Corners of the Capital: Greenwich

If, like me, your London flat leaves you with little money left to buy a glass of wine then, like me, you're probably not even considering sipping wine on holiday in the glorious sunshine the rest of the world has to offer. Not even a cheeky weekend away in Benidorm, or failing that, the Isle of Wight. Well, if you're like me, we're just going to have to make do with the ol' capital city. And why should we complain? Thousands upon thousands of people holiday here all year round. So quit ya' complaining and make the most of it. Here are some of my fab little places to get that holiday feel without even stepping near an airport...

You gotta do it alfresco! I'm talking getting down and dirty outdoors; and by down I mean sitting down and by dirty I mean ordering some of the dirtiest cocktails you can find! Dining outdoors is the absolute perf way to feel like you're in another corner of the world (weather permitting, dining outside in the cold will definitely feel like England), and there are some great places in London to salvage some of those (Grease voice) summer nights.

   Greenwich is a lovely little corner, tucked out the way of central London. It has so many restaurants, like I've been living there for two years and still haven't tried most of them, amount of restaurants. Because it's just out of reach from the central buzz, you'll find it feels slightly different, a new place almost, like you're on holiday!? I took myself and a hometown pal to try out some of this alfresco business. Right by the Greenwich pier is a small selection of restaurants with rooftop dining areas. Perfecto! We decided, after dismissing the always busy Nandos, to take a much cooler step towards Zizzi's. Who doesn't want to eat Italian food on the river? You'll even be swiping away at the odd wasp. It really hit all the key holiday factors.

    Honestly they could've brought me any food and I would've been happy to sit there and gush over the backdrop, but luckily the food was pretty bloody special too! We got a little bit carried away ordering starters, once I spy calamari on the menu there's little thinking about anything else. We ordered and split the antipasti starter; which was olives, mozzarella, roasted tomatoes and proscuitto ham as well as the calamari, obvs. 10/10 holiday style eating, would recommend. The main was pretty amazing too, but for me no nothing compares to my bit of squid. The delicious view, however, gave it a good run for it's money...

Failing wanting to pay for a full on meal out (It's not something my bank account will often let me do, I must admit) Greenwich's space by the Thames offers plenty of areas to sit and chill. Why not buy or make a sarni and picnic it up? It's a little more British feeling but everyone loves a British stay-cation too. 

And why should you take my advice and enjoy a lovely evening, eating good food outside in the sunshine? Because I said so.

How to Survive: Shopping and Other Humans.

Honestly, this has been a slow ol' week.

Between the heat and the schools breaking up, the world outside my little London flat was not somewhere I wanted to be. And because my kitchen flooded and had to be re-tiled, inside was not particularly great either. But it was payday and I was bored and there was no hatred of people strong enough to stop me having a little spend. So off to Westfield in Stratford I went.
Why would you go to one of the busiest places in London if you don't want to be around other people? I hear your eyebrows raising and eyes a rollin'. Fear not! I've got a pretty good Stratford shopping system in place.
The first rule of Stratford shopping is to not talk about Stratford shopping. I jest, I jest. This is not Brad Pitt talking. My first rule is that it's all about knowing your days of the week. Without a doubt, everyday that Westfield is open it is busy, even worse now that all the youngens have put down their thinking caps for the summer. But just like you know not to catch that 6pm train from London, shopping has it's peak times too.
Ignore what Rebecca Black told you. You haven't gotta get down on Friday. It's more than often payday and those lucky enough to have a couple of hours spare will probably be there, just as irritable as you, but with that new money crazy eye. Fight the urge and wait until after the weekend, or don't go at all. (Mega-saves).  Saturday and Sunday are kinda hit and miss. Either people avoid it because they think it's going to be busy so it's actually quite quiet or it's just as busy as everyone would expect. The latter applies to every weekend during the summer break. Damn those kids with freedom and no bills to pay.
My second rule, which applies mainly if you're shopping with other humans you can tolerate, is communication! If your pal asks you if it's okay to go into Primark one more time, because they're still not sure whether jelly shoes are a good investment or not, don't say yes if you're starting to fantasise about setting fire to the store to make it all stop. Instead suggest going for a cheeky drink break, where you can debate the shoes over a nice cold alcoholic beverage (or non-alcoholic if you're feeling brave).  You'll feel much better about that final lap of the shops after, promise.
This brings me nicely to my third and fave rule which is drinking! In every sense of the word. If you're like me and love to buy things but hate to actually shop then this is key. Spending large amounts of time in crowds of people, with dodgy air-con, panicking about the money you've spent will dry out your throat. Keep water on you, just to stay a little sane if nothing else.
Well done, you managed to be in a crowd without killing anyone, have a drink. Well done, you got out the house today, you deserve a drink. Oh God you've spent how much? You need a drink. There are five soaps in your basket that you don't need but they smelt so good and anything that makes you happy in this time of need must be bought!! This scenario demands a drink! Just one little drink can help you forget your worries or ease you into buying things you weren't so sure about. (Probably not good advice, but true nonetheless). I took myself to TGIs to splurge on a cocktail. I opted for the ultimately refreshing Frozen Strawberry Margarita, which was so so so good. It was that drink that meant other people in the bar were coming up to me to ask what I had ordered. A+, 10/10, would recommend to everyone who's hot and bothered and shopping.
My fourth and final rule for now is do not shop on an empty stomach! I repeat do not shop on an empty stomach. You will get into a fight. Also don't shop on a full stomach, that time is for napping. Find a happy medium.  To make it an even happier medium download the 'Voucher codes' app and find yourselves a fab little deal to treat yo'self. We went for Gourmet Burger Kitchen, which offered up the deal of two burgers for £10 (not including sides). Super delicious, quick service and a not overly expenny.  You're welcome!

It's not advice for everyone, but by golly, it's not bad advice either. If none of the above sounds good to you, maybs internet shopping is the way forward. It's definitely my fave way of doing things. But why should you listen to me? Because I said so.
(Also, jelly shoes are a good investment; fun, comfy and in-expenny. Why the hell not?)

Intentions and Anticipations

This blog is my space. It's my space to craft, experiment and put down the world my own words. I'm a Creative Writing and English Literature student turned copy-writer and pretend social media geek. What I want to get out of this blog is a constant in my life and in my writing, especially when my time as a student comes to an end.

I once described this blog as 'the car boot-sale of the blogging world' because in all honesty, I had no clue what direction I was looking to go in (both in this blog and in life) ((cries)). Although I never want to limit what I can write about, as my interests span art, literature, film, music and more, I've got a much clearer idea of how I want things to be. I'm not saying there won't be any Lush hauls, but I think I've got something different to offer up instead.

It's opinionated, a little too personal and sometimes not even particularly well written, but it's mine. It can be yours too. Come back and read it, because I said so.

Because Alexandra Said So...

For things to begin properly, I think we need to start at the beginning, right? And what better way to begin than an introduction. This is me, introducing myself to you, as Alex. Alexandra to my mother, Al to those who dare and Alex to the rest of the world.


   A little background colour to this metaphorical portrait; I'm a twenty-something writer, music addict and cliché regurgitator. I’m originally from Essex, but I’ve spent the past three years writing, drinking and generally existing in East London. Go follow me on all things social media (instagram, tumblr, twitter, pinterest; you'll soon realise I have a lot of spare time), under the name @AlexandraSaidSo, to have a look at more of my fabulous words. Or don’t, that’s cool too…