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…

- It’s the Thames festival again! Two days of festivities, I just love this one. The program is this way. Do not miss the splendid classic boats @ St Katharine Docks… The festival on the bridge (my favourite, very poetic and countryside-like)… Le festival sur le pont (ma partie preferee, tres poetique et gourmande)… The night carnival…  And of course, it all ends in fireworks!  (if you do not mind French, you can see pics of last year here… and there)

- Invite youself to Prince Charles’ Garden Party with a difference… (£15, though!). 100 displays are presented, underlining recycling, sustainability, upcylcing…  I was there for the opening yesterday: pretty interesting, lovely gardens using recycled objects from daily life, a great moment to share with kids too…

- Are you a fashionista with a sweet tooth? Perfumes often have sweet, floral, fruity notes. Well, Harrods is dedicating an afternoon tea to those in parallel of the exhibition The perfume diaries.

- Are you going to the O2 with the Thames clipper? Have a better look at this sculpture…

- By the way, here is what you could do with 50,000 nails…

- Let the 21st century amaze you…

- Sing Elvis @ Hyde Park. Even Priscilla will be there!

- Yes, music and colours can dance together!

- A new idea: the silent cinema… I much prefer interactive theatre!

- Walk through Greenwich with this podcast…

- Watch an electric car parade…

- Dream of Africa…

- It has been 70 years since the Blitz so terribly marked England. Rediscover this slice of history through the exhibition @ the City Hall and the one @ the Transport museum…

- Take the kids to the V&A childhood museum – this exhibition about doll faces is just gorgeous.

Meet me in Shoreditch tomorrow night to discover this labyrinth under the streets of London!

Pssst: on Monday the 13th will take place a cinema-marathon: the whole Lost program, yep, all the episodes from start to finish, non-stop!

- First, get yourself  a free bacon roll today to get in the mood…

- Stop @ Soho square -  Buxton has a pop up there and gives away bottles and water. You can even sit in a deckchair and relax…

- Don’t forget to do your food shopping @ the Real Food Market on Southbank…

- Looking for the perfect shoe? Have a look at Vivienne Westwood’s creations @ Selfridge’s…

- A new conception of theatre with Theatre Souk…

- Morris dancers invade London this week-end -  head for Southbank for an amazing free gig!

- Fight death penalty @ St Martin-in-the-field…

- For a lighter note, cross the street and enjoy the Liberty festival on Trafalgar: music, workshops for kids and a circus show!

- You will feel like writing on the walls with the Nothing is forever exhibition…

- Follow the art trail!

- Forget Portobello market -  there’s a whole film festival going on there with a pop up cinema until September 19th: classic movies and even premieres! Even better it is all free…

- Get your bike out of the garage -  Sunday, the city’s heart is yours with the Skyride! The map’s right here.

- Rediscover Little Venice…

- Look up and gaze at the stars @ Greenwich…

- The Globe has designed a Thames inspired menu…

You will find me in Jermyn street, turned into a garden party on Saturday… and at the Royal opera House, turning into a forest this week-end and there will be free muscical events (get your free ticket from the website!). What is your tip for the week-end?

- The pianos are back! pretend you’re Mozart, improvise, make everybody dance…

- Oooh, it’s time for the V&A late night, on architecture this time. And there will be jazz too…

- By the way, it’s the festival of architecture with plenty going on!

- Be zen this week-end with taichi and yoga workshops @ Greenwich park…

- The summer festival is back @ the National theatre and there will be plenty of free shows on the stage on Southbank…. check out the program!

- Great, the beach is still there!And the appearing rooms also are back at the Southbank centre – the kids love those…

- Make your bets for the dragon boat race!

- Have a taste of honey @ Barbican…

- Rediscover London with songs …

- Are you ready for Wimbledon? I’m not but this tennis themed afternoon tea looks just perfect to me….

- Take your little ones to see the Charlie and Lola exhibition…

How will you enjoy the sun? I’m escaping to Paris for the week-end, ohlala!

Ah, but there is a 4 and 1/2 year old princess jumping up and down at your side. She really, really, really would like to go for a walk, please, mummy?

You’re counting your options. It is wet and muddy outside, so out are the countryside and the parks. You have been so many times to the Natural History Museum (renamed here the Dinosaurs’s house), the Science Museum and the V&A Childhood Museum that you could go round them in your sleep.

Where to go?

The Greenwich National Maritime Museum! Kids can run happily there, admire boats figures, learn how waves are created… The last floor proposes a hands on section on communication (flags, morse, radio), navigation (with a fab simulator system).  Kids activities are very often on at week-ends – colouring, cutting, even treasure hunting. There is a Paul cafe on the first floor (Hooray say all Froggies, real croissants in view!).

Most of all, do go for their actual exhibition Toy Boats, those adorable miniture ships children of good families sailed on ponds in the last century. Picture this – adorable little boy in a sailor suit…

A hundred are gathered here, amazing, gorgeous, some huge, and impressive in details.

What I had failed to understand is that they were not mere toys. Those became a real competition between brands, collections, pride of a country too. We start towards the 1850s. No computer or surreal games then: amusements were to reflect the outside world. The century to come will mark formidable maritime advancement in technology. Countries try to outpass each other: who will build the biggest? Fastest? Most beautiful ship?

What a great occasion for toy manufacturers. The people are fascinated. They crowd harbours to gasp at them. The publicity is taken care of already! They just need to create miniature versions, as close as possible to the real ones. Germany is the first in line, recognised world wide for the quality, the precision. They even develop a range of submarines. France is next in line. The toys sell like mad, the industry develops. Of course, little boys will want races! Twisted rubber bands, steam models (though this could prove dangerous), springs, the very first batteries…

A lovely cruise through time. Parents and kids alike will leave with twinkles in their eyes, longing for the next sunny day, hoping to sail paper boats on the river if they have not yet found the toy boat of their dream…

Toy Boats

Until October 31, 2010
Museum and exhibition free
National Maritime Museum
Greenwich
Romney Road
Greenwich, London SE10 9

Psssst! The Greenwich world food market is only a 10mn walk away, ideal for a week-end lunch!

What an extraordinary way to dress!

The coastermongers used these brilliant buttons on their clothes. Henry Croft, brought up in an orphanage close to St Pancras started to collect the lost ones he found on the floor. Then upgraded his own clothes with them, including his hat and wooden stick. He was nicknamed the Pearly King. Tis was in 1875 -  a real success: people would stop him, give him a coin or two which he then gave to his childhood orphanage to help other kids out. Little by little, associations, hospitals asked him to raise money for them. The demand was so great that he had to recruit other Pearly Kings and Queens.

These days, the tradition continues and they support a cause or the other. Oftenn, the suit is transmitted wihtin the family. I often see them @ Covent Garden, always smiling and ready to pose for a picture.

Look at the designs closely. Each circle is a one penny size and each sign has a meaning. Some are  logical: a horseshoe means luck, a dove peace. Others are more difficult to guess: an anchor would be hope, a flower pot a costermonger…

There is an official parade the first sunday of October – can’t wait to see this royal walk!

Have a look on their website for more pictures. Or watch Mary Poppins again, they do appear in the song Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

At Greenwich, this week-end, a Pearly King had brought his colourful royal coach…

- Yummy times! Head for the Real Food festival for a gourmet experience. Plenty to taste, countless demonstrations! Great for kids too with a butter churning workshop, milking demonstrations, animals to pet…

- Fairtrade fan? Join the party! Film and music also are part of the fun.

- if you love vintage clothes,  head for Clerkenwell!

- Add a little elegance to your week-end with the Grace Kelly exhibition @ the V&A…

- Take the boys (whichever age, grown ups included) to dream @ the Toy boat exhibition @ the Greenwich Maritime Museum. Adorable. There’s a pond whithin Greenwich Park where you can rent a small boat and go round or just bring your own toys to float… And why not stop @ the Greenwich food market for a bite?

- Don’t miss the Covent Garden May Fayre and Puppet festival. We went last year and had a fab time with the non-stop Punch and Judy shows and admiring the collection of puppets… A few pictures this way (sorry, the text will be in French though).

- Why not a pics exhibition? Atlas presents faces of our times – splendid photos of famous people that marked our century. Albert Einstein, the Queen Elicabeth II, Picasso…

- if you like knowing all the tricks, try the I remember you exhibition, a film in which Keira Knightley plays. You’ll get to see how the scenes were prepared.

- Dance in the streets! Well at least, Carnaby Street…

- Finish with a hit and try these cocktails inspired by the Chelsea Flower Show…

You’ll find me hunting elephants in Green Park. I can’t wait to see the 200 Morris Dancers on Trafalgar Square on Saturday. What are your plans?

- Still in an Easter mood? The try the Claridges’ afternoon tea with hot cross buns… and, my friend, a Valrhona hot chocolate…

- Emmenez les enfants decouvrir une tradition suedoise pour Paques…

- Fancy a little suspense? Learn more about Hitchcock…

- For something totally different, go and look at these surprising nail sculptures… or this floating one @ St Paul’s…

- Rediscover the British interior design of the last 150 years…

- or if the sun’s out, head for Greenwich! Have a bite to eat at the food market then learn a few things about the place. There’s even talk about a micro-brewery producing fab beers…

- Looking for a great place for a special occasion? Why not a brunch on the 29th floor with a 360 deg view? Amazing but , wow, £65…

- Empty your bank account @ the Spring Country Living Fair – so many unique and marvelous gifts there…

You’ll find me @ Kensington Palace, enchanted for a while… and at the Alice pop-up cafe @ Harrod’s..

Give this one a try. Jump on a Thames Clipper (not cheap, I have to say, but it does convey such a holiday feeling. And I love going under the Tower Bridge) and have a walk through the Greenwich Market

Oh, of course, you’ll find plenty creative stalls: modern designed t-shirts, wooden fairies, wonderful designer clothes, ceramics, jewel soapd, romantice dishes, paintings… which you could also find @ the Old Spittafield.

For this one, let your stomach guide you… See how tempted by everything you will be…?

How maddening, so many colours, flavours, smells! You don’t even know where to look. Here you can eat Italian, Japanese, Turkish, Argentinian, Ethiopian, Vegetaria, Portuguese… And don’t forget the smoked meats, the French saucisson, the pile of cheese, the pancakes, the dried fruit!

Yummy Awards:

The Sultan’s delight for its Turkish pizzas: a kind of naan cooked with onions and parsley, then seasoned with salad, yogurt and hummus. A feast, flavours exploding in the mouth. You can’t get enough of it. £4.50 eahc, and belive me there’s enough for two.

Still hungry? Stop at Mamma Mia! for those rice cakes -  crispy outside, melting inside. And the saffron makes it very unique, unresistable. I hadn’t eaten such good ones since Rome…

Now, you cannot leave without a sweet touch. No hesitation, it will have to be a churros @ Gaucho Sons of Pampa. We have them in France as well. In Spain, you’re to dip them into creamy chocolate. Here they will be moulded, cooked and rolled into cinnamon and sugar in front of you then… filled with chocolate or dulce. Pure ecstasy! The smell of warm cinamon, this crunchy texture, and the vanilla note inside before eating the caramel… £2 for such a treat is pure heaven.

Et pour faire couler tout ca, vous trouverez des cocktails de jus de fruit… et des thes formidables a Inago Tea.
Finish with a fruit cockatil or even better, try one of the extraordinary teas from Inago.

Why not walk this off? Greenwich is ideal for romantic walks or family afternoons. The National Maritime Museum is free so is the Old Royal Naval College – the painted chapel ceilings are worth stopping by. Or why not head through the park and walk up the hill to the Greenwich Meridian and observatory for a fab view on the City?

The Greenwich Market
Stockwell St
London, SE10

During the day, I want something festive, sparkling, surprising, extra-ordinary. I want to be amazed. I make stocks @ Mariages Freres and Theodor in Paris – there wasn’t much fun to be found in London teas.

A stroll to the Greenwich market has now saved me. I was immediately drawn to Inago’s stall – emerald notes, fun logo. Inago actually is a Japanese dish of grilled sweet grasshoppers. I first learnt about them in Africa – the crops were being destroyed by the insects, the local population starving. Grilling them was a survival option, really, but they found out it actually is quite tasty.

The philosophy’s quite simple: savouring excellent teas while taking time for yourself. Work with smaller tea gardens, respect traditions and real flavours. A reassuring vision but getting classical these days: I needed proof. Good for the soul has not always proved good for my tastebuds.

But Michael Grant has a real passion. You just have to see his smile when discusssing teas. Have a look at his website – he designed it entirely. Listen to him explain tea varieties, flavours, techniques, prepare your drink – he doesn’t even have to look, he knows each gesture so very well. And what an alchemist! I’m like a kid at Xmas: mint and jasmine? Mint and cardamom? Plum and apple? Apricot and honey?

Even better, you’ll find yummy declensions of green tea: scones, iced cocktails, milkshakes, even jelly! Do try the mean shake with sencha and a mint note, so very refreshing… The tea buzz even has gingerale in it! I tried this week-end a wonderful warm apple juice with plum. Just perfect for this autumn-ish weather.

Another little treasure – his honeydew tea – sweetened with the fruit nectar. Velvety. Such a lovely perfume to it that I wished I could spray it on me. Such a different taste!

Special award too for the biocup with a filter so you can enjoy a cup made with loose tea!

My only request: they need a teashop, quiiiiiiick!

This guy is to be followed. He’ll go far.

Inago

Every week-end @ the Greenwich Market
Stockwell St, London, SE10
Mean Shake £2.50

Cup of tea £1.50-£2