Dining at the infamous Tom Aiken

I have some pretty special friends back in my home country and it has baffled me that I have managed to stay such good friends with them despite the fact that we are miles apart from each other.

I think the biggest lesson I have learnt since leaving my country is the value of the amazing people I have in my life. No distance or time can change the bond that I have with these people. I know for a fact that they will always be a part of my life if I can help it!

For my birthday this year 3 of my special friends from home sent me a birthday voucher to a Michelin star restaurant in London- Tom Aiken. I was beyond excited with my gift and I was so touched at the thought that had gone into the purchase as they know all about ‘The List’ and the things I am trying to achieve.

One of my very close London buddies is leaving me shortly to return to our sunny home land- I know even now that I am going to miss her dearly so I decided what better person to take on this special dinner date as a personal goodbye memory.

This London Buddy has been with me from the start of my time here. She let me crash at her place when I arrived, helped me set up my life, supported me and cheered with me through many experiences here.

When I landed 2 years ago she had organized for us to go and see the Sex and The City movie (the first one) at the local cinema. It seemed fitting with the second one coming out to go again together at the same cinema. I decided it would be great to see the movie and have our special dinner afterwards, a perfect girly day.

When we turned up to the cinema we soon discovered that we were sat in the exact same screening room as the first movie, we had booked pretty much the same seats and it would have been 2 years exactly (in 2 days) to the day when we originally went 2 years ago- talk about an anniversary and just plain spooky!

After the movie (which my friend didn’t love but after some wine I talked her around!) we caught the bus to Chelsea and snuck in a cheeky cocktail at a quiet pub before heading to the restaurant.

My first impression of the restaurant was that it was very very formal. The music was so quiet that you could barely hear it and I don’t want to say that the atmosphere was stuffy but it was very proper and so were the other diners- I was glad I had worn my new Ted Baker dress for the occasion!

I had decided beforehand that I was going to skip the entrée and have a main and a dessert. After ordering our meals and a half bottle of very fancy French red wine we were offered a wide selection of breads. I don’t usually eat bread but with 8 varieties to choose from I couldn’t help myself. My friend and I shared a buttermilk, an olive and a rosemary roll- yum!

As with most ‘posh’ restaurants we were then treated with canapé type treats. I am never really a fan of these things as I find they are always a bizarre concoction of foods and the taste/textures are always odd. There was the standard tomato soup type thing, a special ham treat and this olive substance that literally looked like an eye ball! However the food was interesting and the canapés were a nice addition to the dining experience.

Both my friend and I ordered fish for main. I had the Sea Bass complimented with multiple varieties of tomato and topped with basil. The fish was tender and the tomato was amazing, I thoroughly enjoyed every bite. My friend had the Turbot in lemon thyme with gnocchi which was also amazing but I preferred my own- lucky!

After the mains with the wine going down well we were very much looking forward to dessert. In short I don’t think I have ever had a dessert like this in my life.

My dessert consisted of every version of chocolate you could think of: Chocolate Dacquoise, chocolate mousse, peanuts, chocolate pops and milk ice cream. It was delightful and such a taste sensation- please see photo to understand the amazingness of the dessert!

My friend ordered the Truffle and Vanilla Pannacotta with black pepper, white chocolate and truffle ice cream. I know she had said that the dessert would be mushroom based but part of me didn’t actually believe it- that was until I tasted the creation. Who would have thought to make mushroom sweet!!! Although it was interesting it definitely wasn’t my idea of a fantastic dessert. In order to reach that classification in the Lauren book dessert has to be sweet, sweet and even sweeter.

After gorging on our desserts we sat back in our chairs, content with the meal and happy to sit and continue chatting about life, love and London. But to our surprise our meal was not yet complete.

Next thing we know we are being served a delightful selection of chocolate truffles and a basket of friands/doughnuts/other yummy cakey treats. As you know I love sweet things so even though I was already bursting at the seams I managed to at least sample or eat all of the additional dessert we were given. They were unbelievable. The truffles in particular were amazing, like little pieces of heaven in my mouth

After 3 blissful hours we left the restaurant, fully satisfied, happy and a little tipsy.

I want to thank my friends once again for a fantastic experience and a beautiful present.

I also want to thank my London buddy, it was so lovely to spend such a huge amount of time together and I have cherished sharing my life with you in London.

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A little trip down memory lane..

The British library- not a place I expected to thoroughly enjoy. Actually everyone looked at me like I was kind of crazy when I mentioned I was going, but it was a recommendation in the Lonely Planet's guide to London so I decided to check it out.

I expected the building to be old but on the contrary it was very modern, inside though is a different story.

The space is rather large with an impressive staircase at the entrance which highlights the age of the space. As I wasn't there to read books as such I skipped most of the library section and went straight to the main exhibition.

'Treasures of the British Library' was full of sacred texts, historical, scientific, literal and musical pieces of history.

I was blown away with the Magna Carta, it’s so strange to stand in front of a piece of history that is so old! I think what continues to amaze me is how well kept pieces from history are around the world. Whether its art, buildings and even everyday items such as spoons and hair brushes- the novelty will never wear off!

It was phenomenal to see the original pieces of paper that the Beatles wrote their famous lyrics on, scrap pieces of paper is a better description, I guess this fits with the rock star image of constantly being on the go and having to scribble an idea at a moment’s notice.

It was fantastic to see some of the oldest bibles in existence, it reinforces how special religion has been in every form across the world throughout time.

The exhibition also features Leonardo notebooks and Shakespeare's First Folio.

A the moment they are running a special feature on the Alice in Wonderland text to coincide with the movie. These pieces provided an interesting insight into the inspiration and development of this well loved children's story and it was actually quite fascinating.

Once I had seen the Treasures I wandered through the History of stamps throughout the world, which was actually pretty cool. I will admit that I mostly looked at the first known stamps from my country which made me smile with pride.

If you have any interest in History and have a free lazy Sunday I would definitely recommend you visit the library.

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Bath- Part 1- The City

I was super excited to visit Bath- firstly because everyone had spoken so highly of the place but secondly because I was having a girls trip away. My fellow travelers were some of the first friends I made within weeks of moving to the UK and we have been close ever since.

My first impression of the city was how breathtaking and beautiful it was. Very picturesque and just quaint. There was lots of greenery, cute houses and the streets are made of cobble stone- so romantic.

The main strip in the centre of the town features the usual commercial high street shops but in the lane ways that lead off the strip there are cute vintage shops, antique shops, bookshops and independent clothes labels.

One of the first things we explored (aside from the shops!) was the Roman Baths. It really does blow one's mind to stand on grounds that are so old, it is so old that you almost don’t believe it!!! The story of how the hot springs continue to bubble is amazing and the remaining pillars, decorations and objects add to the mystery of the experience.

After the Baths we visited the Abbey (an Anglican Parish Church) which was breath taking. The church is substantially large and the stained glass windows are a stunning feature. Someone was playing the organ whilst we were there which intensified the religious atmosphere and brought tears to my eyes. Churches are definitely a key point of interest in all my travels and they never cease to amaze me.

On the second day there we visited the Fashion Museum. This museum is well worth a visit if you are interested in the history of fashion from Victorian times, through the 1960's to the present day. The museum is housed within the very impressive Assembly rooms which I wish I had taken the time to view- maybe next time!

Lastly I took in the Victoria Art Gallery which stands at the end of the infamous Pulteney Bridge.

This bridge has been classified as an English Heritage site as it's one of only four bridges in the world with shops across the full span on both sides. It is a lovely representation of life in the 1700's and the small shops on either side are just adorable.

The Art Gallery was not very large but its collection was impressive, there are works ranging from 15th century to the present day and the key focus of the collection is on British Oil Painting. Seeing these works only adds to the historical feel of visiting the city.

Bath is a great place to wander around and lose yourself in a quiet space outside of the rush of London. I’m so glad I took the time to visit the city which has been well preserved.

Anywhere else outside of London that you could suggest is a must see?

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The elusive Banksy

Banksy is an artist I knew absolutely nothing about until I came to London and it seems that this he has created quite a reputation for himself in this country.

I had seen many pictures at markets of his graffiti work but I had yet to see any on the streets. I was very curious to view this prestigious art work in 'the flesh'.

My first trip out to try and find his work went dismally. I went to 3 different locations between the Barbican and Old Street and either I was blind or the work had been painted over. I was very disappointed. What a waste of an hour and a half on what was a semi lovely day in London (that itself is a rarity!)

My next trip I vowed I would plan better and this time around I invited a friend to come and join me. I think I may have disillusioned my friend into thinking that we were going to an actual gallery to see an exhibition so I don't know how she really felt about trekking around in the heat looking for graffiti in not the nicest part of London.

Before setting off we went to one of the coffee shops on the Time Out list- Prufrock coffee served at 'Present'. This was not a coffee shop, it was a coffee machine in a trendy men’s clothing store. However the cappuccino was damn strong and tasty. I would definitely go back again if I was in the area.

After the coffee we walked in a bit of a circle before we found Cargo bar, a venue which hosts the infamous prints of 'The policeman' and 'The dog' - see picture attached. Cargo bar is a gritty well known music venue so it seems fitting that the art is found there. There are numerous other graffiti works around the bar which match the feel of the works.

After witnessing my first Banksy my friend was very keen to see her favourite 'The girl with the balloon', so we looked up the directions on her Iphone and set off chatting. As we hadn't seen each other in a little while we did get a little distracted and lost. One unpleasant interaction with a drug addict and a toilet pit stop at a local library and we were on a main road in Hackney.

We wondered up and down this very dodgy looking alley way in between two housing estate blocks for a good 15 minutes before we stopped and asked a local resident (who was having a christening BBQ) where the art work was.

We then discovered that it had been painted over, we were gutted.

Lucky a lovely lunch in the area of Angel at a small but delightful tapas bar cheered our spirits and saved the afternoon! A big thank you to my friend who took on the mission with me and never gave up!

I would love to see more of this secretive art work as it seems that its one of those exclusive pieces of history that will only be around for a short amount of time.

If you have any Banksy snaps please share them!

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Sex and The City 2 premiere- Greatest night of my life so far...

This was a totally unexpected event and one I will remember for the rest of my life.

As some of you may know I love entering a competition. I can’t exactly remember what triggered this obsession but I can say it started about 5 months ago and I’ve won some pretty cool stuff as a result. Obviously there was the trip to Turkey, I have also won tickets to an intimate Moby gig at the Hard Rock Cafe in London (there would have been no more than 100 people there) and a £20 voucher for HMV.

A few Saturday’s ago after a disappointing day scouting for Banksy art I came home to find an email telling me I had won a Grazia competition for myself and a friend to attend the premiere of the Sex and The City 2 movie. Not only that but we would have VIP access at the premiere and be professionally photographed to potentially appear in the magazine. As you can imagine I was beyond ecstatic and I believe so was my friend.

Having been to the Bounty Hunter premiere I kind of thought we would have our photo taken outside the cinema, perhaps get to have a drink in the roped off area where I had seen some UK celebs drinking previosuly and then have good seats for the first UK showing for the movie- boy was I wrong and in a very good way.

When we arrived at 4pm we were interviewed by a French fashion TV Channel(not planned by Grazia but they were there for the premiere and clearly wasting time) and treated to photos literally on the red carpet. I must make note that the red carpet wound all the way around a large tree in the middle of Leicester square and was very long. I believe for the photos they specifically cleared the red carpet especially for us!!!

Next my friend got the chance to meet Gok Wan and get her photo taken- which was a massive deal for her and we were then filmed in the background of his SATC2 TV special. For those of you outside of the UK Gok Wan is a very well know stylist who has multiple prime time TV shows. He is well known for giving women of all sizes the confidence to wear great clothes to suit their shape.

After the filming and photos we were put behind barriers on the red carpet positioned directly across from the paparazzi. We were then informed that we were going to be in the back of paparazzi photos of the celebrities attending the premiere- amazing!

If the opportunity arose we were allowed to talk to the celebrities and ask for autographs, photos etc- at this point I was very much kicking myself for not bringing a signing pen. How was I to know we would be positioned so close to them that we would be able to see the pores in their faces!

What was not so amazing was having to wait. We were all wearing the outfits we had posted online to win the competition (the competition entry requirement was to enter a photo of us on the Grazia facebook page in our most Sex and the City outfit. Lucky for me I had purchased a Patricia Field for M&S dress 2 years ago which was a replica of the white flower dress Carrie wears in the opening scene of the first movie and this was the winning outfit). As well as the dress I had decided to wear my very special Manolos- not so suitable for standing in the same spot for over 3.5 hours!

To say it was worth it in the end would be a massive understatement!

The first person we saw was Cynthia Nixon, she was much slimmer and taller in the flesh and her dress was stunning (royal green and not the blue colour that is shown in the photos).

The second person was Chris Noth (Mr Big for those of you who don’t know him) and I must say he is damn attractive in real life. Much to our dismay he walked straight up to my friend and I, asking how our night was going and he then informed us that he was going to stand in front of us so we would be in the back of his paparazzi shots- only if that was ok with us (hmmmm yes it most definitely was!!!!!!)

Next up was Kim Cattrall and she is just like what I imagine old screen goddess looked like, her composure is mesmerising and she is like a modern day Marilyn Monroe in the statueqise way she presents herself.

Sarah Jessica Parker looked stunning in her Alexander McQueen and she was super super sweet. She recognised all our outfits and addressed us as a group saying we looked great. And yes for those of you who are intrigued she is very very tiny and very musclely in real life.

Kirstin Davis was the one star who blew me away with her beauty and really with her physique. She is tiny and has just such a desirable figure, it’s not as curvy as the screen would portray, it’s the perfect match of curves with slenderness. She is also very sweet, she squealed with delight when she saw us all together in our outfits. She has a very American accent and it’s just damn endearing!

Together the girls seem to have a authentic bond and I could not sense any of the cattyness that is reported in the press. They seemed genuinely surprised by the turn out and interest in the film. They looked really happy to be sharing the experience together as friends.

We also got the chance to chat to the creator Michael Patrick King who took a real interest in the competition and the outfits we were wearing, he like Sarah Jessica Parker recognised key outfits (mine included) and both of them were really pleased that we had gone to such efforts to copy the movie/series!

Other stars from the movie we got to see included Samantha's yummy new love interests, Anthony (Charlotte's gay husband) and the new nanny (who was modesty covered for the premiere).

After the stars of the movie left the carpet we were treated to a bevvy of UK celebrities from models Daisy Lowe and Penny Lancaster, actress Emma Roberts, Singers Alexandra Burke and Emma Bunton, TV stars- Alan Carr and many which I didn’t know, general socialites- Peaches Geldoff etc and various WAGS.

By this stage it was almost 7.30pm and my feet wear KILLING, I was whinging to my friend that I thought we had seen the best of the best and that we should make our way in to watch the movie. Then the greatest moment of my life happened- I turned around to see Kylie Minogue standing right in front of me on the red carpet- my heart skipped a beat and I literally threw down everything I was holding in my hands minus my camera!

I then proceeded to literally become a crazy person in my determination to a) speak to her and b) have a photo with her.

She came over to 4 of us girls and pointed at each of us whilst saying 'you guys look amazing.' The word 'amazing' and final point of the 4 was at me! All I could say in response was 'I love you' before she turned around to have her photo taken.

CAN YOU BELIEVE KYLIE MINOGUE TOLD ME I LOOKED AMAZING!!!!! Well yes me and a few other people but I never thought the day would come where I would literally be face to face with my idol and there I was standing in my Manolos desperately telling her I loved her.

I have thought about what I would do if I met her one day and I always thought it would be a calm moment of me telling her how much her music has influenced me and how special she was in my life. Calm I was not, expressive, most definitely.

As my friend and I were positioned towards the start of the red carpet I then proceeded to push the other competition entrants out of the way (sorry ladies!!!!) in order to follow Kylie along the red carpet and hopefully get my photo taken with her.

Alas at this point in time my screaming was overshadowed by one Louie Spence. A brand new reality TV star in the UK famous for being on a show called 'Pineapple Dance Studios'. The show is a fly on the wall documentary focused on a well known dance studio located in Convent Garden- studios that Kylie had rehearsed at a long time ago!

Ever since the show has taken off in the UK Louie has done many interviews saying that he and Kylie were friends. Kylie recently did a radio interview and said that whilst they were Twitter friends she had never actually met him in the flesh.

So on the night of the premiere when they spotted each other it was an over the top and fabulous union. Louie has some trade mark poses that he pulled with Kylie and I could hear her telling him how much she loved him and how impressed she was with his rise to fame- glad to know it’s not just us every day people that are fascinated with other celebrities.

As a result of this hilarious union the paparazzi went crazy and I was in the back of many many photos the next day not only in the UK press but in my home country (friends and family informed me I made it onto the Australian news and the newspaper- how crazy!)

Meeting Kylie was everything I thought it would be, she is in person genuinely really sweet, bubbly and just stunning. Her skin is flawless and she is tiny tiny tiny. If I didn’t love her enough in the past I love her even more now for her charm and beautiful demeanor.

After she left the red carpet I was quite shaken up and beyond elated. We moved off the carpet and into the cinema where we were treated to mini bottle of Moet, water and special SATC2 magazines.

The SATC girls then came on the screen (broadcasted from the special celebrity cinema- we were in a different cinema, I'm guessing for security reasons) and they introduced the film. I was in such a haze from the events of evening that I didn’t take the whole movie in (I actually went back and saw it twice more within the week- obsessed a little!) but I can say that I loved loved loved it.

Please ignore the reviews, the movie is fun and it centre’s on the friendships of the girls which is what I loved the most about the TV series. The movie addresses some key issues about marriages and having children in a way that moves the characters forward in their lives from the TV show and the first movie.

The fashion is outrageous and some of the script is crazy but overall it’s a thoroughly enjoyable movie and makes me miss my own SATC girls in Australia

The one piece of advice I would give from this whole experience is never give up on your dream and enter competitions people- it’s the only way to win anything!

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p.s I have attached a photo of Kylie and Louie and you can see me in the background!

Amazing photography exhibitions

Recently I have indulged in my love of photography and treated myself to two exhibitions.

The first was at Proud galleries in Chelsea and it was a small exhibition of work by Paul Joyce. The photos were examples of his work from the 1960's till present and the majority of the images were rock photography. Key subjects included the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan. I was fascinated by the youth in the images of well known artists that I have come to recognise from their older age, Bob Dylan was actually really attractive back in his day!

I think the beauty of rock photography is that when its done well it can really capture the essence of what music means to the artist and conveys the power of music in relation to particular moments in time.

The second exhibition was the Irving Penn feature at the National Portrait Gallery and his photography can only be described as phenomonal!

The way he was able to evoke emotions from very famous and sometimes private figures was fascinating. There were no stage sets for the photos and when he did use props he used them as a way to bring out personalities in the subjects. The beauty of the photos were that they were simple and stripped back the bare roots of the subjects. The photo of Edith Path perfectly conveyed her despearation whilst the photo of Grace Kelly perfectly demonstrated her beauty.

The other significant portraits for me were of Truman Capote, Max Ernst, Pablo Picasso, Christian Dior, T.S. Eliot, Alfred Hitchcock, Al Pacino, Nicole Kidman- the list goes on.

The one portrait I found most amusing was the one that featured the family that were the inspiration for the Adams Family TV show- the real life family were just as spooky as the show, im not kidding.

I have attached my favourite image from the exhibition- enjoy the beauty

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A few tasty delights...

There are a few things in London that are so much fun to do that I have been back multiple times to experience them again.

The first is sampling cupcakes at Hummingbird Bakery. Established in 2004 it's London's answer to Magnolia Bakery in NYC. The flavours of the cupcakes don't vary massively, chocolate, vanilla or red velvet but they are damn tasty and the icing is to die for. As well as cupcakes they do amazing slices, cakes and brownies and some fairly good coffee. If you are ever in London I would definitely recommend you put it on your own list- a necessary indulgence!

The second adventure must is Borough markets, this place is alive on Saturday’s with food, drink, music and sweat! These markets are so well known they are often very very full and hard to maneuver yourself around but the tasty treats make it so worthwhile. Anything your taste buds desire you can find it there. Fresh strawberries the size of your palm- check, giant olives- check, massive meringues and other assorted cakes- check, cheese literally melted from a stick onto bread- check. The list goes on with meat, seafood, fresh fruit and vegetables, pate, dips, vegetarian delights and meat pies. Recently I was excited to discover they had a Turkish food area where I proceeded to make myself sick by eating multitudes of Turkish Delight and reminiscing about my recently holiday to Turkey. I topped this indulgence off with a delicious prosecco and strawberry liqueur refreshment- yum yum yum!

The most recent adventure that I am keen to try again is sampling gelato at Gelato Mio. I must mention here that once the weather is above 18 degrees Londoners love indulging in ice cream, having been here for 2 years now I can understand this obsession as there aren't many days that qualify as ice cream weather.

A Gelato Mio opened near our house in the last few weeks and this I feel is a dangerous addition to our area. The store sells specialty Gelato flavours based on well known foods around the world, this can evolve into some very interesting combinations. Examples include Hockey Pokey for NZ, Peanut Butter for the USA, Olive for Italy and Vegemite for Australia. The minute I read about this store in TNT (a magazine that is written especially for antipodeans giving them advice of things to do in London, places to travel around the world and all the gossip from our home countries) I knew I had to try it. I can happily report that this treat was quite tasty. The flavour is what I imagine the cheese and Vegemite spread tastes like (I believe this spread has been released in Australia since I was there last but I have yet to try it) and you will be surprised to read that I think I would go back and try it again.

If you have any other food suggestions for me to try please send them through!

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Just a little trip to Michelangelo’s world

On the eve of my birthday celebrations I thought it would be a good idea to wonder around and take in some art to satisfy my cultural mind.

I started the day off with a trip to one of the coffee shops on the list, Milk Bar, which is located in the heart of Soho. I always enjoy wandering around this area of London to check out all the quirky food and drink places- now I just need to find a perfect gay husband to enjoy the walk with! The coffee itself was fantastic but the service was less than enthusiastic, clearly to the barrister his IT magazine was way more interesting than my money!

Caffeinated up I decided to walk to Somerset house however along the way mother nature called so I decided on a pit stop at the National Portrait Gallery. On my way out I spotted an exhibition by two Indian twins which was based on their mixed lives of westernized culture and Indian heritage.

A little background as to why I thought I would look at this exhibition, I am currently reading a book called 'Shantaram' which is just short of amazing. It’s a true story about an Australian man who escapes from prison for armed robbery and finds a new life in India. The book is rich in detail describing day to day life in India, the passion of the people and the crazy adventures that the author gets up to. It’s witty, thoroughly entertaining and just mesmerizing. This book has made me a little obsessed with India and I want to soak up all the information I can about this country.

Hence the pull to wander into this exhibition and I was not disappointed. The artistic ability of these women, the Singh Twins, was phenomenal and the way they paint their traditional art forms is fascinating. This exhibition fueled my obsession with this country and culture just a little more!

I then moved onto the Michelangelo exhibition which was centered on ‘The Dream’ drawings he made for his ‘lover’ (I assume it was his lover) Tommaso de' Cavalieri. The amazing detail and talent of this artist absolutely blew my mind away, not to mention the fact that these original drawings have been preserved from the 1400’s- amazing! When comparing the original’s with the replication drawings by artists who were inspired by his work you get a sense of the legend that is behind his artistic reputation.

I absolutely adored the fact that Michelangelo was so keen to impress Tommaso that he drew and redrew these images to his lovers satisfaction- can you imagine responding to Michelangelo’s letters and telling him that his first attempt just wasn’t good enough!

This exhibition has made me so hungry to visit Italy which I hope to do early next year. I am so keen to see more of Michelangelo's work and understand the full scale of his raw and dedicated talent.

Any artists that have blown you away?

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