Bit chilly, innit?

To all of you who have not braved any climate other than Australia (or somewhere else that is constantly warm) before. Let this be a warning:

London. Is. Cold.

When I first arrived (in the Summer, might I add), I was surviving quite well wearing just shorts, a light cardigan, a t-shirt & flip flops (havianas, or thin sandal-type shoes), this (minus the light cardigan) is normal wear where I come from for about 90% of the year, and as a result, I was simply not used to 'wrapping up'. Lucky for me, 2009 was a relatively warm year - but in mid November, where the temperatures dropped rapidly, the heavens opened, and people started to pile on layers - I was *still* slipping around in shorts, a light cardigan, a t-shirt & flip flops.

For the first week or so, that's funny, Europeans smile at you fondly and look as though they want to give you a pat on the head for being 'the cute silly Australian who doesn't understand cold'. I did understand, it was freezing. But I couldn't contemplate wearing anything else! Gloves and scarves felt restrictive and foreign, coats made me look fat, this was fashion suicide!

By the beginning of December I had given in a bit, and invested in a coat & stockings, 1 scarf and some cheap plimsolls. I put off buying boots and gloves until it snowed. I had my heater on most of the time (sorry Earth & landlords) and played a new favourite game 'summer' (where you lie around inside wearing summer clothes and pretending it's warm outside too). By doing this, I avoided dying of exposure to the cold, but eventually, the consequences still caught me. One cold, January morning, I awoke to find a few red, pox-like spots on my neck, arms, stomach. A friend (on holiday from Australia) was staying with me, and when she surveyed them she assumed I had chicken pox (a second batch). But considering she showed no symptoms, I thought it best to drag my sorry, freezing self to the doctor and get a real diagnosis.

The result? Put simply: I did not protect my virgin Australian skin from the cold well enough, and so, it had begun to eat itself.

Looking back I can laugh, but these spots were unsightly and itchy as hell. I had to take allergy tablets to stop the itching, use a special soap to stop the swelling, and go on steroids to kill the infection. It went, and all was well within about a fortnight, but let this be a warning to you. I have compiled a list of things you NEED in winter in London. Do as I say, not as I did!

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Survival list for new Londoners

• Coats
• Thermal underwear, vests, pj's
• 100 Denier stockings
• Scarves
• Gloves (I had particular issues wearing gloves, please, forget any hangups!)
• Boots (fur lined inner, leather outer is best, but I survived on cheap £20 synthetic ones for most of winter)
• Beanies/Berets/something warm for the head
• Shoes with good grip (Ice is a slippery bastard)

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Keep warm. Have the heater on full blast, experience mulled wine (oh, yum). Do whatever makes you feel comfortable, because when you go out (and to experience London, you need to go out), you won't be comfortable. Also take the cold weather as a good reason to visit the art galleries, museums & shops, they'll all have heating on full blast and make it all a little more bearable. I reccomend heading to Covent Garden for shopping, and to the National Portrait gallery, I could spend all day in there.

Above all though (and contrary to the vibe of this post), don't panic, and enjoy the refreshing cold. London can't deal with high temperatures (they know no such thing as ventilation) and you'll be wishing it was sub zero degrees come July.

*

Aside from this, I have been focusing on some of my favourite London views recently. Average daily temperatures are at about 9.C here are the moment, and the sun begins to rise at about 6.50am and sets at about 4.45pm (more or less my working day). This means SAD disorder is affecting us all a little, but it also means I am at work as the sun rises, and  I am spoilt with this view:

Sunrise as seen from EC1V 1NY

In Europe, the light & atmosphere is completely different to that in Australia. In Australia, I remember the light as harsh, warm and omnipresent. European light is soft, subtle, and borders on melancholy, this makes for beautiful, slightly austere photographs that simply ooze a cold, dark day. A week or so ago I took a walk down a freezing, deserted Portobello Road (a favourite thing of mine to do, as you may know from this post) and took a picture that serves as a pretty good example:

A quiet Portobello Road

I am off to Paris this weekend again, and the weather looks to be awful. I'm taking my own advice and putting coats, stockings and boots in my luggage, and planning to stay indoors most of the time (le copain and I have shopping and church-visiting on the cards, possibly the cinema too). A bientôt!

London sparkles

The view from my room. I am going to miss this more than words can say.

This week, one of my co-workers has left on holidays (To Mexico no less) *jealous grumble*. As none of us (the co-workers) can take over the position, we hired a temp. Temps can be a good or a bad thing, as 1/2 the time you get a complete ignoramus who should actually be slapped for their idiocy, and the other half the time, you get people you fall a bit in love with. Lucky for me, this week it's the latter.

Leila is a young woman (nearing 30, I don't know if I can call her 'young' when I'm only just 20) from the US. Unfortunately, I admit that I subscribe to the stereotypical belief that Americans are arrogant rednecks who don't belong on the planet (prove me wrong, I beg of you!), but this woman is fabulous. Sweet, charming, funny, she has that bubbly confidence that borders on annoying, and yet, is infectious. She's very new to London, and speaking with her has reminded me of all the wonders London has to offer a newcomer, how fabulous and interesting every single experience was. I hate to admit it, but I think I nearly forgot about that. And so, here are some of my favourite moments in London, things that are out-of-this-world special to me, though I can't say I'll always be able to explain why.

1. London Fields & Broadway market on a warm day

Broadway market is a small set of stalls that sell mainly gourmet food and retro clothes, (like every other market in London). Come armed with £15. Buy a cider from the off license, then browse the stalls for your brunch, take it to neighbouring London Fields, sit with friends, eat, relax, play ball. There is something so therapeutic about this, despite the fact that everyone else is out to do exactly the same thing. There is a Lido (public pool) should you miss swimming, and disposable barbecues from Sainsbury's are also common choices for picnic-ers wanting a cheaper, more interactive affair. London Fields also becomes home to little 'mini Festivals' fairly often, live music, craft stalls, cupcakes, it just makes the opportunity to indulge all the more perfect.


2. Notting Hill, when it's freezing.

Ok, ok, I admit. This gets automatic inclusion because it signifies the real (1) beginning of my relationship with mon amour. We met, had a quick coffee in a shop that hands out your horoscope (the 12th house, my horoscope was awful - will post later), a walk down a bizarrely empty Portobello Road (it was -3.C and a weekday around 5pm, if you want to avoid crowds follow suit!). Portobello Road and Notting Hill in general is absurdly beautiful at any time of day or year, but when it's quiet and empty you can identify with it a little easier, it's the charm that hits you rather than how crowded it is. Due to pure hype, why not stop at The Hummingbird Bakery and get yourself a lovely but calorific cupcake? I can also recommend dinner at The First Floor Restaurant on Portobello road if you're feeling like splurging on an amazing, heavy meal. Other than that, Notting Hill boasts antiques, art, and the ever-fabulous (particularly if you fancy yourself a bit of an art-nerd like me) Electric Cinema.


3. Primrose Hill

It's not one of London's most exclusive addresses for no reason. Strategically located to epic market and fabulous nightlife in Camden, Primrose Hill is more or less the Notting Hill of the North, maybe even classier. Regents Park road (which is your easiest route to Primrose Hill if you get off at Chalk Farm tube station and cross the bridge) is a wonderful street with upmarket patisseries and home ware shops. Not for the poor. Primrose Hill itself offers a gorgeous view over London, and is popular for picnics between friends and the wealthy to take their dogs and/or children.

The view from Primrose Hill

4. Regent's Canal

Regent's Canal connects Limehouse Basin in the East to Little Venice in the North/West. As I live nearby, I love to walk to Victoria Park, and run/jog/walk (generally walk) North from there. I am probably going to do this today in fact. The canal is full of barges (some beautiful, some desperately needing TLC), and the sidewalk is often occupied by the health nut running to work on weekdays. On the weekend, though, even the health nuts seem to be a little more relaxed, and you can take in the pretty views of the canal while you walk from, for example, Bethnal Green to Camden. If you have the time, it's lovely, and it beats taking the claustrophobic tube by a mile.

Regent's Canal

5. The Christmas lights in and around Oxford Circus

With the 'festive season' looming, so too is the dismal London weather. London however puts a good effort into ignoring this, covering the city (the hot spots being Tottenham Court Road to Marble Arch and down Regent Street to Piccadilly Circus) in beautiful Christmas lights. Try and avoid going on the first night if you are claustrophobic, the streets are so crowded they divert buses. But these are romantic and lovely and almost makes you forget that you can't feel anything below your knees.


I can't say that these are particularly unusual sights, but for newcomers I have to recommend them. Whenever I think of them, I feel happy and nostalgic and I'm sure they'll be some favourite memories of London that I can keep with me for the rest of my life.

It is a very cold morning in mid-October and winter is already making itself known. It is dark when I wake up and more or less dark when I come home from work. Being Australian, this was an incredibly hard thing to adjust to, and a very strong  urge to hibernate arises from within and is very hard to fight off. But, in an effort to make the most of my last months in this wonderful city - I am taking a leaf out of Leila's book:

In Winter, London might go dark - but it sparkles.

(1) - This was our first date after our incredibly un-romantic meeting. Maybe I will tell more later.