London

OOoo The Ritz

So, I did one of those lists of things to do before a big birthday.  On my list was going to The Ritz for for afternoon tea.  My mum took my grandmother to The Ritz for tea in 1998, so in 2018 I took my mum.  Make sure you book in advance and read the dress code, it is quite strict.

We arrive and check our coats.  It is glamorous and beautiful with pink marble and high ceilings.  There is a pianist playing a grand piano.  It is delightful and decadent.

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We start with choosing our tea, yes a tea menu…I am in heaven.  There are finger sandwiches to start with, followed by an array of little pastries and tarts.  Next are scones with clotted cream and jam which are delicious.  Just when we think we cannot possibly fit another thing in, the trolley comes around and we choose between cakes from the trolley.  Mum and I go for ginger cake which is moist and amazing.

The Ritz is definitely the best afternoon tea I have had.  We leave full and content.

 

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My beautiful Nan.

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Venommmm….

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Venom

We’re off to one of my favorite places, The Natural History Museum!  This time we are going to see the new Venom exhibition.

First of all, book tickets, the queue is something else entirely.  The size of it would strike fear in to the heart of even the most dedicated museum lover.  Luckily we have booked tickets, so with rather smug smiles we sidle past the massive line and straight in.

The exhibition, is beautifully put together, with lots of information and specimens as well as real life survival stories.  We spend a wonderfully morbid hour and a half perusing the fangs and barbs of snakes, jellyfish, spiders and all sorts of insects.

Get in before it closes, if you are a member it is free!

click here

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Autumn

“No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace as I have seen in one autumnal face.”

John Donne

Mowgli’s Favorite Parks

We love our walks, its a great way to get some exercise together, bond and enjoy London in a different way.  So, in honor of International Dogs Day, here are three of Mowgli’s favorite parks for walkies in London.

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Regents Park

Regent’s Park is one of the loveliest parks in central London.  We love to wander around and enjoy the beautiful gardens.  Though of course no dogs are allowed in the rose gardens.  But aside from that it is a dog friendly park with lots to explore together.

Clapham Common

Our local favorite and a very, very doggy park.  The common has both long wild grass areas and short grass for little legs.  There are lots of dogs to play with and lots of ponds as well.  We love the common.

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Finsbury Park

If you want something different, head to Finsbury Park and enjoy the old railway track walk.  there are lots of paths and places to explore. Great on a summer’s day and there is a lovely cafe in the middle of the Park which is dog friendly and does some yummy cakes and sandwiches.

 

Happy Walking!

Elf at the Tate

The Tate Britain is an overlooked art gallery that really does deserve more attention. The Tate Britain is home to a whole range of art through time. My favourite section is the School of London, which houses beautiful portraits.

The Tate Britain is a short walk from Pimlico station, although also a lovely walk across the river from Vauxhall. It’s a beautiful building and impressive to behold.

The galleries are laid out in time periods. Follow them around its worth it.

We stopped to spend time enjoying Ophelia by John Everett Millais and Carnation Lily, Lily, Rose by John Singer Sargent. Two of my absolute favourite paintings.

The Tate Britain is free to get into and also has seasonal exhibitions that cost to get into. It is much quieter that some of the art galleries in London and has a much calmer feel to it. It is a great afternoon out and the cake from the cafeteria looked amazing.

 

Finals Elf

We’ve been there before, we’ve blogged about it before, but this time its different…this time its the finals.

Yes, the finals.  Men’s Wimbledon Finals.

We have tickets, mother and I. Tickets!!!

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So we’re off to Wimbledon.  We’ve packed the picnic, got our tickets and we arrive early to Wimbledon station.  There is a shuttle bus that will take you to the front gate and back for £5 return.  Or, you can do the half an hour walk to the gates.  It is nice whether so we head off.

It is electric inside.  The atmosphere is wonderful and we stumble across Federer warming up.  Next we head over to the men’s invitation doubles which is great fun.  Brilliant tennis is being played but no one is taking it seriously, the players laugh and banter with the crowd and it is more of a show than a match.  But so worth watching.

We find a bench for our picnics and enjoy the sun before heading to the Pimms tent.  Pimms in hand we make for the main event.

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The Center Court at Wimbledon is massive.  We seem to spend an age walking around the edges to our entrance. Eventually we make it to our seats and it begins.  The tennis is brutal, the clapping loud, tension intense, what an experience.  And yes, on this occasion it would have been nice for the match to have lasted longer, been closer…but still.  What an experience.

I’ve already got my ballot ready for next year!