London Life Update: Between Lab, Favorite Cookies, and Little Breaks

Hello everyone, 

It has been a bit quiet on my side lately – I have been mentally elsewhere, fully immersed in my internship, and have consciously taken some time for myself. But of course, I still want to tell you about what I've experienced in the past two weeks.

Between Data Analysis and Powerstation Vibes

It all started on the Pentecost weekend. I worked a lot on my presentation, analyzed data, and put everything into the most visually appealing format possible. It was quite time-consuming, especially because I really wanted to do a good job. I only had the complete dataset on Friday, June 6 – and the presentation was already scheduled for Monday, June 9.

As a distraction, and on the recommendation of my lab partner, I took a trip to Battersea Powerstation on Sunday. The weather was gorgeous, and I took a little Thames River walk. The former industrial site is now a modern shopping mall – truly an exciting contrast.

Despite all the excitement, my presentation went excellently! My supervisor and my lab partner were thrilled, and the others in the group found it very well done. I am incredibly relieved to have that behind me. Afterwards, I even had a meeting with my supervisor right away – and I got my own little project, which I have been diligently working on since then.

To reward myself for this successful week, I went out for dinner with friends from the lab on Thursday evening. It was a wonderful evening where we collectively let go of the stress from the past few days.

A Visit from Home & a London Weekend Full of Highlights

In the following week, my best friend from Germany visited – and we fully took advantage of the weekend. I showed her my university, including the Main Campus, even though I am staying a bit outside, yet still very centrally located.

A special highlight was a visit to a Japanese market, where we tried a rice burger – very spicy, very tasty, but somewhat impractical to eat (Sticky Rice says hello!). In the evening, we headed to Chinatown, where I had to show her the bao buns from Bun House. She was just as excited as I was!

On Saturday, there was the King’s Birthday Parade, and I was so happy to be able to show her the Red Arrows. We also saw the King – a fun fact: His birthday is actually in November 😄. That evening, we went to see the beautiful musical My Neighbour Totoro. Even without much prior knowledge, you understand the story immediately – it was magical and I can only recommend it!

On Sunday, we enjoyed the wonderful weather in Hyde Park, went paddle boating on the Serpentine Lake, and later strolled to Covent Garden. We had a drink in a pub and then tried our first sourdough pizza in a small pizzeria – so good, I can only recommend it to everyone.

Before my friend flew back on Monday, we used the morning for a stroll through the Portobello Road Market. Of course, we both bought the classic Notting Hill Tote Bags – a real must-have and we love them!

Back to Lab & New Cookie Discoveries

Since then, a little routine has returned. I am in the lab every day, reading papers, preparing my experiments, and enjoying the interaction with others. But even after work, I treat myself to little highlights. For example, today I tried SushiDog with a friend – a sushi roll that is not cut but remains whole. Unusual, but very tasty!

And of course, I have tested cookies again:

• Midnight Party: Double Chocolate with Sichuan Pepper – sounded exciting, but unfortunately was not my thing. Currently my last place.

• Nagare Coffee: Chocolate & Salt – great combination, just unfortunately a bit too much salt and not warm. Still much better!

My Little Heart Recommendations

Finally, here are two bakery tips for you:

• Fortitude near Russell Square – really great baked goods and a nice shop.

• Arôme at Marble Arch – absolutely recommended, especially for those who enjoy French-Asian pâtisserie.

See you soon!

These were my last two weeks – experienced a lot, worked a lot, enjoyed a lot. There is still a lot coming up in the next few weeks and I am looking forward to sharing it with you again. Stay tuned!

See you soon,

Your Steffi