Yumchaa

@ soho

@ camden

Think of lazy afternoons with hot cups of tea and apple cake, long chats with good friends while you watch people go by, cosiness and warmth. Yumchaa actually means yummy tea or so they claim on the website but they also serve coffee, sandwiches and lovely cakes. And please don't ask me to choose between the two cafes in Camden and Soho, it's not possible. The Camden one is like an old best friend, no matter how much you may get annoyed when it's crowded or the service is slow on weekends, you think of the lazy, not so busy grey, drizzly weekdays when you catch a glimpse of the canal from your tiny table on the balcony and you sip you spicy tea and your head clears completely. The Soho cafe is fairly new, it's bright and airy and cosy and I would dare to say fairly spacious and you can usually get a table by the window - almost a haven away from the crowds of Oxford street. And what's more in Yumchaa you can get almost every black, green, red and white tea flavour you could ever imagine, let's say 'chilli chilli bang bang' is my fav at the moment!

neal's yard

Hidden behind the shopping mayhem of Neal St. is this cosy little 'organic' yard which despite its size boasts a range of shops and services from buying cheese and skateboards to enjoying a massage or a veggie meal. There is Neal's Yard Salad bar with outside tables on both sides of the yard but if you just want to have some moments of tranquility before getting on with the rest of your shopping choose the benches in the middle which are free! The yard is tiny so on a sunny Saturday you may have to fight for a table or a place in the bench but it's still worth taking a peek just in case.

Primrose Hill

'Take a drive to Primrose Hill, it's windy there and the view is so nice'. So said Blur, back in their 1993 hey days. Primrose Hill has been praised by numerous historical figures. From the luminary William Blake to the controversial Sylvia Plath, everyone has done his/her bit watching the stunning view over central London from the almost 100 meter hill. It is said that Henry VIII was quite keen to appropriate it as Crown property. Nonetheless, what matters is that the Hill is now, and for some time, public. The same goes for its surrounding park: public open space. Today, Primrose Hill very much consists of the site of boho-chic chicks and preppy boys alike taking their rest, flirting and skiing when its frosty. Having said that, common people are 'also allowed' to enjoy their lunch and stretch their legs on the premises. You may see models and actresses look-alikes, a flock of UGGs, but seldom real celebs. If you are a celebrity stalker or an encounter enthusiast, you are better off trying one of the Mayfair night clubs to breathe some Sienna perfume. However, if you are a peaceful chap wondering in Camden and the hords of Spaniards looking for the latest hip scarf are tempting you to go bananas, then take Chalk Farm Road the opposite way towards you came from Camden Town Station and head all the way towards Chalk Farm tube station. Once you have gone past the Roundhouse, keep an eye for Regent's Park Road to your left. Follow the road and it will take you to the Primrose Hill 'village', which for the distress of the locals is still Camden County. Nasty hey? After you do the Hill, go and enjoy a pint at the very intimate 'Albert'. This is one of the last traditional pubs run by a ginger family. It is located at Princess Street, just a short walk from Regent's Park Road. On sunny days make the most of the garden and try your posh-iest accent to impress the natives.

regent's canal

One of my favourite walks especially on a sunny day is along the Regent’s canal towpath starting from Camden and going all the way to Maida Vale. Once you get to Camden Lock and you reach the bridge just before Camden Market you turn left and start walking along the canal. It’s usually hectic during the weekends so you can’t really miss it. After you beat the crowds and the hustle and bustle around Camden, the canal starts becoming more peaceful – but do watch out for cyclists and avoid wearing headphones! Cyclists tend to appear out of nowhere and if you’re absent-minded either you or them may end up in the canal!

[canal view from camden lock]

After passing by part of the canal that neighbours the London zoo and having done some more walking you’ll reach one of my favourite spots - the barges which are used as proper homes with minature gardens outside, barbecues and little chairs and tables. It’s like you’ve entered a place where you’re not supposed to be and, if the weather allows it, you may catch a glimpse of canal-side living and see the residents sunbathing or barbecuing outside their canalboat.

Keep walking until the point where you reach the end of pedestrian access to the canal, climb up the stairs, check out the map that's there for directions and walk to the other side of the canal in Maida Vale. If you want a rest there is café Laville with a little balcony that faces the canal – great views but only two tables on the the tiny balcony so it’s pure lack if you manage to get a table with a view : )

[view from the cafe]

Once you get back to the canal towpath, you have almost reached Little Venice. Little Venice is actually the junction of three canals and the barges moored there host a puppet theatre, a café and an art gallery. Little Venice is admittedly cute and features in many guides but for me it’s the walk along the canal that’s worth experiencing, so put on comfy shoes, grab your camera and enjoy it! The walk from Camden Lock to Little Venice is approx. 2,5 miles and if you don’t want to walk all the way back you can take a canal boat (though a bit pricey). Another option is Paddington tube which is just a few minutes walk from Little Venice. For a less tranquil experience, do the walk during the May bank holiday when the Canal Cavalcade takes place and Regent's canal is literally in the verge of barge congestion!

[little venice during the 2009 canal cavalcade]

london is our playground

created with spell with flickr

When I first came to study in the UK ages ago I had this silly idea in my head that the indie scene was huge, thriving and more popular than anywhere else in the world: cafes, pubs and clubs would be playing Sarah record EPs and people would be endlessly chatting about duffle coats and their favourite Belle & Sebastian song. It was 2000 and my only knowledge came from the jeepster forum where people would constantly meet up and go to indie parties. When reality hit me hard I blamed the small, grim city in the Midlands where my uni was located and where the year passed and very few ‘indie’ things happened.

When I retuned to the UK in 2008 I tried to keep my expectations low. But I couldn’t get over the thought that this was London now – things must be different here right? A year has passed and my feelings are still mixed. What I know is that, indie or not, living here has not let me down.

But every time friends visit from back home they all want to do the sights, the museums, the shops - they open their guides and their lists of things to see and do. And although I do understand how you have to see the Big Ben or go to Oxford Street if it’s your first time here, I ask for a day where I will take them by the hand and show them my London – our London. And this is what this blog is about: London the way we discovered it and we keep discovering it all the time from friends suggestions, by getting lost, by exploring, by taking buses and by walking a lot – and of course by reading other guides :)

We use ‘indie’ in the really general sense of the word – do not expect to go into the places we write about and listen to the new cloudberry 3-inch. It’s just places, walks, shops which feel more cosy, more intimate and are not often mentioned in the major guidebooks – some which you can do for free, other’s which you can’t but which won’t leave you totally broke either. Most of the photographs are taken by us. The ones which are not, we always give the original link. If the photo happens to be yours and want us to remove it, please send us an email. Also, email us if you have any suggestions -London is huge and there are loads of places we still haven't discovered!