It’s time for the Weekend Meander with Juliet and Elizabeth and all that we are loving right now… This week I am sharing the London leg of my trip, the boots I wore so much, the Chanel show at the V&A, and a great book for a trip to the UK, and a few things I bought.
Hello lovely friends. I am back home. We arrived home Tuesday just late enough to miss all the trick-or treaters in my street! I was sad, but glad to be out of the Uber and back in my own bed.
Thanks to everyone who followed along on my Instagram and shared their own tips with me on the blog too. I posted pictures every night and it helped doing that at the end of the day, so it would be easier to share here.
If I waited until I was back, all the photos would be overwhelming. I grouped them by region in my ‘Story Highlights’ on my Instagram bio page, of pics and places. I love sharing little finds and the best part of travel is finding new spots and little hole in the wall places.
It feels like we’ve been gone a month, but it was eleven days and we packed a lot in.
So I don’t lose my mind, I’m going to share the trip in chunks on the weekend posts and then pull them all into one to refer back to later. This week I’ll share London where we spent three days at the start of the trip.
A few photos of the city…
Favorite Things in London
Dinner out the first night was with our dear friend Emily who used to work with Max. Emily planned dinner at this delicious and very fun Italian restaurant, Circlolo Populare and we got to meet her beau Sam who was charming too. This is Fitzrovia and was about a ten minute walk for us..
We also love the buzzy atmosphere of Bocca Di Lupo near the Haymarket in Soho. This Italian spot is so cozy if you eat at the bar. Wonderful home made pastas. Right across the street is their own gelato spot, Gelupo, which is divine and has the freshest gelato. I love the pistachio! Max got pecan. Go early for the gelato, it gets busy even on a rainy night.
Note: people in the UK are good about making reservations, so make plans ahead or you will be out of luck. Even in the pubs, it’s hard to wander in and grab a table. We learned that the second night.
I have a membership to the V&A (The Victoria & Albert Museum), so I wanted to see the Chanel exhibit. I love the V&A and the last time in 2019, I was lucky to see the Dior and Mary Quant shows. There is always something wonderful going on and it is the museum for beautiful things and decorative arts.
If you want to see the Chanel show which goes until February, and missed getting tickets, you can join for around $100 and get a year membership that includes a friend’s entrance too. The V&A gift shop is fabulous and full of holiday cards, calendars, and pretty things. The floral totes are the coolest gifts and wonderful to use. I also love the scarves and jewelry and bought a wool bead necklace.
The Chanel show was extensive and had clothes from the 1920’s to Chanel’s last show in 1971. The accessories jewelry, and fragrances were also a part of it.
I didn’t know that Chanel was the first to really embrace costume jewelry. She was ahead of everyone in creating comfortable clothes for women and modern day sportswear. Her clothes all still look current today. ( I love that the Chanel style jacket is back.) Black for everyday clothes was not a thing before Chanel, who gravitated to creams and black, and the occasional royal blue and red.
Much has been made of Chanel’s possible involvement with a German attache during WWII, but her biographer, Justine Picardie, recently updated her biography of Chanel with more details in anticipation of this exhibition. Chanel’s WWII resistance cards were in this exhibit along with letters to Churchill. Chanel’s Riviera villa was used to transmit messages for the Allies and hide Jewish refugees escaping across the French border and she was part of a secret group that provided intelligence during the war. More details here in Justine’s article for UK Bazaar.
Loved this wall of suits! I dream of owning a vintage Chanel jacket. Some of these, were loaned..The pink on the bottom left, was once owned by Lauren Bacall. You can also see the DIVA exhibit going on and there many more galleries of gorgeous things like cameos, hats, furniture, photography, and the list goes on and on… It would take years to see it all!
Max loves Roman history so we spent a morning at The British Museum viewing the iron age hoards and other incredible treasures that have been unearthed the UK! I found it fascinating most are from Britain and are being continually discovered.
Many like the Sutton Hoo have been found by people in their yards and by metal detector hobbyists. It is such a common phenomenon, there are strict rules in the UK about who can keep what is found and that a museum must be given the chance to buy it. If I lived there, I’d be digging around my yard! ( By the way, most museums are free in the UK, but special exhibits may have an extra cost or special tickets.)
Below, incredible gold neck pieces, called torgs, and silver pieces that have been dug up. Some, like the silver tray, found washed up by a child on the riverbank in the 1700’s. Some were buried for safe keeping in periods of unrest, and other may have been rituals.. The British Museum also has a clock room that is my favorite..and just a huge amount of things to ponder..
Many stores were already decorated for the holidays. Without Thanksgiving, the UK begins their holiday festivities November 1st, so there is so much to do and see and many special events. The streets are all lit up and it’s a great time to visit.
Liberty of London had a top floor already filled with pretty Christmas things. I never miss a chance to get to Liberty, where the most unique finds from fashion to home. I always come away with a few gifts from here! Selfridges is another beautiful store and Harrods- if you’ve never been, is an experience!
Fortnum & Mason is the place to grab wonderful teas to take home and cookies (aka biscuits). The provider of teas and treats to the royals has been at that location in Piccadilly, since the business stared in 1707! They have an incredible selection of snacks and teas, coffee and more. The pretty metal canisters are beautiful to re-use. I bought teas for myself and my tea loving pals here.
We also had a quick pick me up of a cream tea ( usually a pot of tea and two scones with clotted cream and jam), in the cafe at Fortnum’s. They also have a kid’s ice cream parlor/ lunch spot which we took my boys to when they were young, and a fancier room for the full afternoon tea experience with a piano player and tiered stands of treats and finger sandwiches. This is a good place to buy or send a gift basket (called hampers in the UK), filled with holiday treats, teas and other Fortnum goodies.
The parks are the highlight of a London visit, especially Hyde Park! It’s also nice to have a bit of nature on a city trip. We did walk through the pretty Russell Square, which is in Bloomsbury neighborhood, right near the British Museum. Like most parks here they have a cafe and you can see fall was happening. It was a windy leaves blowing sort of day and beautiful!
We took the Tube everywhere. It makes it so easy to pop about the city. It’s a great idea if you can do it when it’s not rush hour times as it’s less crowded..
This time we did not visit any royal palaces, but if you haven’t been to London, the top of your list should be The incredible Tower of London. Kensington Palace is another good one with Diana’s dresses and an orangery to have tea, and we loved the Churchill War Rooms. Make sure you see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace or even better, the Horse Guard parade down the mall at 11:00 am which is really something to see.
If you have more time, I would consider a train to farther out spots like Windsor Castle, Hampton Court Palace, Kew Gardens, The Imperial War Museum, Bath or Oxford. We’ve done all on the train in a day trip and they are easy. I would recommend getting tickets ahead for any of the palaces.
Where we stayed
We stayed at one of Kit Kemp’s Firmdale hotels –The Hamyard. We previously stayed at her Convent Garden hotel, near Seven Dials. This property is a little bigger and located in Soho, and convenient to shopping, museums, the theater and more.
I love the gorgeous design elements of this hotel, the dreamy beds, and the food. There’s a little honor bar where you can make yourself a drink in the library, in the evening, and the breakfast is always a highlight.
We have also used The Plum Guide twice to rent apartments in London! Look for places that are central and walking distance to a Tube station.
On My Radar..
Max and I have been obsessed with Granary bread that is served all over the UK. It’s a sort of English brown bread with oats and seeds and makes amazing toast. There is nothing like it here, but I did find a recipe here and we are going to try and attempt it this weekend. It’s that good!
Many asked about the booties I packed for this trip. I actually didn’t have a short boot that didn’t have a heel, but at the last minute I found these. They were inexpensive, and may not have even have been all leather, but worked fantastic in the rain and tromping all over the city, through airports and on cobblestones.
I got to one of my favorite stores COS, in Scotland. It was nice to see the clothes in person and I fell in love with this cashmere cardi. I loved everything about it. The fit was perfect, not tight, and cute enough to wear alone or layered and very soft. I decided to get it as I know I’ll wear it for years! ( I bought a small, they run large.)
This Julius Coat was on my wish list for the UK trip, but turns out I didn’t need a heavy coat, but I am still in love with this beauty. I own a few coats from Emerson Fry and they are all wonderful and made in the U.S. They tend to run large and I have a S or XS in all of mine.
I love the bookstores in London! I picked up Noble Ambitions about the rise and fall of the English Manor House in the 20th Century. Such a fun read if you are an anglophile and dig houses. I also love a book the sort of goes along with my travel. I started reading it on the train on the way to the English Countryside.
I also watched the Beckham documentary on the plane on the way over. I thought it was great and found David and his wife Victoria to be the most relatable and likable people. Plus now I know a ton about English football!
I’ll share the clothes I wore next week. I just ran out of time and this post is larger than I wanted. The next ones will be smaller, but there is just so much to love about London!
Oxford and the Cotswolds will be part off next week’s post and the following week Chatsworth and York, and then Edinburgh! I’ll collate them all at the end into one post so people can refer back to them for reference.
Thursday, I’ll be back with some friends to share cozy bedroom ideas!
Last week I shared a little postcard post with bits and photos from my trip and our little stop in Stratford-Upon-Avon.
Thank you for stopping by,
Kim
Please visit Elizabeth and Juliet’s wonderful blogs…
MAKE MINE A SPRITZER
PINECONES AND ACORNS
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Very interesting post! My daughter and I want to return to London so this is very helpful. Always enjoy your postings and recommendations.
Have a good day!
Thanks so much Edie! I hope you do it. It’s really such a beautiful city!
You should look for Dave’s Bread. I buy it in my grocery store. 21 seeds and grains! Great taste!
Thanks for your blog. It reminds me of being close to our former house in Shasta.
Hi Lisa! I will look for it.. I may have tried it. Shasta is such a special place. So nice of you to leave a comment. xo
Hi Kim! What a great trip! I really appreciate you sharing so much with all of us–I always feel like I’m right there with you. I love your boots and have a similar style (different brand) — made me consider taking them on a trip. (Being so bulky you’d have to wear them on the plane.) I keep looking for a pair of nice loafers but have never found a pair that fit well and would allow me to walk in them for a long period of time. I’m trying a second time to get the trench coat! Fingers crossed. Love the idea of the granary bread and hope your recipe works–keep us posted. I wish our favorite fashion brands would start offering more than black–I’m actually trying to avoid black because (at my age) I feel black washes me out. Anyway, love reading your posts–they’re fun and informative.
Hi Sally! Aw thanks! Yes I wore mine on the plane.. Took them off and wore socks most of the flight. I did love my loafers from madewell and I took those too. They are the Corinne with lug soles. Very comfy. Good luck wit the trench!
Funny you said that because I agree, we get so little color choices. I would love to see more too!
Thanks so much have a good weekend! x
I second the recommendation of Dave’s bread. The loaves come in two sizes and I like the smaller size. Thanks for all the travel information. I lived in England (Surrey, outside London) for three years as a child and have been back a number of times but the last time was in 2005 and I think another trip is in order.
Well now it’s settled. My next overseas trip will be to London! Just need to find a travel companion. I’m really enjoying your posts of your trip. And great score on the boots. I’m so glad you decided to take booties.
Great post. I have been following on insta. One question and a tip… I am assuming those booties were comfortable? I need walking shoes for a UK trip in March. Any recommendations? Also totally get needing to download pics as you take them. A tip. When you take a pic while traveling you can label it for future reference. There is a little “i” with a circle around it, if you click it you can add a caption. You can use the caption for searching as well..
Leila that is a great tip about the captions! I had no idea.
Yes the boots worked and were waterproof. You might also look at two others I was considering….
This is leather also by Dolce Vita https://rstyle.me/+mVtsAr4dkAmMCw-2uVK8xA
and this nearly identical to mine, but has a leather upper:
https://rstyle.me/+bUzGOsUnGZoc84Kf8LqaeA
Both have the same sole as mine which I found that excellent for navigating steps, wet sidewalks and cobblestones and a lot of walking. I just happened to get the synthetic one because that was all they had in my size.
Hope that helps!
Thanks for great post about your trip. I feel as if I was there! I was neutral about Beckman, and was pleasantly surprised about how much I enjoyed the documentary.
Elizabeth, thank you… I was the same and now I am a fan!
Hi Kim,
You shared so much of your time in London, and did a lot in a short amount of time. Even had dinner with your dear friend Emily and her beau Sam. Thank you for sharing it all. You put a lot of effort into it too. The Chanel exhibit looks like it was so well done. This must had been a big highlight of your time in London.
Hi Katherine, We did pack a lot in! I know was so excited to get to connect with some of our friends there. I was excited to get to see the exhibit and the V&A- one of my favorite spots. xo
Hi Kim, I’m loving your London report and very much looking forward to hearing about the rest of the trip. I have seen your posts on Instagram and they were fab! I wish that the Chanel exhibition would come to Canada!
We were in the UK last year, but mostly Scotland (not Edinburgh though) and then a few days in Southampton, so we are well past due a proper trip to London. I’m adding this to my UK folder!
You did a wonderful job with your travel wardrobe, so looking forward to reading about it in more detail. Thanks for sharing it all with us. Oh, and will be requesting the Chanel book for Christmas!
Patricia thanks ! I know I wonder if they are taking the Chanel show on the road later? So far nothing in the news about it, but they did end up doing that with the Dior show because it was such a money maker. So nice you saw more of Scotland ! I need to go back now and see some of the islands and other parts. The Chanel book is on my list too! xo
Hello Kim,
Gorgeous pictures and welcome home ! So pleased you had an excellent time. London is my home town and holds many dear memories for me so it was lovely to see pictures and hear what you both loved. All places that l adore too! I miss it especially this time of year with the falling leaves and the brisk air.
Take care,
Hi Francesca, Wow what a wonderful place to grow up! I can understand why fall and winter is an especially magical time there! Loved the leaves, the brisk air.. popping in and having a cozy tea. So much to love! I would miss it too. xo
Wonderful post Kim I devoured every word about London and your travels there. I have never been, but I sure would like to go someday. Thanks for taking us with you.
Thanks Judy! I hope you get to go someday.. I really think it’s such a special place. I didn’t go until I was 40, and it’s probably my most favorite city. I didn’t even mention all the palaces.. So much history!
Hello Kim, enjoyed your post while drinking my coffee very much. Always a pleasant surprise in my email inbox. Lovely seeing what you and Max got up to in the UK.. brings back recent memories as we took our twins there and Portugal as an end of High School celebration.
Staying in a Kit Kemp hotel…what a treat. I watched a lovely interview of her on YouTube.. Schumacher 1889 channel… such a bubbly person and thinks outside the box.
I think autumn is finally getting a toehold in the Bay… so ready for it!
Have a happy week!
Hi Fiona!
That must have been a lot of fun taking your kids to London and Portugal. That is on my list too..
I know the hotel was something I saved a little for. I just love them. Max would be okay sleeping in a box..LOL. I will look for the interview! Thank you for sharing that.
I’m excited for autumn too!
Hope you have a great weekend! x
Kim,
Welcome Home! I am sure your sweet cat was happy to see you. As was your dad.
I loved following along on your trip. It’s funny because it felt as if you were gone much longer. Maybe because you did so many things and went so many different places.
I love your hotel in London! I have bookmarked it for my next trip.
Chanel is a fascinating woman. The exhibit looks and sounds so interesting.
One of my favorite things about London are the museums and the parks. As for Liberty…lov e it.
We frequently travel to Europe in November and December because we love the weather, there seem to be a little less people but mainly because we love the Christmas decor and markets. So fun.
That COS sweater is beautiful! Honestly, I’ve never received a bad thing form COS.
Looking forward to seeing the rest of your trip.
Have a wonderful weekend.
xo Elizabeth
Elizabeth, She survived! The kids took good care of her and she had some visits from my son and his girlfriend. It felt like I was gone a long time too.. I mean each day away felt like three. When I was back it felt like a month..
The Firmdale hotels are wonderful and I saved some money and splurged a little on that stay. I just love them so much and Max would be okay anywhere. We are different that way!
I did think this was a great time to travel there. We had mostly good weather and the little rain wasn’t bad. Places weren’t crowded, but London was crowded more than I expected. Like summertime crowded! I know I love COS and the quality. Hoping that sweater lasts for years.
Hope you have a good weekend too.
xo
Hi Kim,
I don’t know how I found your blog, but I have been reading it for years and always look forward to it. My husband and I are going to London and Edinburgh in March, so I am loving all this information. Now I know I have to start booking restaurants!
Michele Koulentes (Chicago/Lake Forest)
Hi Michele, Wow thank you so much for that..So nice of you to comment! Oh what a great time to go to London and Edinburgh.. I’ll share a few more restaurants on the next posts too.
I also didn’t share the royal palaces on this post, but if you haven’t been to London, The Tower and Kensington are worth visiting and if you have more time, a day trip to either Windsor or Hampton Court Palace are really wonderful!
You can also get great rentals from The Plum Guide, if you don’t do a hotel, which we used twice.
So excited for you!
Welcome back Kim! I’ve enjoyed all the armchair travel with you. One can never tire of London as there are so many cool things to see and do. The hotel you stayed at is beautiful. The tea and scones, yum! Let us know how the granary bread turns out. Dave’s Bread is really good with the seeds, but it’s not like granary. Oh that COS sweater is so pretty. How do you store cashmere sweaters? Mine tend to get holes from moths, sadly. I enjoyed the Beckham documentary so much. Watched it after Juliet recommended. Can’t wait to read your post on the English countryside!
Hi Karen, Thank you..I agree so much to do and never enough time! I wish we had moore places for tea and scones. Thanks I have been putting some of my cashmere in a drawer with lavender sachet, but the others are out on the shelves. It’s weird I will occasionally get a moth hole, but never see them. If I do, I take the sweater and put it in the freezer in a bag or dry clean..There are some traps you can order if you get a bunch I have heard work well.. They tend to get on the sweaters that aren’t worn as much.
The Beckham Doc is so good. Have my dad watching it now too. xo
I lived in London for 10 years, a really great place
Maria you were so lucky. I can only imagine all the little gems only someone who lives there knows about!
Hi Kim,
Thank you so much for all the travel info. Buying plane tickets today. Do you book your plane travel direct with the airlines? We are getting excited. We have to work in Liverpool for a soccer game (because 14 year old boy!). Looking forward to your carry-on advice. I hope I don’t bombard you with too many questions.
Thanks again.
Good morning, Kim … it took me a while to get here and it was worth the wait. I need to cut this comment short so I can scroll through and savor it all again. Oh how I love London and you and Max created the best itinerary. I love your hotel, and a cream tea (it’s all I need) … and the Chanel exhibit. Heaven. Everything you packed was perfect and you looked so chic … doing us Americans proud. Love your bootie find … I’m going to order them in a tan-ish suede. They’re perfect. Looking forward to how your bread experiment turns out. And of course I’ll be counting the hours until the next installment of your wonderful travel log. Welcome home! xo
Outstanding post! Love your photos and your lodging and restaurant tips!
Thank you for taking us along. Would love to see your itinerary timeline. Been to London several times before so now Looking to travel to England countryside without London and visit a bit more Scotland.
A belated hi Kim … I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed this post … you had such a great trip and managed to do sooo much! Excellent planning!
You write a little about your black boots here and I wanted to add that as well as being comfortable and practical, they looked really stylish on! Great that they worked with a dress as well!
I hope you’re having a lovely week …
Rosie xx
Hi, I found your blog today through the Cindy-Marianne-Annie trio and just love it. This post is head and shoulders above any of the recent London (and other) trip notes that I have read. In part that’s because you and your husband like and did exactly what my husband and I do/like. My husband discovered the Romans and Etruscans at the MFA in Boston decades ago, and we’ve found more fascinating places since. The other big factor, though, is your writing which is excellent. You put us on the spot and in the moment, and your delight in exploration and travel shines through. I signed up to get your newsletter. Thank you!
Hi Maeve! You have one of my favorite names! Wow thank you for the very kind note. It means so much. I told Max there’s another husband like him! Thank you so much. xo
If you want to see some of the islands, I can highly recommend the Isle of Harris and Lewis. We spent 4 nights there in a lovely B&B (beforehand was a night in Skye after we landed in Glasgow) and really enjoyed it. The beaches are glorious, and so empty (we were there in September last year). The people are lovely and, of course, there are many opportunities to buy Harris tweed!
This was supposed to be in reply to your reply to my first comment!
Patricia thank you! Oh I am saving this now. That sounds lovely! September seems like the right time to go.