A palace fit for a king

One beautiful Summer day, my friend Bridget and I went to Hampton Court Palace.  A massive palace, the size of a small town, with the most amazing manicured lawns. 

The grounds and buildings are immense.  I guess they had to be in order to house King Henry VIII, his million wives and then Mary Queen of Scotts and Queen Elizabeth.

We tried out the maze which looks pretty pitiful from the outside but trust me, you do get lost once you're in there.

It was amazing being in the sun, strolling through the gardens.  I won't even start on the palace kitchen which is quite renowned and encompasses about six different rooms - 1 for fish, 1 for meat, 1 for cooking, 1 for cooking.  You get the picture.

Hampton Court is technically in Surrey and the little town which it is part of is also quite darling. 

Enjoy the photos xox

Rye, Hugh's 30th and a harbour with no water

Our good friend Hugh was turning 30 so we decided to celebrate with a mini getaway in the UK.  Lucky for Hugh, his birthday fell on a long weekend.

We went to Rye in East Sussex on the south coast of England - a mere 1.5 hours on the train from London.  Rye is a beautiful little town with tiny cobbled stone streets, handsome Tudor homes, an abundance of antique shops and a buzzing art scene.  It's also famous for old style tea houses and haunted pubs.

The houses had cute names like Honey Pot House; the Mermaid Inn; Sea Gull House; the House with the Chair; the House Opposite and the House with Two Doors!

The highlight for the boys was the inflatable hot tub on the back deck of our apartment - hours were spent in the bubbles.  We enjoyed a yummy meal for Hugh's 30th at the George - Rye's only upmarket boutique hotel.  Followed by a drink in the only pub open after midnight, where every single "chav" from around the area seemed to hang out.

On very bad recommendation from a local, we took a walk to Rye Harbour Town.  Now, let me tell you, Rye Harbour Town is very very different to Rye.  It should not even be called a harbour because there was no water and it was another 30 minutes walk to the sea (which is quite pretty when you get there).  This place was awful; like out of a horror movie - squawking seagulls, an hour walk through an industrial estate with no one in sight, a squeaking fence and freaky carousel noise.  We missed the turn for the scenic route through Romney Marsh - whoops.

Rye has a fascinating history.  Many famous authors, like Henry James, have lived there at some stage.  It was also once home to Sir Paul McCartney and his children went to school there.  Although now sitting on top of a hill, Rye was once on the waterfront and used as a defence port against the French.

It was lovely to get out of London for some fresh air.  The traffic, pollution and congestion can get a little bit much sometimes.

E&S
xoxo

Off the West End

S and I have recently taken a liking to 'Off the West End' theatre.  There are hundreds of fabulous independent small theatres dotted around London that showcase alternatives to the glitz and glam of the big musicals.

The Kings Head is one our locals - a small, intimate theatre inside an old pub.  We recently saw a musical rendition of The Great Gatsby and earlier this year we saw Constance by Oscar Wilde.

We have also found the great Southwark Playhouse situated under the arches of a railway line - it was dark and mystical.  We saw a fabulous play called Mack & Mabel - a story about a famous producer and actress from 1920's Hollywood.  The singing, the dancing and the acting were incredibly impressive.

The actors and actresses have huge talent and because they theatres are often smaller, it feels way more intimate.

We can't forget the many wonderful big productions we've seen though - Matilda (by far my favourite); Lion King (fantastic music and costumes); Wicked; One Man Two Guvnors (absolutely hilarious); Blood Brothers; Legally Blonde; Priscilla the Queen of the Desert.....

E&S
xoxo

Our summer of sport

When summer arrives in the UK, the Brits cram as much summer 'outdoor' sporting activities into 3 months as they possibly can.

This year we've had a particularly sporty summer.  For those who know me well, this is quite unusual but I've actually had a great time.  S has been loving life with all the sport.  Here is what we've been up to:

• Ascot Races - watching Black Cavier win by a nose hair.
• Wimbledon - we lined up in the infamously long queue to watch some night time matches.  We saw a women's doubles game and couldn't believe how close we were to the action.  We were also sitting next to Emilie Mauresmo!  We then snagged Centre Court tickets to watch Nadal win against Rosol.  It was a pretty amazing experience!
• Henley Royal Regatta - we went with friends out to gorgeous Henley-Upon-Thames, sat river side with a picnic and watched the rowing.  It was very apparent that this was a 'college student' activity.  Hundreds of them getting absolutely trashed in their college blazers and girls in the highest heels and shortest skirts I've ever seen.  They were there to party rather than watch the races.
• One day international - Australia vs England at the Oval: S went with 20 other boys to (unfortunately) watch the Australians get beaten :-(
• FA Cup semi final: S went with the boys to Wembley to see the semi-final between Liverpool and Everton.  Lucky for him, one of his good friends works for the FA.

On top of this we are loving the Olympic vibe and are looking forward to our many events (beach volleyball, weight lifting, handball, hockey).  S went to the boxing today and had a great time.  I was pretty impressed with the Opening Ceremony.  It's pretty amazing being in London while the Games are on and quite amusing listening to the BBC British commentary which has quite a different view from the Australians.

Enjoy some photos below.

E&S
xoxo

Things I've come to realise...

I've neglected the blog for about a month now. Whoops. I have plenty of exciting updates but in the meantime, here are some things I've come to realize, learn and notice about living in London:

• the UK has the most amazing flowers in the world. This equates to my idea of heaven.
• 18 months is a long time to be away from home. Big things start to happen in people's lives, like friends/family being pregnant and having a baby in the time you've been gone.
• When the sun shines in London it is absolutely magical but it can also feel very hot. The sun hits the pavement and slams you in the face and the pollution becomes a bit of an issue.
• I never thought I would eat pigeon and actually like it! Don't judge me, it's an English delicacy.
• You aren't a real Londoner until you own a pair of converse and ride a bike with a wicker cane basket.
• Sainsburys' home brand digestive biscuits are the best.
• A dim sim is actually a dim sum, a zucchini is a courgette, a capsicum is a pepper and the things you wear on your legs are not pants, they are trousers!! Pants are underwear and I learnt the hard way one day in the dry cleaner.
• London has an obsession with pop-up restaurants and gastropubs (meaning a posh pub that serves top notch food).
• When something is "so hot right now" it is very hot and you will have to wait weeks to see that show, eat at that restaurant or get into that gallery.
• The Heathrow injection does exist.
• It's very convenient being able to buy alcohol in the supermarkets.
• The Tube is gross but ever so useful.
• London can be cliquey.
• "Off the West End Shows" are sometimes much better than the West End productions.
• You can tell where a Londoner lives by how they dress. There is a definite divide between East End cool and West End posh.
• The footpaths are not wide enough and Londoners take great joy in walking straight into you, especially with an umbrella.
• Everybody smokes and it is awful.
• Being able to eat the most sumptuous, flavoursome raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and blueberries makes up for the rainy, cold weather.
• There were two weeks at the start of this year where it was so cold it actually hurt to be outside.
• I now shop at Reiss, COS, Jack Wills, Hobbs and Odd Molly instead of Country Road, Cue, Zimmerman and Allanah Hill.
• I will never ever be bored living here. You name it, you can do it in London.
• London is one of the most exciting places in the world and I am so lucky to be able to live here and experience it.

Xoxox
E&S

Raising our IQ in Cambridge

It's not often in the UK that we are blessed with temperatures in the high 20's.  At the end of May we were blessed with a whole weekend of, dare I say, perfect weather.  Eager not to waste what we knew would be fleeting sunshine, we headed to Cambridge (a mere 45 minutes away from London - how had we not visited earlier?!).

Cambridge is so charming.  We loved it's college vibe and it's quaint streets.

We couldn't resist a 'punt' down the river and instead of trying to do it ourselves we joined a boat with a guide who told us really interesting things about each of the colleges (like where Emma Thompson, Colin Firth and Prince Charles went to university).  We did enjoy watching complete novices loose their poles, run into the river beds and even fall into the river.

Randomly, we ran into two different sets of friends both visiting St John's Chapel (said to be the biggest chapel in the world). 

A lot of the colleges were closed for exams but with a teeny bit of confidence we strolled on through, pretending we were students.  Lucky we did because we got to sit along the river banks and strolled around the manicured grounds usually closed to the public.  I could not imagine what it would be like studying at Cambridge in some of the oldest, most beautiful buildings.  Sometimes, it had a very Harry Potter-esque feel to it with students walking around in robes (rumour has it that you must turn up to an exam in such attire).

We had a really lovely (long) day, eating ice cream, sitting in the sun having a drink with friends.  I hate to say it but I even got burnt and had a little bit of sun stroke - a very embarrassing fact for someone from Brisbane.

xoxo
E&S

Tennis Court Road - Best street name ever!

Bridge of Sighs - it's name comes from the fact that students have to walk over the bridge to get to their exam and sigh in the process (both going to the exam, and coming back)

Peak hour on the River Cam

Chelsea Flower Show

I adore flowers. Well actually, I love them beyond belief.  So this year I could not resist a visit to the popular Chelsea Flower Show.

Thousands of flowers all in one room - how could I not go.

The displays were stunning.  It is certainly one thing that the UK does right.  The flowers here are so colourful and vibrant.

Apart from being one of the hottest days we will probably have this year, Shane and I enjoyed a lovely afternoon strolling amongst the Grand Pavillion and the garden displays.

Check out my favourite flowers at the show below.

E&S
xoxox