Before James.

I arrived on a Friday afternoon and slept until Saturday morning. This is the first thing I saw. Well, not the first thing, but I like to think it is.

This is definitely the first place I went: Green and Stones of course. This time I brought Eve with me. Later that afternoon I met an Irishman called Corway (but really Peter) and lastly dinner with Sarah and Matt.

Sarah gave me this Easter bunny, who made friends with Eve, and who I ate two days later. This was the beginning of a day that would’ve ended wonderfully if I hadn’t fucked it up so royally.

Eve and I visited my sister-in-law Aiping and her family in Mitcham.

Here we posed together, on the way back. In a couple hours I’d meet my friend Filwa for a late lunch. In a few I’d meet James.

Full of regret from the night before (I can’t tell the story), I indulged myself in an elevator mirror selfie.

Next day Yousef and I visited the Museum of Natural History. Here he stood by a fake hippo.

This one would have had to enter the room sideways.

Wednesday morning I got my hair cut at the George Valossian salon. They always do such a nice job. Nice hair, no one to share it with. So as always, I spent the afternoon with Eve.

We had lunch at Iddu a few minutes away from the hotel.

We ate cupcakes.

And I painted a portrait of her, which I gifted to Naz, who I met later that night in Soho (sans Eve).

Thursday morning I met Ayesha at the riverside walk. As always, we had to take an Iconic London Selfie (ILS). This time by an ice-cream truck. She even bought me an ice-cream cone, because I didn’t have any money on me.

Later she was nice-and brave-enough to dodge the skateboarders for this photo of Eve.

And we took our second ILS.

We both swooned over these dresses.

I went back to the hotel for my usual scone/chamomile tea combo. That’s when I received the message that ended any possibility of me seeing J again. Needless to say I lost my appetite and couldn’t finish the second scone.

At night it was back to being Eve and me. At least I had Sarah and Laura to look forward to on Friday.

I met Sarah Friday morning for a very, very delicious brunch at Eggbreak in Notting Hill. I swear, when the company is this nourishing and the food this good, it makes you forget your woes.

Sarah. I love this woman! And she’s always feeding me such delicious food!!

My pancakes were the best: crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

Later on we had a lovely walk in the park and visited the John Latham exhibition at the Serpentine.

Around 2 that afternoon I met Laura at the station. We went for lunch, dessert and drinks in the evening with her friend Kim who I LOVED. Girlfriends really are the best.

Laura and I had a proper girly talk on the bed. Here she is with Eve, who she created a few months ago.

Me and Laura.

Laura looking radiant.

A selfie on the Ampersand staircase, on our way down to meet Kim.

Saturday I stayed in all day. It was a waste of a gorgeous day but all my friends were busy and I was extremely tired.

So I stayed in and dabbled with paint. Later on I had a date with Chris. But after J, this was just…alright. I was back in my hotel room by 9:30.

After James.