Frenchic press day, Biscuiteers in Notting Hill and The London Eye
Last Wednesday I flew over to London for the day. I will always have a soft spot for London. Those of you who followed me awhile would know that I took m first solo flight to London last year. Now there is no stopping me with the solo travel. On Wednesday I was over in London to attend the Frenchic furniture paint press day. Anytime I visit a place, I like to squeeze as much as I can in one day. Whenever I go to London I normally fly out and home on the same day as it is normally on my day off from work. I get the early flight out from Dublin and normally fly to Gatwick as it is cheaper. I then get the Gatwick Express train to Victoria station. This station is central and there is a tube station where you can easily get around London city from the tube station.
Notting Hill and Portobello Market
The night before I flew out I was scrolling through Instagram and stumbled across the most adorable tea shop in Notting Hill called Biscuiteers. I searched it on google maps and it was quick to get to from Victoria. I got the Tube to Notting Hill Gate station and I walked for about 10 minutes to the biscuit shop. Whilst walking I stumbled across Portobello Market and I gazed up at all of the pastel coloured houses. This is my favourite area of London, it is full of adorable bars and cafes. It is really relaxed and chilled and the people were so friendly.
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| Notting Hill Gate station |
Biscuiteers
When in London I try and visit a cute cafe. There is just so many to choose from. I was delighted when I stumbled across Biscuiteers on Instagram. I had actually never heard of them before but they are really popular and they have the most stunning Instagrammable shop front. I had a pot of tea, a biscuit of course and a salted caramel brownie. I sat for about half an hour outside and I just watched all of the people go by. They also do icing classes which I would have loved to do but maybe on my next trip when I have more time.
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| Biscuiteers Notting Hill |
Frenchic press day
I had been invited along to the Frenchic furniture paint press day which was held in Six Stories in Soho. After my morning exploring Notting Hill I popped back onto the tube and got off at the Tottenham Court Rd station. I then walked for a few minutes to get to the gorgeous Six Stories bar in Soho. The press day was a fantastic way to use all of the Frenchic products. Upon arrival, we got a goodie bag which was full of different paints. There was a wooden heart too which we used to experiment with the different products. I tried out the crackle effect product. I had bever used the crackle glaze before but this is perfect for getting that antique aged effect. I also had a go at some decoupage too which you will get to see in my Youtube video. I also got to meet the owner Pam, I love to see and support women in business and her passion shines through.
The London Eye
As I was on the last flight home to Dublin I had some time to kill before travelling back to the airport. I decided I wanted to do something touristy and I headed over to the London Eye. I ended up getting off at the wrong Tube station and walking for 20 minutes to the London eye but this worked out in my favour as I stumbled across Somerset House. I then walked up South Bank to the London eye and along my walk, I found a book market under a bridge. I always when in a city try and walk as much as I can and take in the views. You always find something new to see.
The London eye is fab, however, the queues are long so my biggest tip is to buy your ticket in advance as the queue alone to purchase a ticket is long. I ended up buying an express ticket to skip the queue as I had queued for so long to purchase it.
Once you are up the views are amazing. You can see all around you, a 360-degree view of London. You can see Westminster, Buckingham Palace and the infamous Gherkin. You have the best view of the London skyline.
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| The view from the top of The London Eye |
A question I got asked a bit was ” Did I feel safe in London?”, As you know there have been devastating attacks across Europe and recently in London. Earlier in the year, I travelled to Paris and I had the same caution due to recent attacks. I can honestly say I felt safe whilst over in London. I had such a lovely day and everyone I met along the way was just so lovely. Yes, there was a visible police presence but nothing that imtimidated me. There was also barriers added to the birdges but I honestly felt safe and I wouldn’t be put off from traveling to London.
I hope you enjoyed my little day trip to London. You might also like this blog post from last year too and when I visited Peggy Porschen’s. Hopefully, I will get to have another adventure soon. I have nothing planned so far for July but I do have itchy feet already for an adventure.
Don’t forget to follow me over on Instagram for more daily pics.
Chat soon,
Catherine.
