I really enjoyed my ten day stay at Tessa's place. Tessa is a fantastic host - very easy to talk to and does a great job of making you feel at home in the bustling metropolis of London. She is a very keen observer of people, history, popular culture, etc. and has a great sense of humor about all of those things. The apartment is tucked away on a quiet side street in the Barbican - very close to a Waitrose, some good kebab/doner places and a 15-20 minute walk from Brick Lane/Spitalfields markets. It's a charming flat and the room was smartly appointed, so I had plenty of space for all of my things. I quickly settled into a sunset ritual of biscuits and tea while watching Antiques Roadshow on BBC One, which I found to be an acceptable way to mourn the premature loss of sunlight at 4:15pm. For the more adventurous, there are a number of nice pubs nearby to get a pint. I highly recommend Tessa's spot as a home base in London!