Category Archives: LONDON

london lately: the orangery at kensington palace

June 21, 2013

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We took Will’s mom to afternoon tea at the Orangery at Kensington Palace. A royal residence in Hyde Park, Will & Kate are currently renovating to move into after their baby is born. The gardens are lovely and the Orangery is a beautiful classical building they’ve modernised – it’s bright, gorgeous place to have afternoon tea.

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The sultana scones were my favourite, especially when served on the royal china pattern. We didn’t make a reservation, but you probably should. Especially if it’s a pretty day.

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I recommend touring the palace too – I think it was £15 a person with concessions. There is an amazing narrative installation in the Queen’s State Apartments called “House of Cards” by Coney on the fall of the Stuart dynasty – told through the eyes of little William – the future King who died unexpectedly days after his 11th birthday. Don’t miss it – it’s really special. Open until March.

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Written by alvaadmin | Filed Under: LONDON LATELY

Good to be home

June 19, 2013

I was so happy to be in Nashville with my family and friends, but there wasn’t some deep inner breath when I stepped off the plane. I didn’t feel like I was “coming home.” But I did when I saw Will at Heathrow.

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I would try to take some pictures to give you some scale, but it is so small that I can’t physically back up that far… And, let’s be honest, it’s still pretty beige. But there are some moments that make me happy.

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When I was in Nashville, my mom bought some Turkish T towels and split them up between herself, my sister and me. I bought an old art book on abstract art from the North London Vintage Market and framed a bunch of stuff in it. Have you ever carried IKEA bags full of picture frames on public transport? That task is not for the faint of heart.

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Here is our little “reception” room as they call it here. In the entryway, I added a pretty M&S gin bottle to hold some flowers from the neighbourhood stand.

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It feels good to be home.

Written by alvaadmin | Filed Under: HOME, LONDON, PERSONAL

london lately: saturday in bloomsbury

April 5, 2013

I’m having a crazy moment thinking about where I was a year ago… Will and I were spending the spring travelling, trying to decide where we were going to move in the fall. London seemed like a crazy risk, a silly pipe-dream. We spent Easter in Toronto and Spring Break in New York. I remember sitting in the airport bar telling my mom that we were going to go to Canada – it felt right. But as soon as we got back, we had an ‘a-ha’ moment and our compass was pointing east – very east.

I love this place with its polite & mild-mannered inhabitants, generous healthcare, unreliable weather and cobblestone streets. Saturdays like this one remind me that we are exactly where we need to be. It was the coldest Easter Saturday since 1962 but we bundled up and took a long walk to Bloomsbury.

1 – chai latte from Leyas on Camden High St. // makes the cold wind a little more bearable

2 – outside the British Museum  // my handsome & knowledgable tour guide showed me around the Syrian, Egyptian & Grecian galleries

3 – Russell Square // unstaged appearance of a double decker bus…

4 – Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon // took my breath away

Written by alvaadmin | Filed Under: LONDON, LONDON LATELY

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