London: Ten things I love about you
‘I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it.’ – As You Like It, William Shakespeare.
I love London. There, I said it. Seriously, nearly every single day I find new things that I love, or love to hate… I remembered recently that I did a post way back when in April 2015 listing all of the things I loved about my then new home, New Zealand. I’ve decided it’s high time I did a similar post for London, since this is now the place I call home.
I guess the main difference is that London is a city, whereas New Zealand is a whole country. Hard to believe that London’s population is more than double that of New Zealand’s and here we are all jam-packed into a few square miles. Despite their enormous differences, I think I love both London and New Zealand more or less equally, so here goes. The things I love most about this city.
Monmouth Coffee
Coffee in the UK is just not the same as New Zealand. There are far too many chains and a Pret too many on every street corner. But, there are oases in the midst of all the Starbucks, Caffe Neros and Costas…
My favourite spot for the most amazing coffee is Monmouth. The closest shop to me is near work, next door to Borough Market. The coffee is strong, fragrant and deliciously complex in flavour. Shame there are always such long queues – it’s actually a rarity for me to have enough time to pick a coffee up there! When I do manage to get a coffee, it is never disappointing.
Borough Market
Speaking of Borough Market… What is there not to love about this place? For someone who literally thinks about what I am going to eat next whilst still eating my current meal, this place is more or less a little piece of heaven to me! The sheer choice of foods is overwhelming and wandering through this market is an assault on all the senses. The stall holders cry their wares and sweet aromas hit the nostrils from every angle.
There are huge arrays of every single foodstuff imaginable to feast the eyes upon. You’ll get a sharp knock as someone jolts an elbow into you as they jostle past. There is the mouth-watering savour as you pop a sample of mushroom pate on homemade bread into your mouth, or dig into a plate piled high with boiled potatoes and pickled gherkins all smothered in melted cheese. Try to avoid it on a Saturday, when it is at its busiest, but if you’re even remotely interested in food at all (and aren’t we all?!), then do not miss this place!
Natural History Museum
This is literally one of my favourite places in the world, let alone in London. Hintze Hall is something else – the architecture is outstanding and I could happily spend all day wandering the vast collections in this museum, despite having been there so many times before! There are often some wonderful exhibitions on too – my favourite being the annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year collection.
The Thames
Whether ambling by sluggishly, or tearing along in a torrent that looks set to burst its banks, the Thames never ceases to make me feel happier. It’s the lifeblood of London and is literally steeped in history – you can almost feel it oozing out of the sticky mud at low tide.
My favourite walk along the Thames is before 9am, between Southwark Cathedral and the Tate Modern, when the only people around are the commuters hurrying to get to work on time and the rest of the city noise seems to fade into the background. I love staring at the dark underbellies of the many bridges that span the river, and meandering along beside the water after dark, when lights from both banks are reflected in the murky depths and everything takes on a much more mysterious feel.
The Barbican
I only visited The Barbican this weekend, but it took mere minutes for me to add it to my ever growing list of amazing city spaces London has to offer. Concrete high-rises domineer the skyline, but in the midst of this Brutalist estate there is a strange beauty and a stark contrast when you come across the careful landscaping and the ancient St Giles Church in the very centre.
Rippling pools and dancing fountains provide a welcome relief against the backdrop of the Barbican Estate and the church glows, warm sandstone alongside the predominantly grey, somewhat bleak, architecture. In the distance, glass and steel towers contribute another layer to this already complex cityscape, adding to the magic.
Food from other cultures
In New Zealand, I had brunch. So much brunch. In London, there is food from every possible culture imaginable, and it’s wonderful. It’s so great to be able to pick a cuisine I fancy and at the click of a button, find that I can get exactly what I want and it’s not even that far away. Perhaps it can even be delivered. There’s the added rush when you find somewhere with a good deal on, or when you can get free pizza because your birthday happens to be in January…
Getting Up High
My personal favourite place to enjoy the city from above is The Switch House at the Tate Modern. I tend to take all of my visiting friends and family there when they come. It’s always good, mainly because you can nose on the neighbours in the expensive Neo Bankside apartments and it’s free!
There are many other places in London where you can get up high and look out over the entire city though, and I’d highly recommend you get out there and find a view if you haven’t already. You can do it for free if you try Primrose Hill, Richmond Hill or Greenwich Park Hill. However, if you do want to spend money on seeing a view, then you may as well cut right to the chase and do it properly first time. Which leads me onto my next point…
The Shard
This beautiful building can be seen from most parts of the city. With its tapering and ability to both reflect and blend in with the weather and sky around it, I would argue that The Shard is perhaps London’s most iconic and remarkable landmark. Whilst The Shard should be admired from below as a wonderful addition to the capital, best of all is to ride the elevator right on up to the 72nd floor and enjoy The View from the Shard.
We went at sunset and I’d say that this is the best time of day to go, especially if you’re into photography and want some good light. Seeing the entire capital spread out below in miniature is incredible and well worth the price of the ticket.
I would recommend indulging in the Champagne Package and enjoying a glass of the bubbly stuff as you enjoy the view. Mum and I sat and enjoyed our champagne in peaceful silence, drinking in the city below as dusk fell and the lights came on one by one, twinkling up at us as the sky darkened.
The convenience of it all!
Everything is at your fingertips. Gigs, concerts, DJ sets, museums, art galleries, theatre, films, recitals, comedy, musicals, ballet, opera, workshops, talks, tours… An endless, exhausting list of things to do that will leave you breathless if you attempt too many and feeling guilty if you don’t do enough. And the best part? So much of it is free, or really cheap!
Sure, London is an expensive city to live in, and we all love to moan about the cost of rent and the price of living, but when you look, there are so many activities that cost next to nothing and get you out of the house. My personal highlights so far? The Nutcracker at the Royal Opera House, Jurassic Park at the Natural History Museum, a National Geographic workshop in Covent Garden and a talk by Cheryl Strayed in Westminster last year. You can never get bored in a city like London…
Getting Lost
I’ve become a big fan of walking around London. When I switch off Google Maps and Citymapper and simply wander aimlessly around the city, I find out so much that I never knew. I connect the dots, the streets come together like a spiders web and my inner compass works everything out.
Riding the tube all the time leaves you blind – you lost all sense of time and direction. I’ve discovered so many gems just by walking through the city instead of taking the tube or a bus, and I keep my step count up too! My favourite aspect of walking the streets is seeing the differences in architecture – from the grand, opulent buildings around Westminster to the gritty council flat blocks in Kennington; from the glass skyscrapers in the Square Mile to the long rows of little terraced houses behind Waterloo train station; and from the brightly coloured hues in Notting Hill to the narrow lanes and seedy back streets in Soho. The contrasts and layers never cease to amaze me.
Home Now
I grow more fond of London with each passing week. Sure, there are those things that I do love to hate, but for all its quirks and eccentricites, I love this city. It is beautiful with its grime, cars, noise and sirens. I love that it is unashamedly brash and in your face, yet secretive too. The diversity and the multiculturalism make London special. The way Londoners welcome everyone and yet never quite meet anyone’s eye or smile. This is my home now, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!
