London: Tea Time in Wonderland

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…

What a dream, it does feel like summer ! T-shirts and beach dresses are out. You’d better eat those Easter chocolates quick or they’ll melt before the hunt has begun…

Put that suncream in your bag and pick a few ideas:

* Are flashmobs dead? Not at all! Meet tomorrow (Thursday, April 21) at Pierre Garroudi‘s gallery at 16.00. Him and his 20 models wearing bright red creations will take London streets as an amzing catwalk stage. Arrival planned at Trafalgar Square between 17.00 and 18.00.

* Southbank opens on Friday a huge festival, inspired by the 1951 and meant to celebrate the British culture. Over the next 4 months there will be a beach atmosphere, Indian street food, a fun fair and each week-end will provide animations on different themes…

* Every year, the British Museum and Kew Gardens work together on a themed garden. Australia is the new guest of honour.

* St Georges Day may not bring an extra day off but it is no reason not to celebrate!

* Blue sky and bright sun usually mean great thirst. Why not cheer the weather with a royal pub crawl? Alternativerly, get a beard and a toge, it’s all for a good cause and your pint will taste even better for it.

* Trafalgar Square is so trendy that even Jesus will stop there this week-end. No kidding.

* Do you live in east London? There’s plenty of chocolate your way.

* Until now, our favourite bubble tea place was the Candy Café. Will this new address in Soho win over?

* We had fallen in love with Gina Foster‘s hat creations. We are not the only ones – she seems to be pretty busy for the royal wedding…

* Don’t forget your camera on Sunday: Easter Bunnies will be skating through Hyde Park!

* Royal wedding cakes are all the craze. Go and see this free exhibition that recreates the most amazing ones, including a Buckingham Palace made of sugar.

* Discover the keys ceremony at the London Tower.

* Hendrick’s will mix new cocktails at Selfridges, served in teapots: gin-champagne-elderflower liqueur. Cheers, my dear!

* You can now enjoy Pimm’s on the London Eye.

What about you? London or countryside escape?

What a week! I have cheered spring, friendship, the royal wedding to come, the wonderful Irish people, summer collections and treats from the South of France… Tell me, what will you celebrate this week-end?

- It’s St Patrick’s! Why not try Chin Chin Lab‘s special ice cream for the occasion? The Black Velvet mixes Guinness, Monmouth espresso,Whiskey, & Chocolate Cake!
- Cakes and sushis unite for the best cause this Friday…
- Bee happy! This pop-up willl be honey sweet from jellies to cocktails!
- Pet Shop Boys in a musical – strange but it does look pretty good…
- Spot the difference…
- This week-end, the Slow Food Market is all about cheese and wine… Café On will be there too with their gorgeous macaroons.
- Why wait for the desert to enjoy cupcakes?
- The Somerset House turns artistic…
- Love skate-boarding? Take note of that one…
- The Grant Museum reopens..
- Bea’s launches a Mad Hatter party…
- One of Hyde Park’s little secrets…
- Wouldn’t that go well with a sophisticated coffee?
- How about trying the Nomad Cinema?
- You can now enjoy Lily Vanilli’s cakes at Drink, Shop & Do before jumping in a Eurostar!

Pssst: For the royal wedding, get yourself a tent…

Hi everyone! Temperatures will be dropping over the week-end (15 today to… 08 on Sunday, brrrr). Only one solution: move, visit, rush from one fun place to another!

- Start your Xmas shopping (Think it is too early? Harrods holds their Xmas parade on Saturday and Regent st lights will be switched on next Tuesday!): the Spirit of Xmas fair is a real treasure chest.

- Or shop vintage @ Lily Allen’s shop or @ the Vintage Fair.

- Learn more about fashion through drawings…

- How good are you @ hula-hooping?

- Was Titanic your favourite movie? Lucky you: an exhibition opens @ the O2 on Friday depicting life on board of the famour ship.

- Have a look at the Egyptian death exhibition @ the British Museum -  the illustrations of the Book of the dead are just amazing.

- Add a pinch of Dali…

- It’s bonfire season, time for fireworks! Why not those @ the London Museum?

- Wake up early on Sunday to see this rally – cars pre-XXth century! Too tired? They will be on display on Regent St on Saturday, with the drivers wearing period costumes…

- Discover or re-discover Rob Ryan’s paper lace…

- The Thames plays the contemporary card with artworks… on the water!

- Celebrate Diwali in a Hindu temple…

- A new concept: 3D graffitis…

- Put your skating shoes on @ the Natural History Museum…

- This tree will not lose its leaves…

- Even frozen yogurts put on their winter tops…

- It is time to hunt Innocent Drinks’ knitted hat. Will you find those?

- Don’t forget to hum London on the way… or to see London with a different eye with this bubbly tube map!

Any other tips in mind? Let us know!

Rain, ray of sunshine, rainbow… Gosh, you’d think we’re in March with those showers! hang on to your unmbrella, get the K-ways out, and run between the drops…

- 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!

What do you love best in the Royal Parks? Here’s mine:

I measure the year through those iconic green and white stripes. When they appear in March, I start dreaming about spring. When they disappear in October, I wave goodbye to any hope of a longer Indian summer and to the last autumn sunshine rays.

If you’re a local, you know they do not come for free: they are rented £1.50 an hour, £3 for 3 hours, £7 for the day. From time to time, a guard will come and check on you, asking for a few coins. Tourists tend to pay for the privilege, Londoners… will migrate to a different side of the park to gain a few more free minutes of siesta.

This year is a festive one. In 2006, 2007, 2008, the parks foundation had worked with artists, painters, illustrators, fasion designers… for wonderful editions. 2009 had skipped a beat – I guess the economical crisis had refocused the projects. But with 2010, new works of art are blooming – 14 new ones:

Shanghai gardens is exchanging with the Royal parks, hence the Asian touch. So elegant!

There is no way to walk out with one of those, you will be stopped within 10 steps of the lawn. However, get a hammer and your piggybank and buy one from the website! The profits will help supporting the gardens and the foundation. count £86 + £20 pp. Models from the previous years are still available and o joy, it counts artists such as Agnes B, Alexander Mc Queen, Quentin Blake, Blek le Rat, Polly Morgan, Raymond Briggs…

Deckchair dreams
The online shop

Pssst: get one of those to go with your chosen park!

Gourmets and Sweet Things addicts had applauded the opening of a Pierre Herme counter @  Selfridge’s at the beginning of the year.

Still, they were hungry for more. This is so refined we did not want to share it with other shoppers or varied departments. We wanted it a bit secluded, a gift to ourselves, a treasure box for these sugary gems.

And o joy, a Pierre Herme boutique has opened just yesterday in Belgravia. The splendid cakes are not there yet – something we hope is in their plans, though. The macarons are a feat for the eyes -  like a necklace a pastel pearls… Even the names are like a poem: Arabesque, Eden, Mogador, Pietra…

The shelves are loaded with wonders too. Fruit jellies to die for with exotic combinations such as Constellation: ornage-strawberry-cardamom… Jams fit for a breakfast in heaven (Envie: violet-blackcurrant… Montobello: strawberry and pistachio)… Chocolates to go mad for – try the ganache with a passionfruit layer! Even flavoured to make oyu forget Earl Grey forever… my favourite is Yu – yuzu, apple, citrus. One tends to read the descriptions in a whisper, voice rough with anticipation, mouth watering already…

Noone can resist this place: choose a selection (I paid £7.30 for 6 macarons) and have a gorgeous picnic in Hyde Park!

Love @ fist bite:
- Olive oil-vanilla: surprising isn’t it? Sweet, the olive oil is the final note. Amazingly different.
- Peach-apricot-saffron: each falvour is so very distinct. this melts perfectly in your mouth…
- Apricot-pistachio: with a pistachio praline heart. Why did I take only one of those?

Are you hesitating with Laduree? Let me put it that way. I would get a Laduree box for a variety of people as thank yous. But a Pierre Herme macaron calls for selfishness. You either indulge yourself or share it with very precious friends…

Pierre Herme
13 Lowndes St
Belgravia
London Sw1

Pssst: turn the corner, in the nearby street is the so delicious chocolatier Rococo…

I’m back! Now, let’s see what’s new in the city…

- On Thursday, don’t miss this aquatic exhibition…

- …or enjoy a free curry!

- This way for a free musical @ Sadler’s Wells…

- A few dance steps @ the Tate Modern… (By the way, time Out has a 2 for 1 offer for the Exposed exhibition)

-… or an alternative village fete, maybe?

- Always a favourite: Notting Hill carnival!

- Feel nostalgic with this exhibition on Jimy Hendrix…

- I never tire of this yearly press pictures exhibition…

- Discover a few secret places in the National Theatre…

- Treat yourself to an afternoon tea with an Asian touch…

- So you think you know London?

- By the way, do you know the story of the Crystal Palace?

- Yes, pubs and opera can be in harmony, who would have thought so!

- Try to get a ticket for this fab underground dinner!

- Fed up with pop-up shops? Why not give this pop-up cinema a go? It used to be a petrol station.

- Get the kids to learn more abour bats!

- Be zen in a Japanese garden… (give this one a try too!)

You’ll find me… strolling through Chelsea Physics gardens… Testing this edible exhibition… Checking out the Natural History Museum’s 8m long knitted squid… Enjoying some retro glamour at the V&A late night… Where will YOU be?

Isn’t it extraordinary to have a REAL summer for once? Better enjoy it while it lasts!

- Carnaval day on Southbank tomorrow!

- Love latin dances? Salsa, Cuban, columbian music? Go shake these calories out @ Hyde park for the World City Music Village Festival!

- Hey, it’s also the Big World Dance all over town on Saturday, with the final in Trafalgar square…

- The Hyde and Seek festival is back! It’s a fab occasions to play extraodinary games on Southbank. Bring all your friends!

- Did you have to tighten the belt on your fashion budget? Try the big swish this Saturday a giant clothes swap event!

- Why not learn graffiti art? Or a unicycle workshop?

- Stamp your week-end with something a little different. An old post-office in Hackney turns into an exhibition space: artists such as Tracy Emyn were inspired by parcel, letters, iconic stamps…

- Art is not your cup of tea? Try this show on coffee cups… Some have been decorated by Coppola, Fellini, Koons, Almodovar…

- Waterloo turned into a stage? Yes, with The Railway Children show (with a real train!)

- Missed the Royal Chelsea Flower show? Don’t worry -  Hampton Courts gets flowered similarly each summer…

- Add a pinch of urban nature…

- Can’t travel but feel like a change? Well, try Bastille Day @ Battersea Park this Sunday: French market, petanque, retro French music (with dancing and Lido girls)… Now, where have you put that beret of yours?

- Want more summer festivals? Music, shopping, nice food stalls? Try the Ealing one… or maybe Levisham? Even Islington joins in!

You’ll find me in a lavender field… and discovering the new Serpentine pavillion (by a French Architect, by the way)… How about you?

At the first ray of sunshine, people tend to rush to the lawns and beer gardens (often looks like a giant barbecue to me after a few hours). I love to stroll through a green oasis instead. Why not enjoy the rose garden in Hyde Park, planted in 1994. Isn’t it magical to caress the petals, compare the textures, smile at a bee’s drunken ballet?

End of June is the best time too – the roses are in full bloom. Splendid notes of orange, pepper, vanilla are in the air. Some are double, shy, bright purple, freckled, others blousy and seem to be opening very slowly like The Little Prince’s one.

The gardens are narrow but go on for ever. Narrow paths serpent through them, a few benches, lovely statues, an arched tunnel coverel with white blooms…

The best place to read this summer’s romantic novel!

Rose Garden
Hyde Park
London W1

Free

A great escape to the countryside is to drive down to Mottisfont Abbey – what a fab collection of roses they have there! (a few pics here)