LONDON, ENGLAND

After my first month of trying to re-master the Spanish that I forgot after high school, a visit to London felt almost like going home. My best friend, Tali, and I saw as many tourist destinations as we could in our short time. However, we left room for wandering less touristy neighborhoods such as Marylebone and Notting Hill. After visiting Notting Hill's Portobello flea market, we happened upon Ottolenghi, a deli-style wonderland of mediterranean salads and pastries. Chef Yotam Ottolenghi owns a handful of cafes and restaurants around London, and we were lucky enough to stumble upon one with a couple of available seats for lunch. When traveling, I always find it difficult to find exciting vegetable options. My three salad plate (pictures below) did not disappoint.

While not as saturated with SoulCycles and Bikram studios as New York, London does boast a variety of lux exercise studios. Instead, in order to enjoy the last few warm days, Tali and I went on a run through Hyde Park. Beginning on the south end of Marylebone where we were staying, we followed a roughly 4 mile loop around the edge of the park passing Kensington Palace and the Albert Memorial. The terrain is gorgeous. On this Sunday, many people were lounging by the ponds or walking their dogs through the tall grasses between paths. Water and bathrooms are scattered throughout, elevation is relatively flat and, should you wish to extend your run, many additional paths allow you to explore more secluded interior areas of the park. This run is a must. With a few more days I would have liked to check out paths along both sides of the Thames and bike rides in the more rural areas outside of the city.