London travel tips
(La Fromagerie on Moxon Street. – I sneaked this shot with my new iPhone camera!)
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Back in the beginning of June, I wrote a quick article on Jauntsetter about where to go & what to do in London. Jauntsetter is a weekly e-newsletter for New York women, packed with great travel tips & recommendations. Check their website out & see if your city has been featured!
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Here’s the article:
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Tamami’s Perfect London Weekend:
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Saturdays:
Well obviously, my first recommendation will have to be Broadway Market where I have my chocolates & cakes stall! It’s a once-a-week Farmer’s market in the heart of east-end London. It currently has about 80 stalls, a third of which are non-food stuff like cool vintage wear, independent designers’ hats, dresses, handbags, etc. Walk alongside the canal to get there or get a direct bus from Angel. You can buy goodies to take to the park opposite and mingle with the arty locals & young trend-setters. Soak in the bohemian atmosphere. Later, head to the pubs (on the market) where people spill out to the streets, sitting on pavements in the summer.
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Sundays:
Check out the British art galleries in style. First see what’s on at the Hayward Gallery (past exhibits include Bruce Nauman and Dan Flavin), then stroll alongside the river to Tate Modern. Head to the stylish top floor restaurant for lunch and insist on the window seat to enjoy the fantastic river view with St. Paul’s Cathedral opposite.
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Another Sunday fave is to go to Columbia Road Flower Market. Get down-to-earth mug of tea from a cafe in the courtyard on Ezra Street & enjoy the day.
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If you haven’t purchased any huge plants to weigh you down, head to Brick Lane (just a 10 minute walk away) to buy the famous bagels at the Brick Lane Beigel Bakery. It’s super cheap at 20p per plain bagel. People buy in dozens so that they can freeze them at home. The Salt beef bagel (£2.60) is also a legend.
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After you’re satisfied with a bagel, turn in to Cheshire Street off Brick Lane for serious bit of shopping in the small selection of independent shops such as ‘Shelf’ & ‘Labour & Wait’. If you go to the opposite side of Brick Lane, you’ll find yourself in the world of early Georgian architecture with narrow cobbled back streets (Fournier Street area). Think, Jack the Ripper walked these same streets back in 1880’s!
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Shopping:
Marylebone High Street is great fun. Browse Skandium designer furniture store and Divertimenti kitchen store, dream that you have hundreds of pounds to spend here and then do lunch with your girlfriend at La Fromagerie (2-6 Moxon Street, off Marylebone High Street) where you sit at tables amongst the delicatessen.
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If there’s room in your tummy, buy yourself a very decent hot chocolate from Paul and head towards Wigmore Street to check in on Margaret Howell clothing store. Then cross the road to St. Christopher’s Place to drop in on Marimekko to see if there are any good offers on their fabrics.
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The best time of the year to come to London:
…is definitely during the Open House event (this year’s dates are 19th & 20th of September 2009). There will be 700 buildings of architectural interest across the capital opening it’s doors, completely for FREE! You get to go in to places usually never available to public viewing! Dream-come-true for one nosy person like myself!
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And talking of being mentioned in other places, sometime back in February, this blog got mentioned in Time Out magazine! I was so proud. (Check out the article in their online archive). Many thanks to Lady C!
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Congrats on the article and the mention in Time Out – that’s fab!
Your article made me very very homesick for London though… :'(
Comment by Rachel - July 29, 2009 4:04 am
congrats! … so neat to have your article and blog featured like that.
Comment by rita - July 29, 2009 6:39 am
Tamami-san – I’ve been working with the great people at La Fromagerie and am glad you’ve included them :) You must visit Mint too if you’re in the area! Hope you’re well. kxx
Comment by keiko - July 29, 2009 11:38 am
well, it looks like mint has just moved to south ken…!
Comment by keiko - July 29, 2009 11:48 am
Hi Rachel! Didn’t mean to make you homesick…!! And right now, the weather is awful – raining EVERYDAY – You’re really not missing much here, promise! ;-)
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Cheers Rita! It felt special to have a mention on printed paper!
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Hello Keiko san! I’ll check it out when I am in South Ken then! – As for La Fromagerie, wow, it must be nice working for them! i guess you are taking their pictures? Maybe that could be our candidate for a place to meet up?
Comment by tamami - July 29, 2009 4:23 pm
I have to visit Broadway Market soon again, to have your cakes!
Comment by tommy - July 29, 2009 10:50 pm
Hey Tommy! Yup, indeed! Please do come by again soon as there’ll be a piece of cake that’s just waiting for you! ;)
Comment by tamami - July 30, 2009 6:01 pm
Many congratulations on your mention in Time out! That is some achievement. You really deserve it though. I love reading your blog. I’ll phone u to meet up next week. Kids have been doing a ball summer camp this week.
Comment by Judy - July 30, 2009 8:36 pm
Cheers Judy! ‘I”s got summer school all next week – fancy the following week instead?? xxx
Comment by tamami - July 30, 2009 10:28 pm
Hi Tamami,
Thank you SO much for doing the blog post for us. I love the tips you give, and I can’t wait to come back to London and try all your amazing sounding cakes. Let us know if you ever make it to NYC!
xo,
Dorothy
Comment by dorothy - July 31, 2009 2:47 pm
Hi Dorothy! The pleasure was all mine! Thank you! … I’d l.o.v.e to go to NYC one day… xxx
Comment by tamami - July 31, 2009 4:57 pm
Congratulations on TimeOut, I truly enjoy your website what a breath of fresh air, I would like to know how I can get my hands on a couple of the Broadway Market bags!!!!! Love them…..
Have a wonderful evening, Diana
Comment by Diana - August 1, 2009 1:35 am
Cheers Diana! The bags? The one pictured on their website right? I think they just sell those AT the Market only… I’ll suggest to the Market boys to sell them online!
Comment by tamami - August 1, 2009 7:26 am
Tamami, I sure hope these Market boys take your advice and begin selling them online!!! I will keep going back and checking to see if they listen to your wisdom, thanks so much, have a wonderful evening, Diana
Comment by Diana - August 4, 2009 2:37 am
;) :)
d(^_^o)
Comment by tamami - August 4, 2009 3:33 pm
Coco-good morning-please come over for a morning croissant and a special surprise-I have an award for you.
Comment by Esme - August 6, 2009 4:45 am
Esme, THANK YOU for nominating me!! ;)
Comment by tamami - August 6, 2009 11:20 am
Congratulations to you! :)
Comment by heathrow - April 17, 2011 9:30 pm
thank you!!!!!!
Comment by tamami - April 18, 2011 4:57 pm