Goodness, it's been some time. Moving back to Austria has been very exhausting - emotionally as well as physically.
Now I am sitting on my new sofa (thank God, the old one was so awful, but more about that in one of my next entries) and have finally found the time to write this entry. Before continuing to write about the experiences of the past weeks, I want to sum up my England experience by giving you an A-Z of my experiences in the UK. I have written about many places I visited which you might want to visit, too, so here is a wrap-up with my favourite experiences and places. For some letters there is more than one, for some, there is nothing and if you can think of something you loved in the UK (or other places), please comment here or on Facebook. A Abercrombie and Fitch I am normally not a brand person, but I really like A&F. I am also aware of the fact that A&F is nothing British, but the shop in London was my first one to visit and I really like the experience. It is wonderfully bizarre to go in there - as if entering a new world. The dimmed light, the naked sexy men, the gorgeous people and the smell...oh god, I LOVE the smell. When I was in Dublin, I just sensed this whiff of smell in the air and my nose led me to A&F Dublin. A&F in London is in Burlington Gardens close to Regent Street. It is easy to miss as there is only a little, elegant sign, so watch out! Arthur's Seat Arthur's Seat is the biggest hill (mountain?) in Edinburgh. I wandered up on my last day and on the top you have a wonderful view over the city. It is definitely worth the hike! B Balmoral Hotel The Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh is a five-star hotel over Waverley Train Station. The reason why I mention it here is because it is the hotel in which JK Rowling finished the last Harry Potter book. One day I want to stay there and then I will let you know whether it's worth its price. Brick Lane Brick Lane is in Shoreditch in East London which is quite funky and different. You can find 50s stores there, the Cereal Killer Café, a great chocolate store and many other funny and cool shops. It is not high profile, but if you like crazy shops and people, east London is where you should go. It is very like Camden Market, though I have to say that if given the choice, I would prefer Camden Market to Brick Lane. Barmy Arms Pub The Barmy Arms is a pub in Twickenham at the embankment. You can overview the river at it is a wonderful and cosy atmosphere there and the burger is really good. Twickenham is not generally a hotspot (sorry, Twickenham), but the Barmy Arms was always a wonderful retreat to have a bite. Broadrock Hotel The Broadrock Accomodation was the hotel where my man and I stayed when we visited Wales. It is in Woodcroft and it was one of the best hotels I ever stayed in. If you ever want to visit the Forest of Dean, Tintern Abbey or see the house in which JK Rowling lived for some years of her childhood. The hotel is amazing! The owner, Richard, is a wonderful bloke, there is a kitchen which can be used and we had a wonderful bath tub and there were great outside areas - a terrace, a garden, another terrace. So, again, thank you Richard for the wonderful time and anyone who wants to go there, give my regards to Richard. http://www.broadrock.co.uk/ C Camden Market Camden Market is a market in east London at Camden Lock. It is an array of retail shops, outdoor markets, and food stalls. My man absolutely loved it and loved going there, too. The shops there are - like in Brick Lane - quite peculiar and you can buy wonderful dresses in various price categories. One of the most peculiar shops is CyberDog, a shop full of robotic and rave inspired clothes and gadgets. T-shirts with screens on them, Lego brick lamps and a really bizarre sex department with alien sex pics and dildos so big that you wonder who could shove them up their...well, holes. I wouldn't buy there - definitely no fashion - but it is definitely worth a visit and a story to tell when back home. Another great shop in Camden Market is Collectif. There you can buy clothes of the 50s which are just wonderful to wear and look at. They are slightly expensive but worth every p. and if you're lucky you might get one much cheaper during sale. Cursed Child The biggest highlight of this year was, of course, the publication and opening of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The whole journey to reading the script and watching the play was amazing and I feel so blessed that it was exactly the year that I was in the UK. It made my year perfect because I saw JK Rowling, learnt more about the Potter World and fell in love with a Malfoy. Thank you, Jo and Jack, for making my special year even more special. For anyone - Potter fan or not - make sure you see this play, as it is absolutely mind-blowing and will launch a completely new understanding of theatre for young generations - of that, I am convinced. Cambridge I also managed to visit Cambridge when I visited my former university tutor there. I was lucky enough to be accomodated in one of the colleges, which was amazing. The room was so cosy and my trip there great. The colleges are really impressive and anyone who likes old buildings, history and literature should definitely visit Cambridge once. They have a great Cath Kidston store there as well, for all the Cath fans Cath Kidston The first time I laid eyes on a Cath Kidston store I knew I was in love. It is the prefect shop for me even though it looks like the inside of Tinkerbell's vagina (or probably because it looks like the inside of Tinkerbell's vagina). It is romantic, flowery, and just 100% my style. When I moved to London I was so happy that I could go shopping there whenever I wanted. If you like the girly, flowery style, you should definitely shop there. D Dynamic Earth Exhibition In Edinburgh you can visit the Dynamic Earth Exhibition in which you learn about earth, can see what it feels like in an earthquake, volcano and rain forest weather. It was not mind-blowing but pretty entertaining and informative and especially when you visit Edinburgh with children it is worth a visit and you can visit it on foot or with the hop on/hop off bus. http://www.dynamicearth.co.uk/ E Edinburgh Shortly after I arrived in England, I took the bus up to Edinburgh, which has become one of my most favourite cities. Admittedly, taking the bus wasn't one of my cleverest ideas and if you can spare some quid, take the train or plane. Still, the city is an absolute must for fans of old cities, history lovers and people with a sense for city asthetics. And, of course, for Harry Potter fans. After all, Jo Rowling lives in Edinburgh and wrote most of the books there. This was also one of my most favourite hot spots, the Elephant House in the old town of Edinburgh. It is not only the café in which Jo Rowling wrote many parts of the first book, but it is also a great place to be, write and enjoy coffee. It is a cosy, snug place with a great back area in which anyone could imagine to find inspiration. http://www.elephanthouse.biz/ Ed's Diner Alright, there are many places in London where you can get a wonderful burger, any many where you most likely get a better burger than in the American Diner. Nevertheless, I want to list it here because I really enjoyed the American Diner atmosphere with 50s music, the funky colours and the friendly staff. There are various Ed's Diners but I went to the one close to Euston Station and it is definitely a better place to wait for your train than Nando's. In my humble opinion. F Fire The Fire is a nightclub close Vauxhall Station in which N and I went for the children entertainment inspired party. It is a really cool in which N and I took a bath in the ball pit, jumped on the bouncy castle and got balloon crowns. I don't know whether these activities are on every weekend, but the atmosphere and area in there were pretty cool, so if you like nightclubbing, it is definitely worth a visit. For the rest of the alphabet, you will soon be rewarded!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorIn September 2015 I started a new chapter of my life by moving (temporarily or permanently, not yet decided) to England where I work and socialise now. Archives
December 2017
Categories |