleasure and deliciousness? Yes, it can! They are exquisite and deserve their highly lauded reputation among small cookies and pastries of the world. They are also worth the expense, and make a lovely hostess gift.
5.5. Not really a recommendation, but it must be noted that British men have a stunning sense of tailoring overall. I was seriously swooning at how many of them wore their suits so well. “Dashing” is a quality rare in gentlemen these day, but the spirit of it is still alive in London. Also: they are, for the most part, great flirts.
I also went to Berlin, but for a short time, and drank a lot in various bars in Mitte. So you see, I HAVE to go back again, right? Next time, lovelies!
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Tags: afternoon tea, Antoni & Allison, British dudes, Britishness, bubble and squeak, Cath Kidston, COS, Covent Garden, Jo Malone, Laduree, Lindemanns, London, Marylebone, Mason & Taylor, Miller Harris, National Portrait Gallery, pub food, Swan & Edgar, Taryn Simon, Tate Modern, the Wolseley
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Sounds like a great time to me. Doing touristy stuff can be the funnest time ever. I especially like doing touristy stuff with locals who have never done it because it’s too touristy.
That Mrs. Siddons, what a babe.
i used to love when people came to visit me in nyc so i could do all the touristy things with them, ha ha! my favorite stuff was always the old-school fancy New York stuff, like the Plaza or Bemelman’s. though i basically refused to go down to the 9/11 memorial/WTC site….
siddons was a babe, for sure, as well as that nell gwyn!
xo k.
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