DRINKS TABLE

HELLO GEMS | THE COCKTAIL TRADING CO.

Hello Beautiful Souls! This lovely cocktail bar is a hidden gem in Shoreditch on Bethnal Green Road. The one thing that draws my attention to this bar is the sign “Takeaway Cocktails”, so you can’t miss it.

The cocktail trading company is a quirky bar with friendly staff. This concept/ bar came to life by three lifelong bartenders who give back to the bar community. On Fridays and Saturdays, the policy is to walk in. No booking is needed.

Some cocktails to try are the Bhuna Colada and The Ron Alejandro. [With all the effort put into each cocktail, you want to try them all] Each cocktail is around a tenner, so this place is not breaking your bank. If you are rusty and on a date [or like to speak to strangers], open their menu and find [some] brilliant tips for initiating conversations. 

I [definitely] had a fun relaxing evening, chatting and playing some old school games. If you like something cosy, this is the place!

A minor update; this gem is lovely on a Friday evening! I love the people, old-school music and atmosphere in this bar. They had a completely new cocktail menu with this beautiful Faberge egg. The cocktails are surprisingly pieces of art.

 

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#hellolondon #londonlife #livingabroad #happy #goodvibes #misswidjaja2022 #mwlifeafter35 #hellogems #staycreative⁠ #hiddenbars #thecocktailtradingco. #classiccocktails #games #afterworkdrinks #cosybar #boardgames #cardgames #shoreditch #bethnalgreenroad @thecocktailtradingco

Updated: 25-06-2022

TRAVEL

ROTTERDAM | DEPOT BOIJMANS VAN BEUNINGEN

Hello Beautiful Souls! This week is a gem from my hometown, Rotterdam. Last month I finally went home and got the opportunity to see the Depot. The Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen is the first public art depot worldwide. They hold a collection of 151.000 art objects. It is a depot and not a museum, but they display some of their art around the building. It is a working depot, which means next to storing the objects, the restoration and research will happen here.

The building is next to the Boijmans Van Beuningen museum. The Depot is an art object by itself. Through the mirrored glass, you will see the beauty of the city. The art collection it holds started in 1849 with the collections of Frans Jacob Otto Boijmans [1767–1847] and Daniël George van Beuningen [1877–1955]. The Depot has a lot of pieces from famous artists, like Rembrandt, Dali and Van Gogh.

One object that stood out for me was this painting from Jean-Michel Basquiat, Dog Bite / Ax to Grind, visible in one of the display windows. Inside the building, it feels like a surrealistic staircase to heaven. While looking up, you will see some art in between the floors. It is a brilliant concept and slightly scary to walk on those floors where you can see what is below you. The top floor in summer is mesmerizing. You will get to see 360 degree few of the city centre. To treat yourself, go to the restaurant on this floor. The top floor has a beautiful restaurant to get some snacks and a drink [Dutch style]. 

Tickets are €20,00 and are available here. 

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#hellorotterdam #londonlife #livingabroad #happy #goodvibes #misswidjaja2022 #mwlifeafter35 #hellogems #staycreative⁠ #dali #rembrandt #vangogh #rotterdam #depotboijmansvanbeuningen #rotterdamgems #depot #art #basquiat @boijmans_van_beuningen @boijmans @rotterdam

LIFESTYLE

HELLO LONDON | VAN GOGH – THE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE

Hello Beautiful Souls, Welcome back to another blog about a fun experience here in London. This time a friend asked me to join this immersive experience of Van Gogh. It is an experience and very enjoyable. This experience is a clever introduction to the art of Vincent van Gogh. You will find a lot of prints of the paintings of Van Gogh and his life story.

I missed the real art [paintings], but on the other hand, this is more an experience than an exhibition. However, I enjoyed walking around and finding out some facts about Vincents’ life. The VR experience is a recommendation. It is a ten minute VR about his life in the South of France and where he painted some of his [now] famous paintings. Next to the VR experience, the 360 degrees immersive room is impressive. Just relax and enjoy the digital art show.

The fun part is that you can colour in your own Van Gogh painting in the studio. It is a fun opportunity to chat and relax a bit. The immersive experience is until the end of May, so you still have a chance to go.

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#hellolondon #londonlife #livingabroad #happy #goodvibes #misswidjaja2022 #mwlifeafter35 #vangogh #vangoghimmersiveexperience⁠ #vrexperience #vincentvangogh #art #london #Post-Impressionist #artist @vangogh.experience @fever_uk

LIFESTYLE

HELLO LONDON | RA – FRANCIS BACON

Hello Beautiful Souls, a recent visit to this magnificent exhibition of Francis Bacon in the Royal Academy of Arts is one of a kind, such an intense talent in contemporary art. This exhibition was until mid-April in the RA. The RA has many great exhibitions, so keep an eye on their latest exhibitions here. The RA has always been outstanding and displays a great collection of each artist they exhibit. I never get disappointed.

Francis Bacon
I got intrigued when seeing the ad about this exhibition on buses and in the Tube station, that I had to go and see it. It was worth every penny. Francis was such a fascinating artist, who had a lot of inner [dark] struggles. Francis Bacon was born in Ireland. He lived years of his life in London. Just like Picasso, he was successful in art, while he was alive.

Man and Beast

He was intrigued by the animal nature of humans. His pieces are one of a kind. The art is disturbing and intense, but on the other side, it keeps your attention on the work. The longer you look at his pieces, the more you get a grasp of his emotions and feelings at that moment. One of my favourite paintings is where one of his lovers, George Dyer, is the subject. He made a Triptych of this one. [It is a sad story.] Francis painted this Triptych after Dyer committed suicide. You can see the life slowly melting out of the figure in the painting. The longer you look at it, the more you feel the emotion of death and grief.

If you get an opportunity to go and see another exhibition of Francis Bacon, I would recommend going.

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#hellolondon #londonlife #livingabroad #happy #goodvibes #misswidjaja2022 #mwlifeafter35 #Francisbacon #manandbeast⁠ #RA #royalacademyofarts #art #london #contemporaryart #artist @royalacademyarts