A Lady in London

I hate shopping. I will do pretty much anything to get out of going to a store or browsing online. So when I got invited to a sneak preview of the new Westfield Stratford City, Europe’s largest urban shopping center, I wasn’t sure if it would have anything for me. What exactly does a non-shopper do at a mall? I was curious to find out. So I went to east London to see for myself.

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It’s wedding season. This summer I have been invited to weddings in destinations as far flung as California, England, Indiana, and Washington. To that end, I traveled west on Friday to attend the nuptials of two good friends at their wedding in Oxford.

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I have no musical talent whatsoever. As a child I was encouraged to be well-rounded, so I took up the recorder, then the piano, then the violin, and finally the flute. After nine years of butchering everything from “Hot Cross Buns” to Bach, I finally bowed out. But while I was devoid of musical talent as a child, others more than made up for it. They still do. Last night at the Proms at Royal Albert Hall, the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester proved it.

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One of my favorite things about visiting a city is exploring its parks. From the manicured parks in Paris to the gorgeous Planten un Blomen in Hamburg, I have enjoyed a walk through many a park in the world. But even after living in London for almost four years, there are still a few parks in my own city that I haven’t explored. One of those is Battersea Park.

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I have been going to afternoon tea in London a lot lately. But there are other cities in England and the UK where tea is done well, too. It’s only fair to give them a chance, right? Last week I was invited to afternoon tea in Henley-on-Thames at the Hotel du Vin, and I accepted the opportunity to try afternoon tea in another city.

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There is something spectacular about achieving a goal. The sense of accomplishment that comes with meeting a long-sought target is one of life’s great endorphin rushes. Since I started this travel blog, I have set several travel goals for myself, and today I have a new one: the 90 under 30 Travel Project.

The 90 under 30 Travel Project is my goal to visit 90 countries in my lifetime before my 30th birthday.

I am currently at 72 countries. I have eight months to visit 18 more.

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I love brunch. When I lived in San Francisco, my weekend routine always included a big Sunday brunch. When I moved to the UK, I was surprised to learn that brunch in London wasn’t really done. Instead, menus usually focused on the full English breakfast or Sunday roast. I was bereft.

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One of my favorite British traditions is afternoon tea in London. The ritual began in the early 19th century when Anna, Duchess of Bedford, got friends together for tea and cakes every day. Her gatherings sparked a trend that became a tradition in England.

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Every summer a small island off the southern coast of England comes alive for a regatta. Dating back to 1826, Cowes Week on the Isle of Wight is the biggest event of its kind in the world. During the 40 daily races, 1,000 boats of all sizes, 8,500 competitors of all skill levels, and 100,000 spectators from all over the world gather on the island to race, watch, and enjoy the festivities.

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Today is the four year anniversary of A Lady in London blog! It’s hard to believe that it has already been four years since I quit my hedge fund job, started my UK visa application, and prepared to move to England.

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There’s not much to do in Manchester. Or so I was told at my hotel. And by the tourism board. According to the hotel, there was absolutely nothing to do but shop and go to bars. According to the tourism board website, the top five things to do in Manchester included going to the airport. I wasn’t sure how I was going to occupy my time.

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Riots have rocked the UK this week. Liverpool has been no exception. On Monday night the Liverpool riots erupted with car burnings and battles with the police.

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There’s rioting in London. The London riots started on Saturday night when police shot a man in Tottenham. I was in Manchester at the time, and awoke Sunday morning to reports of burning buses and blazing buildings.

In the beginning we all thought that the riots would be contained to the one small area of London. But over the past three days and nights, the riots have not only spread across London, but also across much of the UK. Seeing footage of the looted Manchester shops and the smoldering Miss Selfridge store on Monday was shocking. I had walked down those very streets just one day prior.

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As my train trundles west along the north Wales coastline, I am in awe of the landscapes. On one side is the beach, rife with holidaymakers, beach umbrellas, and children running with buckets and spades. On the other are the thick green hills, which, if I watch patiently, reveal the turrets of ancient castles nestled amongst their folds. I am traveling to Llandudno, Wales, and I can’t wait to get there.

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After nearly four years in London, I am pretty adept at everyday life in the UK. I know how to set up utility bills and open a bank account. I can say “cheers” instead of “thanks” without feeling silly, and order “bangers and mash” without giggling. But there’s one thing that still eludes me even after all this time: grocery shopping.

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