Wishlist for a Staycation in London and Beyond
The passport that I sent off is currently somewhere in limbo as the passport office goes on strike. This is of course brilliant when you have a travel blog. But this month’s Travel blog link up topic of ‘Staycation’ got me to thinking about what I could or should be doing, passport or no passport, aside from visiting farms and indulging in curry and beer.
I love and hate the word “staycation.” I mean it works, because it says what it is through ingenious word combination and it has even gone and made it into the Oxford dictionary. Well done, word. But, let’s be honest, it’s not really a word. It’s one word and a half word combined into one and that makes me feel a little uncomfortable. It’s a bit like ombre hair; on a lot of people it looks amazing but then the idea of it, grown out blonde highlights on brown hair. It’s wrong, right? I wanted to do it to my hair but I think I can’t pull that off because I’ll walk around feeling like something’s gone horribly wrong on my head. So instead I go for sort of ombre red. But then it’s not that red, so it kind of just looks like grown out nice n’ easy mahogany, you know what I mean? Being me is a constant battle, I tell you.
Where were we?
Right, the staycation.
Because we’re living out in the ‘burbs we haven’t been doing as much of London as we did when we were living in the centre. When we’re not working or catching up with friends and family, we sit there reminiscing about the time where we could burn the candle at both ends without burning out. Still, I have quite a list of things I still want to do while we’re here, and since we’re “staycationing” I thought I’d narrow them down and share them with you.
A STAYCATION IN LONDON
Do a Street Art Tour in London
I’ve been meaning to do this for a while. Seeing the street art all over Europe made me want to come back and revisit what London has to offer. East London is its own gallery and I’d love to know more about the, albeit recent, history behind it. Eyeing up Street Art London and the Alternative London Tours
Eat at to a Food Festival
Food is one of the reasons I love London so much and I very much want to get me to one of the summer food festivals around the city, whether it’s the FEAST festival or even over to Street Feast London, something needs to happen and it needs to involve multiple types of food.
See the View from the Shard
I’ve stolen this one from Jono’s ‘to do’ list but it feels like a must do. When in Paris, you go to the top of the Eiffel Tower or the Arc de Triumph; when in New York you go to the top of the Empire State Building. Well now London has the Shard and. even if it does cost £25 per person, it seems like a reasonable business expense in the name of the blog.
See Miss Saigon
Like most young girls I used to want to be a singer-actress-dancer. I had a favourite song that I would sing for auditions, or just for my mum, and it was Movie in My Mind from Miss Saigon, despite the fact I’d never actually seen Miss Saigon so now, one of my must-do theatre experiences is going to see this it now it’s back in the West End.
Do the Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum was my favourite museum as a child. And now, as an adult, I want to see all of it again. We’ve been twice but it will take another go, maybe two, before we get through all the exhibitions and then I can be happy in the knowledge I’ve given it all the attention it deserves.
Eat at Death by Burrito
I love a good burrito so death by one doesn’t sound all that bad. This one’s on London’s current coolest foodie road – Kingsland Road – and I hear they do a mean cocktail too which together sounds terrible and wonderful all at the same time. ( http://www.deathbyburrito.com/)
Go to the Beach
When the sun comes out London’s parks are the place to be, but recently London’s taken a leaf out of Paris’s book and thrown on some fake beaches for summer. There’s one over in Shoreditch and in Camden which involve hot dogs and cocktails and a tiki hut. Saves us a train fare to Brighton now doesn’t it.
A STAYCATION BEYOND LONDON
Now of course, there’s more to the UK than just London. My actual list is as long as my arm and I’ve taken to pinning my favourite places in the UK to my Beautiful Britain board on Pinterest, but I’ve narrowed it down to three places I’d really like to visit within the UK at some point in the very near future.
The Peak District and Chatsworth House
Writing about Forty Hall the other day made me want to go visit more stately homes in different parts of England, particularly around the peak district Derbyshire where Chatsworth House, aka Pemberley in Pride & Prejudice, and Haddon Hall, featured in The Princess Bride and Elizabeth are also found.
The Lake District
We’ve been planning to do a bit of a minimoon at the Lake District since before we arrived and haven’t yet gotten round to it. Since it’s quite far it may be more than just a weekend thing, but I hear there’s a bank holiday coming up, which means nothing to us but hey, seems as good an excuse as any.
Images via Pinterest. Click image for link.
Anymore recommendations for London and beyond this summer?
The monthly travel link up is hosted by Emma, Kelly & Rebecca and this month they’re joined my Mandy.
The post Wishlist for a Staycation in London and Beyond appeared first on Eat, See, Do.
