Time has passed so quickly. A huge vacation with you is over and I’m back home.
Now I am sitting in my summer house thinking about you. In my head, I made a 26-day accounting of my vacation that started on June 7th. Where I went, who I met, and how I lived it to the fullest.
How much I missed being with you, your streets, buildings, friends, acquaintances, and most of your surprising weather. Can you have 4 seasons in one day? Yes, my London is with you.
Everything is possible with you.
I made unforgettable memories in the company of my close friends Muge & Trevor. As soon as I left, I visited Faar Gallery Mayfair, newly opened by the architect Fahrettin Aykut, whom we met years ago, and the artist Kezban Arca Batibeki’s ” It was nice to catch the “On the Road” exhibition before it ended. We walked around the streets and shops in Mayfair.
By the way, Solone Square might be the place I have visited the most during my vacation. This is not only because it is a great location but also because the Saatchi Gallery and the magnificent Taschen Bookstore are there. Taschen!… oh, what a beautiful publishing house you are. What a sweet gallery you have. I love to look, to wander, to rummage around. Art, design, architecture, cinema, theater, you name it, but the most special, precious, and extraordinary…a piece of it all.
One day we were invited to the wonderful home of Trevor’s daughter and son-in-law in Crystal Palace for lunch. I met Caroline, Tom, and their wonderful dog Benson, who is a textile designer but has now shifted to landscaping with the training she has received. It was so much fun to spend time in their garden, which Caroline takes care of personally, chatting and taking family photos. Well… after all, I’m part of the family now 😊
In London, where you have to spend every day in a program. It was impossible to visit the summer exhibition at the Royal Academy of Art, which I could not see on my first visit. The first time I tried it was closed, the second time it was an invitation-only time. I was able to visit the sales shop and I didn’t have time to go again. The exhibition is paid for. You can pay for 21.5 pounds.
At one point we had some friends from Turkey, a married couple, Ozden & Ali. We had dinner feast at home and we agreed on our next plan for Greenwich and we realized our plan.
I think I had one of my best experiences. I saw London from a different perspective along the River Thames by Uber Boat. Passing under the Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, seeing the new modern buildings from the riverside. We went as far as Greenwich. Greenwich is a place to live. The Profile of the people, the shops, the modern look! Yes, we went to the famous point 0. We had to take a long walk on King William Walk. For the zero point, you go up a steep slope at the last stage and see a designated line where the zero meridian is believed to pass and back. We can’t say we didn’t see Greenwich either. On the way back, we all stopped by Covent Garden. Didn’t we deserve to enjoy a pub?
Is every day with you a full day, London? Endless options, endless experiences. One day, Trevor took me to a place in Chelsea. He wanted to take me to the Design Center. He rightly thought I would enjoy it as a designer. Although Chelsea is famous for its football team, it is an expensive but excellent place to visit, with affluent residents, luxurious living standards, modern converted buildings, stylish shops, and residential areas.
Design Center was on the harbor side of Chelsea. It is a huge building with design shops, stores, and organizations with special events, and workshops. If you want to go to the offices of companies that provide personalized services and have your home decorated, this is the place for you. I had the opportunity to visit the wonderful fabric, carpet, rug, ceramic, furniture, and lighting stores one by one… as a designer, I was in a place where everyone would want to be.
My London offered me a beauty again. The National Gallery (1824 – 2024) was celebrating its 200th anniversary. I had to pick a suitable day and time to avoid the incredible entrance queue. Paul Cezanne, Henri Matisse, Edgar Degas, Renoir, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso … it took my breath away to see the works of many artists whose names I cannot list. At one point I found myself saying: Wow! Wow!
As the days go by quickly with you, I had another London surprise after dinner at Stein’s Berlin, an all-German concept in Kensington’s Princess Garden, with my friend Trevor, with whom I cycled along the Regents canal last time. Naomi Campbell 😊 The Victoria & Albert Museum dedicates an exhibition to an icon every year. This year it was Naomi. It was strange to be nose-to-nose with Naomi after the event. Naomi’s aura, her elegance, and the way she walked in front of me…It was one of the unforgettable moments.
My London, I am so happy that I had the chance to meet all my friends this time. I made a program with all of them. I traveled day and night… I wanted to see the exhibition of Banksy, one of the best-known street artists in the world, in Soho. We went to Soho for The Art of Banksy. At the entrance was a shop with souvenirs of Banksy designs and publications printed in his name. Filled with the world’s largest collection of original and authenticated Banksy artworks, The Art of Banksy was home to over 150 works, including prints, canvases, and many unique pieces.
Crazy Soho, Camden Town where we can’t stop going, China Town where we love Chinese food, Kensington, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square …
By the way, it was Trevor’s birthday. His wife, Muge, organized an event. Gordon Ramsey made a reservation at Street Pizza. It was at Battersea Power Station. which, by the way, was a terrifically transformed area. I liked it very much with its residences, shopping center, social areas, and architecture. I recommend it to those who will go. Gordon Ramsey Street Pizza’s business model was interesting. For 25 pounds, waiters were serving you unlimited different kinds of pizza slices for 90 minutes. There was a DJ playing music in the back. It’s a dynamic, cool place with a very nice decoration. It was right up my alley. We loved it.
The celebrations didn’t stop there. The celebrations continued another day. Trevor’s daughter and son-in-law had a Sunday lunch for his birthday. We went to Waterloo, one of the biggest train stations I have ever seen. We had an unforgettable feast at The Anchor & Home on The Cut Street. The food, dessert, etc. were great. I would say 8 out of 10. By the way, this place is very close to The Old Vic, an old theater. Keep that in mind.
As the days chased each other rapidly, came across Pride of London 😊 I saw people from all over the world coming together with great tolerance, respect, and love. This was the first time I saw London where they filled all the streets to create awareness, to say that we are also in life. The event started with a parade with various associations, companies, and schools and was almost like a carnival with street parties. Everyone was dressed in costumes and were kind, polite, and tolerant towards each other. Elected public officials, police officers, and paramedics were there to make sure that everyone participated and had fun without any problems. There was only one goal. Let everyone enjoy themselves freely. By the way, I think they had an incredible tourism income because it seemed like all the people in London had been preparing for this event for weeks. Government offices, public buildings, London streets, restaurants, markets, museums, and shops were decorated with flags. In the end, love, respect, freedom, won…. in the end London won.
London, thanks to you, I have so many beautiful memories… As I sit at my desk in the summerhouse and write these lines to you, all my memories flash before my eyes like a movie.
There were some places I couldn’t do, some places I couldn’t visit. They are on the list. For example; the Royal Ascot horse races were organized on behalf of the British Royal Family. You can’t easily find an invitation to that either. For these races where the bureaucracy continues and where the society and royal guests attend, you need to bring someone with influence. Or you have to be a royal 😊
This year Wimbledon will be held between July 01/14. Wimbledon Tennis Tournament, which will be held between July 01/14. I was returning on July 2. And of course, this was one of the things that couldn’t be done. Anyway, maybe we will give it a chance next year. By the way, the tickets are not cheap at all.
My return was from Stansted Airport. My London shed tears for me on my way back. It was chilly. It was raining.
Thank you, my dear London. I love you. I miss you already.
Kamil Cakir
