Out & About - London Love

London has a special spot in my heart as it was the first place I moved to when I moved to the UK. But is that the only reason the big city keeps on bringing the "townie" turned "country pumpkin" back? Me think not.

If the fact that the City never sleeps and the scope for choice is endless - bars, restaurants, museums, theatres, colleges, nightclubs, jobs and people from all over the world - is not enough to get you down the motorway... Here are the three things I love the most about it.

1. Free Newspapers. 

So they are not The Times. Call me cheesy, but I actually like them! If you wake up early enough you can grab yourself a copy of the Metro or, at the other end of the day, The London Evening Standard. When I lived in London the puzzles in the Metro use to drive me insane! There was always one word I could not get.

2. Covent Garden

Ideal for people watching on a warm day. Sit outside one of the many cafes, lay back and enjoy! For hungry bears or food lovers: there are a good number of restaurants and if you are early you can do some shopping in the market. Covent Garden also has the biggest mother-ship of an Apple store I have ever seen! Enough to make the eyes of any gadget lover turn into their heads with pleasure. Now, if you are feeling cultural and generous... The Royal Opera House is right there. Brazilian ballerina Roberta Marquez is currently playing Odette in the Swan Lake performance. If you see her, say: "Ta joia?"

3. Portobello Market

Now... This is my Mecca. If there is one place you can NOT not come to is Portobello Market. Especially if you are a quirky or vintage lover. There are also some lovely Organic and/or Fair Trade Cafes around if you want to go all-the-way-hippie. The shops are unique and there is a mixture of designer and independent stores. You can buy anything here: jewelry, World War II Memorabilia, door handles for your house, clothes and much more. 

For bookworms... If you have stepped into the 21st Century of reading with you glorious iPad or Kindle, well done you! You will not struggle. But if like me, you have a firm foot on past centuries and like carrying books with you, I might have just found our solution! Quick Reads!!

This is a collection of short books, something just over 100 pages. They are light weight, fun and at £1.99 each it is hardly breaking the bank. There is good array of genres from romance, to crime, to comedy and even James Patterson is in that pan. Well done Galaxy Chocolate for sponsoring it! I also think these are ideal if you have never been into reading or have lost the interest in reading. They are a quick easy way to get back into it and you can find them everywhere.

So... Book in hand, tube map and mini A to Z and you will be sorted! There is a lot to see and enjoy in London. Once you are done, you can come back to the simpler, less chaotic life in the country just like I do. I am now too much of a country pumpkin to really want to be in London all the time. Go figure.