Family Time

Dear Everybody,

I had one of the best weekends since I've moved to London. Not only was it four days long because of Easter, but also my Mum and brothers came to visit me in my current home town London. It was nice to have them in the house and incredible to show them around the city I love so much. Although our Good-bye today came with some tears, I am grateful we had at least a few days to spend together. Unfortunately the weather wasn't too nice: we've got into a hail storm and got soaking wet multiple times. 

On Saturday morning we rose early to meet Celine's family for a traditional English breakfast. After that I took my family for a long walk through Hyde Park, Green Park and St James's Park and then all the way along the Southbank to Tower Bridge. We fed squirrels and I pretended to be a tourist guide showing them all the sights and impressing them with all the little facts I know. In the evening we were all quite exhausted and just lay around in my bed together talking about the day, which was really nice. I wish I could have them around all the time.

Our Sunday didn't go as planned. On our way to the Emirates we got into a hailstorm, so after taking some quick pictures at the stadium we decided to take the bus to Spitalfields Market, one of my favourites. We went back home early and after getting  changed we went to the pub for dinner and drinks. Of course we had Fish and Chips. Well, at least my Mum and me did. 

Yesterday the weather brightened up, so after taking pictures at King's Cross's Platform 9 3/4 we strolled through the shops on Tottenham Court Road. Of course this included me showing my Mum the insanity that is Primark. When it started raining for a bit we escaped to Leicester Square and visited the M&M World. I then quickly showed them where Celine and I love to watch street performers in Covent Garden. We finished our holiday together with dinner at Bella Italia on The Strand.

This morning my family had to pack their bags already. We still had time for a walk around Barnet, so now they should know the area I live in pretty well. I hope they understand why I love London so much after this weekend with me. I miss them already and can't wait to go home in August but I am also sad that I only have about four months left in London.
See you!

The Breakfast Salad

Dear Everybody,

I can't believe, that in a few hours I will pick my Mum and brothers up from the airport. They are coming over for Easter to visit me in my second home London. I am getting all nervous and excited right now, but that's not what this post is about. 

Today I wanted to share with you another easy recipe. Sometimes I just crave all the good things you normally would have for breakfast, when it is actually lunch or dinner time. So I created a salad including all my favourite breakfast essentials. 

Just cut a bit of your favourite lettuce in small pieces and then fry some mushrooms and a streak of bacon in a pan. At the same time boil an egg or two to a hard consistency. When everything is done you just have to bring it together. Put some salad cream on your lettuce and then sprinkle the mushrooms and the bacon cut into small pieces over it. I also crumbled over some feta cheese, because I really like the taste. Finish off your salad by decorating it with your egg and you created a delicious meal that easily satisfies you as much as a nice Sunday morning breakfast would. 

See you!

On Top Of The World

Dear Everybody,

this weekend I crossed another point off my bucket list by climbing up the stairs of the Tower Bridge, walking over the walkways, which are located 42 metres above the River Thames. It was an incredible feeling walking over the glass flour, seeing the cars and people pass by underneath you. I would recommend visiting the Tower Bridge Exhibition when the weather is nice, so you can also enjoy a breathtaking view over the City and spot all landmarks and sights there are. I was once more overwhelmed, when I realized that I live in this beautiful city.

On Sunday Celine and I decided to go out and explore North London a bit more. On our walk through Holloway and Islington we found the Emirates Stadium without really looking for it. Although I am not a big fan of football I love the fact that you can just find a stadium like that in London. You will always stumble across something you know or discover something new. During our lovely wander around the North of London we went into Desperados on Upper Street for lunch. We've been served delicious, affordable Mexican food and great cocktails. Our waiter was really lovely and he could speak a bit of German, because he studied in Germany for three months. So if you're ever craving Mexican food in a nice atmosphere, Desperados is the place to go.

See you!

Quinoa Pancakes

Dear Everybody,

today I thought I'd share with you a recipe I tried out yesterday for the first time. I was looking for healthier pancake options and stumbled across recipes using Chia or Quinoa. As my host family already had Quinoa seeds at home, I thought I would give it a go. So here's what you'll need:

1 cup of cooked Quinoa

1 teaspoon of baking powder

half a teaspoon of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

half a cup of flour

1 teaspoon oil

1 cup of milk

1 tabelspoon of Maple Syrup

First you'll need to cook your Quinoa just like you would cook rice. Then mix the Quinoa with the flour and baking powder. Afterwards add the oil, cinnamon, Maple Syrup and vanilla for a nice taste. Go in with the milk and stir it all together. You might need to add a bit more flour depending on the consistency of your batter. Fry your pancakes in a pan on a medium heat and you created a protein filled, healthy breakfast or lunch. Now just top your pancakes however you like. I had Nutella, bananas and fresh strawberries (which I bought yesterday morning in a little independent fruit and veg shop on our High Street, while the sun was shining beautifully and the sky was clear blue: One of my first and best spring memories).

The great thing about the recipe is, that depending on which kind of milk you use, you can turn it into a vegan dish and it makes a great and tasty substitute for normal pancakes. 

See you!

Spring Is Coming

Dear Everybody,

this weekend London was blessed with beautiful warm and mild weather. With spring approaching I spent a whole lot of time outside in the sun, which made me feel really happy and excited for the warmer months. 

On Saturday Celine and I wanted to visit the Shrek's Adventure Tour, but when we arrived there around lunchtime, we were told that the next tour started at 17:15. So we decided to eat our sandwiches in the Jubilee Gardens near the London Eye. It was great having like a little picnic overlooking the Thames and crowds of people walking along the Southbank. After we finished eating, we went for a nice and long walk through St James's Park, crossing The Mall and passing Buckingham Palace, continuing through Green Park, then passing through Wellington Arch and entering Hyde Park at Hyde Park corner. There we found an amazing tree to climb on and just were kids for the day, having a great laugh while 'conquering' the tree. It didn't take long and we were joined by some squirrels, who enjoyed being fed by us. We then kept walking along the Serpentine and before we walked all the way back, we bought ourselves an icecream each, which was just perfect in this weather.

In the evening we could finally go on our shrektacular adventure. They say the tour is for 6 to 12 years old kids, but believe me when I tell you, my 19 years old self had more fun than some of the kids did. During the tour you visit different locations and shops all over Far Far Away. You have to escape Rumpelstilzchen (which pronounced in English sounds incredibly funny to a German ear) and find Shrek to go back to London. What makes it so special is that everyone gets involved. Our group sang together, danced together and shouted 'Waffles!' together. It is just an overall laughing-out-loud experience.

On Sunday London started celebrating St Patrick's Day with a parade and festival on Trafalgar Square, which we joined for pretty much the whole day, after going out for lunch in Chinatown. I spent five hours dancing and singing with thousands of people in the sun, which was amazing. After three hours of being inside the crowd we even reached the front row somehow and were standing right in front of the stage, where amazing musicians performed continuously. Irish people know how to have a good time and I'm glad I experienced it on Sunday, because I can't go out on actual St Patrick's Day, which is Thursday. 

See you!

All Black Everything

Dear Everybody,

for today's post I thought I'd show you the outfit I wore today. It's been sunny and warm in London, the perfect spring weather. This time of the year is my favourite for playing with different layers in your look. That's why today I combined a vest with my leather jacket over a simple all black outfit. 

See you!

Sea Life London Aquarium

Dear Everybody,

the first week of March is over and most days it feels like spring already. I am excited for warmer days when I can finally spend more time outside again exploring London. But for now I still try to escape the wind and rain showers inbetween enjoying every ray of sunshine we get.

So on the weekend we visited the Sea Life Aquarium. It is huge and we spent about three or four hours in there. You can find the most amazing, funny-looking, jaw-dropping and cute sea animals in there. I always love to spend a good amount of time in front of the shark tank marveling at these majestic and mysterious creatures. Another highlight for me was seeing a giant turtle gliding through the depths of blue water surrounded by colourful fish. The Auqarium also is a great place to pick up new interesting facts about the inhibitants of our oceans. The staff is friendly and willing to answer all your questions and they also give short presentations about individual species. I learned that male turtles have really long fingernails, which they wiggle in the females' eyes to impress them. Actually it helps them spreading their pheromones, hoping they will impress the female turtle. Another great fact I learned is, that if you see something blue in the sea 80% of the time it is poisonous or venomous. The coulor blue means danger in the underwater kingdom. I always like everything blue best, because it is my favourite colour, but now I know that I need to watch out.

My Sunday wasn't as exciting. I had to spent the day alone til the afternoon and because it started raining cats and dogs I pretty much sat in Starbucks all day and when Celine joined me, we went to see Thelmo Parole again at Covent Garden. He is the funniest street performer I know so far and we already saw him last week. I've been in tears laughing for 50 minutes straight during his performance. If you ever want to go out on a weekend night without spending 50 quids: go watch him! His show usually starts at about 6pm and another one at 8pm. Go give him some love, he will definitely give it back!

See you!

Snack Idea

Dear Everybody,

I recently fell in love with making non-liquid Smoothies as a snack. It's basically like making a Smoothie just leaving out liquids like juice or water. Therefore it ends up having a thicker consistency. You can eat it by itself or have whole fruits or granola with it. What I love about it is that you can get creative. Just pick different fruits and blend them together with some oats. Today I tried peach and banana and even added some almonds. How about throwing in some cinnamon or chocolate powder? There are no limits. The Smoothie on the picture was a banana, apple and currant blend. I had it with granola and didn't even need a dinner that day. 

Just have fun with it!

See you!