This weekend's Things To Do In London is sponsored by Pact Coffee, who are offering Londonist readers 250g of freshly-roasted coffee, sent direct to your door, for just £1 (inc. P&P). Use code Londonist10 and get yours here. More details below.
Kew Gardens gets all hot under the collar at a weekend dedicated to chillis and beyond. Find out the science behind tasting and if you're a 'supertaster', learn tips and techniques at cooking demonstrations and tuck into an array of spiced sweets and savouries, plus peruse the gardens and glasshouses at your leisure. £14/£13/£2.50, prebook, 10am
If you love Great British Bake Off, you'll want to nab tickets to The London Cake and Bake Show at ExCel London, Docklands. Get baking, tasting and learning. £9, prebook, 10am
The car boot sale gets a makeover at King's Cross with over 100 antique cars keeping vintage collectors and enthusiasts happy. Plus heritage fairground rides, roaming street theatre and a vinyl DJ an old Routemaster. £4, prebook, 10am
The Crafty Fox arrives in Brixton with beautiful handicrafts and handmade bits and bobs from dozens of traders. Get your Christmas shopping done early, and in a relaxed fashion. Free, just turn up, 11am
Take a tour of swinging Soho with Rock and Trips, encompassing both iconic and lesser-known recording studios, live music venues, party places and tons of top trivia. £15, prebook, 11am Saturday and 3pm Sunday
Another way to dose up on music is at the annual Doc'n Roll Festival. Catch music documentaries at Picturehouse Central on Shaftesbury Avenue, from footage of the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival to films on contemporary songwriting and Irish folk. Most films £15, prebook, from 3pm Saturday
Enjoy some social snapping on the seven London walks taking place as part of Worldwide Photo Walk day. Bring your camera to Waterloo, Heathrow, Spitalfields, South Kensington, Richmond or Rickmansworth and submit your work at the end for the opportunity to win prizes. Free, prebook, various times
Join the TV adventurer in Trent Park for suitably tough challenges, exotic animals, bushcraft demonstrations and family-friendly activities. Entry free for under 12s. £15, prebook, 9am
This one day course offers you an insight into the animals that live in urban environments, offering a chance to explore the Horniman Museum's mammal collection. £31.25, prebook, 10am
Battersea Dogs and Cats Home celebrates its Victorian heritage in tribute to founder Mary Tealby. Tour the kennels and cattery and learn what it was like to be a stray dog on London's streets in the 1860s. Plus there's accordion music, vintage games, pie and mash and a Victoria sponge contest. £2/£1, just turn up, 10.30am
Explore the story of a grass skirt-wearing First World War captain and his intrepid chimp companion. Children aged 5-11 will love making their own boats, designing an adventure outfit, creating a sculpture and listening to stories at the National Archives at Kew. Free, prebook, 10am and 12.30pm
A walk through areas of south east London which were bombed during the Blitz. This two hour tour takes you around prefab locations past and present, derelict and inhabited. £5, prebook, 10.30am
Spend a leisurely few hours at the Victorian stable yard of the National Trust's Morden Hall Park. There's apple tasting, pressing and printing and local apple treats. Free, just turn up, 11.30am
The Side Show of Wonders features 52 sideshows, including the Fairground Clairvoyant and the French Guillotine — from illusionist Richard Leigh at the Jermyn Street Theatre in Picadilly Circus. £10, prebook, 11.30am
Start at Soho's Algerian Coffee Store, then taste your way through this walking lesson on the history, business and culture of London's favourite drink. £15, prebook, noon
Head to the Amersham Arms in New Cross for Crosswires Festival, which brings together art and live international musicians. During the day there's a body percussion workshop where you learn how to make the most of your body to create complex music. £4/£7/£10, prebook, 1.30pm
Bishopsgate Institute offers an opportunity to learn about several UK collections and archives including the Bernie Grant Archive at Bishopsgate Institute and Black Cultural Archives. By exploring newspapers, magazines, postcards, hand bills and pamphlets, a range of speakers will cover different historical perspectives and the role of ephemera in promoting political activity, grassroots activism and cultural heritage. Free, prebook, 2pm
You can safely expect great things from Beyoncé's choreographer Dana Foglia. See this blend of street style and classical technique in her show Vatic at Jacksons Lane Theatre, Highgate. £15, prebook, 2pm and 7.30pm
The Whitechapel Gallery pushes boundaries once again with this art-meets-music series. Vocals, film and performance combine in this set from Paul Abbott, Cara Tolmie and Mikhail Karikis. £10, prebook, 4pm
At Thinker, Drinker, Soldier, Spy, immerse yourself in a Cold War espionage-themed clue-hunting puzzle and pub crawl in central London. Crack codes, find clues, receive covert communications with undercover contacts and down a few pints for Queen and country. From £15, 4.30pm
Support the London Raiders against their fearsome rivals, the Cheltenham Chieftains, at Lee Valley Ice Centre in Stratford. £8/£4, prebook, 5.30pm
We Shall Overcome weekend gets noisy with Loud Women, a night of female-led pop and punk, at the Silver Bullet in Finsbury Park. As well as rocking the stage they'll also be collecting for Women's Aid. Free, just turn up, 6pm
Tuck into a Mexican meal without a nacho, sombrero or maraca in sight at Kitchen Theory: México in Maida Hill. Instead of burritos and chili con carne expect modern twists on authentic dishes, with or without insects. £65, prebook, 7.30pm
Polish composer and champion of contemporary classical music Henryk Góreckiis celebrated in a Total Immersion event at Barbican, featuring films, discussions and concerts. £10-£21, 7.30pm
Reginald D Hunter headlines the Union Chapel tonight, alongside Roisin Conaty, Sheeps, Boy With Tape on his Face and all MC'd by The Horne Section. Good stuff. £20, prebook, 7.45pm
If you already love electroswing, you'll love White Mink's show at the Clapham Grand; if you haven't yet experienced it, you're in for a treat. Classic dance numbers go electric in this old-school venue. £15, prebook, 8pm
Fresh, hand-roasted, straight-to-your-door coffee. Pact Coffee has an aim to get Londoners drinking the really good stuff with regular deliveries to your home or office that suit your brew-drinking schedule. Their various coffees come from around the world and are carefully sourced by them, chosen by them, roasted by them and sent out by them — meaning all you have to do is concentrate on the drinking.
Try your first bag for just £1 and you'll see what we mean. Find out more and use code Londonist10 to get yours here.
Full-priced 250g bags are usually £6.95. £1 offer includes P&P. Offer for new Pact customers only. Click here for full terms and conditions.
Take the little ones to the north London theatre's annual fundraiser featuring zorbing, a bouncy castle, face-painting, a fancy-dress competition and performances from Chickenshed's youth band and community choir. There's also a fun run. Mainly free, just turn up, 11am
If you love drinking beer, try making your own with this mini masterclass at The Shakespeare in Farringdon. Get to grips with malt, hops and fermentation before sitting down for a well-earned full English washed down with a few pints. £55, prebook, 11.30am
Pond Dalston hosts a full-blown Hawaiian Luau feast (hog roast), centring on a whole roast Kalua pig with all the trimmings. Other dishes include smoked lamb with Hawaiian spices or Tempura Portabello mushroom on sweet potato poke, showcasing the best in modern Hawaiian cuisine. £13.50, prebook, 12pm-8pm
Vegan blogger and cookbook author Kirly-Sue leads a vegan Jamaican cookery demonstration at Icetank on Tottenham Court Road, showing you that vegan cooking needn't be boring. Ticket includes recipe sheets and a goody bag. £33.45, 1pm
At Camden People's Theatre you can play at being a kid again, but first the serious stuff: hear talks about mental health, porn, voting, booze tasting and ageing. Things get lively at the Big Kids party, hosted by a drag queen. Expect face painting, party games and craft workshops for adults. Free, prebook, 2pm
Enjoy a drama-and Lycra-filled afternoon in Edmonton at the Millfield Theatre. See title fighters and young hopefuls with attitude. £14.60, prebook, 2.30pm
The Doctors’ Orchestra, a 60-strong orchestra made up of doctors from all over the UK and beyond, gives a concert at Cadogan Hall to raise awareness of The Compassionate Friends charity. From £12, prebook, 3pm
The splendour of this mighty instrument is on full display at the Royal Albert Hall with organist Stephen Disley accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Choral Soceity. Hear magnificent pieces from Bach, Handel, Mendelssohn, Elgar, Saint-Saëns and more. £25, prebook, 3pm
See a selection of psychedelic short films exploring light and sound in 16mm format at the Barbican. Head Trips: Abstraction and Infinity features a programme of trance pieces from the 50s to the present day, curated by the director of LA's Center for Visual Music. £9.50/£8.50, prebook, 5pm
100 Years of Jazz in 99 minutes does what it says on the tin. The musical Reduced Shakespeare Company takes you from ragtime to the present day via bebop, swing, Latin and more. £11.50, prebook, 7.30pm
Love bridges? Then you'll be looking forward to the forthcoming Bridge exhibition at Museum of London Docklands as much as we are.
The largest art exhibition in the museum's history, Bridge brings together photographs, contemporary and historical artworks, data visualisations and film to give different perspectives on London’s bridges and how they allow people to move around and experience the city. Take a look at our previous article here, featuring some of the rare and unusual images on display.
The exhibition officially opens to the public on Friday 27 June, but there’s a private view on Thursday 26 June and as media partner, we have 25 pairs of tickets to this exclusive opening party to give away to you. Would you like to be among the first to see the show, join us for cocktails and canapés and enjoy what promises to be a great party, including live music from Mercury Prize nominated folk singer Sam Lee?
To be in with a chance to win, simply enter your name and email address in the form below and we’ll pick 25 names at random out of the virtual hat at 5pm next Tuesday 24 June. If you’re one of the lucky winners, we’ll notify you by email right away so you have 48 hours to organise your glad rags.
The private view takes place on Thursday 26 June from 6.30pm at Museum of London Docklands, invitation only.
I loved the idea of going to Iceland as a solo traveler and getting AS MUCH done as possible with no one to get in my way. I wouldn’t have to wait around for anyone. I could sleep and eat whenever and wherever I wanted. And I could start my day when the sun came out around 5am and finish up with my adventures when the sun was setting around 10PM once I had completely exhausted myself.
Day 1: I arrived on a beautiful sunny morning at the airport and picked up my car. I headed toward Reykjavik and completely got lost until I found some super cool iconic church that I had seen on everyone’s Instagram. Phew! I knew that must be some central area where I could stop, walk around, find WiFi, and figure out where I was. After walking around for a few hours I went to the church service to get cultured and ran into a volunteer that I worked with back in Seattle. How great! I love when that happens.
For the remainder of the afternoon I found my hostel, figured out what I wanted to do for the week and then headed over to the free walking tour in the city center.
During the tour I met three other gals from the states and France. It was their last day and we decided to go to the Laugardalslaug pool. After that it was close to 11PM and I wanted to get some sleep before heading out early the next morning.
The symbol on the sign above means that it is a point of interest. Very easy to navigate where the sites worth seeing are.
I knew I wanted to camp in Vik for the night but it was only 3pm and I had so much daylight left. So I walked around the town near the coast and saw across the way there was what looked like a hiking trail. So around 4PM I started hiking up the plateau having no idea where I was going. There was a marked trail but I didn’t know how long it would take me. I walked along the plateau for about three hours before I turned around because I hadn’t seen one person and got a little nervous. It was a beautiful setting sun from the top but I was ready to get back to my car and post up for the evening. Dinner that evening consisted of beef jerky and chocolate.
Day 3: I survived the car sleepover! But because of the light I woke up at 4:30 and decided I should start driving. A few hours in I was nodding off so pulled to a stopping point and passed out for a few more hours.
Later that morning I arrived in Skaftafell and was ready to get a hike in. A few hours of exploring and there WERE other people around which was a nice little change. It was BEAUTIFUL being so close to the glaciers and seeing the amazing landscape.
I continued driving east in the afternoon and made it to Diamond Beach and the Glacier Lagoon. The Glacier Lagoon was massive and I had never seen anything like that. I walked around for about an hour and decided that it was as far east as I wanted to go since I did not want to do the entire ring road on this trip.
I made my way back to Skaftafell where I wanted to camp. I was there by 5PM and did another little hike out to a glacier.
By 7PM I was antsy and decided I would drive back to Vik so that I could be closer to my desired destinations for the morning. Because of other distractions, such as Fjadrargljufur, and other stops along the way I made it to the campground by about 10:30PM.
Day 4: I woke up early and decided I needed to bathe so made my way to Seljavallalaug pool. It’s a hidden hot springs pool in a magical setting in the mountains. It’s about a 15 minute walk from the parking lot and is very easy to pass by if you don’t map it out beforehand. When I arrived I was lucky that there were only 5 of us at the pool. We stayed for about 45 minutes soaking in the warm water. As we were walking out it started raining and a crowd of about 30 had arrived. We got super lucky!
Later that afternoon I arrived at a place called Reykjadalur. It’s a 3k hike up a small mountain and there is an amazing hot springs at the top. It was getting late but who cares when it doesn’t get dark until late? It was almost completely vacant and I spent a few hours on this trek. Eventually I found my way back in the little town at the base and was ready for dinner. I wanted a real meal and a beer but the cafe I went to was $30 a plate and didn’t serve beer. So I opted out and went to the gas station for a sandwich.
I was going to camp there overnight but had too much energy so decided I would drive up north to Þingvellir National Park and sleep there for the night. It was only another hour or so and that was going to be my destination for the next day.
I arrived at the park and was ready to sleep. I found a little pull-out and was getting ready to pass out when the park service came up to me and asked if I had paid. I didn’t realize that to sleep in a national park it costs $$. It was only $10 but that’s good to keep in mind. It was pouring rain at this point and I was drained and passed out.
Day 5: I wanted to do some hiking but it was raining really hard so I passed that opportunity and headed northeast toward Gullfoss and Geysir which are a part of the Golden Circle. I stumbled upon another waterfall called Faxi, and it was still only morning. I decided I had actually seen everything I had planned and it was too rainy to hike. So I was going to head back to Reykjavik and figure out what to do from there.
I took the long way back and looped around a lake up north and headed south along the coast back to the city.
When I arrived back at the hostel I got out my book and people watched to scout out who would become my new friends. Immediately, two women introduced themselves to each other and said they had just arrived so I found my opportunity and we all went out in the snow to walk around the city and explored the beautiful architecture of Harpa.
A few hours later we were soaking wet and ready for a beer. The sun came out, I ate my third hot dog of the day, and we posted up at an outdoor bar and soaked up the sun. After that we went to an Irish pub and had a few more drinks.
We later went back to the hostel and made friends with a bunch of travelers and spent the night playing cards, making drinks, and sharing our stories. I told the gal I had met earlier in the day, Larissa, that I would just sleep in my car in the parking lot, but she insisted that her twin bed at the hostel was big enough so I had a bed!
Day 6: A slight headache but no regrets. I finally took my first shower of the week. I knew I didn’t want to just hang around Reykjavik on my last day and so I did a 7 hour road trip through the snaefellsnes peninsula just a bit northwest of where I was. Once I was out on the peninsula the roads turned to dirt and I was the only person I saw for hours. It was a beautiful landscape and I was able to get out and about a few times to walk around. But by the end of the day I was exhausted and headed back to the hostel.
That evening I had dinner at the hostel with some other travelers but stayed in because I had an early flight. I was happy to be a bit social despite traveling alone.
A few times on the trip I was asked if I was scared to travel alone or sleep in my car. I was a bit nervous at the beginning but I am SO HAPPY I did that. I stayed super busy, met a lot of other people, and did so much more than I thought I would.