It’s been a couple of weeks since I sat down to write a blog post. The last one was written a week in advance, and the week before that I didn’t post one and that’s because Dan and I went back to London for our friends wedding and then I went home to Ireland for a week :).
Every time we go back to London it always ends up being a really busy few days, as we really try to make the most of our time while we are there. It usually involves meeting up with friends, revisiting our favourite places that we miss when we are in Abu Dhabi, stocking up on things that we cannot get in the UAE, going to new places that have opened up since we left, and of course spending time with Dan’s family :).
I thought it might be interesting to share what we got up to on this particular trip :).
An Afternoon in Kingston
I did my Masters at Kingston University and Dan grew up closeby, so needless to say, we have spent a lot of time here over the years. Every time we go back to London, a trip into Kingston is nearly always the first thing we do. Kingston is such a gorgeous town; it is built on the River Thames and has lots of great shops and cafes so it is a lovely place to spend an afternoon :).
When we go to Kingston, like I said, we usually go to the shops that we do not have in Abu Dhabi to stock up on things that we cannot buy here, or even just to have a coffee and go for a walk along the river :). It is always so nice being back in our old stomping ground after spending some time away.
Getting my Ear Pierced at Astrid & Miyu
I am very aware that this makes me sound like an 8 year old girl lol, but it wasn’t the standard lobe piercing that I went for for. I have wanted a tragus piercing for a while now but the thought of actually going to get it done is not the most enjoyable idea. Let’s face it, ear piercing is usually done in tattoo parlours which never look that inviting to me if I am honest, SO……. when I heard that Astrid & Miyu are now offering a piercing service this seemed like the PERFECT opportunity to finally get my tragus done.
Astrid & Miyu are a gorgeous contemporary designer jewellery brand and they have a store on St Christopher’s Place, which is just off Oxford Street. The store is pink and gold interior goals and they have all of their jewellery beautifully displayed on pieces of marble. It is the most aesthetically pleasing shop I have ever being to and it certainly made me feel at ease about getting my piercing.
With the help of the really friendly staff, I chose the earring that I wanted from their beautiful selection of jewellery and had my ear pierced by Bruna, who was amazing. It was so quick and it really didn’t hurt at all. I cannot recommend Astrid & Miyu enough if you are looking for somewhere reliable to have a piercing done. It was actually a really enjoyable experience which I never thought would be the case when having a needle pushed through my ear!!
Coffee & Cake at Elan Cafe
I have wanted to go to Elan cafe for so, so long and being back in London for a couple of days meant that we could finally pay it a visit. They currently have two branches in London and they are extremely popular because of their pretty interiors and tasty cakes. These two things are usually enough to make me like a place lol but I have to admit that I was somewhat disappointed with the overall experience.
Dan and I went to the Mayfair Branch. My first impression of the place was that it looked quite pretty from the outside. We stepped inside and all of the cakes were laid out and they did look good but the cafe itself was tiny and there were just a couple of tables upstairs and it felt very small and cramped.
We were offered a table downstairs which we thought might be better, but to be honest, downstairs was even more of a let down :(. It was another small space that was filled to the brim with small tables. People appeared to be eager to sit at one table only and that was one that had an artificial flower wall and a pink neon sign above it. To be honest, that would be my last choice of seat.
The furniture in the cafe was pretty but it all looked very grubby and unkept. Luckily it did have a very pretty staircase. In fact, the staircase is probably the nicest bit of the whole cafe.
To be honest I wish we had taken one of the seats outside as they actually look very pretty out in the daylight rather than downstairs in a small, badly lit room.
We ordered coffee and cake which really wasn’t anything special and definitely did not justify the cost! It wasn’t ‘bad’ or anything like that, but for me, it didn’t live up to its reputation. In my opinion, Elan cafe was a disappointment and I really feel that the hype it gets on social media is very overrated and exaggerated :(.
Perhaps the other branch in Knightsbridge is better. I cannot speak for that one but I am unlikely to go back to the Mayfair Branch any time soon.
Window Shopping
I think it is a shame to go back to London and not pay an obligatory visit to Liberty and Selfridges. I never actually buy anything but they are just such gorgeous stores to browse. The buildings themselves are beautiful and obviously the contents are swoon worthy too!
The flower shop in Selfridges in itself is worth a visit!!
The Wedding
The main event of the trip back to London was of course our friends wedding. When you live away from home and don’t often get to see your friends, weddings provide the perfect opportunity to meet up with everyone all in one place. It was such a gorgeous wedding with a happy couple 🙂 and it was great to spend the day celebrating with our friends.
After the wedding and a lovely weekend in London, I went back to Ireland for a week and spent most of it pestering my four gorgeous nephews for hugs and squeezes lol, I even bribed them with ice-cream……. it works every time! lol :).
