If you want to know what London looks like, if you want to see pics of the sights and buildings of Britain’s capital, I have to send you on to Google. New technologies make it so easy to see what is there to see and the world doesn’t need me to add my own, mostly wobbly photographic perspective.
I don’t like breaking up moments by whipping out my camera, I usually forget all about it until the moment has passed, which may only be a convenient excuse for my lack of phtographic prowess or even interest.
I only managed to snap a few pictures of things I want to remember just as they were.
Here are a few people and places I love…
Hermès does fantastic window displays. I also photographed these toy scenes for my boys. 🙂
For both Mums and perfume lovers…
At Ladurée I was sorely tempted to order one of each on the menu.
Lovely Lila Das Gupta, organizer of PLL
“Our man in London” Tara Smith – a bit blurry, sorry!
My dear friend Vanessa Musson of Bonkers about Perfume.
Hyde Park in the sun
I spent those three days among friends, wandering about in the sunshine on my own and feeling perfectly free. I walked everywhere, I admired the architecture, the trees in bloom, the blue sky. I shopped for pretty things (more about that next week!) and ate wonderful food.
I had to get up at 3.15 actual time on Sunday morning (thank you summertime!) to catch my flight back home, but that is a price I gladly paid for those few days of re-energizing, feeling young and independent again and being someone else besides Mummy, if only for a short period of time.
If you had three days for yourself, what would you do? Where would you go?
Lovely pictures! How I envy your three day vacation. If I had three days to myself with unlimited funds I would book myself into an elegant spa and get the full package. That is what I need.
Well, nobody said anything about unlimited funds! 😉
I see your point, that would be a great getaway. I hope you get it eventually! (I can take Sean in the meantime, no problem! Seriously.)
London. It remains my favourite city. I feel at total peace there. It has not changed since I was a child. When I land I shed a tear and then hit Pret for a sandwich and salt’n’vinegar crisps. Museums, shopping, galleries, the smell of the London Underground, the buses, friends. Roll on July. Great piccies B. xxx
Are you going again in July? Excellent! Not long, Val…
I can’t tell you how much I love Pret-a-manger!!! It’s embarrassing.
I would go to Paris for three days to visit my favorite perfume shops and meet with my friends! Which I am actually doing end of April…. Without the children… Can’t wait!
Fabulous! Have a wonderful time!
I would probably go to Paris. 😀
Possibly Rome now that I’ve been there and loved it.
Looking forward to hearing more about what you bought… 😉
I would love to go to both cities too (best would be right along with you). 🙂
I agree! 🙂
Glad you had this time to recharge your batteries and wander at will around London – I can quite see how that is your perfect recipe for a pick-me-up. It was lovely to relive our happy times through the photos! None of us papped the trio of poached eggs I don’t think, hehe.
I live alone, with intermittent work, so I have three days free quite often – though as work can come in at the drop of a hat, I never know it’s going to be three days going in. And it usually means I am not earning, so I like to take that time to tidy files, clean the house and go for long walks on Cannock Chase, our local area of heathland.
In a ‘money no object three days’, I’d like to pop over to visit my Euro fumie friends – or those I have yet to meet eg in Denmark and Croatia. ;). Three days would be just right for that.
PS Always assuming they were up for meeting me, that is!
Oh I’m sure both the Denmark and the Croatia fractions of Perfumeland would love your visit. As LJG says, we here in Vienna would love it too!
Yes, we forgot to snap the Eggs Benedict! Unforgiveable! 😉
Vanessa – how about you come and meet fumie friends in Vienna ?
(assuming you’re up to see them 😉 )
BTW, with 3 days for myself I’d go to London (as I always do, after all) – if it would be 3 days for myself and my husband then I’d take Venice…
Lovely! Italy is so romantic, you have to go there with a loved one…
The Viennese factionvery much inferred, hehe, also Val in the Salzburg-Linz axis! 😉
Oops, that should read ‘faction space was space very’. Fat finger fail.
Happy times, only a week ago. Those macarons and desserts were heavenly.
I’m glad the trip was worth getting up at 3.15am, poor you. I think it’s great that you walk everywhere. That really makes the most of it. I’d spend 3 days in Vienna of course.
It is quite right that I’m blurry considering I got to bed at 1.30am the night before!
How time flies, already a week has passed…
The heavenly Ladurée macarons always completely spoil for me the wannabes available here. 😦
Even blurred you are beautiful, my dear !
I’m happy you had a great time. I love other people’s vacation photos.
I don’t know what I’d do if I had 3 days. I honestly don’t know…
Really? You DO need that time off then. Maybe a spa would be great or explaribg a city not too far away that you don’t know yet…
Thanks for sharing your pictures, I like how you appear in the Hermes ones (particularly the third one) like a ghost in the window.
I love, love, love London, all the museums you can visit for free, the friendly and cosmopolitan people, oh, I wish I could go to one of the PLL-gatherings sometime (or at least establish a Berlin perfume salon!).
Oh a Berlin perfume salon sounds nice! I definitely would use that as an excuse to visit Berlin.
Three days? I’d go to bed and stay there with a book, biscuits and pots of tea. Sleeping, reading, eating to my hearts content. BLISS
Portia xx
That doesn’t sound bad either.
As an Australian you probably think where could I go for only three days?
We have it good here in Europe, where everything is so close.
HAH! Well yes but we have a continent with many similar regional weather patterns so I could go to the snow, desert, mountains, beach, city, art gallery or country town within Australia or New Zealand. Hong Kong, Bali, Singapore and Bangkok are all only a few hours flying away too. Three days elsewhere are doable but BED. For THREE DAYS. Ha Ha Ha.
Portia xx
I see. BED it is! 😉
I’d visit my much missed home city of London. Shop, shop and did I say shop? I’d hit all of the perfumeries of course, then The Tate Gallery and the Natural History Museum. I’d be a total tourist.
BTW I love that picture of you where you’re reflected in the trees in the window – ghostly!!
Thanks, SallyM.
What a great three days that would be, hopefully you’ll go back home eventually.
Nice pictures! (especially liked the autoportrait in Hermes’ window ; -) )
I don’t like traveling on my own, so I wouldn’t appreciate “three days for yourself.” But for traveling with my vSO I’d take a random pick out of my three most favorite cities in the world – Vienna, New York or London.
Thank you! 🙂
Very likely we will meet again one day in either of these three cities.
It looks like you had a wonderful time! At the moment, I’d love a three-day trip to Paris.
I did!
Ah Paris….