London: Tea Time in Wonderland

This tunnel at the back of Waterloo station was made a success by Banksy in 2008 with the can festival: the walls were legally free to be tagged by graffiti artists and Banksy presented amazinf works of art too. A hit, a crowd!

Since then, the place is a lot more quiet…

It still remains a street artist headquarters though. Even if they’re coming to London for a few days, they like to come and live their signature there. No matter that the paintings only remain a few days, sometimes a few hours before being covered by someone else’s. Mostly, you’ll find graffitis such as we discovered them in the 80ies. But do come regularly and you’ll find such treasures…

Last year, yarnbombing even was a guest star…

You will sometimes hear classical music. Your sanity is intact -  this is the town hall’s effort to remind everyone this is to be a peaceful, creative place. Althout the city employees coming to do a few repairs do love to switch the radio full volume.

Hidden by the graffitis, the tunnel also has a few arches closed by doors. Those are private -  not the city’s at all -  and the owner (once Eurostar) do rent the space. Banksy had his one night cinema here to launch his movie Exit through the gift shop… Even exibitions openings have taken place here:  I have hapened to walk pass a line of VIPs dressed smartly…

But you’ll also find…

… A black cab car wash…

… More graffitis by fellow artists…

… and even a repair station for these cycle-taxis!

Leake Street
London SE1 7NN

Vous habitez Londres? Vous etes bloggeuse (ou pas), revez de partager votre vision de l’Angleterre, ou juste de passer un bon moment franglais avec d’autres Froggies ?

Fabienne organise le premier rendez-vous Apero sur Londres ce mercredi 12 mai a partir de 20h00.

J’y serai. Enceinte de 6 mois avec un enorme appareil photo, vous ne risquez pas de me rater. Venez donc trinquer avec ma pinte de limonade au gingembre!

Rendez-vous au:
Pub Captain’s Cabin
4 Norris Street
London
SW1Y 4RJ

Un site web a ete cree pour l’occasion, qui j’espere, forte de son succes, deviendra reguliere!

A future trip in mind? Want a bit of adventure in your life? Take refuge @ Stanfords, THE ideal travel bookshop.

Classical and original guidebooks,  funny social studies (try the ones on the French for a good laugh. Trust me, I am French), detailed maps for any country you might think of… You will fill your bag a lot more than you expected!

In 1852, Edward Stanfords thought hard about the British colonies expansion: travels were the future, he was convinced. To be successful, you need to be the best and to prove different. He got huge maps of various continents printed -  gentlemen loved to show off those in their reading room – even better, he ordered the first precise map of London (though it is only in 1966 that the first A to Z, with its complete listing of streets, was published. Did you know a woman was behind it all? Read Mrs P’s journey to learn more!). He was applauded by the Royal Geographical Society for it.

From 1947 on, the company focuses on foreign mapping. They act as pionneers at the type. You name it, they have it: topographic, thermic, geological, hiostorical, nautical… Their reputation is a success in no time. Even Sherlock Holmes in The Hounds of Baskerville buys a map from them! The public is more and more eager to travel -  a huge market opens., whether for generic or out-of-the-way travel books.

Since 2001, you can also find a great range of travel fiction, travel novels, travel stories of all kind. Keep an eye on their website for travel conferences too.

The third floor are a real treasure chest, the decoration surfs on the travel theme too. Oh, and this is the perfect place to find a travel or camping gadget, and gifts for junior or experienced travelers!

Stanfords
12-14 Long Acre
Covent Garden
London WC2E 9LP

What’s around?
- Cocktails!
- Yummy frozen yogurts!
- A cute retro looking sweets shop…
- My favourite cupcakes in all of London…
- A little haven of peace…

Sherlock Holmes only exists in Conan Doyle’s extraordinary world.

Such a bad idea – such a roar from the public claiming their hero back! The more he resisted, the more letters came through the door. He had not choice but bring the detective back to life, a total of 56 stories.

This success remains unchanged today – just look at the number of visitors at his supposed address where a small museum has been created! Nothing historical here but a nice atmospheric stop. Lovely time travel and ideal with kids.

Gosh, the houses were small in that street. But it’s enough and makes it even cuter somehow. The first floor probably is the best – you really can picture the two friends chatting the night away. You almost expect to see Sherlock’s pipe smoking in a corner. Watson usually is here, welcoming you and proposing a picture in the detective’s chair. Complete with the hat, of course. Alternatively, pose with the bobby outside who keeps a cape and a few hats at hand for souvenir photos too….

Oh, and do get a few quaint souvenirs from the shop. You’ll find everything from Teddy bears to pipes and matches in there.

Sherlock Holmes Museum
221b Baker St
London
NW1 6XE

£6/adult, £4/enfant

Equipped with fun accessories? Why not go and pose in profile in the tube station?

I recently discussed the concept with colleagues. This was completely unknown to them, the idea felt kinf of obscure. They visualised a kind of crypt, dimmed lights, a gothic theme maybe?

This trend is fascinating. Forget formal restaurants. People like you and me, passionate about cooking decide to take it a step further. A restaurant is a big risk, a huge responsability and they’d rather have the fun of it while still having a financial security. Do it wheneever they feel like it, whenever they’re inspired. But also share the experience with the fans rather than being locked in the kitchen all the time, slaving over dishes. They’re breaking away from the cold business side of it, injecting fun back into it.

Curiosity already took me to the Hidden tearoom for the most wonderful afternoon tea. I still can taste the cheddar biscuits… I spent three hours chatting happily with strangers.

I’m taking Celine along with me this time to test the most famous London one: the Underground restaurant. MsMarmite Lover loves to juggle with ideas and recipes so check dates and themes on the website. Be quick! She’s full in not time.

Tonight’s based on the Realm of Senses. I must admit I always feel a bit shy before ringing the bell. An evening with strangers could be boringly long. I have always been proved wrong: the only fact that you’re there proves we all have a sense of curiousity, adventure, a love for London and good food and that is enough for hours of conversation on end. You’ll find a great mix of people. around our table, we chatted over travels, blogs, books, cinema, cookin, we laughed and compared and commented and shared.

What was on the menu? Ceviche to start with with seashore background noises. I am used to the Tahition way of using raw fish – in a sweet coconut milk sauce. This is surprisingly refreshing, vary fragrant with yuzu and ginger. As for the music? I’m afraid we were chatting way too much in our enthusiasms to notice it…

Follows a selection of Indian dishes – coconut dahlt, indian salad with cucumbers and pomegranate (could have eaten bowls of this), creamy curry with aubergines and a delicious but intriguing vegetable that kept us wondering for a while (a tinda, an exotic kind of squash), fragrant rice… We are to eat with our fingers as you would in India. laughs explode – we’re obviously not that gifted… It is true that you savour the food more, think about it more, notice the colours. With a fork, it’s easy to separate easily abit of rice with that sauce or that one. Eating with your fingers forces you to mix more ingredients together, some you would not have mixed usually. It’s a success. we’re hooked. And the greatness of it all? You can have seconds!

Guests now hold their breath – here comes the smell experience. A huge slice of durian, which smell is almost pleasant and lemony but which will be faithful to its reputation. We all happily try, plunginh our fork in the white flesh and are unanimous: vade retro satanas! Interesting though as we all wanted to try, never would have bought the fruit (huge and expensive – £30 for one!) but really were curious about it. another thing to tick on “to do before I die list”. Also comes a huge Stinking Bishop. very mature, actually running and escaping on our table. The smell is strong but any cheese lover woul fall for it. The taste is cremy, a bit nutty and… well, it didn’t last long on our table. Nice touche to have served it with almonds too!

The desert is welcomed enthusiastically. We are blindfolded for this dish. Not easy to find your ramequin, oops, that was the table, the neignour’s hand, ah, here it is! Always easy to find a taste when you’ve seen it written down before. Here you have to think. Rich chocolate for sure… A different layer on top – I’m a creme fraiche addict, and recognise it immediately, creme fraiche ice-cream, elegant and fresh on the heavier chocolate cream. But the base? Ah, a complete mystery. It’s caramel like, and crunchy, and popping? A clever mix of peacn nuts and popping candy… Not knowing how much is left you really make the pleasure last…

This is more than just dinner, it’s an evening, an entertainment, a fun taste adventure. All thanks to the amazing MsMarmiteLover who reminds me of th fairies in Disney’s version of Sleeping Beauty: cheeks pink with pleasure, sparkling with happiness and joie de vivre, almost flying from one table to another, interested in everything and everyone, happy to sit down and chat and share with you. She’s so contagious! Add to this that she has lived 7 years in France and speaks perfect froggie. I can only take pride in that.

An occasion to be renewed as often as possible!

MsMarmiteLover’s blog: http://marmitelover.blogspot.com/
This way for tickets!

You probably know Tracy Chevalier for her first novel, Girl with a pearl earring, a little treasure also adapted on the big screen. Wonderfully depicted and inspired by Vermeer and his paintings, elegant and fascinating.

With Burning Bright, the author focuses on late 18th century London. The intrigue is a bit too easy for me but the painting of this Georgian London really got me through the book. So lively, buzzing, real! The Lambeth of another time, the hundreds of forgotten simple and amazing small jobs, from laundry to making buttons… the atmosphere of pubs at the time, in which kids joined in, exploitation of employees in the industries, the herness of the job, here in a mustard factory, the red neighbourhood of Soho, the poverty of St Giles… Other stories weave themselves through the story: the influence of the French Revolution, modern ideas on the verge of treason, the local association pressurising people into signing their allegeance to the King: of course you weren’t free to choose your political views at the time. But alo the famous William Blake, free thinker and famous poet who did live in Lambeth.

Interesting to learn about the Astley circus, at the foot of Westminster bridge. It started as an equastrian show and quickly evolved to pantomines, juggling, rope-walking, fireworks… Chevalier suceeds to paint both the atmosphere of the shows and the surrounding activities. The wooden building will burn down several times and be quickly rebuilt each time: you are placed in the middle of the repetitions, the carpenters building new decors around them, the children waiting around for any opportunity to earn a penny… or learn a piece of gossip whihc could in turn be moneyed into a favour.

An ideal book if you’re traveling: easy to start, put down, start again. I loved discovering a different facet of London, this era being more rarely covered, authors usually prefering Henry VIII, Elisabethean or Victorian times. Makes walking through the streets a bit more magical superposing two different frames…

Week-ends. Aaaah. I always grab a bol de cafe au lait – so Frenchie! – a few magazines to read through, a  few websites to scan and plan the day ahead.

This morning, I replaced the press with a very new guide on London: 24 hours.

Curiosity is all over me. Amazing since I have read so many guidebooks about the city. Classical ones, historical ones, anecdotical ones.  Riddles and hunts for clues. 1000 things to be done, things to be done under a tenner. Secret London, Unusual London, Victorian London, London by its bridges. Wanting to dig a little deeper, I even tried Underground London, harder to read but so instructive. Still looking for new angles, new secrets, I have switched to books historical or not – a house by the Thames… Salaam Bricklane… Mrs P’s journey…

Can this new one surprise me? Can an introduction byt Boris Johnson be a good guarantee? Mmm. I switch my latte for a ristretto. Let’s talk business, baby.

Its originality is in its organisation. Not by neighbourhood or activity but by time of the day. I light up: how many times have I been stuck with nothing to do? Because shops and museums alke were closing? Or at 23.00 when I had missed a train and the next one was at 01.00?

The again, I know London quite well after 6 years. I read the event press on a daily basis.

But still, with the very first pages, I fill my notebook. Unknown details, forgotten addresses… Some of my favourite places also figure there, which convinces me to trust the author fully. A very clear style, easy to read, to remember with funny titles the way I like them.

Hitchcok mosaics in the tube? Ghost houses? Free ferry ride? Best places for cocktails and jazz at any time of the night? want to swim AND have a martini at 02.00?

Ideal too, the them lists 24 hours on the cheap, 24 hours with Nature...

I’m reading the book inside out. Backwards. Using the index. Putting notes in margin. By hour. Standing in the kitchen a cup of espresso in my other hand. Two hours later, I am rereading it a second time. Hell, by now, I know entire paragraphs by heart.

It had been a while since a guidebook has made me feel like jumping in my shoes. The last one was 1000 things to do in London and those tow complete each other quite well. light, supple, ideal size for a handbag (Gentlemen will obviously smile at that comment). Such a treadure of information for £9.99 (£6.84 if you order it from Amazon)! An ideal stocking filler too…

Even better, Marsha Moore is working on a Parisian version of the book. Eustostar will have to give her a percentage of the extra travels booked thanks to her!

If you’re a London lover, you probably know Southbank by heart. you could trace your way with your eyes closed. Somehow, this path is printed within your every cell.

Of course, you always have a look at the sand sculptors @ Gabriel’s wharf, where the river uncovers a perfect beach.

I like to add a twist to this walk. Rather than the usual tourist way, I take the stair down at that point and walk along the river when the tide is low. Too many tourist, too much noise during the day: try this on a lovely evening! The path alternates between rocks and beaches. You will collect a few pieces of china, smoothed to perfection by the current. These wooden pillars, almost disappearing in the ground now, used to support a pier. The waves sing softly a few meters from you. The City takes a surreal look from down here, colours shine everywhere.

I usually go up to The Founder’s Arms pub, right before the Tate but you will find stairs before that. A lovely walk outside the usual buzz!

In my daily rushed routine, where thoughts are always turned to saving time, I tend to settle for highstreet bookshops on my way. A quick look at the “must read” of the moments, flashy covers, take a few notes, order on Amazon to get a better price. So very practical but the process lacks little gems, tastes too much like the Entertainment section of the Times to be fully satisfying.

An improbable walk suddenly takes me through Holland Park, a few more streets and I am standing in front of Daunt, wooden frame, Edwardian look, one of those independant libraries that make you feel like sitting on the floor, build a castle of books around you and hide there for hours. They give you a taste back for adventure, exploration and losing complete track of time…

The London section is just amazing and I write down pages of references… My heart urges for the City, for its secret life.

In this Ali Baba cavern, I discover the Park Sories collection -  8 short stories taking place in London royal parks. Amazing isn’t it that this litterary genre tends to disappear when it probably is the most adapted to our way of life, always running, always commuting, never having much time for ourselves? This is the perfect format – can be read on the way to work, can fit easily in your handbag…

Of course, you can’t be a Londoner without have walked, strolled, jogged through our royal parks, circled the Serpentine, met at the Orangerie, sat in our of the deckchairs (and been made to pay for it), saluted St James’ pelicans, climbed up to Greenwich’s observatory, looked Richmond’s deers in the eyes…

I expected the parks to play a bigger role. I wanted historical details, caves, secrets, white pebbles I could follow next time. Quite the contrary – the park is just a background, a thread in the story. Disappointing? No -  a different feeling arises. This infuses the park, your park, the one you knew for a particular buzz and atmosphere with a different personnality somehow – a different angle to look at it. It brings and emotion, an identity to it. Anf you will want to run at te Diana Memorial, fly away at St James, make fun of tourists at Greenwich, believe in ghosts in Green Park.

At £2 the book, is there realy any hesitation to be had? Go ahead. Fall in love with the vison of kensington by a little girl from Koweit (Hanan al-Shaykh, a beauty Parlour for the swans) and the sad magical love story in St James (Clare Wigfall, Along birdcage walk).

Park stories

Available on the Royal Parks website or at Daunt Books (several branches)

Walking through London, you’ll meet countless monuments dedicated to WWI/II, to the soldier’s courage, bravery, strength. They’re sometimes impressive, others dark, proud, full of hope. But always, praise is on those whom left for the real fight.

On Whitehall, this amazing bronze sculpture by John Mills is less known and what a shame! Rounder shapes, a little shyer but so vibrant with peacefulness and determination… It was dedicated in 2005 to the 7 millions women who fought, in their own way, during WWII. Husbands were in the army, of course, and they rolled their sleeves taking over as much as they could: they volunteered for military service, drove ambulances, buses, traijns, helped to build planes and ships, made munitions, dug coal… The title uses the same font as the ration books at the time.

I love, in this work of art, the movement in the uniforms, the very strong presence of this feminine force, ready to jump back into action any time…

Intrigued? Rush to the Imperial War Museum close to Waterloo (ironically, previously and asylum) – I have always been fascinated by the collection of WWII slogans such as Dig for Victory, the wonderful unity of the British nation. You’ll also learn how children were massiveley evacuated from the capital to the countryside during the Blitz, with only a suitcase and a label with their name around their neck…

Alternatively, try this book: Can any mother help me? A group of women, feeling isolated, corresponded and created a magazine. Each would write an article on any subject would add it to the pile and send it to the next person on the list. Each reader would leave annotations. This covers WWII -  an extraordinay insight on how they coped, welcomed evacuees, their political views, their regions at the time, how they struggled to keep their family together. All true – no fiction at all!