LNDN! Last Day 11

FINALLY! I really had to write this post today, for I'm going to leave for London again tonight.

So here I go! I didn't do a specific walk, I just looked at things "one has to look at when in London" (ok not everything obviously, but things I could manage to see in one day).

- Tate Modern
- National Gallery (sadly it is prohibited to take pictures in there, although there are so many beautiful paintings I would have liked to share with you...)
- Marble Arch (I just wanted to know what it is)
- Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park
- Kensington Palace
- Spitalfields Market

...and I visited Domi's working place and enjoyed a beautiful view from the canteen area.


Let me begin with Tate Modern. I know what "Modern Art" (or shall I say Modern "Art"?) can look like, for I enjoy going to art exhibitions and museums and what I found here was kind of matching my previous experience in museums of modern art.
Whoever is looking for a good laugh should go here!

I'm not sure if I enjoyed it, it was however a good experience to see what it's like!

That's the Shit!

For example: Look at this!! It literally looks like poop!!! Why would someone honor this to be called "art"? Wow...

The Fish/rising Sun

The story for this plain white on white (all white errrrthang..) kind of triangle-ish "painting" is also pretty craycray!

There was a tour guide lady with a group of pupils and she asked them, what they think this thing is.
This seemed to be a rhetorical question, for she answered it herself, saying:

"If I told you this was a fish, you would certainly agree with me, for the shape looks like a fish(...)"

Like: Say whaaaat??? WHAT EXACTLY ABOUT THIS LOOKS LIKE A FISH?

But this wasn't all... she continued:

"However, if I told you this is the rising sun, you'd also agree with me, right?"

I would have agreed to recognizing a slice of pizza or maybe a part of a pie chart... but FISH? Rising Sun?
Although, yes, I kind of get the rising sun but still! FISH?

But well, who am I to judge..

50 Shades of Grey! ...oh no, just one shade.

Someone who is actually looking at a plain grey "painting". And he was sitting there for more than 5 minutes!! My question is: WHY??

View from the balcony of Tate Modern

View from the balcony of Tate Modern

Pictures I liked

I liked the pictures shown, and I actually like this picture I took with the girl (who I don't know..)! I would have taken this as my new Facebook profile pic, if I were her... Just saying.

Selfie-time in front of the fountain on Trafalgar Square

Selfie-time in front of the National Gallery

Sadly, it was prohibited to take pictures inside the National Gallery, but I can only recommend going inside, for it is for free and the paintings are beautiful!

Marble Arch

Ok, so this is what "Marble Arch" looks like. 

Speakers' Corner

I think this might be mainly my fault, but: I was surprised, that "Speakers' Corner" is literally a corner in Hyde Park! I thought it would have like a podium or something to look at, but if I understood everything right it was just this one corner of Hyde Park.

That was kind of a bummer, but hey: Every English book in school mentioned it. I say: If you have a very short stay in London, then skip looking at Speakers' Corner, because there's really nothing to look at!

Kensington Palace and the Queen Victoria Statue

At this point I say: Thanks to instagram, this picture (in my opinion) makes the place look more interesting than it is. I just looked at it from the outside, but I felt like that was more than enough. You can still prove me wrong though!

Liverpool Street Station

I just liked the "Liverpool Street" Station, where you have to get out to go to the Spitalfield Market.
There was not much to see at the market, for most of the people already started packing their good when I arrived, so I didn't take any pictures there.
You can mostly buy nice crafts, and it is a nice and small market.
The only problem I had was, that I did not find the market at first.. so better bring a map when you plan going there!

 

This is the view from the cafeteria of my boyfriend's work place!



So. That was basically what I did while I was in London!

I'll be going back in a couple of hours and hopefully I can write about new interesting sides of London I'll get to know while I'm there!

Until then
x J.

LNDN! Day 10

On Day 10 I chose to do walk 3 "Die Straße der Tinte im Wandel" (="The Street Of Ink Through The Ages") from the travel guide.

You start at "St Paul" and the end of the walk is at "Temple".

Taken from the travel guide: Merian Live! Spaziergänge durch London

It is a walk through Fleet Street and its vicinity, where you can find lots of press buildings, but this is also the area which might be interesting for law students, for you can find the Royal Court of Justice and the "Inns of Courts", which are old English law schools. The biggest inn is "Lincoln's Inn", a very nice area for law students next to Lincoln Square (makes sense, right? haha).

You reach Somerset House at the end of your walk, where you can find different art exhibitions, and an ice skating rink in winter time! I'll definitely go there next week during my next trip to London!

At the end of my day I went to Camden Market. You get there taking the Northern Line to "Camden Town". This market is mainly good to shop clothes, crafts and food!!

I think the first impression you get is: It is pretty alternative! Although lot's of the stands offer almost the same type of shirts (mostly shirts with famous people on them) there is a lot more to the "Camden Experience", for if you walk further, you can find the Camden Lock Market. Here, you can find lots of crafts and pretty little things to bring home for your loved ones!

If you keep on walking you'll get to the area where they sell a mix of different kinds of things, and lots of different kinds of FOOD!!!

Sadly I wasn't hungry while walking through Camden Market, but the smell in the air was pretty tempting!

In case you only have a limited time visiting London, I'd definitely encourage you to go to Camden Market, for it's quite a nice experience and also often recommended by other travel guides :)

I'll now let the pictures do the talking!

x J.

St Sepulchre-without-Newgate

Inside St Sepulchre-without-Newgate

Old Bailey

This is the Central Criminal Court, also called "Old Bailey".

Streetart on the way to Fleet Street

Fleet Street

Temple Church

The Middle Court (at least that's what I think it is!)

Royal Courts of Justice

London Silver Vaults

Lincoln's Inn! Very Harry-Potter-ish!!

Leaving Lincoln's Inn to Lincoln's Square through the archway

Where the judges get their wigs...

Pretty self-explanatory

Somerset House

This was behind Somerset House, where people could get in line to be part of the street art project!

Beautiful view! London Eye, Towerbridge and Big Ben!

Camden Lock Market - Where one can find mostly crafts

...more food here

Beautiful architecture in the sunset

LNDN! Day 9

Hello again!

On day 9, Domi and I did a walk together, for he wanted to experience what I've been doing the last couple of days while he was at work.

So we decided to do walk 5 from the book called "Ein letzter Winkel Old England" (= "One last corner of Old England") which was a walk through St James and Mayfair, two beautiful parts in the heart of London.

Merian Live: Spaziergänge durch London

You start at "Piccadilly Circus" and end at "Green Park".
After small problems at the beginning, not knowing in which direction we had to walk, we finally set off exploring St James, a part of London where you see a lot of expensive and old shops, e.g. the shoe maker of the royal family, or the hat maker of the royal family. There were also a lot of arcades with small exclusive shops to see.
Furthermore, there are a lot of "Gentlemen's Clubs" in the area of St James. Domi and I even met an old man on the street, who asked us if we needed any help, and he showed us where some of the Gentlemen's clubs are.
That's what I love about English people, or people in London: They actually just randomly walk up to you and ask if you need help or advice!
This won't happen in Germany..

Prince's Arcade

Cute Candy or Tea Store.. not sure!

Lobb - Shoemaker

Lobb - Shoemaker 

Berry Brothers & Rudd Ltd. - Traditional Wine Merchants

St. Jame's Palace

A restaurant without prices! Whenever you feel like spending all you got: This might be the right place to go!

The walk continues in Mayfair, where you can find lots of designer boutiques such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton etc. but also one of the clubs where you can find Prince Harry and Prince William partying!

Fortnum & Mason

Movie shooting in Mayfair!

VS

You can't sit with us!

Burlington Arcades

Ladurée in Burlington Arcades

Mahiki: Where Prince Harry and Prince William were seen partying!

Later we went to Notting Hill to go to a restaurant Domi's colleague suggested. 

I'll post about the food in a separate food post though :)

Recipease by Jamie Oliver

Recipease by Jamie Oliver

Beautiful Church!

That was my ninth day in London!
Hope you enjoyed this blog post :)

x J.