100,000 White Balloons

If you live in London or are travelling here, be sure to catch the "Heartbeat" exhibition!

According to the official website, this is the first exhibition outside of France by the French artist Charles Pétillon.

It's located at the heart of the Covent Garden's Market Building.

Up the O2!

The O2 is an arena in London, pretty much similar to Vancouver's Roger's Arena.

 

One of the major differences is that you cannot climb the Roger's, but you can definitely climb the O2!

 

So on a gloomy (and almost rainy) day when the tube strike is on, I've decided to climb it!

(The weather and tube strike really are just coincidences...)

 

A Beautiful Encounter: Hitchin Lavender Farm

I've always wanted to see a lavender field - an actual grand field with rows and rows of lavenders!

This year I won't make it to Southern France, so I found Mayfield, Cotswold and Hitchin lavender farms.

After some Googling, I settled with Hitchin because of proximity and some photos online.

Hitchin station is just 30 minutes away from London King's Cross.  The lavender farm is an £8 taxi ride from the station.

Afternoon Tea at The InterContinental

My first afternoon tea since moving to London is at the Wellington Lounge of The InterContinental Park Lane.

The hotel decor is my favourite kind: not old-fashioned nor contemporary, but somewhere in between.

The Screen on the Green

It was almost like watching a movie at home on our own couch!

The Screen on the Green is located near the Angel tube station and only has one screen.

When I was first told we will be watching a movie here, I immediately googled to make sure it's not really "on the green."  You know, outdoor with the mosquitoes.

Nitro Ice Cream What?

Liquid nitrogen ice cream is ice cream that has been frozen using liquid nitrogen. The process takes less time than traditional ice cream manufacture.
(Source: Wikipedia)

 

I was Googling for the best ice cream in London (to replace my love: Earnest Ice Cream from Vancouver) and found Chin Chin Labs, which sells the liquid nitrogen ice cream!

Valrhona Chocolate flavour from their website totally attracted my undivided attention.

Just look at how content I looked (minus the tiredness).

A Drink at the Sky Garden

One of the newer attractions of London, the Sky Garden,  will take your breathe away!

 

After work, I took my tourist friend up to the Sky Pod Bar, which is on the 35th floor of 20 Fenchurch.

 

A panoramic view of the "garden."

My New Favourite: Duck & Waffle!

Even before my move to London, I've been wanting to try Duck & Waffle.

I find it to be one of the hardest restaurants to book in London for a full-time working Londoner!

Finally I called them up in late May and made this reservation for three weeks after.

It was truly worth my every effort.

Plus, my friend who's been staying with me this week got to try this too!

A Look Inside Kenwood House

Located a 20-minute walk from the Hampstead tube station, the Kenwood House is a stunning estate with breathtaking garden and grounds.

I love walking down nature "tunnels" like this.

It's when I can sort of feel like a princess yoif you know what I mean.

Hampstead Heath Beyond My Imagination

Hampstead was one of the top places on my London to-go list.

It's about an hour transit from home.

On a Saturday morning, I woke up at 8am, full of energy but nowhere to burn.

It was a perfect sign I should stroll around London before my evening plans.

You know, to burn some of my excessive energy off.

 

(I miss Artizia!  They really should consider expanding to London.)

A Tate Modern Dining Experience

The highest level of Tate Modern is home to the Level 6 Restaurant.

Every time I come up here for the cafe or restaurant, it is usually packed.

Today we managed to wait about 30 minutes (they give you a buzzer) at the cafe area and got a pretty good table at the restaurant for late lunch.

An Evening at Neverland

By far the BEST play I have seen!

Seeing this version of "Peter Pan" made me noticed the sad truth behind the character.  It definitely isn't as jolly as the Disney version.

Peter Pan was a character created based on the author's older brother, David, who passed away from an ice-skating accident.  The author, J.M. Barrie, and his mother both thought of David as "the boy who wouldn't grow up."

(Source: Wikipedia)

(Photo source: https://openairtheatre.com/production/jm-barries-peter-pan)

Happily Museum Overload

I know it's the weekend and sleeping in is totally acceptable.

But, I just can't, knowing there are so much to do in London!

9:45am - Met up with a friend on hunt for delicious doughnuts together.

Check St. John Bakery out! 

Shakespeare of Stratford-Upon-Avon

Ah, William Shakespeare's birthplace - I simply cannot miss this visit living in London.

Early morning, I boarded the train to Dorridge and transferred to the Stratford-Upon-Avon train from there.

(It's faster to transfer than to take a direct train.)

The trip duration was just a little over two hours.

The Perfect Easter Sunday

Happy Easter!

How are you spending yours?

I spent mine at Regent's Park.

The choice was quite random since I hadn't visited any parks in London except for Greenwich Park.

(For some reason, I don't really see Greenwich Park as an official tourist park.)

One of the famous feature of Regent's Park is The Open Air Theatre.

It's not yet opened, but the first play looks to be in May.

Whitstable: My Love for the Seaside

Whitstable is to the East of London, about a two-hours train ride.

If you love oysters, this is the town for you!

It was yet another rainy day.

Having lived in England for almost four months now, rain doesn't affect my plans.

Anne Boleyn's Childhood Residence: Hever Castle

Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII.

Apparently fiercely pursued by the King to the extent he went against the Pope's wishes and annulled his marriage to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon.

The story didn't end well though.

She was beheaded by him in the end, three years after their marriage.

On a brighter note, her childhood home, Hever Castle, is a beauty.

Brighton Part 2: Exploring the City

Once I got off the train, the city centre is just a 5-minute walk.

Brighton is a small town.

All the attractions, such as the Clock Tower, The Lanes, Brighton Dome, Royal Pavilion, are pretty much all within 20-minute walk.

Brighton Part 1: A Seaside City

About 86km away from London (SE England), I travelled to the seaside city of Brighton one Sunday.

The Brighton Pavilion was the main reason I decided to visit. 

One of the Pavilion's most famous residence was George, Prince of Wales.
(No, not the little Prince George - he is the Prince of Cambridge.)

Now that I've done this extremely brief Royal introduction, I feel a lack of knowledge on the topic of the British Royals.

Blueprint Cafe By the Thames

Right at the London Design Museum, there is the Blueprint Cafe. 

 

My friend googled with key words "best view" and this popped up.

 

I have to admit the view was pretty good.  I could see Tower Bridge while sipping my hot water...

 

Seriously, half of London's population is probably sick from the cold/flu going around..