Tuesday 24 May 2011

London. Love.

M was in Japan, I had just sent off a job application that had been keeping me locked to my computer all week, and as I skipped from work on Friday afternoon London stretched before me, promising.

London, by way of Bombay, Tokyo, Hawaii as it turns out. God I love this city.

Friday, drinks on the Southbank at the Dishoom pop-up (Hannah and I both, twin shadows, flitting through the city, visiting the same places, sampling the same menus, usually within the space of a few weeks, sometimes within the space of a few hours, crazy!). Icy cocktails in shades of coral, taken up to the roof garden of Queen Elizabeth Hall as the early evening sun slanted across the Thames. Later, the sun lower, a walk across the bridge, up into Chinatown to meet Anna for dinner, Tokyo Diner, plastic sushi clock, no tipping just tell your friends policy (so here I am, telling you), simple, delicious Japanese food. A wander round Fopp, searching for Frida. I am reading The Lacuna, feeling inspired. The bright pink peonies and purple stocks on my dressing table help, the colours are vivid, vital, as I imagine the colours of Mexico must be. On the way to the tube, stopping for bubble tea on Shaftsbury Avenue, the pair of us getting into a conversation with the girls behind the counter, being given tasters, loving this mad city.

Saturday, baking, white chocolate and raspberry cupcakes, a friend's Hawaiian birthday party, flower garlands, ukuleles, Pimms, watermelon, ripe, juices dripping down fingers. Walking back from West Hampstead, dusk, roses tumbling over garden walls, the first fuzz of lavender flowers, still green.

Sunday, a day trip, boarding the Clipper at London Bridge, whizzing down to Greenwich, spray in our hair, a wander round the market, a long lunch in a pub garden, interrupted by the briefest of rainstorms, but otherwise glorious sunshine, blue skies, some scudding clouds. Fish and chips. Beautiful houses with tastefully coloured doors, more roses, spilling over brickwork. A walk through the park, through a rose garden, past a game of cricket, cricket whites, the smack of ball on wood, up to the observatory, city stretched beneath us. Another pub garden, the four of us sitting and chatting and soaking up the sunshine, the fleeting quality of Sunday afternoon.

Maybe I'll want to move away from this city in ten years. Heck, maybe I'll be fed up in five. But for now, there is nowhere, nowhere, I would rather be.
























12 comments:

  1. What a great weekend you had, those cup cakes look yummy, I to loved London when I was there 20 years ago now.

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  2. Cupcakes look amazing. You are a baking star!!!!

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  3. Wow, what a weekend. Makes me feel guilty for my super lazy one which hardly involved leaving the house. And now I have an assignment to work on for the next few weekends.

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  4. Absolutely wonderful. I was at Southbank on Sunday, taking lots of snaps of bunting and the Dishoom pop up, getting excited over the food market there and i did think to myself how much i love london. I keep meaning to get the clipper to Greenwich also. I've never tried Tokyo diner but i will now!

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  5. It makes me laugh how you and Han always near-meet!

    What a lovely weekend! :)

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  6. Yay! To steal a Hannah phrase, "I made it onto Becky's blog!" Those raspberry cupcakes were yummy

    xxx

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  7. You seem to find the best places in London and really enjoy the city life. You need to write a guide book for Londoners! x

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  8. What a wonderful weekend you've had, I can toally understand why you feel so at home x

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  9. Every time you write about London it makes me want to be there, to see more and know it better. Roll on my Wimbledon visit!

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  10. I love Tokyo Diner! Fab write up and great recommendations as always xx

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  11. What a fantastic post Becky!
    I love love love the two mustaches...and thank you for coming to visit my blog--so lovely to meet you!

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  12. I love London too. I'd love to be there right now.

    Your words and photos make me smile, Becky! Thank you.

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