dedicated followers of fashion

While back home in Austria the bank holiday weekend was apparently pretty shitty, weather-wise, I enjoyed glorious sunshine in London and marvelled at the trees in full blossom. Interestingly, the weather seems to get a grip on itself and decide to show its un-British side whenever I visit Old Blighty.

As I already told you yesterday, I had a great time with my "elder twin sister", the wonderful Italiana.

Tickling the Tastebuds: Trust her to take me to cool places. When I visited her at the same time last year, we had lunch at Jamie Oliver's Fifteen, this time we went to über-trendy 202 which is part restaurant, part Nicole Farhi concept store. Being vegetarian, she knows where the best salads are to be had (you know about my rucola addiction) and I was quite impressed by Fresh and Wild's salad bar. All weekend I kept pestering her to make a pit stop at Pret a Manger, my favourite sandwich place. I so wish they had a branch in Vienna! Poor Italiana wasn't too keen on eating where she gets her lunch from on workdays anyway, but I eventually managed to frogmarch her into a Pret on Monday. And then got another of their sandwiches at the Stansted airport branch. Mmhmmmmm. On Saturday night, l'Italiana who's an acomplished (vegetarian) cook, conjured up absolutely divine artichokes à la Romana. Provided I can get decent artichokes here I'm going to try them myself soon.

Shopping: Souvenirs and presents for various people aside, this is what I got for myself:

a 50s-style short-sleeved jacket and a skirt (both black) from Gap
a dead cool, rather OTT dress/top from a shop called Echoo.
a basic white tee from M & S
a novel (Tourism)
a turquoise baggage tag made of recycled leather from Liberty
a cute pencil case (to be used for cosmetics) from Paperchase
origami paper from Muji
magazines
greeting cards for all occasions
lots of S&V crisps and chocolate
a calendar for 2007 from the Albers and Moholny-Nagy exhibition

Have I forgotten anything?

Culture:Not much this time, we only made it to the Tate Modern, my favourite art gallery ever (see top ritht picture for Rachel Whiteread's current installation at the Turbine Hall). On Sunday night, we watched a nice Canadian coming-of-age film, C.R.A.Z.Y.

Same time next year, hopefully!

Lunch-break purchases: Louise Erdrich's The Master Butchers Singing Club, our May read for my book club.