💎 Cartier Sparkle, German Buns & Hidden Floral Dreams
Swapping wine nights for espresso highs, from Belgravia bites to Adriatic light
There’s something so special about Italy in May — the sun is just right, the streets are blooming with life, and everything feels a little more romantic when you’re wandering it all with your bff. Having been to Italy many times before, it’s not about ticking boxes anymore — it’s about returning to familiar places with softer eyes, noticing how the light hits the Sea differently, how your heart expands when you say “ciao” to the same blue horizon.
In Polignano a Mare, I let myself sink into the rhythm of the town — slower, sweeter. We stopped at Pescaria (you have to go) for their iconic seafood panino — warm octopus, lemon zest, and sea breeze wrapped in bread. Heaven.
And then came Matera, carved from time and sun-bleached stone — where we indulged in a chocolate elisir massage at the enchanting Palazzo Gattini, and floated out smelling like dessert and dreams. We had a divine meal at Oi Marì, tucked beneath arches, where every bite tasted like it had been blessed by a nonna and the moon. We explored the ancient Sassi, those quiet, powerful cave dwellings that whisper history with every echo — and ended the day in awe, stepping into the Crypt of the Original Sin, where frescoes from the 8th century, older than memory, looked back at us like something sacred. It wasn’t just a trip. It was a ritual.
☕️ Coffee Parties Are On the Rise — And Honestly, I Think I Found My Scene
Lately, I’ve been seeing more and more buzz around something called coffee parties — and honestly? I think this might just be my kind of party. As someone who’s never really connected with alcohol culture, but who adores specialty coffee with borderline spiritual devotion, this feels like the start of something made just for me. These aren’t just brunches with caffeine — we’re talking full-on gatherings centred around the ritual of coffee: pour-overs, tastings, slow espresso moments, vibey playlists, creative expression, and real conversation.
People are calling it a “new wave of sober joy (this is SO Jupiter entering Cancer era). Instead of chasing altered states through numbness or escape, our generation is leaning into presence — into heightened awareness, not avoidance. It’s like the social script is changing. We're saying goodbye to blurry nights and chaotic mornings, and hello to intentional experiences that still feel elevated, but in a grounded way. Maybe the real thrill now is being fully here. Caffeinated, connected, and consciously choosing to celebrate life without needing to disappear from it.
That’s a kind of high I can fully get behind.
Long Bright River – My Latest Obsession 🕵️♀️💔
Emotional crime drama with depth.
HBO
Currently deep in my detective-sister-trauma-TV era and OBSESSED with Long Bright River. It’s haunting, raw, and beautifully written — set in a cold, grief-soaked Philadelphia where one cop searches for her missing sister (who looks like stepped out of a still from Christiane F.) amid a wave of disappearances tied to the opioid crisis. And can we talk about Amanda Seyfried (yes, the same actress from Letters to Juliet)? She steps out of the fairytale gardens of Verona and into something gritty, shadowed, and achingly human.
The show doesn’t just deliver tension — it delivers truth. It shines a spotlight on how addiction, poverty, and systemic neglect intertwine. Watching it, you can’t help but feel the weight of how Philadelphia has become a ground zero for America’s opioid epidemic — a tragedy unfolding in plain sight. This isn’t just entertainment; it’s an elegy for every community left behind. And every episode lingers like a bruise.
It’s giving old money chic meets soft girl springtime bloom. Let me catch you up on the little luxuries and slow delights I’ve been loving in London lately — because the city is sparkling and we’re entering our main character era.
Cartier at the V&A ✨
Diamonds. Royalty. Drama.
V&A Museum, South Kensington
The Cartier exhibition is a total sensory overdose of diamonds, heritage, and craft — with each piece telling stories of romance, revolution, and ridiculous wealth. The archive goes deep, from Maharaja commissions to Grace Kelly’s engagement ring (!!!). You’ll leave floating out, mentally married to a 1940s Parisian jeweller.
Treelogy ☕️✨
Specialty brews, pistachio dreams, and city soul.
Chancery Lane
I recently fell hard for Treelogy, a serene little specialty coffee spot tucked into the historic streets of Chancery Lane — and it’s officially my new go-to. There’s something about this part of London I adore: the elegance of the architecture, the hush of early mornings, the blend of old soul and financial hustle. The pain au chocolat with pistachio on top deserves its own love letter — flaky, golden, and topped with just the right hint of nuttiness, like a Parisian secret whispered in your ear. It's the kind of place you stop by for a quick flat white... and end up staying long enough to plan your next chapter.
Sofar Sounds 🎶🌙
Live shows in living rooms.
Sofar Sounds is this secret concert series where you buy tickets without knowing who’s playing or where it is. You show up at a candlelit studio, a stranger’s loft, or a garden in East London, and boom — music, magic, mystery. This Friday, I’m finally going to my first show. My lovely friend Giovanna recommended it, and we’re going together as she’s in town for the weekend. Stripped-down sets, fairy lights, and raw vocals that hit. It’s the perfect way to welcome Gemini season — with spontaneity, connection, and a little mystery in the air.
Zeit für Brot ☕️
Cinnamon buns = therapy.
New German bakery, from Prenzlauer Berg to Islington
It’s giving Berlin cool, but make it gooey. The cinnamon swirl is sticky perfection, and the pecan one? Literal black-out level deliciousness. There’s something about sitting by the window with one of those and an oat flat white that makes you feel like the main character of a European indie film.
Sofu 🍵
Calm vibes, dreamy matcha, handmade mugs.
St John Street
Hidden gem alert! Sofu is this calm, earthy coffee sanctuary with Japanese influence and divine vibes. The ceramics are hand-thrown, the matcha is silky, and it smells like toasted sesame and comfort. Ideal for journaling, life pondering, or romanticising your solitude. Bonus points if you wear linen and bring a vintage tote.
Wildflowers 🌸✨
Floral fantasy meets foodie heaven.
Belgravia
Nestled in Belgravia like a secret garden for grown-ups, Wildflowers isn’t just a restaurant — it’s a slow, sunlit escape. The space feels like something between a Sicilian courtyard and a minimalist daydream. The menu brings the Mediterranean to London in the most elegant, grounded way: gnocco fritto with gorgonzola and truffle honey, grilled Iberico pork with mojo verde, and a baked mushroom rice that feels like a warm embrace from a forest kitchen in spring.
Chelsea Flower Market 🌷
Soft girl season is here.
Chelsea, baby
Petals, perfume, and perfect vibes — the Chelsea Flower Market is blooming again with Londoners on their iced elderflower fizz and basket in hand. Peonies, daisies, ranunculus... it’s your official excuse to wear linen and act like you’re in a Nancy Meyers film.
La Poule au Pot 🐓🍷
French bistro energy. Cosy candlelit dreams.
Belgravia, again
I had to go back to an icon. Old-school in the best way. La Poule au Pot is all duck confit, Bordeaux glasses, and low conversation under candlelight. You go there for soul, not social media. Très romantic.
magCulture 📚
Where magazines become magic.
St John Street, again
If you’re a print nerd (guilty), this place will ruin you — in the best way. Indie fashion mags, art anthologies, obscure global publications... it’s a visual feast. You’ll walk in for one magazine and leave with five and a new aesthetic.
That’s the mood lately...
Velvet energy, cinnamon sugar mornings, and the belief that beauty lives in the small things. If you end up at any of these spots, tag me. Let’s romanticise our lives like it’s our job.
See you where the wildflowers grow,
N.