asking for trouble

A Trip To London

london

So, London. Here’s what I got up to.

CABLE CARS

The highlight of the trip was definitely the cable cars over the Thames. For only £3.20 you get awesome views over Greenwich and the Dome and it goes way higher than you might expect. We managed to pick a clear day and could see miles over London, plus it was quiet so we got a car to ourselves. I totally recommend it if you’re in London. I also recommend doing what we did – DLR (yay) to Docklands, then across on the cable cards, a look around the Dome and leave by the underground for your next stop.

London

BUST CRAFTACULAR

I booked this particular weekend as I applied for the Bust Craftacular and figured I’d go either way. As it was, they rejected me for the second time but we went along to see what it was like. I have to say I wasn’t that impressed. I can totally see why they reject me though as it was a tightly curated selection of sellers that fit the quirky/edgy/vintage trends. Would be nice if they’d tell you that though, instead of sending everyone a ‘we couldn’t fit you in this time but do try again with another non-refundable application fee!’ rejection email. Anyway, it wasn’t really my thing and so I didn’t buy anything, not even a cupcake as they were all quirky flavours too. It does make me slightly annoyed though, as Bust magazine is all about promoting awesome women of all kinds, and not just the ones who fit a particular trend. The London market certainly seems a lot more exclusive than the US versions where my more cutesy business owner peers are welcomed. The Rob Ryan decorations were pretty amazing though (and very cute!)

london

WESTFIELD

It turns out I had more fun at the Westfield enormo-mall, of all places, where no-one charged me £2 to go in and have a look around. I’ll stop being grumpy now. While most of the shops in Westfield are just major high street brands ahoy the basement has some cool artisan food shops (with nice normal chocolate brownies, rather than chestnut or lavender or whatever), and a mini Japancentre. Best of all is the international food court, where you can try all kinds of interesting foods. I would love to be able to go round and try them all. I had some tacos, and later tried Pinkberry for the first time. I got pomegranate frozen yogurt with melon and then let them throw on a load of random toppings, which were mostly good. Would go again.

COVENT GARDEN

On the Monday, we stopped by Covent Garden to visit Artbox and Magma books (now handily next door), where I made my only proper purchase of the trip – this great fold out illustrated book of the space race with the USA on one side and Russia on the other. I love it. We also got to see them open the next door on the Lego advent calendar, which was pretty cool, plus there was a gigantic Christmas tree, yay.

wahaca

WAHACA

After our cable car adventure, we had lunch at Wahaca, which I really wish would expand nationwide. I got some questions about my photo so if you were wondering, it’s kind of Mexican tapas and I had deep fried chicken filled tortillas with salad, chorizo and potato quesadillas and of course churros and chocolate dipping sauce! We also had a nice view of the Canary Wharf outdoor ice rink where we got to watch some kids learn to skate. My school never did anything so fun!

THE HOBBIT

We also went to see The Hobbit and I thought it was totally great and entertaining and have no idea what all the critics were complaining about. It’s maybe a tiny bit too long but not boring at all. Looking forward to the next two now.

All in all, it was a fun few days and I didn’t come home exhausted for once. I really need to get away a bit more next year, providing it doesn’t rain all year again. I would also like to say YAY KINDLE, which made my train journey seem really quick and didn’t weigh my bag down. I am so glad I bought it.

Anyway, there are a few more photos on my Flickr too.

marceline

Hello! I’m Marceline Smith, the designer and owner of Asking For Trouble. I create illustrated stationery, accessories and gifts using my cute characters inspired by Japanese kawaii. This is my business and personal blog where I write about my creative doings, inspirations, travels, Japan trips and daily life. Read more »


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