Photos via Julie Falconer
It's truly magnificent when you get some thoughts on travel from someone so passionate about the endeavor. Recently we had the chance to touch base with Julie Falconer, who many of you may know as A Lady In London.
The California native who moved to London is a social media star who has had her images seen in such publications as Esquire, Harper's Bazaar and BBC Travel.
Thankfully, she took a moment to lend some thoughts on the wonder that is London and the brilliance that is worldwide travel in general.
For those who might not be familiar, you can take a jaunt around the globe at Falconer's Instagram feed or read about her numerous adventures on A Lady In London.
Below are but a few words and images that give you insight into a traveler who knows how to savor every last drop of what the world has to offer.
We hope this gives you a kick in the behind to get on out and do some discovering of your own.
TravelPulse: I noticed you are from California. I am a native to Los Angeles. Can you explain a bit on what brought you to London?
Julie Falconer: I left California because I had spent time studying in Nice and Prague and working at the U.S. Embassy in Paris and the U.S. Mission to the EU in Brussels while I was in college, and wanted to get to Europe. I was working in finance at the time, and wanted to make a career change, so I left my job, got a visa, and moved to London. At the time, it was relatively easy for Americans to get visas to live and work here, and I wanted to come to London because it's a huge city and there's always somewhere new to explore.
TP: What do you miss, if anything, about California? What did you fall in love with immediately about London?
JF: I miss my family and friends the most. I also miss the food and wine, which are some of the best in the world. The California coast is a beautiful place, and I took that for granted growing up. Now I appreciate it all the more when I visit.
In London, I fell in love with the world-class music, art, and culture, and the fact that the city has great diversity and history. As a travel blogger, I also appreciated that it's easy to get almost anywhere in the world from here.
TP: What do you do outside discovering the city, traveling and writing, which I assume keeps you pretty busy?
JF: I don't have much time left over after all of those things, but I love spending time with friends and walking through the city. The parks and gardens are particularly lovely in the spring and summer.
TP: I've been fortunate to visit London a couple of times and adore it. What is something that surprised you about London?
JF: I was surprised by how big London is. There's so much to explore and so many different neighborhoods, each with its own personality. I could spend the rest of my life here and still not see everything!
TP: Do you have a favorite place people might not necessarily have on their radar before traveling to this amazing place?
JF: My favorite place in London is Hampstead Heath. It is a beautiful, wild park in north London, and it feels like it's a million miles away from the city. In reality, it's really close to central London and has great views of the city's most famous buildings from Parliament Hill. It's a great place for walks, and there are famous bathing ponds for those brave enough to face the cold. It's also home to Kenwood House, a museum where scenes from the movie Notting Hill were filmed.
TP:Your pictures are brilliant and diverse. You have a special talent for breathing life into landscapes and buildings. What do you use to take them? Any favorite apps that you use outside Instagram? In-phone or desktop editing?
JF: I take my social photos on my phone, and the photos for my blog on a DSLR. I use Instagram for editing on my phone, and Lightroom for editing on my laptop.
TP: Do you have any travel tips you have gleaned over the years?
JF: Never check a bag. It's very liberating to travel light!
TP: What places are you dying to visit, whether in London or abroad?
JF: I really want to visit Ethiopia. It's been at the top of my list for ages, and I think I might finally get there next year. As for London, I still haven't explored much around Peckham, which everyone raves about.
TP: Lastly, what is something you would like to tell people about London that they might not consider?
JF: It's a good idea to get off the beaten path here. There are a lot of great attractions in the city center, but what really makes London special are the side streets, local pubs, and little details that people often miss if they're not looking out for them. My favorites places to tell people to explore are the mews streets in Kensington. They're lovely!
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