London has been our gateway to Europe many times — four stopovers by now, when we had to spend the night. From all those times, I’ve realized this city can come in many shapes and forms, and every one of them is unmistakably Londonese
My favorite one was spotting an old, tall, and skinny gentleman wearing a baby blue bow tie in an Indian restaurant. My poor manners fought with respect for one’s privacy over the urge to take a picture of him. Poor manners won, but respect demands I keep the photo private.
My second favorite shape of London declared itself in the central London parks. The greed of American developers would easily destroy something like this in many cities. That’s why it was so delightful to see people and blankets scattered across the spacious lawns and age-old maple trees. It looked so natural, and showed a very relaxed sense of comfort. You could tell it wasn’t the first time they were doing it, not even the third or fourth — they were used to doing it. I guess this is where picnic culture came from. If I brought my own blanket and food basket in there, I probably wouldn’t even know how to enjoy it properly — someone would have to teach me how to put my phone away and engage in a long, genuine conversation.
Hyde Park was a manifesto for a classic summer evening, with flower stems catching the last blinks of sun in flower beds that looked splendid yet effortless. All of it came from the famous English garden tradition of designing natural-looking landscapes.
My next favorite one is shopping. Too many tourists enjoy doing the same, and this public excitement creates a holiday-like atmosphere on the streets — no matter if you’re buying fridge magnets made in China or luxury goods. Although, my vote goes to the second one.
Interesting part: we do have many of the same stores, but shopping here creates a whole other story for the same item bought on London streets.
My last but not least are the summer flower baskets. Overgrown and colorful, decorating every other old building façade with dutiful diligence. I have not figured out how they water some of them, but I hope, one day, I will.
And one day, I definitely have to give London more than just a stopover and spend a few days there. This wonderful city, full of great Indian restaurants, deserves it.