A Lady in London

On Friday I celebrated my four year anniversary of living in London. Throughout my time here, I have made an effort to see as much of the country as I can. One way I have gone about it is to take day trips from London to other parts of England. I always do so independently, either by train or car. Until Saturday, that is. On Saturday GetYourGuide invited me to take an organized day trip from London to the Cotswolds, Warwick Castle, Stratford-upon-Avon, and Oxford.

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Today is the four year anniversary of the day I moved to London. It’s hard to believe that I have been living in London for four years already. When I first moved here I thought I would be back in San Francisco after two years, but now it looks like I’m here for the foreseeable future.

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I don’t golf. When I was growing up, my family became obsessed with the sport. All of our vacations revolved around golf, and my mother and brother spent every weekend on various golf courses throughout Silicon Valley. My mom was so desperate for me to join the fun that she even bought me a golf bag for Christmas one year. But I had no interest. I still don’t. So when I received an invitation to spend a night at the five-star Stoke Park Hotel in Buckinghamshire—a property renowned for its golf course—I wasn’t sure I was interested.

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One of the best things about living in London is that there are so many unique neighborhoods. From the funky markets in Notting Hill to the organic pubs in Angel, you don’t have to go far to feel like you have traveled a long distance. But while every London neighborhood is different, most of them are laid out in a similar fashion: a high street full of restaurants and shops surrounded by a residential area. However, there is one neighborhood in London where this rule doesn’t apply: Maida Vale.

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Just when I thought that winter was coming to London, another bout of warm weather graced the city on Sunday. As such, I decided to continue last weekend’s exploration of the Thames Path with another day by the city’s waterways. This time my walk took me to Little Venice in London. Located in Maida Vale, Little Venice marks the spot where the Grand Union Canal meets the Regent’s Canal.

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Yesterday afternoon I received a text message asking if I wanted to go to a football game. I already had plans and I wasn’t very excited about the prospect of watching two soccer teams I had probably never heard of, so I declined. But just out of curiosity, I asked who was playing. The response was this: NFL football in London, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Chicago Bears. I changed my mind.

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Autumn has come to London. After a month of record-breaking heat in the UK, a chill has settled over the city this week. Coats, boots, and scarves are making their way out of closets, and London is bracing for a cold winter. But before the arctic front moved in, we had one final day of warmth. Knowing that it could be the last, I spent the afternoon walking along the Thames Path in Hammersmith and Chiswick.

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Regent’s Park is one of my favorite places in London. From beautiful gardens and the London zoo to Taste of London and the Frieze Art Fair, the park is full of life and activity. Last summer I explored the beautiful homes along Regent’s Canal, and this summer I discovered another impressive edifice alongside the park: the Melia White House hotel in London.

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When I lived in San Francisco I had a progressive dinner party with a friend that lived in my building. The evening started in my apartment, where we all gathered for aperitifs and canapes. Afterwards we moved to her apartment for dinner. It was a fun night, and I have always wanted to do it again. Last week I had an opportunity to do so as part of the London Restaurant Festival. The One Aldwych hotel invited me to enjoy a three-course dinner where each course was served in a different restaurant.

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Today is the last day of the London Restaurant Festival. The festivities that have taken place since October 3rd involve an event called Eat Film, which features film screenings and themed dinners at various venues throughout London. Last week Eat Film invited me to the Charlotte Street Hotel in Noho to watch Chocolat and eat a three-course meal inspired by the film.

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One of my favorite things to do in London is explore the capital’s many green spaces. From Hyde Park to Kensington Gardens, the city is bursting with them. One such place is Syon Park, which is located just west of Kew Gardens. The area is the location of one of the Duke of Northumberland’s residences, and has recently become home to the new Waldorf Astoria Syon Park hotel in London.

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It’s not every night that I stay in a hotel room that is larger than my flat. In fact, most rooms I’ve slept in are barely big enough to fit a bed, let alone anything else. This is particularly true in a city like London, where property prices keep hotel rooms small and rates high. But this week I was invited to stay in a suite at the 51 Buckingham Gate hotel in London’s Westminster neighborhood that bucked the trend.

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Zurich was more beautiful than I remembered. My last visit was eight years ago, and while I loved the city, I somehow came away with memories of a cold, austere place full of big banks. But when I traveled back to Zurich on my way to Liechtenstein last week I had the chance to correct my faulty memory and rediscover the Swiss city.

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I have traveled to most countries in Europe. With my recent Balkans trip completed, I didn’t have many places left to help me achieve my 90 under 30 Travel Project goal. But there were still a couple of countries that I hadn’t been to. One of them was Liechtenstein.

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Europe’s largest urban shopping center is officially open for business. Back in August I took a tour of what was then the soon-to-open Westfield Stratford City in east London, and I promised myself a return visit after the shops and restaurants opened their doors.

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