GERMANY | Festival camping

Hello Lovely people and welcome back to a new blog post. I hope you had a great summer and summer holiday. Here are some great tips if you are planning to go to festival camping. With the summer almost gone, this will be probably for next year.  However, this might be helpful for a “normal” camping trip as well. At least I hope so because this was my first ever camping trip. I am not a camping expert yet.

Camping is a great way to experience life outside and I would love to this again. I am sure this camping list will help beginners like me prepare for their first camping trip.

So just copy this checklist and print it out if you ever go “festival” camping or just camping somewhere sunny.

Like I said before, it is a new and amazing experience to be out in the open-air, sleeping on a nice inflatable mattress and listen to music and relax.

The only thing I forgot is to bring this time, were some warm clothes. Even in the hot summer, the nights can be very fresh and cold. So don’t be fooled by the weather forecast. It was 33 degrees Celsius in Germany and the nights were very cold.

TENT ESSENTIALS

  • Extra blanket – If you are cold easily
  • Sleeping mask
  • Comfortable socks
  • Pack of toilet paper small
  • Phone charger – Solar charger is the best
  • Tissues
  • Plastic bin bags
  • Towel – Go for the microfiber towel
  • Water bottle

HYGIENE

  • Baby wipes
  • Face wipes
  • Mirror small
  • Hair Brush
  • Dry shampoo – Baptiste
  • Shampoo
  • Small deodorant
  • Sun crème
  • Contact solution – Important if you wear lenses
  • Day lenses
  • Glasses
  • Toothbrush
  • Toothpaste
  • Tampons – Period stuff
  • Disposable raisers
  • Plaster – For blister
  • Hand sanitize
  • Small sprite mist spray
  • Small moisturizer
  • Hairpins and elastics

FOOD PREP

  • Cooking set – Fuel stove (only if possible)
  • Plastic knives, forks, spoons
  • Drinks
  • Muesli bars and snacks (a lot)
  • Mix for water – syrup (to change)
  • Figs dried
  • Prunes dried
  • Energy drinks
  • Juices


MAKE-UP

  • Small moisturizer
  • Q-tips
  • Lip balm – Vaseline
  • Anything really – Depends on you and the weather, but less is better

CLOTHES

  • Leather jacket
  • Hat – Soft, easy packable
  • Festival dirty shoes
  • Sunglasses cheap
  • Extra underwear+ socks
  • Pyjama
  • Poncho for the rain
  • Trainers
  • Plan outfits for all the days and day of commute
  • Long trousers – Leggings dry fast
  • Shorts
  • T-shirts
  • Clothes for nights when it is cold

TIPS

  • Mark all your stuff with your name – more likely to be turned at lost and found
  • Take a picture on your phone and set as screen saver “IF LOST PLEASE CALL THIS NUMBER AND NAME”
  • Colourful lights for at night – attach on your bag and tent
  • Always check the weather
  • Tent not facing East

Let me know how your first time camping experience went and what are your tips? I am curious to know how you experience your first time camping. I hope you find this checklist useful.

Ciao Danielle 

HELLO LONDON| Recap of March

Hello hello Lovely people here in London and around the world. So many wonderful experience and people I met last month that I just didn’t had the time to update you guys through my blogposts. I know. I started the year great with posting regularly, but don’t be disappointed. I am working on a few blogposts to catch up with you guys!

Without any further delay, grab your glass of wine and sit back to enjoy reading my blogpost about the many wonderful things I did last month.

I was lucky to participate in a project where I met so many kind and lovely people from around the world. At the moment I can’t tell so much, but when I can I will let you know how life changing this experience was for me. Stay tuned for this one!

Another fun experience was spending time with family. One of my cousin came over for a weekend with her friend and we had a blast. It was a short weekend and way too fast, but we did a lot of fun things that are now mentioned below. Thanks for that ladies !

Last month, I went to many restaurants, bars and exhibitions, so I will just put them in categories with a small review and the relevant links for you all below. There are definitely tips for you here, even if you are living in London for years. At least that is what I hope.

Drinks and Food

The lighterman

This is a lovely British gastro pub near the canal at Granary Square. Huge windows and a terrace outside makes this place a really cosy place for food and drinks with friends and family. I did enjoy the homemade burger with chips and the many beers that they serve.

Beigel Bake

This is the best Beigel with salty beef and gherkins in London. Who does not know them! Too be honest I forgot a bit how delicious the beigels are. I brought my cousin and friend there and it was like a stairway to heaven. I really did forget how GOOD it is and enjoyed every bite of it. I still don’t know why I do not go more often as I live here in London. Might be that it is not so close from home and the weather here in London has not been with us last few months. The Saturday that we went (Brexit Saturday) it was super sunny and chill to stroll around Brick lane and Shoreditch.

German Gymnasium

This place is great for dates. Once inside you will forget about the outside world. We had some delicious and fancy cocktails at the bar. The baristas there are amazing! This place makes you almost feel like James Bond. (for real) Definitely going back for a drink or dinner anytime soon.

The Grocer – Market Tavern

While strolling around with the gang, we came across the Spitalfields Market and we went for a drink at the Grocer. Lovely casual and relax place to have some beers in the afternoon. If you are around, have a drink here. By the way many delicious foods available on this market.

The Ice Wharf

This is the Wetherspoon in Camden Town. Great place for some casual drinks. This is the place to try different beers and just chill with friends or family. Also very affordable drinks and snacks, why not.

PERGOLA Paddington

I think this a great place if you are with a large group of friends and in the summer. It feels like you are on a veranda or terrace chatting away with friends. Nice thing is you can get food and drinks from different stands.

Exhibitions 

Christian Dior exhibition at V&A

Unfortunately, this exhibition is completely sold out. So if you did not get a change to see this exhibition, wait for my next blogpost. It was so worth to see this exhibition and I am happy I bought my ticket a month before. The day that I went it was super busy, but so mesmerizing. A designer pur sang. When this blogpost will be online, you are able to click HERE.

Barbican Conservatory

Check the website to see when it is open. I thought it is only a few Sundays per year open from March till end of April. We decided to stroll around the second largest conservatory to take some fun pictures with our vintage cameras. I recently bought, out of the blue, a Yashica minister 3 and a Praktica MTL3 camera to practice the use a manual camera. So much fun to use a real film again, can’t wait so see the pictures developed.

Renaissance Nudes @ RA

This exhibition is till June, so plenty of time to see this one. If you like the renaissance, you will like this one. This is really the baby steps of the nudes in paintings. Here you can see that the artist didn’t had much experience with nude models and it is slowly developing around that period.

Fun Times 

Spitalfields Market

I had no idea that this market was not too far from Shoreditch and Brick lane. We were strolling around and BAMM, just came across this lovely and creative market. A lot of food and drinks. We went for some sweets and we had some drinks at the Grocer. A lot of creative gifts at this market if you are looking for some unique gifts.

Alexandra Palace

It is a bit far, but definitely worth a visit. Most likely in summer or at least when the weather is warm and dry, so you can sit in the park and enjoy the view. It is almost as nice as the park near the observatory in Greenwich.

Comedy Club Castle

I think through EVENTBRITE UK you can find free tickets to go to this comedy club in the Castle. It can be very busy, but great way to see many stand up comedy acts in just 2 hours. I think I saw around 9 or 10 in just two hours time.

Camden Town

Camden Town is super touristic and overpriced. We all know. Still it is fun to stroll around once in awhile. Check out the stables, food stand and just have drinks at the Wetherspoon. Always something strange and crazy to find here in Camden Town.

Shoreditch Street Art

Almost the reason why everyone like and stroll around Shoreditch is the street art.

Fun fact is that they change the street art once in a while. I saw some new pieces this time. Love the atmosphere in this area when the sun is up and the weather is hot.

M&M store

Something I would not visit by myself, but happy I did because of my cousin. It is really an experience that M&M is trying to sell in their huge London store in Leicester square. Luckily it was not super busy as we went in the morning, so plenty of time and space to walk around the three floors that they have. Just for the experience it is super fun to see all the different colours and flavours that they have and all the merchandise that they sell. The staff is also super friendly. You can smell the M&M’s from outside the store.

St Dunstan Church

This is the empty church I was trying to find for a while now and finally I DID FIND IT. It is in the City of London. Between Bank station and Tower of London. Beautiful to see an empty church in a garden in between skyscrapers. It is worth a visit in the summer, so you can walk around and see so many wonderful sights around this area.

So this is it for now. As I did mention, it was a wonderful March. Many thanks for the people who could enjoy it with me.

I hope you did enjoy reading my blog and I hope you got inspired to visit at least one or two places from my blogpost, even if you know them already.

MissWidjaja

If you liked what you have just read, please rate this blog with a few stars. If you really know someone who is going to be in London or loves London, please share on Facebook.

I really appreciate the time and effort you took to read my blog. Thank you!

HELLO LONDON | FARM GIRL – SOUTH KENSINGTON

Hello Beautiful Souls! I hope you’re doing well. Today, I have an exciting recommendation to add to our Food Corner! Farm Girl is a fantastic option for a quick bite with some coffee, and it can be found in various locations.

Located in South Kensington, Farm Girl is an ideal choice if you are planning to visit the Victoria and Albert Museum. The cafe offers plenty of vegan options to choose from, making it a perfect destination for vegans and non-vegans alike.

Let’s talk about their signature Rose Latte. If you’re a fan of floral notes, this latte infused with rose water and rose petals is a must-try. You can customize your latte by choosing the type of milk you prefer. Trust me, this beverage is nothing less than heaven in a cup!

As for their desserts, they are undoubtedly scrumptious. However, if you’re not a fan of overly sweet treats, you might find them a bit too sugary. Nevertheless, the quality of ingredients and the presentation of their desserts is something that Farm Girl certainly does not compromise on.

In conclusion, I highly recommend Farm Girl for its exquisite Rose Latte and vegan options. Don’t forget to stop by the next time you’re in the area. Happy sipping and snacking!

 

 

#FarmGirl #SouthKensington #VeganOptions #RoseLatte #CoffeeLovers #VictoriaAndAlbertMuseum #Foodie #FoodCorner #DessertLovers #LondonEats #CafeCulture #HeavenInACup #ScrumptiousTreats #hellolondon #londonlife #livingabroad #happy #goodvibes #misswidjaja2023 #mwlifeafter35 #lifestyleandtravels @farmgirlcafe #londonblogger

HELLO GEMS | HOLY CARROT

Hello Beautiful Souls! It is time for another food blog post at the Food Corner. I can’t believe there are still so many restaurants to discover here in London. Here is a lovely and sophisticated plant-based [vegan] restaurant in Knightsbridge named Holy Carrot.

Holy Carrot is known for its inventive plant-based recipes. You can even drink some mystical cocktails at the Holy bar. This time I went on a Sunday afternoon and had an outstanding Sunday Brunch named the Holy Sunday Roast. The cauliflower with truffled cheese and the roast chestnut mushroom tasted [exactly] like a proper Sunday Roast. I enjoyed every bit of it. 

This vegan restaurant also does a lunch and main menu, which are slightly different from the brunch menu. I am [very] curious to go to their Holy bar and try one of their cocktails inspired by the Major Arcana tarot cards. I will leave this for another time. 

 

 

#hellolondon #londonlife #livingabroad #happy #goodvibes #misswidjaja2023 #mwlifeafter35 #lifestyleandtravels #vegan #plantbased⁠ #veganfood #lunch #london #brunch #sundayroast #knightsbridge #holycarrot @holycarrotrestaurant @holybarlondon #londonist #london.travelers #londoning #londonfoodblogger #londonblogger

HELLO LONDON | ARCADE FOOD HALL – BEBEK BEBEK

Hello Beautiful Souls! This week in the food corner, a food hall called Arcade on New Oxford Street near Tottenham Court Road Station. Have you ever found yourself in a sticky situation with your friends where no one can agree on where to eat? Fear not, because Arcade Food Hall on New Oxford Street has got you covered! With twelve food stalls to choose from, everyone is sure to find something they love. Once you are in, you can order via a barcode and pay online. Super easy.

Now, let’s talk about the star of the show: Bebek! Bebek! This Indonesian street food stall uses fresh ingredients straight from the chef’s farm in Dorset, so you know it’s legit. You can choose from crispy chicken, duck (or “Bebek”), or aubergine with some tasty sides like turmeric rice, veggies, and sambal. The crispy chicken gave me serious Jakarta street food vibes, and the beef sate with peanut sauce was a real crowd-pleaser too.

But don’t just take my word for it, go back and try one of the other food stalls too. Who knows what kind of food adventure awaits? And if you’re a vegan, don’t worry, they’ve got plenty of options for you too. So why not hit up Arcade Food Hall and indulge in some delicious eats? Your taste buds (and friends) will thank you.

 

 

#hellolondon #londonlife #livingabroad #happy #goodvibes #misswidjaja2023 #mwlifeafter35 #hellogems #streetfood #indonesianfood #Arcadefoodhall #bebekbebek #london #TimeoutLondon #HELLOFOODIE @bebekbebek_ldn @arcadefoodhall @lukiefarrell #londonist #london.travelers #londoning

HELLO FESTIVAL | SOLOMUN OPEN AIR

Hello Beautiful Souls, here is another lifestyle blog post just for you! One of my favourite DJs was performing at Finsbury Park, so when I found out Solomun was djing, I just had to go.

This event was on a lovely summer day in August ’22. We had early bird tickets, so we had to be there around 2 pm. Luckily, many people came early, so it was already getting busy around that time. The music from the beginning was fantastic. Majdo and KrankBrother did a great job of getting everyone in the mood. It reminded me of the atmosphere of a good summer festival with amazing vibes. Everyone was super chill and lovely.

Finally, around six o’clock, Solomun arrived and took over the decks. The time we spent at the festival was very much enjoyable. I danced a lot and had great food. The only thing I didn’t like was the vaping and all the smoke at the park. It affected me when I left the park. My voice was gone. Luckily the next day, it was all fine again.

To listen to Solomun, Majdo and KrankBrother from this day, go to my Instagram and see the highlight.

 

 

#hellolondon #londonlife #livingabroad #happy #goodvibes #misswidjaja2022 #mwlifeafter35 #hellofestival #staycreative⁠ #funweekend #friends #FinsburyPark #Solomun #Majdo #KrankBrother #RA #SolomunOpenAir #summerfestivals #bonecalondon @solomun @_krankbrother_ #londonist #RAguide #londonist #london.travelers #londoning #londonblogger