London 2012 - Olympics fever! Team GB!

Olympics fever in London for the London 2012 Olympics! The games are finally in London! Can't believe it! I remember when the bid was won in 2005, it feels like yesterday. Anyway, unfortunately I didn't get tickets for any of the events but the atmosphere in the UK was electric, even through the television which is where I saw most of the events :-)

Team GB was fantastic! Coming third on the medals table after USA and China (who are always at the top of the table). Mo Farah (MOBOT - gold winner of 5000m and 10000m), Jessica Ennis (Heptathlon gold winner), Andy Murray (finally beating Roger Federer in the final to win gold which was played at Wimbledon), Sir Chris Hoy etc.

The unforgettable moments at the Olympics were Usain Bolt - the Legend - who won gold at the 100m and 200m sprints and the 4x100m relay, and also Michael Phelps who is the most decorated Olympian of all-time with 22 medals and 18 gold medals in swimming (now retired).

The Paralympics are underway and Team GB is doing well once again! Woohoo!

Wimbledon

Murray fever!! At the All England Lawn Tennis Club a.k.a Wimbledon SW19 this year! Murray finally got to the final of SW19!! The only British person in almost 100 years, well since Fred Perry anyway.

Unfortunately, Andy Murray lost to the great Roger Federer :-(

He made a very moving speech afterwards, and started crying which made me and I'm sure thousands of people very emotional and teary

Better luck next time Andy!

Jubilee Celebration

Back in London!  Just in time for the Queen's Jubilee celebration.  A long weekend of celebration! Celebrating the Queen's 60th year reign.  Worst weather ever but great atmosphere in the UK.

Also had another baby shower part deux which took place in Home House W1 (organised by my friend, mwah!), lovely afternoon tea, games and gisting!

Central London

Back in the beautiful City of London!  So much excitement about the Olympics in July! But a complete nightmare in the city with traffic, road works and tube works :-(

We stayed at the Le Meridien hotel in Piccadilly W1 for a while and then I stayed with family.  Le Meridien is a good, comfortable hotel with good service.  It has a trendy basement bar called the Longtitude 0 degree bar and the fantastic Terrace Grill & Bar which has a great decor and view of London.  Its actually weird staying in a hotel in central London - it felt different - but it was nice to have everything in walking distance.  When one is used to living in a city, its then strange to visit and stay in a hotel.

Anyway, a fab time as usual.  Catching up with family and friends.  Visited some new restaurants, Fortum & Mason cafe (2nd visit actually but a long wait for a table), Roti Chai in W1, Cocochan in St Christopher's Place W1 - both very nice restaurants with good food and ambience.  Also visited the Nipa Thai restaurant in the Lancaster hotel on Lancaster Terrace, - a real find - with very good food and friendly service.

Royal Wedding Fever??!??

Once again in wonderful London for a couple of weeks. Usual shenanigans: dinner, friends, plenty of shopping!

Actually went to Lakeside on this trip, I've never been before! Also hung out in Home house - fast becoming my fav joint! :-)

Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding is coming up on Friday, the 29th of April and everyone just can't get enough of it. It seems theres nothing else to talk about! What will she wear? What will their new titles be? Where will they live? Where will they honeymoon? blah blah blah... enough already!

Home Sweet Home

Back to London for just a visit (before you start getting any

wise ideas.....) What I love the most about London is that everything pretty much stays the same, constant! I did the usual catching up with friends, shopping, dining and partying! yeah! NOT!

I finally had Afternoon Tea at The Dorchester Hotel which was pretty cool, so now I've done Afternoon tea at the Ritz, Claridges and Dorchester, so what next?? hmm.... good question! Maybe Fortnum and Mason? I think the Ritz was the best for Tea but the Dorchester had the best customer service. I also attended a birthday dinner and party at The Dorchester in the Cr

ystal Suite (with over 3000 crystals). Great food, great service, great ambience, great music, great company - fantastic night!

London in the summer isn't complete without a visit to the All England Lawn Tennis Club a.k.a Wimbledon SW19 - an absolutely splendid summer's

day with strawberries and cream, pimms and lemonade and of course tennis - don't forget the tennis! We had great seats on centre court on Day 7, 4th round, in the competitor's guests section just two rows behind the competitors' entourage.

Got to watch Roger Federrer vs Jurgen Melzer (Federrer won, darn!); Serena Williams vs Maria Sharapova (Serena won, got to see Venus as well); Andy Murray vs Sam Querrey (Andy won). Of course Rafa Nadal went on to win the overall tournament - yippee!!

I went to see my lovely nephew in boarding school in Lancing College in West Sussex, a pleasant 2 hour-drive from London (except for traffic on the M25) through the immaculate English countryside..hmm.. They have the most magnificent chapel which is one of the landmarks of the south coast (www.lancingcollege.co.uk)

I had to see a musical called "Blood Brothers" which I have been dying to see for years at the Phoenix theatre on Charring Cross road. It was definitely worth the wait. I was gob-smacked by the end of the show and had tears in my tears - I'm becoming so emotional in my young age! Ah! What can I say? It was fantabulous! (naija slang) Definitely worth seeing! I don't want to ruin it by saying what happens, but its about two twin brothers separated at birth who are re-united or should I say destined to find each other. Their steps were ordered...a must see.... Blood Brothers is now third on my best musicals list after Lion King (1) and Les Miserables (2)

With world cup fever on everywhere in the world - very infectious I might add - I had to get behind my boys and support good old England! The final big match was England vs Germany having qualified from the group stage, England was looking to qualify for the next round - the quarter finals but they had to beat Germany first - their nemesis! A big group of us went to watch the match in Home House, a private members club, the ambience was electric! everyone was literally holding their breaths, praying that England would win but unfortunately it wasn't meant to be. Germany won, finally score 4-1. :-( Then everyone turned their hopes to Andy Murray.....hmmm.....we all know what happened there...

I also finally visited the talked about Westfield Shopping Centre in Shepherd's Bush. It's very well planned out, I have to give them that but huge just like a maze! Only managed to do The Village and I had a headache! and then had to stop to have dinner at Jom Makan a Malaysian restaurant with fab food and good service. The parking was a bit steep I think, £10 for 4hours! (Watford Shopping centre was even more expensive! £20!) I don't think I'll be going back there anytime soon....

Also went riding in the woods at the Trent Equestrian park on Toby who was up to his old tricks! but still adorable! (I want my own horse!)

Visited my lovely churches Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) which I miss beaucoup and House on the Rock (HOTR) - love the new building.....

Other cafes/restaurants: Cafe Rouge in New Southgate, newly discovered Ping Pong chain in Marylebone and Hampstead, Chococcino in Southgate, La Creperie in Hampstead, Westborne Pub in Westborne Park (still the same! packed with young beautiful people), Jom Makan in Wesfield, and Jamie Oliver's Fifteen in Islington.....

I've been to London to see the Queen....

Another visit to London, and No I didn't see the Queen but I did catch up with friends. What else did I do? shopping, more shopping and more shopping, hmmm..... very SAD!

Londontown my 1st home! I do miss London sometimes.....

A European Tour?

So maybe not quite a european tour, only visited a couple of cities in europe:

London

It's really odd visitng London now having lived there for so long! I have to say I prefer being a tourist especially during this recession and economic downturn! so depressing! Anyhow, it was nice to do all the things one used to do: shopping, running in the park, eating out, riding and more shopping!

I did do something different which was Tea at the Ritz! It was fantastic! highly recommended! I absolutely loved all the goodies, especially the scones, jam and clotted cream hmmm! Needless to say, I was stuffed afterwards! So now I've done Claridges, Ritz so next destination will be the Dorchester!

Paris
Paris! J'aime a Paris!! This was a great trip! It was so different from my normal visits. Stayed in the Montparnasse area but hung out in St. Germain des Pres, which I absolutlely adore! It is such a fab area, very trendy! Did evreything there, lunch, shopping, coffee, cinema, dinner, drinks etc. I liked the odeon area too.

Cannes
The beautiful city of cannes! Still amazing! Havent been here since 2002 I think! I can't believe it! Where as the time gone??!? I was here for the content marche in the palais des festival, which was huge (apparently smaller this year b

ecause of the global crisis but didnt seem like it!). Stayed at the Carlton Intercontinetal -also very nice! And attended the HiTV party on Mandola Beach with Asa and Dj Humility! Great fun!

Leaving London.....

Leaving London and moving to Lagos - quite emotional :-(

Had a leaving do with friends and family at the Long Bar/Purple Bar at Sanderson Hotel, 50 Berners Street, London.

Some photos: