London Forever

Everyone who knows me, knows I love London, or at least heard it once. The city that never stops exciting me, the city I always find something new to explore. Be it in the winter, be it in the summer, London will thrill you with its vibrant multicultural and multiethnic look, abundance of cultural and culinary experiences and this energizing mixture of colors, noise and movement in every neighborhood, every street, which hypes you up and overwhelms you at the same time. Dive into it and you will come back for more, like I did. I dare you will.

I used to wander the streets and hidden yards of London for hours, days or weeks, ages ago. These days I can only afford longer weekends in the city. And I love it. You'd be surprised how much you can pack into three or four days there and still catch a breath to immerse into the local atmosphere with all your senses being savoured. As I returned to London after nearly 7 years I deliberately omitted the usual tourist areas. I was craving to get to neighborhoods and non-tourist sites I've never heard of. Luckily, local Londoners have.

Peckham

My London-based Polish friend said it was a must on the map of the cool and hipster neighborhoods the South-East London offers. And she was right. With a majority of inhabitants of African, Caribbean as well as Asian origin you can dip into the vibrant multiethnic and multicultural texture of this district in its food markets, restaurants, squares, little shops and community meeting spots. I definitely just had a small bite of it and want to come back for more.

Oh my gosh. Totally my thing! Visit in the spring or in the summertime, otherwise I’d imagine you’d find yourself in an abandoned area of run down baracks or housing projects, uninhabited boat wrecks, and closed eateries. In the spring and summertime, on the other hand, Hackney Wick is at its full blossom. Young people flood here to have tacos, pizza and craft beer over River Lee Navigation canal, seniors are kayaking and waving to the youngsters on the shore, others bicycle along the canals here. And some people actually live in their barges as if we were in Amsterdam, just the barges and boats look shabbier.

Hackney Wick

Notting-Hill

Oh what a relaxing Sunday it was. You say, a tourist district Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts made every visitor a common destination in London. I say, rest assured, there’s more to it than just the famous blue door from the movie. And trust me, you won’t get a picture in front of it alone, as tourists constantly get into your photo frame. Not that I cared about the pic so much. I much rather preferred the quiet alleys with pastel terraced houses with a touch of glamour, vintage shops and the Kensington Palace Gardens.

Greenwich

Ages ago Greenwich appeared to me distant and deserted outskirts of London with no other reason to get there than to step your feet on either side of the Meridian Line. Today it still is far away from the city center, but with a character, life and feel of its own and more reasons to plan a visit. Well commuted with London city center by train or Uber boat, the borough transports you to a maritime world with fish and chips joints, coffee shops, pubs that serve seafood and Sunday roast alike, waterfront restaurants and condos, Royal maritime buildings and Greenwich Park with the magnificent view over the city from its hilly landscape.

Whenever I say I went to Deptford, people in London ask 'But why?' Apparently, no one living in London seems to go there intentionally. Well, I did. This area in South East London appears to me as a peculiar mixture of very local flavour that manifests itself in local plea markets, unpretentious eateries and booze bars and some new restaurants that keep popping up here, and which actually may be the only reason Londoners from the other boroughs stray to Deptford.

Deptford