Hyde Park

One of the things I love about Hyde Park is that at any day you can escape busy London and relax in a green and beautiful park. I honestly did not do this enough when I lived in London, but I really wish I did.

Hyde Park is huge – it is 350 acres and has a few famous landmarks that you have to see if you´re ever in London; the Serpentine Lake, Speaker´s Corner and the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain. You also have the Rose Garden and you can go on a boat ride and go horseback riding, or simply rent a chair somewhere in the Park and enjoy a good book. Either way, the park has so much to offer for both locals and tourist and on a sunny day you will find a lot of people enjoying the park.

I love the busy city life, but sometimes it is nice to not hear the car horns and people running to the nearest tube station. Hyde Park is the place to go!

And not just during the summer. In the December there is the famous Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, which is a must to visit if you´re in London before Christmas. You will for sure feel very Christmassy after ice-skating and drinking mulled wine on a cold London night.

House of MinaLima – The Graphic Art of the Harry Potter films

It is Harry Potter-maniac again, because today is officially the premier of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I am so jealous because I would really like to see the play, but I am hoping that I´ll be able to see it at some point during the next year.

I was recently in London and I discovered that the house of MinaLima is having an exhibition of the graphic art from the Harry Potter films. Obviously I had to check it out and it was very interesting. The only problem is that the gallery is right around the corner from where the play is and it was a massive queue to see the one of the pre-shows, so naturally I was jealous.

But anyway – the exhibition was interesting and it was also free. It is in Soho so right in the heart of London. The ground floor is a shop, where you can by posters, stationary, homeware and books. It was a bit pricy, so I didn´t buy anything, but I saw that a lot of other people spent a lot of money. But many of the posters looked great, so I kind of wish I had bought one.

 On the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd floor you will find the exhibition itself, and there are also some authentic film props on display. For Harry Potter-enthusiasts this exhibition is a must-see in London, and it is only on display until the 4^th of February 2017.

London´s hottest tourist attraction – The Shard

One of the most popular tourist attraction in London these days is the Shard. And I can understand why. It is London’s highest building and it has a spectacular view! As you would expect from a building which is 310 meters tall.

It is very easy to find the Shard, as you can see the tall building from all over London. But if you take the London Underground to London Bridge Station, then you are right there. You can´t miss it.

As this has become such a popular tourist attraction, I would recommend pre-booking tickets to the Shard before going to London. Then you do not have to wait in a long queue and you can select which date and time to go to the top. This is a perfect way to start planning your London adventure and to make sure that you don´t miss out on anything. And if you are feeling in a festive mood, you can also buy a glass of champagne to enjoy with the view.

The Shard has three viewing platforms – they are situated on the 68^th, 69^th and 72^nd floor. My favourite was of course the view from the 72^nd floor, which also has a nice breeze and it is slightly open at the top.

The prices are a bit expensive, in my opinion, but very much worth it if you visit the Shard on a clear day. The view really is spectacular and you can apparently see as far as 64 kilometres, which is not too bad! And even the bathroom has a great view!

The Shard is not only a viewing building, but it also has several offices, restaurants and people permanently living there. But for tourists I think it will always be the building with the fantastic view!