London: Tea Time in Wonderland

I am counting the days to the holidays. You know, prisonner like, crossing them out. I know they are not so far away but looking at the piles of files on my desk, it looks like the wall of China is between me and them. And so I look at London who also derives towards dreamy places. Here a hotel becomes a narrowboat (or vice-versa), close to a floating restaurant. A parking is sublimed by a classical music concert. Camping becomes urban and with a view. Even spas head toward the garden.

Are you trying to escape too? Well, I can help you make it to the week-end at least. Print this page. Thanks to Thrillist, you can have a free cocktails, a French twist the Pimm’s. Instead of the classic British aperitif, this one is made with my favourite Bordeaux alcohol, Lillet. A delight.

All re-energised to go and enjoy London!

* Learn to dance tango in Spitafields. It’s free. And romantic. And sexy.

* Movie fan? Take place on the Dalston roofs.

* Have tea in a historical house with Bea’s of Bloomsbury. We love her cupcakes.

* Just a year left before the Olympic games and London is celebrating with 1000 events.

* Discover the Brixton murals.

* There is quite a party on Whitecross street and street art will be involved too.

* Do you like Chinese shadows?

* Discover British wines at the Borough Market.

* Nike proposes free sport sessions in London parks.

* Art will make you smile on the Central Line.

* Soho celebrates short-movies until July 29. go and see them at the Curzon, the Apple Store, the Hospital Club…

* Do you have a bike? A few cafés for you this way.

* We love these new themed tours of London: fashion, foodie, art on Bond Street…

* Missing the royal wedding atmosphere? Have another dose!

Pssst: Always wanted to discover the view from the BT tower? Book here.

A few evenings ago, inspiration was escaping me. I typed and crossed out sentences constantly – the letters of  the Delete button were in danger of fading away. And so I sighed. And I thought of the artists who used to find their muse in the Green Fairy. Did that really work? If so, should I be relocating my office in this new absinth bar, between the elegant fountains and delicate spoons?

if you, on the other hand, are in search of London inspiration, I have just what you need:

* Free burritos, Thursday and Friday at Canary Wharf.

* A touch of glamour at the National Portrait Gallery.

* Chocolate? For a good cause? Well, we can’t say no, then, surely…

* Kensington Palace gets enchanted in the evening for the summer. (Click here for a few pics)

* A few steps away… the Nomad Cinema will project at Kensington gardens this week-end. Truman show, Thelma & Louise, Fargo: yes, there are some spaces left.

* Rediscover the past Olympic games in pictures. Oh, for a bird’s view of the stadium, head that way.

* Support ukuleles. In the most musical way, of course.

* Explore the plant rooms and corridors under the Royal Festival Hall.

* Wow. Chaps have their own olympiade – all gentlemen games and vintage suits.

* Another journey in the past with those amazing pics of Tower Bridge being build. Saved from the skip!

* Circus time at Southbank!

* too hot? Get a glimpse of the Arctic.

* Join the swap and share picnic for a dose of happiness, fun games and craft.

Pssst: book now to get a chance to create your own gin.

When I’m tired, I snack. And I feel pretty tired at the moment. And so I have become addicted to pop-corn. I can’t escape it, it is everywhere!

At work, I fall for Tyrrell‘s crunchy treats (yes, yes do more than just crisps).

Before heading to a long meeting, I find energy in Meltcafe‘s wasabi ones. I hope it makes me look fiercer too.

My best reward would be Joe & Seph’s gourmet versions. My favoutite remains the caramel, macchiato and whisky.

There’s also one to put in your handbag: Wild Trail does bar ones, with pieces of apples, apricot…

Next on my list is this Shoreditch cinema‘s interesting jazz corn.

Any advice? Let me know! Meanwhile…

* A new way to recycle: fridges put together as a cinema screen.

* Celebrate Friday with a free music concert at the Scoop.

* Take a beer masterclass.

* Anish Kapoor reflects the City.

* Go and see the Spitafields Market new sculptures.

* Spring clean and declutter those shelves.

* Did you know it is mango season? Here is where to find the best ones.

* Pretend you are Mozart. Yes, in the street.

* Southbank will celebrate too, it is a whole party next week at Borough Market.

* Baranis will be joining too. There will be petanque, delicious treats and a themed cocktail.

* Maille is opening a pop-up in Spitafields. Boutique by day and underground restaurant at night. Made even bubblier by the excellent Mrs Marmite Lover.

London is fascinated by empty, wasted spaces. Rooftops welcome cinemas, parkings become gardens or art spaces, deserted buildings wake up for a few days or weeks through a pop-up shop or restaurant…

A different kind of recycling, when you think of it. Crazy little ideas that bring an old room alive again.

The latest in town is an urban garden, inspired by medicinal plants. A really passionate team decided to create a bubble of quietness in the city. Don’t wait too long -  this is only for the summer!

Each part of the garden is themed by hopital ward and present herbs and flowers that can be used in treatments. If your phone can read QRs, just scan the codes to know more about them.

We loved the recycling ideas and twists on daily objects like saucepans for flower pots or turning a skip into a ping-pong table.

Always in the therapy-theme, pour the seeds of your choice in a transparent pill-capsule and plant it once home – the kids love it.

Feeling hungry? Stop at the mini-café, called Rambulance. You can even brunch there at the week-end. Long sharing table, free wifi. On chilly day, a camp fire is lit. Bring your marshamallows… The atmosphere is ever so friendly here and you will end up talking to strangers about gardening, homeopathy, organic products, cooking with herbs… Have a look on their program to know more about workshops.

Urban Physics Garden
100 Union Street
London
SE1 0NL
Until August 15, 2011 – Free
Come on the very last day to adopt the garden plants.

Stuck at the office this Monday, with no air con, when the weather forecasts 36 degrees? Mind elsewhere, gaze lost in the wilderness although you have a long list of meetings and files to go through?

Monday blues. Maybe you should have called in sick and slept in a hammock in the nicest spot of your garden. Then again, your tan on Tuesday would have given you away. Or just taken the day of, jumped in the car, escaped.

At least it is not too late to add softer hues to the day, blue ones like this cloudless sky. Look here – I have a few products for you to win:

Don’t you love this lagoon nail varnish? This one is by Organic Glam – fluid texture, pretty resistant to shocks, perfect gloss effect. Match it with the eye liner from 2 True. I have fallen in love with their twist option- I do not have the patience for pens to be sharpened or too liquid liners. I indulged in a pannel of colours -  at £2 each, why resist?

The jewel brand Tous recently launched a perfume whose profits go to Oxfam. The idea? Support a project bringing drinkable water. Far from being a basic fragrance, it reminds me of a very chic French one, Eau de Rochas which was a hit in my childhood and still is a must-by in my country. Tonic notes of jasmine, tangerine, lemon based on organic essential oils bring it a perfect elegance. Gives you a dose of energy in seconds. What a wonderful design too: a drop of water with a diamond effect. Beauty serving charitable causes.

A little sparkle – a Swarowski cristal charm. I can spend hours in their boutique looking at the different shapes and rainbow of colours…

Want to be the lucky winner? Just leave us a comment with your favourite view of London. A name will be drawn on Thursday June 30. Good luck!

I watch the rain pouring down and cannot get this word off my mind: beach.
Toes in warm sand, grains rolling on skin made golden by the sun.
Soft wave music. Listen to the lids splash, laugh, collect shells and make castles.

London seems to have a thing for it too. London-on-sea. Southbank has a mini-kids-beach for the summer. The Red Market, who is finally opening in Shoreditch this week-end after many delays, is proposing an urban version. Palmtrees, pétanque, deckchairs and cocktails. Even pop-ups go sea-food style!

Are you next holidays way too far? Look for a few London ideas here insteas:

* Come and join hundreds of musicians on Southbank this Friday.

* Peyrton & Byrnes are opening a pop-up within Kew Gardens. Dinner will be enhanced with herbs and eatble flowers foraged in the park and served with a little jazz.

* Pretend you are Sherlock Holmes at the Natural History Museum.

* Sleep at the Barbican. No kidding: cushions, duvet and breakfast included!

* Didn’t get your tickets for Wimbledon? Opt for plan B: a 360 degree-view platform at Selfridges.

* Rush to Greenwich for their extraodinary summer festival.

* Be a yogabunny in Hyde Park.

* Food party in Soho.

* Learn to be a barista.

* Did you there now is a farmers’ market every week-end at Portobello?

* Manucure and champagne? Luxury down to your fingertips.

* Discover a roof garden in Southwark -  only open to the public this Sunday. Have a look at the artist’s (Mathew Bell) other creations in London.

* Look up and hunt for hints of the Old London.

* Next stop: Murakami!

Pssst: Are you one of the bloggers chosen by #Regenttweet to tweet the fashion news this Saturday? Leave us a comment and see you on Saturday at Swarowsky’s! Don’t forget your shopping bag…

This former covered market still is used a covered shopping gallery these days. Best time to visit it is right after office hours -  when the City guys are relaxing over a pint, getting rid of that tie knot. What a buzz!

At the week-end, the place is completed deserted – come a nd have a quiet look at the steel lace. Try to imagine the 19th century London life.. or Old Tom, a goose who survived the slaughter of 34 000 birds od her kind  but finally was adopted by the mercheants. If you are lucky, you will stumble on a private party or, like us a few months ago, a Bollywood filming, Western style (yep, with cowboy hats) and… bagpipe players. That’s globalisation for you!

Leadenhall Market
City of London
London EC3V 1LT

You will need, for this one, to step aside from the heart of London.
There is nothing around but cute Victorian Houses. No trendy shop, no touristic attraction.

It is nice, sometimes, to just wander to an unknown part of the city, not knowing what to expect, a twilight zone not covered by glossy books.
Maybe because you opened you guide at random. Maybe because you know someone around and you arrived too early, wanted to kill the time.

I may talk about trendy places a lot but those green asylums I cherish as well. This one is getting a bit wild, vegetation is taking over a little but it has charm. At the week-end, you’ll probably meet of of the passionate volunteers working discreetly. Or a friendly robin. Who knows.

Empty your mind, bring a book, take of the many narrow paths around, breathe, escape.

Harleyford Community Garden
Harleyford Rd/Bonnington square
Lambeth
London SW8 1TF

Some places, no matter how small they may look form outside, have a heart of gold.
Surely you know Hummus Bros, famous for their fragrant dips, aromatic toppings and gorgeous pitta breads? Well, they have decided to use your tastebuds for a good cause.

The technique? Generosity and an appetite.
The way to go? 1/open your cupboards. We all have some clothes/shoes/accessories we bought in the sale but never or barely wore, books we never read, DVDs we watched a few times then abandonned on a shelf. 2/Gather a few in good condition 3/Rush to the restaurant on Sunday and give them the lot in exchange from a free dish from their menu. All the objects collected will be donated to Cancer Research UK and the profits of the sales will support the charity. 4/Lick your lips, tuck in! Your karma has just been upgraded by your love of food.

Great initiative, isn’t it? So buzz it, text it, tweet it, facebook it and tweet it!

Hummus Bros Barter Day
88 Wardour Street
Soho
W1F 0TH
Sunday June 19, 2011 – noon to 18.00