“Let me take you by the hand and lead you though the streets of London,
I’ll show you something to make you change your mind
”
Oh, London. Nothing could make me love you less. The art, the food, the people, the history...it's all so intriguing. Even your bout of ragweed in the summer. On our summer trip to London, Tess + I decided to have a day of adventure, following what our hearts + social media desired us to do. Neither of them failed us.
From Tap Coffee to Carsten Höller's latest exhibit to champagne + hot dogs, our day quickly became an unforgettable child-like, adult experience fleshed with culture, edible + visual treats, and bike races through Hyde Park.
This summer, I've been visually pushing myself and my creativity to create a streamlined style and work on video. I haven't shot video in three years, mainly because a lack of good editing software + an ancient computer. Either way, I'm so happy I've jumped back into it + even collaborating with my musician brother, Wyatt, on soundcloud as WHSKY.
A visual experience highlighting Carsten Höller's latest exhibit, Decision, at the Hayward Gallery at the Southbank Centre in London. Shot entirely on an iPhone 6. Music by WHSKY.
Food in London is truly representative of the many people + cultures that mesh together within this city. For lunch, we made our way to Charlotte Street, the foodiest food street to grab a hot dog + champagne at Bubbledogs. One of the loveliest food combinations ever. Seriously. And on top of that, my hot dog, the Trishna, was a crazy fusion of American + Indian food, paired with a fruity rosé champagne.
And naturally, after one eats lunch, one must eat ice cream. Tess + I trekked about one mile across Fitzrovia to Covent Garden to hit up the Magnum Pleasure Store to make our very own Magnum Bars. These rich bars were decadent. My milk chocolate was topped with raspberries, pistachios ,+ black lava salt, drizzled with dark chocolate. It was so good, we even left some crumbs from the pigeons.
Our afternoon was calming + full of child-like fun as we rented bikes to explore through Hyde Park. We raced, let the breeze flow through our hair and saw a lot of iconic London sites. We rode past ambassadors' homes, saw the Joy of Life Fountain, Royal Albert Hall, Serpentine Lake, Diana, Princess of Wales Fountain, Kensington Palace + Gardens, + Speakers' Corner. Tess even attempted to run over joggers with her bike. Thankfully, she failed.
Our day of Tess + Lauren ended with dinner at Le Mercury in Islington, East London. The food was astounding and extremely affordable french food. In addition to that, the staff was extremely hospitable and could take a good joke, which is always good when we go out to eat. We started our dinner with a camembert to share. My main was the Poitrine de Porc, a slow roasted honeyed pork belly, with confit celeriac + granny smith apple. Every succulent bite made my heart just blissfully melt. Oh, it was so good. But even better, I ended my meal with a white wine poached pear with vanilla ice cream. Oh, I'm dying inside just reminiscing about this meal. Either way, it was wonderful and I highly recommend it if you travel to London.
Up next: my day with Uncle Dana + Aunt Lin, high tea at Sketch, Harrods, + Platform 9 3/4.