I’m in a Hamburg state of mind and I cannot wait to visit the amazing city again soon. This time I’ll introduce my 7 year old girl to the city.
This would be my ultimate collection of great things to pack – except for the concrete diamond of course. But it just reminds me of Hamburg. In many ways Hamburg is just that – an beautiful diamond made of concrete.
All the pictures (except the Wallpaper guide) can be found on my Pinterest boards.
I went to Berlin in April and ever since, I’ve been wanting to share a few spots and places with you. This time we travelled with my daughter, who is seven years old, while the little one stayed at home. We stayed in an apartment near Nollendorf Platz. It’s a lively neighbourhood and in great walking distance to some of our favourite places in the city.
I did my homeowork before leaving and on top of my list was this really cool shop filled with magazines from all over the world. I wanted to stash up on different magazines, because they are either impossible to get in Denmark or way too expensive.
The place is über cool and filled from floor to ceiling with magazines. I could have stayed there for hours, just looking at all the different magazines.
Where: Auguststrasse 28, Berlin-Mitte
Online: do you read me
Just around the corner from do you read me is the coffee shop The Barn. Unfortunately, we’d just eaten, when we got there, because the sandwiches looked delicious. So we just stopped by to buy coffee.
And if you’re interested in coffee this is the place to go. They are really passionately about their coffee, and you’ll get the best coffee experience there. When we got home, we enjoyed many nights drinking the coffee we bought at the Barn. Without doubt, we’ll return for more, the next time we’re in town.
Where: Auguststrasse 58
Online: The Barn
This place is paradise on earth if you’re just a tiny bit creative. Imagine several floors of art and crafting supplies all wrapped up in one place. This will not be a short stay, I can tell you that.
We came there to look around this amazing foodie shop/cafe, called coledampf’s and companies, because my husband had read great things about it, and he’s always looking for cool kitchen/cooking stuff. Again we’d just eaten, so it’s on our list of must eat places when we come back
Where: Prinzenstraße 85, close to Moritzplatz
Online: Planet Modulor
The first time we came on a Eat the World tour was in Hamburg, and it was an amazing walk/experience. So we wanted to try it out in Berlin as well. It’s a fun way to get to know the small food places, and you get to know so much about the neighborhood. We took the Kreutzberg Tour, and our daughter walked around the area for three hours, in the cold, not understanding one bit of what the guide said, but she loved it. A little foodie in the making.
Online: Eat The World
This was just around the corner from our apartment. Somehow we’d missed it the previous times we stayed there, but this time we walked over there to get our morning coffee and breakfast (and dinner one night). It’s a huge place, but very cozy. It’s a mix of locals, business meetings and turists. I like the fact that the locals come there to get a cup of coffee and meet with friends. We had the Früstück für zwei and a delicious yogurt topped with fresh fruit. The waiters are very friendly and you can relax and read magazines while you eat.
One night, after dinner, we just wanted to check out the bar. Just have a quick look. Our daughter was of course with us at the time, so we were going home. But the waiter was really nice, told us to come inside and see the gin room and the rum room. Joked that my daughter would have to wait a few more years before she could come back again. This is a must visit place, if you do not have a kid to tug in.
Where: Kurfürstenstraße 58
Online: Café Einstein Stammhaus
This guide turned out to be quite a foodie guide, I did not plan that in advance, but when I looked through all the pictures from the trip, these were the places, which I enjoyed the most. And in the end a girl has got to eat, in between her shopping. I hope you’ve enjoyed coming to Berlin with me.
Have a lovely day (and a Happy Mother’s day for all the mother’s out there)
Today, you’ll take a mini trip to one of the cities I love the most. London has always been special to me. I cannot wait for the numerous mother/daughter trips, we’ll take when when my girl gets older.
I recently got to know Geraldine through BYW Blog Boss, and I immediately loved her style. I was so thrilled, when she said yes to write a guest post about London. Thank you so much Geraldine for writing this mini guide. I want to just hop on a plane right now! Get ready for some of the best London has to offer.
Hello, I’m Geraldine Tan, a medical doctor and the founder and editor of the design blog Little Big Bell . I live in North London with my family and was pleased that Charlotte had asked me to share with you some of my favourite places in London. There are so many places to visit and see, it was really hard narrowing the list down, but here goes:
My favourite lifestyle store is
Couverture and the Garbstore, located in London’s Notting Hill. It stocks a curated collection of eclectic fashion and homeware brands such as Kauniste, Tas-Ka and Mayer-Lavigne. If you have kids, this is the place to visit! You will find stylish brands such as Bobo Choses and Lucky Boy Sunday. Even better, this shop is only a short walking distance from the famous Portobello road, with its vibrant flea and food markets on Saturdays.
favourite Meat restaurant is
Mark Hix’s Tramshed located in trendy Shoreditch. The menu is simply marbled steaks with Bearnaise sauce or roast chicken followed by Apple rhubarb pie. Delicious and also well worth a visit to view Damien Hirst’s tank of an embalmed cockerel riding on a cow, suspended in the centre of the restaurant. You will also find many small quirky shops nearby to explore.
The Design and furniture shop I frequent is
The Conran shop located on Marylebone High street. You will find classic contemporary yet quintessentially British furniture designed by Sir Terence Conran, as well as a range of on trend homewares conceptually displayed throughout the store.
I love to have lunch at
Ottolenghi in Islington. The salads and desserts are stunning and truly artisanal. Close by,on the same high street is Abigail Ahern’s shop, packed full of ideas and inspiration on how to style and decorate using dark colours.
Photo credit: Little Big Bell and Ottolenghi
In the coming months, Espresso Moments will feature travel tips from some of my favourite bloggers and friends around the world. Right now I’m working with a bunch of wonderful women on a project, which will take you around the world. These lovely ladies will share their secrets about the cities they live in, take you to their favourite spots and tell you where to get the best cup of coffee. So pack your bag and let’s visit New York with my lovely friend Tina.
Hello! My name is Tina and I’m an interior designer and founder of Life in Sketch. I live in New York, New York and I’m here today to tell you about a few of my favorite places here in New York. With so many great shops and restaurants popping up daily, it’s hard to really have a favorite. Things change so quickly, so there’s always a new “best”. Here are a some of my go-to spots that have managed to steal my heart.
La Colombe: While La Colombe is not exclusive to New York it does make my favorite latte. It’s perfect, it’s strong but not overbearing and milky enough. They also have tasty pastries!
Favorite home store:
Canvas: This is tough but right now I’m loving Canvas. At Canvas you can find some nice wood furniture pieces and a variety of accessories, including pillows, candles and throws. The designs are clean and classic, and fit almost any home.
I’ve never been to Italy but I imagine the gelato tastes something like what I’d find at L’arte Del Gelato. The first time I tasted it my eyes almost popped out of my head! It’s indescribable! There are multiple locations throughout the city so you can find one near you. Pistachio is my favorite (for now!).
Every month a series called “How I Learned” is held at a bar in the Lower East Side. On the last Wednesday of each month story tellers (who are hilarious) get together and tell their stories about the topic at hand. Past topics include how to survive, to live in New York and to keep a secret. The stories are more than funny, they are also therapeutic It’s a fab night out!
Third Ward is my go-to for classes. When I’m feeling uninspired or drained I try to sign up for a class. They have everything from art to culinary to photography and more. Just about anything you can ask for!
I hope you’ve enjoyed learning a bit about my New York! Thank you Charlotte for having me here with you today!
London has and will always have a special place in my heart. I’m pretty sure that no matter how many cities I visit, London will always remain my number one city in the world. In London I feel inspired, fulfilled, excited, captivated, at ease… and I could go on. In short, London is where I feel at home, when I’m away from home.
And of course, when I was going to introduce my daughter to London for the very first time, I was really excited. And thank God, she liked it – all though Berlin is actually competing with London some days if I ask her.
I haven’t been to London for quite some time, because we’ve been travelling to Hamburg, Berlin and Paris instead. So I’ve decided that I need a trip to London this year.
And after buying the London Style Guide by Saska Graville, I am so ready to book my trip. I’m planning a trip this December, because I’ve never been there during Christmas, and I would love to see all the lights and Christmas decorations in the city.
As we all know, London can be big and overwhelming, the first few times you go there. But before you know it, you’ll have a long list of cute little shops, markets and parks you just have to stop by every time you’re in the city.
We’ve all been there – browsing through these (horrible) guide books, directing you to the key sights of the city. You’ll not find anything new and exciting in them that’s for sure. So that is why I think I’ve found the perfect combination. The London Style Guide and the Independent London Store Guide.
London Style Guide breaks it down by village, and reveals the places that the locals love. The book features some of the Londoners behind the shops, cafes and hotels, and ask them to reveal their city secrets. By delivering a carefully chosen selection of the smaller, most stylish spots that are revered by the residents, visitors feel like locals.
So I’ll keep reading this new and nicely laid out guide. And hopefully, I’ll add a few new spots to my list of favourite places. What about you – what are your favourite tips and places in London?
It’s vacation time here – we’re enjoying the days here in our new house, as well as a quick city break in Gothenburg, Sweden. We only stayed for two days, because we left the little one at home with his grandparents. So we enjoyed the city and the atmosphere with our girl. We wanted to spend some time with her – just the three of us – which was amazing.
I’m planning on writing a mini guide – but since we’re off again soon – it will stay on my to-do-list for now.
I’ll return to Gothenburg in August with work – so hopefully I’ll get some time to do a bit of shopping there as well. Or get a decent cup of coffee. Have a lovely day out there.