A little bit in love with Olivia....: That London feeling!

Following my blog on the Marylebone I had that London feeling and just wanted to write about it, in fact when I started I struggled to stop. As you have perhaps gathered I love London so I thought I would share with you a few of my favourite things to do while I'm there.

Soho-
Soho is a vibrant lively area to visit day or night with lots of bars, restaurants, shops and interesting people. I have eaten in several restaurants and they have all been lovely. Look out for the bakers too with the beautiful moorish cakes on display in the window.

Camden town-
Camden is a little gem. My favourite part is Camden lock and if you haven't already been its somewhere you need to discover. its very diverse, colourful and wonderful. Every time I go I notice something I haven't noticed before. Every shop and every person who passes you is quirky and unique. I feel its a place you can't describe and you have to experience it for yourself.

The Shard-
I have been lucky enough to go up the Shard twice in its first year and it really is worth a visit. I went with my mum and her friends who use to live in London so it was like having my own tour guides, very exciting ones reminiscing. Try to pick a clear sunny day and you can see for miles. They don't seem to mind how long you stay up there either and photographers often sit on the floor with their cameras taking long exposure photos. there's interactive stations that you point at landmark and they provide you with all the relevant information. the Shard has two levels, one completely indoor and one with an open roof, I prefer the top level because you can feel the fresh air. Be prepared for the lift too, its super fast!! The cost for the shard varies but the average is about £24.95 and you are given a time slot. I would still love to go in the evening and have dinner in one of the restaurants as the sun is setting and watch it get dark and see London light up the sky. Take a look for your self follow my link click for the Shard.

Here's two photos from the Shard, one before I went up and one from up there. The bottom left photo is Soho and the bottom right is Camden in the Nepalese shop.

The Royal Opera House-
Last year I went to see the Bolshoi ballet perform Swan Lake. It was a special occasion so we hired a private box it was such a wonderful experience, one I will never forget. I hope to go again to see more ballets and operas. We started with a very expensive bottle of champagne that my mums friend brought and still hasn't got over the shock of the price, it was fabulous! The champagne was kept on ice for us and brought out again at the interval along with sandwiches. Arriving in our private box felt very special (lots of room for shopping bags at the back and hooks for your coats). The Royal Opera house is a magnificent building the architecture and detail is stunning. We were the third box back and had a good non obstructed view. Having never seen a ballet before I didn't know how I would feel, I was mesmerised I felt very emotional I still keep listening to the music now and it takes me straight back there. The opera seemed very popular and the queue of people for returned tickets was huge. It was an amazing night, a wonderful performance in magnificent surroundings. The Opera House is set in Covent garden so try to arrive early and have a wonder around first there's some great little boutiques and coffee shops or you could just watch the street entertainers. Follow my link click for the Royal Opera House.

The rain forest café- near Piccadilly Circus and brilliant if you have children that need entertaining. My goddaughter loved it she thought she had gone to dinner in an underground jungle. Its very interactive and the food was good too. Follow my link to have a look for yourself click for the Rain Forest Café.

The bottom right photo is at a little café we have discovered just around the corner from Oxford Circus tube station on the same street as the Palladium. We get off the train and have a cup of tea and breakfast to get us ready for the day ahead.

Tiffany and Co.

Well we all know about Tiffany and Co. every girls dream. I purchased a Tiffany's notes ring for my self from the Old Bond street store. Its very high class, the doorman was lovely the assistant I purchased the ring from was snooty and not that good at his job. But I'm a girly girl and apart from that I still love Tiffany's. We all dream of that little blue box don't we?

The Mall and Green Park are more of a peaceful part of London were you can escape the hustle and bustle, great for walking and sitting in the park. I also love to walk down Regents Street in the evening window shopping the architecture is so grand and looks very impressive when lit up. The Chelsea Flower show and Ideal Home show are worth a visit to.

I really could talk about London all day but this post would be way too long so for now I'm going to conclude with St Pancreas station. I think you could go to London and just spend a whole day inside St Pancreas station. It has shops, architecture, food, drink, entertainers, The St Pancreas Renascence hotel and you can catch a train to Paris. I'm very fond of Fortnum and Masons and they have recently opened a mini store and restaurant there so I always go for my tea and biscuit fix. If your looking for dinner Carluccio's is a great place to go, you can sit outside they have heaters and blankets if its cold and you can watch the Euro Star depart to Paris.