LOVE LETTERS FROM LONDON PART III
Wearing: Gorman dress | Gorman scarf | Bared vulture pink casual sneaker | Ace of Something Aspen fedora | Fossil Sydney satchel in heritage blue
We're heading into central London for the last instalment of my London travel favourites from this trip! The atmosphere of London is buzzing in summer and ten times more lively than in winter. The sun shines til 8pm, can you believe it? In winter when I was last there, it was pitch black by about 4:30pm.. Here are some of my favourites (some old favourites we just had to visit again & some new discoveries which we were excited to see for the first time) of what's in and around the centre of this city.
OXFORD CIRCUS
Of course no trip to London is without a trip to Oxford St to do a day (or three!) of shopping. We spent an afternoon here wandering around. The beautiful junctions in this area always get me and every time I see a bunch of red double decker buses come by, I always have the urge to whip out my camera and take a zillion shots. All the local brands, designer boutiques and international high street stores are here and when it comes to popular chains such as Zara & H&M, don't be surprised when you start seeing triples. They're everywhere! If you're looking for a bite to eat - there's a 'weigh & pay' cafe just behind the street by the name of Ethos. Also fun to try out is Vapiano, an Italian eatery where they cook the pasta/pizza in front of you. There's even one in Melbourne now but the London one is much better!
COVENT GARDEN
Covent Garden is a beautiful area to wander around. Just a few steps from the busy Oxford St but still packed with places to shop, theatres and little boutiques too. It's a beautiful place to walk around as it's paved with cobblestones in many areas - head into the small lane ways too because you might just discover the below..
NEAL'S YARD
Have you heard of Neal's Yard Remedies - the brand stocking ethical skincare/bodycare products and ever wondered where the name came from? Well I finally figured it out. There's this most beautiful alleyway hidden behind the seven dials in Covent Garden by the name of Neal's Yard. Probably my most favourite place in London at the moment, I'm so glad we made it here! Its buildings are covered with vines and surround a little yard scattered with benches and trees. Aside from a Neal's Yard Remedies store, there are lots of cafes around here with one of my favourite being the Wild Food Cafe which is up a flight of narrow stairs, above Neal's Yard Remedies. It serves extremely delicious raw food and juices in a very casual atmosphere overlooking the alleyway from above. Definitely get a seat by the open windows! Also popular around here is a pizza joint just near the entrance of Neal's Yard which was spilling with people ordering gigantic slices of pizza. We really wanted to try but the line was just too long!
BOROUGH MARKET
Wearing: May the Label stripe tee | Alice McCall skirt | Fossil Sydney satchel in heritage blue | Fossil original boyfriend chronograph watch in navy | Andrea Moore Cruise sunnies | Bared black Toucan lace-up sandalsA favourite of ours is also Borough Market. Get off at London Bridge station and take a five minute walk. You'll smell the food before you see the venue and it is here where you'll find one of the best food markets of London. There's German hotdogs, Ethiopian, Thai, Middle Eastern (the list goes on really!), the biggest oysters you'll ever see (the largest oysters were as big as my hands, no kidding!), cheese, hams & bread, flowers, fresh fruit & veges, juices, music and so much more. A few hours are most definitely needed to wander around and try out all that's on offer.
PRET-A-MANGER
Our time in London is most definitely without multiple visits to Pret-a-Manger (or just call it Pret like the locals!). It's a healthy fast food joint where everything is handmade in store each day. It serves sandwiches (with super yummy fillings), rolls, salads, sushi, fruit salads, drinks and even hard boiled eggs! I have no idea what the locals think of this place but personally I'd say it seems pretty popular. I'm personally obsessed with it and just wish something similar would open up in Australia - there really aren't enough healthy fast food options over here. I also spotted a new chain (or a chain I just hadn't seen before the last time I was in London) called Wasabi. It's similar to Pret but stocks sushi and bento boxes to go!