A little love for Notting Hill

Well spent Sunday exploring areas of London I'd never been to before.

I left a little part of my heart in Notting Hill. Camden falls down to second place as Notting Hill runs over with second hand stores to die for. Meaning, ohsomuchmore better.

Our first stop was to check out street art by Banksy. Online there was a great spot locator which showed us a Banksy art piece just a short walk away from my house. The locator can be found on GoogleMaps here. The blue pin marked spots are places that still have the art piece there.

We found the spot easily thanks to my phone's navigator. And at the spot we met a guy (in the picture above) who asked us: "So, you like my art, hhu?"

As the identity of Banksy remains unknown - who knows maybe we just laughed at Mr. Banksy's face when he was asking us a serious question?

Irma wanted to try out the traditional English breakfast. Sunday apparently isn't the best day to go out for EB, as every pub was serving their Sunday roast. After hunting for a put with all-day (or at least 12.30pm) breakfast serve, we found the Pommelers Rest by Tower Bridge. I had a superfood salad. Both were happy. Yay.

By the way - really good price to quality ratio. They serve English breakfast till 12pm for just a bit over £3!

'Have to do' sightseeing.

From Tower Hill station we hopped on a tube towards Notting Hill.

I got on the tube and noticed I was alone. Thankfully our fast communication worked and we understood to meet up on the next station.

We went to search for some more art by Banksy. Right by Portobello Market, on the other side of the road, there was Banksy's graffiti artist art piece.

On Portobello Road there is also a cool graffiti store. In the garden you can even go see a graffiti-artist make his work.

Portobello Market is fairly small but has good quality 2nd hand products priced reasonably. In addition to clothes you can find anything from guitars to toys. Cosy atmosphere.

Portobello Road has quite a few 2nd hand stores aswell. Both customized clothing as well as original vintage. Shoe paradise. And look at those cool oldskool skates! How cool boots could you get out of those by taking the metal part off.

The Grain Shop. Food paradise. Vegetarian food boxes for £4-6. Fill in, pick and mix, with anything you like. Surely going to pop by again!

The pastel colored buildings are so cute and pretty. Elegant area.

A poster on a window made me smile: 'Some people are gay. Get over it!'

When I have my own apartment one day, meaning one I own or rent for a long period of time, I will go back to Portobello Road for some decorations.

Cute. Cute. Car.

Walked all the way from Notting Hill Waterloo via Oxford Circus, Buckingham Palace and Westminster. Popped by a Princess Diana cafe by Hyde Park. Had mango juice at a pub by Big Ben where three Americans told us they were stupid and confirmed themselves by saying: 'In Finland you speak Danish, right?'

Over and out,
L
xxx

My New Years Outfit

Remember what I got my dad for Christmas last year? Refresh your memory here.

Onepiece has their London office in the same business complex where my work is.

Today they have a special sale lasting till 4pm for the ppl working at the complex + for friends and family, and wherever the word spreads.

As my friends from Norway are coming to London for New Years, I thought it would be lovely to make them feel like home and have something to remind them of their country. Onepiece is originally from Norway you seee!

The guys are planning to wear suits on NYE and I think I just got myself an outfit, too! I hope they'll be as excited of my SUIT as I am.

What I got is the 'OnePiece Hanna', which can be found here. It's a slim fit, so not as baggy as the normal ones.

This might just be the most cosy day at work ever. Chill.

Thank you Onepiece for making my life a bit easier: no need to think of what to wear anymore.

<3

Linda

PS: And yes, Onepiece and Hyggepiece are a different company.

PPS: Earlier at the sale we heard about Justin Bieber being spotted walking around in Nottingham wearing a Onepiece. Sales had bursted. No, don't get me wrong - that's not why I have one! ;-)

L21 and family

17.10.2011

Linda 21 years!

On my Birthday I got some more visitors, as my parents came to London.

We went out to eat at Brick Lane. Indian food! Tasty!

We went to a restaurant called Sheba. I had my chicken korma, as usual. I think I had chicken korma three times this week. It's so good! Especially at that restaurant.

Who else isn't a big fan of the moments of awkwardness when the lights go off in the restaurant, everybody is silent, stares at you..and you start to hear movement of someone walking your way after which the whole room of people starts singing happy birthday? Oh my...Such attention feels juuust slightly uncomfortable. But nice. ;-)

I'm craving for that chicken korma at the moment by the way...or the tikka masala.

Spot the sexy leg?

<3 daddy

On Wednesday 19th we

met up with my parents by Big Ben.

Went to Camden.

Bought sliding gloves (!!) from Oddballs, which I haven't yet been able to test out. Hopefully soon!

Had pub fish'n'chips with an old family friend.

And went to see Ghost the musical.

Did I already tell we went to see Legally Blond with Ingar? Well, in my opinion it was nothing compared to my expectations. Probably the worst musical disappointment ever. Boooo.

In my opinion the actors should have been younger - at least from our seats they looked quite old and it felt funny for them to act as college students. Plus the songs weren't too good. Anyway, in general I just think it's not a must see. Wasn't that funny, wasn't that special. Though, opinions vary - the girls sitting behind us probably thought the opposite than us.

After seeing Legally Blond I was truly hoping Ghost wouldn't be as of a bore.

And it wasn't.

Amazing technique, the light effects, visuals, wow wow wow. It was just something I'd never seen before in musicals. Really impressive! The actors were great and sang extremely well. The songs were touchy, the whole atmosphere in the theater was amazing.

At one point we could hear half of the theater crying. I think that was quite impressive. Had to turn my head around to see if it was for real - and it was. The audience was captured into the story and kept hooked till the very end.

I hardly ever go see anything, especially musicals, twice. But now I have a feeling it could be nice to experience Ghost from better seats. It just was pretty damn good!

They are advertising Finland at the tube stations. Like crazy big adverts covering the walls of the tunnels and all. Cool!

XO

Linda

ps. last year my bday party was a bit different ;-) check out here.

Friends and food

Firstly I have to say I haven't had the energy to blog after working 8-9hours in front of the computer every day. When you get home, the computer screen isn't exactly the first thing you want to see - again. Blinded by the screen. ;)

But what has slowed down my blogging rhythm most is the picture uploading speed to Photobucket, which is non-existant. I can upload one picture at a time and it takes 5min (if it succeeds to upload itself) which doesn't really motivate me too much.

The more technology develops, the more you ask from it I guess!

A lot has happened, a lot is to happen. But let me yet again go back to summer of Finland 2011. Even though it has been a while... better late than neverrrr.

Sooooo!

On the 30th of August Karen, Jonas, Ingar and me started the engine of my ex car. Off to Helsinki.

It was byebye again, Varkaus.

Safely we got to Helsinki, where we parked the car and headed off...shopping. Or shall I say - the guys went shopping. Me and Karen just..stalked them.

The guys had been talking about the amazing Finnish football god, Teemu Pukki, for the past week and guess what they talked about for the following week, too? About how they met their friend, Mr. Pukki, in Finland and had a chat with him. Yes, once we parked the car in Helsinki, by the Sonera football arena, Mr. walked right passed us. And I&J obviously went to give him some positive comments.

Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of this unforgettable moment.

After shopping the guys wanted to test out the Fazer cafe, where Hilla came to join us!

Yummy!

After a tasty and traditional Finnish, Fazer cafe, moment the guys wanted to do a little more shopping.

Interesting how they wanted to spend their last hours searching for clothes and yet again: not buying anything. I do not intend to go shopping with them in the future unless I get paid. I'd rather learn how to play the didgeridoo. But that would actually be pretty cool. (We were practicing the technique one day at work, when a lovely Mr. Matt came by who told us he knows how to play it! The technique is actually super difficult. Try breathing out with your mouth and breathing in at the same time with your nose. Crazyyy.)

It was time to head off to the airport and say buh-bye after the 2week awesomeness in Finland.

In the evening we still went for dinner with Eve and Hilla to an amazing Nepalese restaurant!

The restaurant is on Annankatu but I can't remember the name! They make supersupersuper lekker as in tasty food. A highly suggested place to eat out in Helsinki. The restaurant is on the Kamppi end of Annankatu, near the Fressi -gym. YUM!

We ended the day with watching a girly movie accompanied with ice-cream. I guess the movie wasn't that mindblowing as I have no memory what so ever about the title, or what happened...hmm.

but...

the next morning, before heading off to the airport to catch our flight...Karen and I did something we thought the guys, Jonah and Inkku, would be jealous of. ;)

xo

Linda