We have been having a cozy Christmas season in London. Here were a few of the top moments of Christmas cheer in the Henry/Sparks/Dykxhoorn house. 10k Santa Dash for Great Ormond St Children’s Hospital (aka a fun Where’s Waldo challenge for y’all!) Ogling the Christmas lights at Kew Gardens And a ride on a ‘swing … More A very London Christmas
I share a lot about my travels on this site, as I have had the opportunity to visit some truly incredible places in the last few years. In response to queries about if I like living in London, I find myself often responding that I love that London is such a hub of travel, making … More Moments in my London
It has been a while since I have seen 5:45am on a Saturday, but I started my day fumbling around my flat, trying to find wool socks, wicking base layer, and my dive mask. I had a pretty good reason to greet the morning with uncharacteristic enthusiasm – I was heading to London School of … More Diving into cold water: Dry suit training
In our house growing up, we had an extensive and eclectic record collection. One of the vinyls was a copy of Bedknobs and Broomsticks, so I grew up enthusiastically singing in Portobello Road in my best baritone. It has been more than a decade since I have ventured to this part of London, but with the excellent … More Portobello Road: Snapshots of my London
This past month has flown by in a flurry of activity – some of the best things, including a visit to Canada, the parade (and wedding) of two of the best people, and a move back to Stockholm, a city I deeply love. While these are the highlights – the glittery bright spots of the … More A month in the life of this nomad
I was delighted to welcome two of my dear Swedish colleagues to London for the weekend. I always enjoy the opportunity to explore my city with the eyes of a visitor, as it gives me the chance to stop to recognise all the beauty that exists in my own neighbourhood, and this was certainly no … More Four corners of London
It’s time for another adventure! I have been looking forward to a few of the Dykxhoorns travelling around France and decided the best way to pop up in Paris was on two wheels. Unfortunately, it meant that I saddled the blue babe down with a really heavy load. In addition to my usual cycling and … More London to Newhaven on my blue bicycle
I had decided to splash out and book the overnight ferry back to the UK. To my delight, it seems that ferry travel is not completely booked during the week, so I had a comfortable cabin to myself. After a sound sleep, I TOOK A SHOWER! ON A BOAT!? Luxury. I had a cup of … More Pedalling home
It is a challenge to maintain the diametrically opposed identities of “laziest person ever” and “enthusiastic cyclist/eager adventurer.” Thankfully, I have sorted out a system to neatly integrate these two using this special step-by-step guide to lazy microadventuring. Step 1: Prepare to adventure. Take off your fluffy dressing gown and cozy slippers and put on … More The lazy-person’s 10-step guide to urban microadventuring
I had the great pleasure of welcoming the lovely Leigh to London for a few days, and I got to share with her my new town. We wandered my ‘hood, walked the heath, and had a grand time. We made a very important pitstop at Tiger to stock up on important fashion accessories, including the … More Tourist in my own town: London, UK
Lovely Outliers 