Sky Garden

The skyscraper at 20 Fenchurch Street (nicknamed The Walkie Talkie due to its shape) offers free tickets to the Sky Garden on the 35th floor.

There is an open terrace that looks out onto the river and has amazing views of tons of London landmarks. The one in the center below is The Shard, the tallest building in the European Union. 

A bunch of London buildings have nicknames based on their shape. Below left is The Leadenhall Building (aka The Cheese Grater) and to the right is 30 St Mary Axe (aka The Gherkin). 

I've been to the Sky Garden twice now, once with my mom and once with a group of friends. When I was there with my mom we saw window washers cleaning the exterior of The Leadenhall Building. I'm not afraid of heights but being up that high with only a rope and harness would be too much for me to handle.

A foggy view of London and the Thames. To the right by the horizon you can see the top of the London Eye, a giant, slow-moving ferris wheel located across from the Houses of Parliament. 

From another side of the terrace there is a great view of Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. 

Here I am with Pamela and Mary during our visit back in March. With free tickets to this beautiful view, Sky Garden often books up quickly. But it is absolutely worth seeing if you can get tickets. 

Duck and Waffle

This morning I went to breakfast with some friends at Duck and Waffle. It was an endeavour to get there because the tube was shut down for another strike. So I took a bus to Victoria and then three of us took an Uber to the restaurant. It took over an hour to go 4.5 miles due to the terrible traffic. 

The elevator to get to the restaurant was very impressive. It only takes 24 seconds to get to the top and the doorman said it was even faster when it first opened but too many people got sick on the way down. It travels at 5 miles per second. I took this hyper-lapse video so you can see the view as it goes up. 

The restaurant is located on the 40th floor of a skyscraper in the financial district in London. It is the highest restaurant in the United Kingdom and one side even overlooks the famous Gherkin building (below left).

Something that seems to happen a lot here is that restaurant staff make a big deal about not having a table for you without a reservation, but then the restaurant is completely empty. That happened yet again today. They told us we couldn't add one more person to our reservation but then we had two empty chairs at our table. 

 We all ordered the Full Elvis waffle which comes with bananas brûlée, peanut butter and jelly, chantilly cream, fresh berries, nuts, and chopped chocolate buttons.  

It was delicious! The chantilly cream was my favourite part but the whole thing together was amazing. Absolutely worth the frustration of trying to get a reservation (they book up fast, hence our weekday at 9:15am slot) and travelling on tube strike day. 

The staff were all very friendly and took loads of photos for us. It was overall a great experience. I'm going to try to get a reservation for when my next visitor is in town but I know it might be tough to get in! 

Sara, Becca, me, Pamela (and Harvey), and Mary

Fashion on the Ration

Last week my friend Kate and I went to the Imperial War Museum for their exhibit, Fashion on the Ration. 

I took a bunch of photos before someone told me there was no photography allowed (I actually looked for signs this time and didn't see any). It was interesting to be able to compare London landmarks now to how they looked in during the war. The photo on the left is Oxford Street outside Selfridges and the one on the right is Piccadilly Circus. 

The exhibit showed that the war did not stop trends and actually had a long lasting impression on fashion. Uniforms were worn regularly by both men and women. People wanted more durable clothing and the phrase "make do and mend" became the motto of many households. Trousers became acceptable clothing for women as their roles changed to include more manual tasks. 

I enjoyed seeing advertisements from stores that are still popular in London. Fortnum and Mason is best known for their fancy grocery selection and Church's is a fancy shoe store with many locations around the city. 

The siren suit was a onesie that people would put over their clothing if they had to quickly escape to an air raid shelter. Many women added details such as hoods, belts, and piping to make their siren suits more fashionable.

Functional fashion became necessary during the war. The two purses below have compartments for gas masks. The off-white circle pins below glow blue in the dark to prevent collisions during blackout periods. Blackouts began in 1939 as a way to make it more challenging for German bombers to find their targets. 

These next two dresses feature map style prints. The one on the right is made from silk maps given to those serving in the allied airforce as an escape map in case they were shot down. Silk was used rather than paper because it could get wet or crushed without damaging the map. 

The London-based textile company, Jacqmar, created these scarves with patriotic messages such as "Salvage Your Rubber" and "American Forces in London" (that one was designed as a souvenir for American troops). Scarves as head coverings became very popular as shampoo was scarce so women wanted to cover up their unwashed hair. They also prevented long hair from getting caught in factory machines. 

I really enjoyed the exhibit and was glad that Kate went with me. The exhibit typically costs £10 but I had a 2 for 1 coupon from taking the train. It was definitely worth seeing but I know I wouldn't have gone if I had to pay full price. 

Camden

Last weekend Warren and I took a boat tour from Little Venice (not as cool as it sounds) to Camden Lock. We hadn't been to Camden since moving here, but we have visited in the past as tourists. 

Here we are on the boat tour. I really enjoyed learning more about the canals, especially since I see the Grand Union Canal outside my balcony every day. The Grand Union Canal was built by Irish immigrants in 1901 and the Regent's Canal was built by the same means in 1912. 

The canals were originally used for industry to move goods around the country. Boat operators had to pay tolls to use the canals but now boat owners pay license fees to moor. Some canals were intentionally filled in after World War II using rubble after the increased use of trains and highways to move goods made them obsolete. 

The barges carrying goods were originally pulled by horses along the towpath that has now been converted into a running path along the canal. Over time, the ropes created gashes in the sides of bridges as the horses pulled the boats. This was the most interesting thing I learned from the tour. I've walked by marks like these loads of times but never even noticed them.

Warren was disappointed when our boat dropped us off just before the lock and we didn't get to see it actually work. We stuck around watching for a bit but no one passed through the lock. 

Camden Market is full of different food stalls. We tried this Indian food wrapped in naan but it wasn't anything special. 

The Stables Market is a former horse hospital for Pickford's distribution barges along the canal. Chain stores are not allowed in the stalls and it is full of mostly clothing and antique stores. 

These frames with scrabble letters were my favourite of the items we saw for sale in Camden Market. Especially this OCD one with the last letter out of alignment. 

It is hard to think about Camden without also thinking of Amy Winehouse. The singer loved Camden and lived there in the years before her death. She once said to her father, "I feel I can do anything I want in Camden. It's like my playground." There is a lot of street art inspired by Amy Winehouse and this statue of her is located in the Stables Market area. 

We walked around the area outside of the markets and found loads of great street art. Here are some of my favourites. 

Later that week I went there again with Mary, Pamela, and Harvey for a free event called Camden Beach. They basically fill up a parking lot with sand and serve food and drinks. We went during the day when children were allowed. We had a great time putting our feet in the sand even though it was a cold day. 

There is so much to see in Camden, especially outside the market area. I can't wait to explore more of this unique part of London. 

The Mentalists

Last Saturday we went to see The Mentalists with Stephen Merchant and Steffan Rhodri. We are big fans of both the actors in the show. Stephen Merchant co-wrote The Office and Steffan Rhodri was in Gavin and Stacey and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. 

The play didn't get great reviews and it was announced yesterday that the play is closing early. I thought Steffan Rhodri was a more polished actor than Stephen Merchant, which is to be expected. Overall I thought it was enjoyable and the ending surprised me. 

This is the same theatre where I saw American Buffalo and it is as beautiful as ever. During intermission the theatres put down a safety screen for fire prevention. Most of them are plain but this one is the coolest I've seen so far. 

Our friends, Kate and Scott, also went to see the play so we got together for dinner beforehand. We tried a Knickerbocker Glory sundae, made with layers of ice cream and berries. It was good but I wouldn't call it Britain's best dessert. 

It seems that Warren misses out on most of the fun things I do in London so it was nice to socialise and spend a night out on the town with him. 

Great British Sunday Roast

On Sundays throughout the UK, expect to see pubs and restaurants packed with diners eating Sunday Roast. This tradition has been documented since the 1600s and is even the inspiration for the nickname "Beefeaters" for the Yeoman of the Guard (you can see Beefeaters at the Tower of London). 

Sunday Roast typically consists of a cut of meat (lamb, beef, or pork), roasted potatoes with a crisp outside, roasted vegetables, and Yorkshire pudding. Yorkshire pudding is made from eggs, flour, and milk and is often served with gravy with this type of meal. It is not sweet as I assumed it would be by the name. 

We went out for Sunday Roast most recently with my friend Heather. Warren and Heather tried the pork with apple (shown above) and I tried the lamb (my usual dish) at The Pig and Butcher in Islington. Both dishes were incredible!

The desserts were also delicious. We tried a variety of desserts since there were three of us for dinner. We tried the grilled peaches with ice cream...amazing. Warren and Heather's favourite by far. 

My favourite was the creme brûlée rice pudding with raspberry sorbet. I'm a huge fan of rice pudding and a huge fan of creme brûlée. I see no downside to this dessert. 

We also tried the Eton Mess, a traditional pudding in England. It includes layers of strawberries, cream, and meringue. It is similar to a trifle and can be served with various summer fruits with strawberry being the most typical. It was also delicious. 

I love the tradition of Sunday Roast in England. It is a fun and delicious way to spend a Sunday with friends. The Pig and Butcher is my favourite so far and I am looking for any excuse to go back. 

Affordable London Souvenirs

We've had a lot of visitors lately which has me thinking about the best souvenirs from London. There are loads of shops like Cool Britannia that sell every souvenir imaginable, but I like to bring back something a little more unique.

Cool Britannia merchandise and mascot

I always like bringing local candy for friends and family but I want something that I can keep long term for myself. These are my favourite souvenirs from London that cost less than £10.

Tins--Loads of stores sell really beautiful biscuit or tea tins. I like these because the cookies inside are usually delicious and I keep the tins to store pens or little odds and ends. 

Mugs--Tea has such a presence in England so it is easy to find great mugs and teacups with cute London prints. I have one with a floral pattern so it isn't over the top London but it still feels very English to me. 

Pop Up Cards--These laser cut greeting cards of London landmarks are really popular here. I don't have one of these but I think it would be a great keepsake to keep on a desk as a reminder of London.

This next one is my favourite London souvenir. It is a postcard version of a Stephen Wiltshire drawing. He is an artist with autism and he draws detailed city scenes, often from memory. The one pictured below is Piccadilly Circus and is one of the few available in colour (most of his work is only black ink).  

Reusable bags--I love getting reusable bags from places I visit. It is nice to be reminded of a fun holiday when I'm out grocery shopping or running errands. 

Mary with her favourite Fortnum and Mason bag

Tea Towels--I see these for sale at a lot of shops and museum stores. Similar to the reusable bags, I like little reminders of past holidays when I'm doing day-to-day tasks, like kitchen work. 

Hopefully this list will help future visitors find beloved souvenirs while keeping within trip budgets.