So...the first real post! Just about time!
Last weekend I went to London to support my boyfriend J. who was attending the European Hardcourt Bike Polo Championship as part of one of the two teams from Barcelona. I took this occasion as an excuse to visit London again after my last visit to the city 5 years ago and to engage in some "wild" shopping.
The games went quite well (the teams from Barcelona achieved the 11th and 21st place despite the fact that they've been practicing just for a few months) and, despite the usual bad weather, at least in my opinion (I am not used to wear sweaters in August!), we had a good time and I was actually surprised by the incredible range of good food we ate during the trip since my memories of "London food" were all quite bad: all I remember is having to eat Fish and Chips all the time or finding very bad and expensive restaurants...but maybe at that time I was too picky when it came to food...
In this occasion we ate 2 nights at a delicious (and surprisingly cheap) Turkish restarant, had some Tomato and Ricotta Quiche in a small French cafè in the Hackney Borough and, overall, I saw a very impressive range of nice places where to eat. That is, they were all offering an incredible variety of "foreign" cuisines: French, Chinese, Vietnamese, even Afghan cuisine...I think that this is pretty amazing.
Another thing I noticed: the word "organic" is everywhere, the same here for "biologic/ecologic"!
But, all in all, after the initial excitement, I came to think that London is not that different from Barcelona: of course is much bigger, the aesthetics of the building is different, there is a wider etnic variety, just to name a few differences...but when I was riding the bus that will get me where I wanted to go I felt the same way as if I were riding a bus in Barcelona: the traffic, the same unsimpathetic people who just want to get seated and be left alone no matter what...
Don't get me wrong, I like living in a big city, though it might be tough sometimes, but this time I came back home happier, feeling that I am not missing anything where I live.
Some food suggestions:
Anatolia Ocakbasi
253 Mare Street, Hackney, London E8
Their hummus, Turkish Pizza and Lentil Soup were delicious! And very cheap!
L'eau a La Bouche
49 Broadway Market, Hackney, London, E8
French style dining and breakfast, not so cheap but they offer nice quiches, pastries and sandwiches!
Last weekend I went to London to support my boyfriend J. who was attending the European Hardcourt Bike Polo Championship as part of one of the two teams from Barcelona. I took this occasion as an excuse to visit London again after my last visit to the city 5 years ago and to engage in some "wild" shopping.
The games went quite well (the teams from Barcelona achieved the 11th and 21st place despite the fact that they've been practicing just for a few months) and, despite the usual bad weather, at least in my opinion (I am not used to wear sweaters in August!), we had a good time and I was actually surprised by the incredible range of good food we ate during the trip since my memories of "London food" were all quite bad: all I remember is having to eat Fish and Chips all the time or finding very bad and expensive restaurants...but maybe at that time I was too picky when it came to food...
In this occasion we ate 2 nights at a delicious (and surprisingly cheap) Turkish restarant, had some Tomato and Ricotta Quiche in a small French cafè in the Hackney Borough and, overall, I saw a very impressive range of nice places where to eat. That is, they were all offering an incredible variety of "foreign" cuisines: French, Chinese, Vietnamese, even Afghan cuisine...I think that this is pretty amazing.
Another thing I noticed: the word "organic" is everywhere, the same here for "biologic/ecologic"!
But, all in all, after the initial excitement, I came to think that London is not that different from Barcelona: of course is much bigger, the aesthetics of the building is different, there is a wider etnic variety, just to name a few differences...but when I was riding the bus that will get me where I wanted to go I felt the same way as if I were riding a bus in Barcelona: the traffic, the same unsimpathetic people who just want to get seated and be left alone no matter what...
Don't get me wrong, I like living in a big city, though it might be tough sometimes, but this time I came back home happier, feeling that I am not missing anything where I live.
Some food suggestions:
Anatolia Ocakbasi
253 Mare Street, Hackney, London E8
Their hummus, Turkish Pizza and Lentil Soup were delicious! And very cheap!
L'eau a La Bouche
49 Broadway Market, Hackney, London, E8
French style dining and breakfast, not so cheap but they offer nice quiches, pastries and sandwiches!
