Sunny day walking along the Richmond Riverside

Londoners it seems like the hard, cold winter is coming to an end! This sunny and warm Tuesday (nearly 15 degrees) I decided to go for a walk along the Richmond Riverside, one of the hidden gems of London. Located 9 miles south west from the city centre, you can easily get there by tube with the District Line or using the London Overground.

This charming place owns its name to the Richmond Palace, a royal residency built by Henry VII in the 15^th century. Nowadays, it’s a wealthy residential area known for its Royal Park: a National Nature Reserve where you can easily spot deers; and the Thames Riverside containing many bars and restaurants.

 

 

 

 

I highly recommend Gaucho's Restaurant to enjoy a delicious beef steak, or Vodka Revolution for a cocktail or a bit to eat. Both places sits on the Thames towpath just to the west of Richmond Bridge, with indoor and outdoor seating directly overlooking the river.

Movies at The Electric

Electric is known as one of the oldest cinema theatres in the country with more than a century of history in the famous neighbourhood of Notting Hill. This cinema was created out of a part of a fabric of Portobello Road in February 1911 and it has survived a bombing during the World War I.

This historical place has been changed names and owners down the years and it closed between 1993 and 2001, when the architect Gebler Tooth developed a plan to re-establish the commercial viability of the theatre. Nowadays the cinema, the next door restaurant and its upstairs private members club “Electric House” are run by Soho House.

You can enjoy watching a film comfortably seated in the leather sofas of the Electic from 12.50£ per person. For more information http://www.electriccinema.co.uk/whatson.php.

 

Pubs of London: Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese

If you ever fancy a pint of beer and fish and chips while you are in the city, don’t miss the chance to visit Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. Located in a narrow alleyway off Fleet Street, this pub it’s considered as the oldest in London due to have a cellar thought to belong to a 13^th century monastery which once occupied the site. It has been a pub since 1538 but, as most of the buildings of the city, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese was affected by the Great Fire of 1666.

This pub hosts numerous stories associated to famous literary figures that have been regulars: Oliver Goldsmith, Mark Twain, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Dr. Samuel Johnson are all said to have spent many nights drinking beer in the several rooms that conform Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. Probably the most famous is that Charles Dickens created there some of his darker characters of his novel “A Tale of Two Cities”.

I highly recommend a visit to this historic pub; get lost in its numerous rooms and don’t miss the chance to enjoy an organic cherry beer or the traditional pies.

Keep Calm and Happy New Year

No matter what... Keep Calm, that is what everyone says when you are about to lose your nerves. Personally, I find really difficult to keep my Spanish blood temper down when something stress me out or piss me off, which is why one of my New Year resolutions is to keep calm and enjoy my time left in London. The countdown officially starts now, 185 days to go!! Happy 2013 to everyone, wish you all joy and happiness in this New Year ahead of us!!!

Winter wonderland

Located in Hyde Park, Winter Wonderland It is the perfect venue for Christmas lovers and one of London’s most popular festive attractions. This fair features The Bavarian Village, where you can enjoy a warming cup of mulled wine or a German beer, a Christmas market to buy artisanal jewellery, a Circus and the largest ice rink in the UK.

Winter wonderland opens daily from 10 to 10. The price of most of the attractions like the giant wheel is 8 pounds and you can skate in the ice rink for 13.50£ adults and 9£ children.

 

London parks: Hampstead Heath

Hampstead Heath is one of the ancients parks in London and one of the largest with 320 hectares. It is located six kilometres from central London, in the areas of Hampstead and Highgate. It has been carefully managed to integrate wildlife and people’s recreation. Habitats in the site include ancient woodlands, heathland, acid grassland, and a number of lakes, ponds and streams.
 

The Heath is one of the capitals most popular open spaces for its embracing ponds, its lido and for the amazing view of the London Skyline from the Parliament Hill, one of the highest points in London popular also for kite flyers lovers. It is the perfect place to go for a walk, picnic date or enjoy the nature, especially during the limited sunny and warm days of the British summer, where you can take a bath in the 3 open air public swimming pools or enjoy a Lakeside concert.   
 

Pubs of London: The Hawley Arms

The Hawley Arms is the most famous pub in Camden Town. Opened in 2004, it was partly destroyed during a fire originated in the market behind the pub in 2008. This devastating incident force them to close during over a year due to remodelate and rebuilt the structure of the building. The Hawley Arms become really popular for being Amy Winehouse’s favourite pub in London. There are pictures of her as tribute of her glorious days hanging out with her friends and her occasionally forays behind the bar serving draft beer.
 

 

The ground floor is very crowded, with a beer garden perfect for smokers. I rather go upstairs to the first floor bar, with a quieter and relaxed atmosphere. I love sitting in the sofas by the fireplace during the winter and enjoy the sun and the view of London at the terrace in summertime.

The drinks prices are average for the area and the music is a must for indie and rock lovers. For a bite to eat, I recommend the fish and chips, which is very tasty and fresh, and the sticky toffee pudding for dessert, a hidden gem in the British cuisine. Like most of the pubs in the city, it closes at 1 am.