Category: England

Top 5 Rooftop Views in London

Published on by Noelle7 Comments

One of my favorite ways to see a city is from above, and London doesn’t disappoint in ways for you to do so. Below are my top five favorite London rooftop views:

Duck and Waffle – Liverpool Street

Duck and Waffle is a 24 hour restaurant and bar where you’ll get great views of the Gherkin. Come for brunch (although make reservations ahead!), or for a glass of wine at their bar.

Entrance fee: None

View of the Gherkin as seen from Duck and Waffle

Madison – St. Pauls

Madison is a rooftop bar and viewing platform (both free to enter) near St. Paul’s Cathedral. For a family friendly rooftop view, this is the place to go as the viewing platform is separate from the bar.

Entrance fee: None

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Atop Madison rooftop bar

Dalston Roof Park – Dalston

A bit of a hidden gem, Dalston Roof Park is a seasonal favorite, open from spring to the end of September. Here cocktails are served while a DJ spins music on weekends.

Entrance fee: £3 normally, more for special events

Dalston Roof Park
View from Dalston Roof Park

Sky Garden – Monument

Sky Garden, located in the “Walkie Talkie” building, is the only rooftop on this list that has full 360 views of London. Sky Garden is quite large, and it’s nice to take a walk around the gardens.

Entrance fee: None

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Sky Garden Halloween weekend

The Shard – London Bridge

The “View from the Shard” is the biggest rip off attraction in London at £26. However, if you enter the Shard from the restaurant entrance (it will be marked), then you can head to one of the Shard’s bars where a drink may run you £8, but entrance is free.

Entrance fee: None

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Tower Bridge as seen from the Shard

Which of these looks most appealing to you? Is there another rooftop you recommend in London?

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What’s next?

This upcoming week my friend Miriam will be visiting me in London. We have plans to check out Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland festival and go to Cahoots, an old tube station converted into a 1940s cocktail themed bar.

Over the weekend I’ll be heading to Prague, Czech Republic. I’ll be exploring the old city and also partaking in a Czech food tour with my friend John who lives in the city.

Till next time all!

The Parallels of Brexit and Trump

Published on by Noelle3 Comments

Many months ago, before the Brexit votes were placed, I never thought it would happen. My colleagues in and out of London were against it, as were my British friends in the city, and my boyfriend. Being new to the country and not understanding many of the issues the country was facing and regional nuances, it didn’t make sense to me why you’d want to leave the EU.

When it was announced that Brexit had indeed gone through, I was genuinely shocked. The pound plummeted. My boyfriend had trouble focusing at work that day and several of his colleagues and him left mid day to console themselves with (several) pints at the pub. Hate crime against Polish immigrants and Muslims increased nationwide.

I thought it would be a wake up call for Americans in the Clinton vs Trump presidential battle. Don’t make irreversible decisions like the UK did, my fellow Americans, I hoped.

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When Trump first announced his presidency, I thought it was a joke. As time went on though, I obviously realized it wasn’t. Almost everyone I knew was supporting Clinton, however, and the few that were supporting Trump kept quiet about it.

I too found him awful. His comments negatively resonated with me, and didn’t fit with the narrative of my life as a feminist, daughter of a Muslim, and daughter of two immigrants who have worked hard to be successful in this country. To boot, both my parents are extremely patriotic, and raised me to be the same.

To get as far as Trump did though, there obviously had to be people supporting him. As time went on and I saw the poll numbers the night before election day with Clinton leading 2-3%, I didn’t feel any sense of comfort. Just like Brexit shocked me, I felt wary that Trump would pull ahead.

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I woke up Wednesday morning to the news that Trump was the new President-elect of the United States. Part of me felt relieved that the election was over. Most of me just felt disappointed. I didn’t have much of an appetite that day.

However, I’ve watched Trump’s acceptance speech where he hailed Clinton has someone we owe a debt to. I saw him have a productive meeting with Obama. As much as I understand why so many of my fellow Americans are pissed off, the voting is over. We don’t have to like him, but we do have to move forward.

I will pray and hope that the America Trump painted for us in his election season is not the country he actually plans to implement (that wall seems like it’d be awfully expensive). I will hold him to an extremely high standard after all the talking he’s done about ‘Making America Great Again’. I also hope he doesn’t ruin the progress in healthcare and human rights that we’ve made in the past eight years.

London and Beyond with Sister and Friends

Published on by Noelle2 Comments

I was a bit pleasantly surprised at myself this past week as my sister and her friend Colleen visited from Wisconsin because I really know my way around London now!

When I first had visitors back in March and April, I felt a bit lost. I led my mom and Markie onto the wrong bus one day, and I wasn’t sure where to go to for good dinners or fun nightlife. What a difference the months have made! So with my sisters nine days in the city, I really wanted her to have the best time possible.

We started her visit with one of my favorite English past times, afternoon tea. We headed to the Hilton Islington for an afternoon of mini sandwiches, scones, and nice pastries – I was so full after!

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The Hilton’s Afternoon tea

Sunday after a late wake up, we headed over to a popular pub in my neighborhood, The Jolly Butchers, for Sunday Roast. Sunday Roast is a delicious English tradition which consists of vegetables, potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, gravy, and a meat – normally beef.

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A delicious Sunday roast

After that, we headed to Big Ben and Parliament. Since it was Sunday, Westminster Abbey was actually free to enter provided you went to a church service. So, I participated in my first Evensong which is basically a  church service that is mostly singing with a sermon included.

Big Ben
Inside Westminster Abbey

The next day, my sister had booked a day trip for us all, so we spent the day at Windsor Castle, followed by Stonehenge and Oxford. While we were at Windsor Castle, the Queen was actually home, but sadly we did not see her (next time!). After was Stonehenge which seemed bigger to me than the first time I visited, and our last stop was Oxford. I’ve been to Oxford twice now as well, but always on bus tours, so my time there has been really rushed. The city is quite beautiful though.

Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Stonehenge
Stonehenge
Oxford

The next evening, in the Kensington area, my friend Miriam had reserved a Groupon wine and cheese tasting for us. The wine tasting was great, and only cost us £12 each! (For the deal we used, click here).

Saturday, my last full day with my sister was jam packed as well. We did an escape room in an old tube station, followed by a bit of shopping in Camden Market, and then walked up to Primrose Hill for a great view of the city.

Camden Lock Market
Camden High Street

The evening was concluded with a visit to Madison rooftop bar, and dinner at another great Italian restaurant in Kensington.

Friends on the rooftop
Mark and I at Madison

Last but not least my week ended with a game I have been waiting for since I bought tickets in February – my hometown team, the Washington Redskins, played against the Cincinnati Bengals at Wembley Stadium in London. Mark and I went and had a great time despite the end result of a tie. Apparently the stadium was sold out that day – an 87,000 attendance!

All in all the week was amazing – it was great to have friends and family in town, spend proper time with my London friends, and have Mark here.

What’s Next?

Next weekend Mark and I are heading to Luxembourg, a small country nestled between Germany, France, and Belgium. We are staying in Luxembourg City to explore the city briefly, and also heading to the Moselle Valley, a wine region in the country.

Till next time all!

Photo Essay of the Lake District, England

Published on by Noelle2 Comments

“The loveliest spot that man hath ever known” – William Wordsworth, poet and Lake District resident

I’ve been to some places with amazing scenery in my life, and I’d have to say that the Lake District, a national park in north west England, could easily be near the top of that list. The beauty of the area has inspired writers like Beatrix Potter and poets like William Wordsworth alike. Continue reading “Photo Essay of the Lake District, England” →

My Top 10 Favorite London Restaurants

Published on by Noelle1 Comment

London is a huge city with thousands of restaurants, but I quickly learned when moving here that not all of them are created equal (thanks to a few rough tummy aches early on). After being here now over seven months, I’ve narrowed down what my favorite restaurants are of the ones I’ve visited. What really sets an average restaurant apart from a favorite for me is delicious food, reasonable prices, and a good atmosphere. I hope you find this list useful when deciding on your next meal in London! Continue reading “My Top 10 Favorite London Restaurants” →