Direction Londres

With the children on holidays this week was the classic juggle of “working like you don’t have kids and parenting like you don’t have a job” which leaves very little time for anything else, but I managed to sneak in coffee with a few people before I check out for the summer (the courage to set an out of office for weeks at a time comes free with the French passport). The city has become almost un-navigable with bridge closures happening daily, metro intersections unavailable, buses a disaster and huge groups of tourists blocking the tiny pavements but everyone still seems to be having a great time which is nice to see. For anyone visiting soon I’ve rounded up my top tips for the city.

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On Friday morning I was up early to go to London for the weekend, where I lived for my entire 20s and early 30s, once again marvelling at how easy the Eurostar is. 30 minutes after leaving my house I was at the station, checked in and sipping a cup of tea waiting to board, and shortly after that I was in the heart of London and ready for a busy weekend.

My first item on the agenda was to take a pilates class. Yes we have them in Paris but I spend so much energy translating in my head and making sure I don’t mistake heels for toes or wrist for elbows that I can’t relax or focus on the movements, so doing it in English is a real treat. On my way there via Green Park I noticed a huge crowd and realised I was approaching Buckingham Palace just in time for the Changing of the Guard, so popped on my tourist hat to watch them parade by, led by military pipers.

Apart from hankering for a weekend in English, without the constant anxiety of misspeaking and unintentionally offending people, the main reason for the trip was to visit my new niece, so next I headed to my brother’s house for baby cuddles and catch ups. As expected she is absolutely perfect and we sat happily together just relaxing, her parents laughing at the silly shoes I’d bought her, bien sûr several sizes too big.

A very kind friend from cooking school agreed to spend her Friday night eating gluten free dumplings with me (true friendship) and we took our time trying each flavour with cheeseburger and apple pie the clear winners. The way home was a magic ride on the top of a double decker bus which threaded all the way along Regent Street, Oxford Street, past my old neighbourhood of Bayswater, my cooking school in W12 and all the way through leafy lanes to Chiswick where I politely acknowledged a crafty fox on the walk home.

On Saturday morning I snuck out of the house while everyone was still asleep to head to Portabello market, starting at my favourite section under the westway and down to Golborne Road where the real treasure is to be found. A little Wedgewood vase safely secured (£9.50) I wandered through all the tourist tat to the top of the market where there are little alley ways and warrens on either side piled to the ceiling with silver, paintings, trinkets and some incredible jewellery.

A little further on I came to the start of Billionaire’s Row (Kensington Palace Gardens) and slowly strolled along, past Embassies and mansions, all the way down to the High Street and spent a happy hour in Whole Foods (are grocery stores also high on your list when you travel?) before a cup of tea and a natter with a friend.

I’d booked a ticket in the afternoon to the Naomi exhibition at the V&A museum, reliving my days as her personal assistant (yes it was as you’d imagine) and laid eyes on the dress that caused me to miss a ride on Beyonce’s private jet, plus a few tiny dresses that I’d *almost* fit into when trying on her clothes back in the day. A visit to the V&A isn’t complete without a spin through the jewellery gallery where priceless pieces such as Queen Victoria’s coronet are displayed next to both ancient and modern designs and the Townsend Gems, so I ticked that off before a good browse in the gift shop.

I had some serious FOMO on Sunday when I realised it was 14 Juillet, la fête nationale française and I’d be missing the airshow, which my husband compounded by sending updates of the Olympic torch coming right through the Luxembourg gardens. But you can’t do everything so I got on with my day, armed with snacks, and boarded the train to Cambridge to visit my clever clogs brother (I have 4 of them!) who is studying there.

We walked through bucolic meadows, had a near miss with a swan, crossed the mathematical bridge, toured colleges, ate pub lunch at the Eagle, chomped on fudge, kept an eye on the Wimbledon score, nodded at porters in top hats, dodged bicycles, admired Newton’s apple tree and witnessed some near misses between amateur punters on the River Cam. Then it was back to London and straight onto the train under the channel to kiss my sleeping children.

Have a great week,

- Emily

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Real Life London Photo

The ideal road trip companion.