London's Parks

While not as iconic as Big Ben or Westminster, London's parks are one part of the city really worth seeing. Most of them fit the classic British mould of well-trimmed lawns, shaped hedges, imposing oaks, and manicured walk-ways.

Due to the Metropolitan Green Belt, London has a plethora of parks to visit - from tiny neighbourhood ones, to the likes of Hyde Park.

The Metropolitan Green Beltwas put into place in 1938 to deal with London's increasing pollution problems and burgeoning growth. 19 of the 32 London boroughs -a borough is an independent neighbourhoods governed by their own councils- have green belt land:

While visiting London, I would recommend you stop for a quiet lunch or stroll in any of these parks. Bring some peanuts to feed the squirrels, a nice picnic, and you are set to go!


Here are a few of my recent favourites...


Regent's Park

winter views in Regent Park

Regent's Park is one of my favourite parks due to its close proximity to where I live, plus it's not too busy for a sunny, winter-time Sunday walk. Just 15 minutes from Baker Street station, this park has some lovely fountains and waterways. I was there recently and saw cherry blossoms starting to appear- a worry! Has global warming finally kicked into gear in the UK?

While I've been Away...

Sorry about the lack of post this weekend people! Instead, marvel at the mind-boggling growth of YouTube:



Every 24 seconds, 24 hours of video are uploaded. At this rate, I wonder how the Internet's capacity will hold up...

Tips for Visiting the British Library

The British Library is one of those places I always meant to go, but somehow never got around to. But having guests visit is the perfect excuse to force me out of the door, and into London's excellent museums for another round.

While the British Library isn't exactly a museum, for the tourist's mind it certainly falls into that category. It always has its "Treasures" on display, and there are generally a few other curated exhibitions on as well. Some of them cost, but true to London's incredible standards, the free stuff is pretty jaw-dropping on its own.

I was most surprised by the Library's modernity. I am used to seeing grey stone-pillared buildings housing great collections, but the Library is refreshingly light and airy:

The Wellcome Collection - reliving medical history

Over the Christmas holidays I had some visitors, spurring me on to visit some new touristy spots in London.

By Kings Cross Station on Euston Road, the Wellcome Collection is an extension of the Wellcome Trust - "the world's largest independent charitable foundation funding research into human and animal health." They are responsible for mapping the human genome, and donate £600 million towards biochemical research. Not bad for a company that started out in the 1800s selling pharmaceuticals! 

Some rights reserved by psd

Founded in the 1880s, Henry Wellcome started collecting a huge variety of objects, paintings, and artifacts that relate to how people have viewed and interacted with medicine through the ages. While a lot of his original collection has been given to the British Museum and other displas, what is left is impressive. 

New Year's Resolutions

January is the classic time to make some changes for the new year; I always try to choose something that will be interesting or fun. Making a resolution to go to the gym or exercising mor is just too depressing to contemplate at this dreary time of year!

Last year my resolution was to explore and try new and exciting types of beer. However that didn't go too well.  After a few months I realised that actually I don't like beer, and trying new types wasn't going to change that. So we will see how the 2012 resolutions pan out!

1. Learn to cook dried beans and learn new (healthy) recipes using them
A great way to get protein cheaply and healthily, this resolution is off to a good start. I'm super excited that I received Mark Bitman's landmark cookbook "How to Cook Everything" this year. This book has a huge section on really interesting bean recipes from around the world - so we're off!

2. Go on more short trips around the UK
It can be distracting to live next to Europe - it's always so much warmer and sunnier across the Channel! This year my resolution is to still go on my warm, sun-soaked trips to Italy/Spain/Portugal or whatever it happens to be. However, I also went to explore a bit more of the landscape closer to home.

In 2011 we managed to do some nice day trips away from London (Oxford, Brighton, Windsor). This year I'm hoping to do a few weekend trips, plus see some of Scotland and Wales.