Exploring Amsterdam - De Pijp

You'll find De Pijp (pronounced der - pipe) nestled just below the centre of Amsterdam, about a 10 minute stroll from the museum district, just beyond the Heineken Brewery.

Here you'll find not only a great market, but also some wonderful little independent shops, restaurants and bars. We met my brother and his girlfriend Laura for dinner at The Butcher one evening (I went for the Babaganoush - a juicy beef burger topped with minced aubergine) moving onto Kingfisher Cafe and Het Paardje for post dinner drinks, returning the next day to browse the market.

If you're looking to get away from the bustle of central Amsterdam for a quiet bite to eat and a spot of people watching, this is the place for it. The shops also offer sweet souvenirs that bring a welcome change from the gaudy trinkets in the more touristy areas. Some favourite stops along the way were Anna + Nina - a beautifully curated treasure trove full of everything from embroidered espadrilles to stamped brass necklaces and the kind of notebooks you love to hoard but are too special to write in, and The Collector, a lofty open space that sells the perfect stripy socks and lust worthy stationery, as well as a pop-up mani bar if you're in need of a bit of TLC.

De Pijp Address Book

The Butcher - Albert Cuypstraat 129, 1072 CS Amsterdam

Kingfisher Cafe - Ferdinand Bolstraat 24, 1072 LK Amsterdam
Het Paardje - Gerard Douplein 1, 1073 XE Amsterdam
Anna + Nina - Gerard Doustraat 94, 1072 VX Amsterdam
The Collector - Eerst van der Helstraat 1D, 1073 AA Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Last week we spent five glorious days exploring the beautiful city of Amsterdam.

We were lucky enough to stay on a houseboat a mere 10 minute walk from the eclectic Jordaan district and 15 minutes from the centre. Every day we walked our little feet off, getting lost (literally) amongst the many canals and side streets, stopping off at as many waterside drinking holes as possible and eating our body weight in cheese.

Taking only an hours' flight from London airports and with only an hour time difference, Amsterdam is one of those places that you could easily visit in a weekend, but with so much to see and do you'll want to stay longer.

Luckily, before we left, several friends had recommended some must-visit places which led us in the right direction of how we might want to spend our week and over the next few posts I'll be sharing a mini guide to each area we visited along with some key addresses.

We had the most amazing time and are already planning our return!

Currently Coveting - Saltwater Sandals

There's no better feeling at the beginning of spring when it gets warm enough outside to ditch the boots and socks and slide your piggies into a pair of sandals.
For the last three summers I've been a devoted fan of the Saltwater sandal, and have just ordered my fourth pair in celebration of the sun showing it's lovely face for more than just a few days.
Reminiscent of the sandals we all wore when we were little, they come in a rainbow of colours and are comfy enough to wear all day.
Plus, all the cool kids are wearing 'em. Buy them here.



Images from here, here, and here.

Best of Brighton - Castor and Pollux

Last Friday after a nearing 3 hour meeting in Covent Garden, I made the familiar and slightly manic journey to Victoria station to catch the train to Brighton to celebrate my brother's birthday.
No more than one short hour after dodging the crowds, grabbing my ticket and boarding the train, I'd stepped off into the salty sea air.

On a sunny Saturday morning in Brighton there's nothing better than going for a stroll along the seafront, and one of my favourite places to pop in for a browse is Castor and Pollux, tucked away under the Kings Road Arches.
It's the perfect place to buy presents for friends and family, to treat yourself, or at the very least to get the creative juices flowing if you're feeling a little light in the pocket.

Prints by James Brown and Jonny Hannah, porcelain by Mike Levy and tea towels by Megan Price are just a few things on my wishlist at the moment. It's a tricky business deciding what to get, so it's just as well that the Lodestar Cafe is just next door, where you can sit down with a well-deserved Calippo after all that shopping.

Castor and Pollux Modern Artwork
165 King's Road Arches
Lower Promenade
Brighton
BN1 1NB

Currently coveting - Etsy

I've been using Etsy since I stumbled upon it seven years ago, in the sites' very early days, and have happily purchased everything from vintage popcorn bags to artisan marshmellows to jewellery from there ever since. 

So much more than an online craft shop, their front page is beautifully curated and is a real gold mine for anyone looking for something unique for themselves or for a special gift for a friend. 

I find myself clicking the little favourites button on more and more items every week, but here are some things I'm coveting at the moment. 

Beautiful little landscape painted in oil by PaintingWell

Some quirky coasters to bring character to the table

A pretty temporary tattoo until I'm brave enough for the real thing

Necklaces in candy colours

And because you can never, ever have enough bags...

... or wallets

I wanna go where everybody knows my name

I've lived in West London for just over 5 years, just off Portobello Road over the Golborne Bridge.
It's a well-visited part of London but has so much more to offer than the reproduction antiques and ten a penny market stalls selling knock off handbags.

If you fancy a visit on a sunny Saturday afternoon, do yourself a favour and avoid the crowds at Notting Hill Gate and instead hop off the tube at Ladbroke Grove, and cut through to Portobello under the Westway. At the end you'll find a treasure trove of vintage finds, second hand books and vinyl, as well as a burger truck or two thrown in for good measure.

Turn left at the top and carry on up Portobello until you reach Golborne Road, where you'll find George's, a traditional-as-they-come fish and chip shop that's become a W10 institution, Portuguese bakery Lisboa and Fez, a Moroccan shop that sells beautiful tagines and stripy terracotta bowls.

My newest must-visit is Redemption Bar, not only because of its location (a literal stone's throw from my flat) but also because of the stunningly fresh and healthy vegan food served there.

So, come and take a stroll around. And if you didn't know already, Portobello is officially the best place to see the cutest dogs in London. Extra points for spotting the old gent with his Jack Russell on his shoulder.