MissECalwell

Dining in Tower 42: Jason Atherton’s City Social

I am many things but a self-proclaimed foodie certainly isn’t one of them. Don’t get me wrong – I love food. And of course, I wouldn’t really be a true Melburnian if I didn’t appreciate fine dining and its associated culture. I’m also incredibly lucky to work in an industry where good food and good company is a core part of doing business. That said, rarely do I feel the urge – or rather, the authority – to write or comment about my dining escapades….

5 fun (and non-touristy) London activities

London is one of those places where there is literally never a shortage of fun and exciting things to do. They say ‘when you’re tired of London, you’re tired of life’ and it’s a cliché for a reason. To really make the most of my time in this incredible city, I vowed in my British Bucket List to do something new at least once a month – and so far, I feel like I’m making good progress. To that end, I thought it was about time I…

The Best of Barcelona in 6 photos

As I write this grossly overdue post about Barcelona, it’s a stereotypically cold, grey and gloomy London day. Escapism, much? I went to Barcelona for the first time in October. So…some time has passed. It’s taken me this long to really work out what to say about the experience and my entirely too brief time in the city. So, rather than write for paragraphs about how historical, beautiful, bright, clean, patriotic, artistic and, ultimately, surprising the city was, I’m going to let a few snapshots do…

The Best Books to Make You Feel British

For those who found themselves at the British Library last weekend, standing in close proximity to a girl with watering eyes who had been brought to tears by the original manuscripts of Jane Austen, I do apologise. What can I say, I was pretty impressed. I’ve loved books and reading for as long as I can remember – to the point where my older brother (who didn’t share this same love) would pay me to read his school books and report back to him. This…

Strolling down Columbia Road

“With freedom, books, flowers and the moon, who could not be happy?” – Oscar Wilde I love flowers. I know it’s a cliche but I really do – they just make me really happy. So you can imagine how excited I was to finally explore the Columbia Road Flower Market in East London – even on a cold and rainy day. Just a short stroll from Old Street, the market is open on Sundays and is best visited either first thing in the morning (to…

Cold, dark and feeling positive: surviving my first London winter

No one can say I wasn’t warned. What seemed like mere moments after the official end of ‘summer’, the sage warnings about how miserable and lonely London becomes post Christmas and New Year’s started flooding in. It’s dark, cold and wet, they said, with no more Christmas parties and no one will want to do anything fun because they will be broke (or should i say ‘skint’) and doing dry January. The list seemed a little bit endless and, quite frankly, a little over dramatic….

My 4 Top Tips for Staying Healthy in London

When writing of my London experience, it would be totally remiss of me not to mention what has potentially been the most difficult part about moving abroad: sickness. Anyone who knows me will see the irony in the title of this post at this point. Why? Because since moving to London, I’ve had the immense pleasure of being sick at least once a month. Nothing life threatening – colds, coughs, sinus infections, conjunctivitis, etc. etc. My immunity has never been the strongest but the frequency…

Feeling festive with a side of patriotism

I’ve been in a bit of awe this week. It’s been eight months since I packed up and moved – eight months?!? I fully appreciate that I’ll probably look back in a year’s time and will be overwhelmed with the exact same feeling of incredulousness but bear with me whilst I bask in this realisation for a moment. One of the biggest things I’ve noticed about myself since moving abroad (exacerbated by a viewing of The Dressmaker last week) is how it’s made me feel…

Describing Edinburgh in three words

Melburnian Aside of the generally friendly vibe of the city, it was the coffee, the cafes (in particular, The Pantry & Maxi’s) , the food (my favourites: Pickles and Red Squirrel), the markets plus the somewhat urbanised seaside which made me feel quite at home. Hilly The climb to Arthur’s Seat was described to me as a ‘manageable hike’ – emphasis on the word HIKE. Despite the sore quads which followed, the view was definitely worth the climb. Magical The birthplace of Harry Potter, the castles,…

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London Life Lessons: 6 months in

1. London in the autumn is beautiful. The weather is now chilly, the days getting shorter and London is nothing short of a symphony of autumnal hues. It’s quite lovely. 2. Perseverance is important. I finally got my national insurance number. #winning 3. Equally, patience is crucial. As much as I’ve learned to push or be pushed when it comes to my morning commute, it’s important to not get swept up in the angst of peak hour commuters squashed like far too many sardines on…

London Links

Chelsea, darling.

The Kentish Weekend

5 fun (and non-touristy) London activities

The Best of Barcelona in 6 photos

The Best Books to Make You Feel British

Strolling down Columbia Road

Cold, dark and feeling positive: surviving my first London winter

My 4 Top Tips for Staying Healthy in London

Feeling festive with a side of patriotism

Describing Edinburgh in three words

London Life Lessons: 6 months in