Ever since one of Mark’s friends made the mistake of was kind enough to tell me that Gloucester Cathedral, only thirty minutes by bus from his home in Cheltenham, is where some of the Hogwarts scenes in the Harry Potter movies were filmed, I was set on doing a day trip there. Continue reading “Harry Potter Fangirling in Gloucester, England”
London is a huge city, so as a tourist, or a new resident of the city, it took me some time to figure out where the best areas to go for a night out are. Below I’ll share a few of the top areas I’ve been to, and some of the specific places in each area I recommend.
Kensington
If you want to hang out with a posh crowd, this is where to go. I kid you not, when I went out in Kensington a guy was telling me all about the ‘struggle’ of having to wait for his boat to be sailed across the Atlantic since he just used it in the Caribbean but now was going to use it in the Mediterranean… such a rough life (eye roll).
Where I recommend: Kensington Roof Gardens, The Churchill Arms, Piano Kensington, Eclipse
SoHo
SoHo in London reminds me of SoHo in NYC – there’s a ton of restaurants, pubs, bars, and clubs all around. This is a great area to go for a night out because there’s something for everyone. There’s also a good mix of tourists (SoHo is close to Picadilly Circus) and Londoners who go here.
Where I recommend: Coach & Horses, Dirty Martini, Kingly Court, Ain’t Nothing But Blues Bar
Camden
Amy Winehouse used to live in this area. It’s very hipster but has a lot of cool art and a good vibe. You’ll find a mix of Londoners and tourists here as well. There’s also a nightly bar crawl of Camden (mostly for tourists), but is a good way to go to a few bars with a group at night.
Where I recommend: The Hawley Arms, The Camden Head, Camden Comedy Club (£5 and £10 comedy nights!)
Dalston
Dalston is a rapidly gentrifying area, and hidden within there are some really cool places to go out. This is a bit off the tourist track (there aren’t really any tourist attractions in this area), but as its a fifteen minute walk from my flat I go out here quite often.
Where I recommend: Dalston Roof Park, Escudo de Cuba, Jolly Butcher, Tipsy Dalston
Shoreditch
Shoreditch is near Bank, so lots of bankers come to this area for happy hour after work, although it’s more of a hipster area overall. It has a lot of cool bars, and regular bar crawls.
Where I recommend: Zigfrid von Underbelly, Queen of Hoxton, Blueberry, Bavarian Beerhouse
Which of these areas do you think you’ll visit on your next trip to London? Hopefully all of them!
Till next time all!
Wow – I’ve been in London for six months! Even saying that feels unbelievable.
Before Moving…
Just over a year ago, moving abroad was just a dream for me. I talked about moving to England with family and friends, but it still felt so foreign, so distant, and in all honesty, I wasn’t sure if it was totally attainable.
But then I did it. After applying to dozens upon dozens of positions for several months, I was able to land a interview for a job in London. Even with a Swiss passport which lets me work in the U.K., it was still difficult to get an interview from abroad.
I was SO nervous for my interview! I loved London as a tourist, but would I also like living there? I debated this question the night before my interview. But then the interview happened and they offered me the job that day and something in me knew I had to do it.
I moved five weeks later, at the end of February.
Once I Moved…
Moving did feel hard at first; there were so many unknowns. Would I make friends? Would I be able to afford London? Should I have stayed in the U.S.? Would I like it? What if I hated it?
I also was sometimes overwhelmed with having to figure everything about how to move a new country out, by myself, while starting a very busy new job. Moving into my flat, getting utilities set up, opening a bank account, learning the lay of the land in a new city, and adapting to British culture – all were aspects I had to overcome.
It was also hard early on to sometimes deal with the perception of Americans that people tend to have. Trump, politics, and shootings as of late don’t help the already not-great image that many people have of the U.S. I sometimes felt very frustrated (and even upset) when I had to defend that I still love my country despite these things.
But then at one point, things started to change. After about a month, I finished getting the utilities set up in my flat and opened a bank account. I made friends and started having a social life. I met my now boyfriend, Mark. And, the main reason of why I moved in the first place, I started traveling around Europe. I also finished my Master’s, which was a huge personal accomplishment, and opened up a lot of free time.
Where I Am Now
I feel settled now in London. My flat and neighborhood feel like home. Not in the same nostalgic way I feel about my hometown, but as a ‘home for the moment’ sort of way. I have my local grocery store, restaurants, cafes, park, and pubs. I’ve figured out what neighborhoods I like to spend time in, and which I’d like to still explore.
I’ve had quite a few visitors, which has been a great way for me to see the tourist sites (and bring friends and family to my favorites!). I have been pleasantly surprised with how many people have made it to visit – Marianna and Aaron, Karen, Sara and Trey, my parents, Lauren, and Suzie have visited. My sister Angie is also coming in October.
I also adjusted to the work I was doing. The project with Vodafone I manage can be demanding, but at my six month review this past Monday I was given an ‘exceeding expectations’ review by my manager. My immediate team is amiable and I really try my best to make our project run as smoothly as possible.
I’m also fortunate to have a few good friends now, and have deepened those relationships. I also am very happy with Mark and glad that our relationship has progressed well.
The wander luster in me has been overjoyed since I’ve been able to travel quite a bit since moving. The majority of my trips are weekend jaunts, but from London it’s not very expensive, and I try to maximize my time in each location. Thus far I’ve made it to Norway, Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Belgium, Italy (Milan for a day), Spain, and Switzerland.
I’ve also visited various towns and cities in England like Cheltenham, Eastbourne, Bracknell and Newbury (for work), Reading, Oxford, and Stratford-upon-Avon.
I know that moving here has changed me for life. Probably in many ways that I won’t don’t really realize yet, and won’t really realize till I’m gone. It’s one thing to talk about moving to to another a country, but another to do it. Even when I do move back to the U.S., I doubt this will be my last time living abroad.
Till next time all!
English Wine Industry
As a avid winery visitor when I was living in Virginia, I had been hoping for a English vineyard visit since my early days in the country. Although, I didn’t realize till about a year ago that England even had a wine producing industry. Apparently what has really made a difference in the growth of wine production in recent years is climate change – thanks to global warming, England’s south now has a climate similar to France’s north, which is more conducive to grape growing.
Also because of the climate, England produces mostly white wines, with a large increase in the production of sparking white wine in recent years. Some wineries do produce red wines, but they tend to be weaker since there isn’t enough sunshine in the country for the grapes to mature to the level they need to.
Our Visit to Three Choirs Vineyard
As I was in Cheltenham with Mark Saturday, we decided to go visit Three Choirs Vineyard in Newent, Gloucestershire (about 30 minutes by car from Cheltenham). Mark had been to the winery before and enjoyed it, so I was keen to see it for myself.
Rather than having tastings throughout the day like most Virginia wineries do, at Three Choirs Vineyard they have two tastings with a tour each weekend day, at 11am or 2:30pm. We arrived just before the 11am one.
On the tour we learned that the vineyard was originally opened in the 1970s and started on HALF an acre (cue my thoughts that I could too someday opening a winery)! It is now much bigger of course, at seventy acres, and includes a wine shop, restaurant, and small inn.
The vineyard is located in a valley that has a micro climate that actually makes it 4-6 F degrees (2-3 C degrees) warmer than the surrounding area. I could definitely feel the sun shining strongly that day and enjoyed getting some vitamin D in!
We also learned that the owner had done some research before buying the property and found out that the Romans had grown grapes in the same area. I swear there’s nothing the Romans didn’t do!
During the tour we tried two white wines, one sparkling white wine, and one red wine. I actually liked all the wines – even the red, but the first two whites were my favorite. We also got to see the machines that are used for bottling, labeling, and removing sediment in wine bottles.
After the tour Mark and I headed to the wine shop. I was pleasantly surprised that a few of the bottles available were only £8.50 (approx $11) so we bought one to enjoy there and a few to take home. We set out our picnic of wine, cheese, and crackers and proceeded to have a lovely afternoon.
My Thoughts on English Wine
I was skeptical that English wine might be sub-par because of the whole climate factor, but I was pleasantly surprised that the wines I tried were quite good. While there still aren’t a ton of wineries in general in the country, there are a few that are day-trip doable from London, so it’s piqued my interest to check them out.
Would you want to visit an English winery?
This past weekend, both my parents were in town. This was the first time since I moved that my dad has been here so I was really excited to show them around.
Friday we did afternoon tea – one of my favorite things to do with visitors, followed by shopping in a shopping center not too far from my house (but that I had no idea existed!). I’m not usually a fan of shopping at all, but considering I have only gone shopping about twice since moving, I was actually really excited and bought various things for my flat.
Saturday we went to Big Ben and Parliament, and then hopped on a boat cruise from Westminster Pier to Greenwich. I had done the boat cruise before, but I think I had a renewed sense of appreciation for it now that I know what a lot of the significant buildings are and have more of a sense of the history of London. I also haven’t been far into east London where the boat ride went.
Greenwich is a really quaint area of London. It’s not in central London – it’s just outside it, so it has a unique charm that makes it feel more like a small town by the Thames. Once there we split up, my mom tackling the Queen’s House that is part of the Old Royal Naval College, while my dad, Markie, and I went to the Roger Harrison Planetarium. At the planetarium, we watched a thirty minute show on asteroids. The show was produced by National Geographic and explained what the impact has been and will be of asteroids hitting earth and why it’s so difficult for humans to get to them in outer space. I’m not even a traditionally ‘science-y’ person, and I really enjoyed it. Trying to understand space and the magnitude of it is all really mind boggling to me.
In the evening we headed to the Queen’s Walk next to the Thames and near Tower Bridge for dinner. I absolutely am loving all the al fresco dining I am doing this summer, and how it stays daylight till almost 10pm each night.
On Sunday, I said goodbye to my mom as she headed back to the U.S. My dad, Markie and I also went and spent the night near Gatwick Airport; on Monday they were off to Algeria to visit family there for just under two weeks while I headed into the office.
Until next time all!
Noelle Across The Pond 