Tea Time in Wonderland

Posts Tagged ‘markets’

Valentine’s week-end!

- How about a very poetic walk?

- To be followed by an excellent hot chocolate…

- Maybe a classical music concerts, candlelit?

- Alternatively, you can try the cinema screening on the National Theatre roof -  bring your blankets, champagne and picnic!

It’s also the Chinese New year – a roaring Tiger year! The official celebrations ave been postponed to next week – love marketing obliging – but you still can…

- Go to the National Portrait Gallery on Saturday. At noon, 14h00 and 16h00 there will be traditional dances, martial art and Chinese legends storytelling…

- or rush to the Museum of London Dockland Museum to taste some lovely tea, see a few screenings and enjoy the paper cutting workshops…

What about kids?

- Take them to the Wetland center to pet farm animals…

- or to the Horniman Museum for the Myths and Monster exhibition!

A few more options:

- Star Trek fans, be on the Millenium Bridge Saturday at 13.00 – preferably with your costume on!

- Pack some bargain at the market…

- Go and marvel at Judi Dench in a Midsummer’s night dream…

- Enjoy winter sports @ Trafalgar -  the Vancouver opening ceremony will be projected on a giant screen, vitual video games proposed and there will even be a giant ice sculpture of the olympic rings…

- Rediscover the fab Imperial Museum of War and enjoy their Ministry of food exhibition – extraordinary war posters like the famous Dig for Victory

- Stop at Lulu Guinness’ pop up shop in Carnaby street and be a fashion victim

Pssst! Don’t forget Shrove Tuesday next week -  head for the famous Spitafield pancake race!

First – get yourself in the mood with the V&A Renaissance ball on Friday night…

- Try one of Babylone’s Friday night concerts – the restaurant is famous for its roof gardens (if you go there by daylight, look out for the pink flamingos who live there. Yep, real ones. )

- More of a dancing queen? Go to the Abbaworld exhibition! Or @ Proud Camden for spendid pics of rock’n'roll animals, Elvis or Blondie.

Or make it an arty week-end:

- Use your imagination at Visible Invisible…

- Marvel @ ingeniosity @ 1001 inventions….

- Add a pinch of exotism…

- and a little rainbow at the Tate…

Nostalgic? try the photo exhibition @ Kenwood house instead, on lost London. Or dream of other lands with these projections of the Arctic on the Hayward Gallery external walls…

You can also participate to this strange project to recycle works of art…

Much prefer a quiet week-end with the kids? Try the free workshop sessions @ the Somerset house or take them for a bit of Dr Seuss rhyming! Even better? Go and find some dinosaurs…

You’ll find me @ the Saacthi for their new Indian exhibition (and possibly getting some cornbread mix from the nearby Partridges and there’s a Saturday morning market there too) and at Jen’s cafe for a bubble tea.

What about your best plans for the week-end?

Fed up spending your evenings wrapping a mountain of presents in golden gift paper? Chill out!

- Mix your own soda on Thursday…

- Take your kids to the Scoop on Friday to sing Xmas…

- Or play Gay Bingo on Friday at Selfridge’s…

- Munch your way through the slow food market on Southbank or at the Real food market at Covent Garden, more gourmet.

- Have the kids create their own Xmas disguise…

- Or ride in a carriage at Kew Gardens…

- A little flight simulation, guys?

- Or would you prefer a pint and some table football?

- Have a look at the new Sherlock Holmes @ Mme Tussaud (and double the occasion with the Sherlock Holmes museum a few steps away)

- Listen to poetry and short stories in Hyde Park while eating mince pies…

- Grab a glass of mulled wine and listen to Xmas carols @ Covent Garden…

- Stop at St Pancras and see ice sculptures…

- Watch the Chinese Circus and dream…

- Add a little pop street art…

You’ll find me at the All of everything exhibition between two suitcases to be packed…

Fed up with Xmas shopping? A few ideas to forget all about it…

- Well first, you need energy. Carluccio’s has a special -10% on their deli this Thursday. Best of all, you’re welcomed with mulled wine and canapes…

- T’is the season to be eating finger-licking good treats! Head for the chocolate festival on Southbank.

- Don’t forget the new exhibitions: question your identity @ the Wellcome Collection or test artistic technology @ the V&A.

- More of the street art fan? Head for the Flying Eyeball.

- of course there is the pop-up of the week-end: Elton John’s clothes and stage outfits on sale, profits going to his AIDS foundation. Not whithin your budget? Try Barnardo’s vintage shop on Carnaby street to pack a bargain!

- Rediscover England with fascinating landscape pictures @ the National Theatre…

- Take the kids to a panto: there will be a toy Aladdin one @ Covent Garden on Sunday…

-… or pet an ice polar bear on Trafalgar Square….

- … or your toddlers to a Baby disco party on Saturday! Shake it, baby!

- Why not an interactive Treasur Hunt?

- a last festive note: the Tate Britain is setting up its artistic Xmas tree this Friday.

Did I forget anything? Leave me a note!

You’ll find me @ the Earth exhibition (then trying to choose from one of the gorgeous cakes at the Sketch Pop Up) and at the strange and amazing House of fairy tales

Another rainy week-end ahead… Smile! Just take your umbrella on an adventure…

Here’s to put you in the mood:

- The Portobello Winter festival starts this wednesdau and will have thematic nights every Wednesday till Xmas

- Don’t forget to get prepared for those Xmas parties and meals: celebrate Thanksgiving!

Feeling better? Here’s for the week-end:

- Head for the new pop-ups before they blow away with the fashion wind… Nes-cafe @ Liberty and the famous Parisian Colette on Brick Lane

- Need your weekly dose of street art? Hoorray! Mutate opens its doors again @ Portobello.

- Even Damien Hirst is back @ the White Cube Gallery. It’s still time to see his No love lost @ the Wallace collection

- Spendid news pictures @ The Royal Festival Hall…

- Alternatively hum Only you @ Proud Chelsea… Great pics of a young Elvis.

- Kids will find happiness in Covent Garden – there will be a real reindeer to pat Saturday afternoon. Parents will probably prefer the amazing jewel exhibition that flashes magic lights under UVs…

You’ll find me @ the Secret Cinema… and having an underground afternoon tea. What’s YOUR program?

A hot chocolate, a new scarf and gloves, and here you go. Plenty to see this week-end to get into the Xmas spirit. Not that you can really escape it!

- Start on Southbank – either with the Slowfood market (jazz themed this time) or the Cologne Xmas market…

- Oxford street launches its market this week as well…

- Want more? Head to Hyde Park for a walk and a big wheel ride with the Winterwonderland…

- Stop @ Covent Garden for the Lacoste experience or simply for the kids to enjoy candlelit stories…

- Head to Victoria station or Westfield to see the Cirque du soleil (and hopefully win free tickets!)…

- See another dimension in Trafalgar square with the ghost forest…

- Take the kids to the London children film festival…

- Want to make them gasp in wonder? Have a walk with them in the Enchanted forest @ Syon Park. Thousands of lights in the trees. £5 per adult, £2 per kids – quite cheap for the thrill…

- Skate at the Somerset House. Have alook at the program: Breakfast @ tiffany’s matinees and DJ evenings!

…with a cheese and wine market! A dozen stalls propose cheese from all over the world – and yes, you can taste plenty of those! Or maybe alternate with the wine stands. You’ll also find fab beers (try the Whitstable one!), favoured oils, bread with herbs sprinkled on top…

Doesn’t this make you suddenly feel like having a picnic?

Cheese and Wine festival
Southbank Centre Square
London

Until October 25 18.oo

This week-end, slow down and take the time to…

… enjoy the colour firewok at http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/poplife/- Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, Andy Warhol and my favourite, Murakami are part of it. Not to be missed!

… Listen to Roald Dahl’s stories @ the National Theater and even get a book signed by Quentin Blake himself…

… Join the Broadway market Saturday from noon for their mid-autumn festival – Vietnamese food and mooncakes, lantern making workshop, games and dances for kids!

… Lick you lips @ Selfridge’s with their “Taste of Singapore” cooking demonstrations…

… If you are @ Selfridge’s on Saturday, you could see the flashmob regrouping 100 volunteers wearing duck masks well decided on stopping Selfridge’s from selling foie gras!

… Have fun with 20 years of Nick Park’s drawings. Be a child a again with his Wallace and Gromit’s world! (alternatively head for the Science museum)

… Celebrate Diwali, the hindu festival of lights @ Trafalgar Square this Sunday… Music and light displays… (14.00-19.00)

And I thought the Borough Market was the best market in London!

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

Portobello Market is famous for its travel through time, its cafes, its mix of stalls, its brightly coloured walls, the general happy feeling of the place.

Tourists and locals rush there for the atmosphere, joining the week-end crowd, looking here and there. One is always amazed at the huge stock of silbver teaports, the toy double decker buses or lead toy soldiers, the real and false antiques… (Have a look at Alice, you’ll be amazed!). Or even just have a stroll through the nearby streets, so much quieter, glossy doors, looking the same and different at the same time, draped with ivy sometimes…

If you love British icons, you’ll be delighted. Why not have a cup of tea with the Royal family? Having foreign friends coming for a visit? So chic to serve your Earl Grey in a jubilee cup…

Of, course, you’ll find plenty fo books and videos too… (Try the Oxfam book shop – nice collection there)

…but also stamps…

…and even thimbles…

Would would have thought Portobello was fir for a king/queen?

Portobello Market

Tube: Notting Hill