Sustainable city guides #2: London

Sep 11, 2019 | 1 comment

Hi! Hello! How are you all doing? I’ve not been putting a lot of effort into my blog for the past couple years which I am actually super sad about. Afterall this is where it all started when I pubilshed my very first post back in 2015! I’ve been thinking about picking back up on writing so many times, but with the rise of short-form content (hello TikTok, Shorts and Reels) it’s just harder to have time for it all these days. As much as I love creating snappy little styling reels I do also miss long-form and slower content, and I’m secretly hoping that we’ll start seeing a slow shift back to that in the near future. I mean, am I the only one feeling super fatigued by the AMOUNT of content out there some times? Everything is so high speed; similar to our consumption habits. I know everyone seems to love TikTok, I’ve given it a go myself and I do kind of like it too, but man. From a content creator perspective (even not just that, from a social media user perspective too), I’m so tired of feeling like you have to be “in it” and that you need to be onboard with all the newest social media trends alive to keep up. Anyway… moan over.

I wanted to check in here with a bit of a life update (for those of you old-school enough to enjoy the written format) as I feel like we’ve not chatted in ages!

 

(Trigger warning: infertility)

One major thing I have been considering openeing up about for a while is infertility and how this has been affecting our lives for the past 2 years. I’ve been going back and forth about sharing this for so long because well, it’s private and intimate and while I do like keeping things real on here some things are just better kept private. Having said that I’ve felt so incredibly alone in this whole process, and actually, after deciding to just be honest about it I’m amazed of how many other people we meet are actually going through the same. According to WHO 1 in 6 people are affected by infertility on a global scale, so really this is something we should talk way more about, yet there seems to be a lot of shame and taboo evolving around it. It’s something you always think happens to the next person and it’s never something I pictured would happen to me. But as this article states “infertility does not discriminate”, and it can happen to anyone.

As you know if you’ve followed me for some time we were blessed with a beautiful daughter back in 2020. When we decided we wanted children at the time, it didn’t take long from making that decision until I actually had a positive pregnancy test in my hands. Not long after that we felt ready to expand the family again, but as it turns out fate had other plans for us. It took a long time for us to even feel sure and ready to become parents the first time around, but once we did (it’s true what everyone always tells you) there was nothing else we rather wanted. That was it. Wanting to experience it all again so bad and then not being able to conceive has been no less than heartbreaking. At some point it becomes part of your life – you kind of get used to the fact that it’s just not happening. I don’t want to go into too much detail, but we were ultimately left with no other option (if we ever wanted more kids) than to go through IVF. I’m currently on my second round of IVF after one unsuccesful attempt back in fall 2023. Full of hormones and super (!) tired, but feeling okay despite it all. Having spring around the corner and generally experiencing lighter days at the moment helps a lot.

I’m very grateful for where we are and what we have, please know that. So we will have to see what the future brings. I just wanted to open up about this so that maybe if you’re going through the same thing; please know that you’re not alone and I know exactly how you feel <3 And maybe also so you guys know why I might be a little absent sometimes. 


Så er jeg tilbage med en ny episode af min sustainable city guides serie! Som mange af jer ved så ligger det influencer bureau jeg er del af i London, og derfor rejser jeg dertil en hel del. For hver gang lærer jeg byen lidt bedre at kende, og jeg elsker virkelig London! Set i et bæredygtigt perspektiv, så tænker jeg virkelig meget over nødvendigheden af de enkelte rejser, og jeg forsøger så vidt muligt kun at tage afsted hvis jeg finder det nødvendigt. Det er ingen hemmelighed, at vi i virkeligheden flyver ALT for meget end hvad vores klima kan håndtere så jeg får faktisk ofte dårlig samvittighed, så snart jeg sætter mig på et fly. Meningen var at jeg skulle have taget toget til London fra Danmark denne gang, men fordi min rejse delvist blev betalt (jeg var i London af en anden årsag også, som I snart hører mere om) så kunne det desværre ikke lade sig gøre denne gang. Jeg har dog sat mig for, at næste gang jeg skal derover; så står den på togtur, som et mere bæredygtigt alternativ til flyveturen! Jeg tænker jeg vil lave en seperat video til dén oplevelse, og jeg regner med at begive mig ud på dette eventyr engang i løbet af vinteren. Og så håber jeg selvfølgelig det munder ud i, at det er noget jeg kan gøre oftere.

Ligesom sidste gang har jeg samlet alle mine bæredygtige favoritter i dette indlæg, med tilhørende tekst samt et par billeder – og så har jeg selvfølgelig også lavet et offentligt kort som I finder nedenfor, så I let kan finde vej til det hele.

ENG.: I’m back with my second episode of my sustainable city guides! As many of you guys know the influencer agency I’m part of is located in London, so therefore I do travel there quite often. Everytime I go I learn something new about the city, and I just love London! In a sustainable perspective, I really do consider each of these trips highly before going and I try to only travel out if I find it necessary. It’s no secret that the amount of flights we put out there every day are way too much than our climate can handle so I often feel extremely guilty when I fly somewhere. I was actually supposed to have taken the train to London this time, in a quest to try making these travels more eco-friendly than flying. But because my trip was partly covered (because I was working on something else while I was there, that I’ll tell you more about soon) I couldn’t take the train this time around. BUT I intend to do that next time for sure, hopefully some time during the winter season and I’m gonna make a video all about it! And then of course I hope it will be a great experience, so I can choose the train over flying more often when I go away.

Like last time I’ve gathered all of my sustainable faves in todays post with additional text and a few photos – and then I’ve of course made a public map as well, so you guys can find all these spots as easy as possible.

FIND THE MAP ON GOOGLE MAPS HERE



Where to stay

Reklame | Jeg boede på The Zetter Townhouse (uden beregning i øvrigt), som er en kæde med miljøvenlige, luksuriøse hoteller. De har vundet adskillige priser for deres indsats, og jeg nød virkelig mit ophold der! Simpelthen så nuttet et sted med den mest charmerende, vintage-inspirerede indretning og høflig betjening. Det er lidt pebret at bo der, så hvis man er på udkig efter noget til en lidt mere fordelagtig pris så er Airbnb altid en sikker vinder. Jeg har boet i Airbnb flere steder i London, og mit favorit sted er helt klart i Notting Hill. Både fordi Notting Hill er ét at mine yndlingsområder i byen (så rent og roligt), men også fordi jeg synes forbindelsen med metro fra Notting Hill og ind til centrum eller Shoreditch er hurtig og nem at finde ud af. Det er bare at hoppe på Central Line forbindelsen og så afsted. Jeg har boet i DENNE Airbnb som udelukkende bliver brugt til overnattende gæster (og altså ikke er en privat lejlighed), og den kan varmt anbefales. Den ligger iøvrigt tæt på Hyde Park og Notting Hill Gate station. Så kan man jo på en måde selv gøre opholdet så bæredygtigt som muligt – spar på vandet, støt en lokal, økologisk butik og lignende.

ENG.: Advertisement | I stayed at The Zetter Townhouse (free of charge by the way), which is a chain of eco-conscious and luxurious hotels. They’ve won several awards for their effort, and I fully enjoyed my stay there! Such a cute place with the most amazing, charming, vintage-inspired decor and friendly hosts. It’s rather expensive staying there, so if you’re looking for a more affordable alternative Airbnb is always a winner. I’ve lived in several Aribnb’s in London and my favourite location has to be Notting Hill. Both because Notting Hill is one of my favourite areas in London (so neat and calm), but I also find the connection to the city center and East London quite easy and quick from there. You just need to hop on the Central Line train and then off you go. I’ve lived in THIS Airbnb which is only available for short periods of rent (and not someone’s private home, if that’s not your thing) and I fully recommend it. It’s close to Hyde Park and close to Notting Hill Gate station. With an Airbnb it’s sort of up to yourself to make the stay as eco-friendly as possible – you can choose to save water, support a local, organic grocery store and more to lower your own impact.


Where to eat

Ligesom sidst har jeg valgt at fokusere på veganske/vegetariske restauranter og initiativer, men jeg har også taget et par gode supermarkedskæder med, i tilfælde af man gerne selv vil lave mad (endnu en god grund til at vælge Airbnb) eller måske bare spare nogle penge frem for at spise ude hver gang.

ENG.: Like last time I’ve chosen to focus on vegan/vegetarian restaurants and initiatives, but I’ve also included a few supermarkets, in case you wish to make some food yourself (another great reason to rent an Airbnb) or maybe just save some money, instead of eating out every time.

Where to eat in London

EAST

  • Planet Organic (super market)
  • Redemption Bar Shoreditch
  • Crush Fit Food & Juices (great for if you’re in a hurry or need to eat on the go)

CENTRAL

  • Honest Burgers Soho
  • Honest Burgers Oxford Street
  • Planet Organic (super market)
  • Crush Fit Food & Juices
  • Deliciously Ella
  • Yorica (vegan ice cream)
  • Redemption Bar Covent Garden

WEST

  • Farmacy (a MUST if you have to choose just one! This is my fave and I try to go there for a good breakfast every time I’m in London)
  • Planet Organic (super market)
  • Honest Burgers Portobello


Where to shop sustainable fashion & beauty

London er helt klart et mekka for vintage shopping, men jeg blev også overrasket over hvor mange lækre butikker og brands der er at finde, som laver bæredygtigt produceret tøj og makeup. Dyk ned i listen her og læs mere om hvorfor disse er et besøg værd – eller se videoen nederst i indlægget, hvor de fleste af dem også er inkluderet.

ENG.: London is definitely a mecca for vintage shopping of all kinds, but I was also quite surprised to find so many nice sustainable shops and brands this time around, both in terms of fashion and beauty. Have a look at this list and read a little more of why I think each place is worth the visit – or simply watch the video below in this post, where most of these are also included.

EAST LONDON

VINTAGE

  • Beyond Retro Dalston
  • Beyond Retro Chesire Street
  • Rokit
  • Brick Lane Market

.. In general, go to Brick Lane in Shoreditch, there’s LOTS of great secondhand and vintage shops! Brick Lane Market (placed in a huge basement) is one of my faves. It’s huge with lots of gems!

SUSTAINABLE FASHION

  • Henri London

BEAUTY

  • Still-London
  • Lush Liverpool Street Station

CENTRAL LONDON

VINTAGE

  • Rokit
  • Beyond Retro Soho

SUSTAINABLE FASHION

  • Content (probably my fave on the whole trip, definitely a must! All my favourite fashion and beauty brands)
  • Arket

BEAUTY

  • Content (both have fashion & beauty)
  • Holland & Barret (just because they sell the really good package free shampoo bars from Ethique!)
  • Blue Tit hair salon

WEST LONDON

VINTAGE

  • Portobello Road (lots of great secondhand and vintage stores here!)

SUSTAINABLE FASHION

  • 79 Ledbury Road (pop up store which sometimes have sustainable brands)

BEAUTY

  • Lush White City
  • Blue Tit hair salon


How to get around

Igen valgte jeg at bevæge mig igennem London i områder (ligesom da jeg var i København); jeg tog centrum den ene dag, vest London den anden og øst London den sidste dag. Jeg synes helt klart det er nemmest at gøre det på denne måde, fordi man så kan tage metroen frem og så gå rundt til de fleste steder i området. Hvis du ikke er fra London kan jeg helt klart anbefale dig at hente app’en “Tube Map“, som er en oversigt over Londons undergrund og de forskellige stop. Hvis du vil spare nogle penge i det lange løb så kan du købe dig et Oyster card, som du også kan bruge i busserne. Har faktisk ikke selv fået købt et endnu, men det skal jeg helt klart næste gang jeg skal til London. De kan købes på de fleste undergrundsstationer så vidt jeg ved. Udover det er der jo Uber, som er privat taxa kørsel. Jeg brugte kun denne service et par gange, især når mørket falder på eller hvis jeg blot skal ud på en kort tur. Det foregår ganske enkelt ved at man henter app’en, registrerer sin betaling og så finder den selv chauffører i nærheden. Jeg var faktisk overrasket over, hvor mange af disse chauffører der kørte Prius, som jo er en delvist elektrisk bil. Win, når det kommer til bæredygtighed.

Man kan også leje offentlige cykler, men det turde jeg altså ikke begive mig ud i. For det første kører man jo i den anden side af vejen derovre, og så er infrastrukturen til cyklister altså bare ikke lige så god og tryg som herhjemme. Måske lyder det lidt snobbet (ikke meningen dog), men altså – der foretrak jeg bare at gå eller tage metroen i stedet. Er man kendt i London kan man dog sikkert sagtens begive sig ud på en cykeltur!

Jeg håber virkelig I kan bruge guiden til noget. Hvis I har flere tips så del dem gerne i kommentarfeltet. Næste tur bliver Berlin i Oktober, og jeg glæder mig!

ENG.: Again I choose to move through London via the different areas (like when I was in Copenhagen); I went to the city center on the first day, west of London the second and then East London the final day. I think this is the way to do it really, because then you can take the tube to the area and then just walk from place to place there. If you’re not from London I definitely recommend you to get the app called “Tube Map“, which is an overview of the London underground and all the stations. If you wish to save some money in the long run, get an Oyster card that you can also use in the busses. I’ve not bought one myself yet, but definitely should the next time I’m going. You can buy these on most tube stations as far as I know. There’s also Uber, the private taxi service. I only used it a couple times, after dark or if I only needed to go a short distance for example. You simply download the app and then register your payment, and then the app will find cars near you to come pick you up and drive you off to your destination. I was actually quite surprised to see so many Ubers driving Prius, which is partly and electric car. Win, when it comes to more eco-friendly transportation.

You can also rent public bicycles in London, but to be honest I didn’t dare renting any of those. First of all we drive in the other side of the road in Denmark, so I was afraid I’d be too confused (lol) – and then I must say, the infrastructure for bicycles just didn’t feel as safe as in Denmark. Might sound a little snobby (not intended though) – but I preferred taking the tube instead, it just felt more safe to me. If you’re well-known getting around in London, I’m sure a bike ride is fine though.

I really hope you guys will enjoy this guide. Let me know down below if you’ve got more tips you’d like to include. Next up will be Berlin, and I’m so excited!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCS4uaP0Spk&t=513s

1 Comment

  1. Jess

    Great guide 🙂 I feel really bad about the amount of flights I take so when I set off travelling this time I took the train from London to Rotterdam, and then after a few weeks, the bus from Rotterdam all the way to Ljubljana in Slovenia, and then the bus to Italy. The train was great! The bus wasn’t as ‘comfortable’ in flying as someways, you have to put up with more awkward encounters with people and more disorganisation and they don’t always call out your stop, and it takes a lot longer, BUT I know it was loads better for the environment. The train out of London to Paris/Amsterdam I can only recommend 🙂 it’s a really nice experience usually.

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