Sentimental in Berlin Blog: Saturday Outings! Vintage! Spitalfield! Brunch! Cinema!

What a beautiful day today again!!!! Sunshine and yes spring is definitely here with all the blooming magnolias and other beauties of nature!

East London Magnolia Spring

Reading Mandy's bicycle tour in Berlin from Movin 'n' Groovin I also felt like be out and since in London I would not dare to cycle I just thought let's have a nice walk in the sun! Inspired by her advertised app komoot, I also downloaded an app for tracking the route for walking! I do walk a lot in London but never really measured how long and where exactly. I am so far loving it, though it does not count the length of the route as accurately, but at least gives a guideline! Mapmywalk it is!

Map My Walk App for Iphone and Android

Map My Walk - My Walk today!

So first of all I started in East London, because this weekend was the big Poundsale in East End Thrift Store where they sell all kinds of vintage clothing. The closest tube stations were closed today, because of engineering works, thus it was a bit of a walk to get there...and well I have never been to any of these kind of events, it was easy to find as on the way close to the place itself, the pavement was full of with young girls carrying massive bags filled with clothes!

East End Thrift Store Sale

East End Thrift Store Vintage PoundSale

Well I had all the intentions to enter these sales, but I never would have thought about queuing to gain entry! The queue was massive full of with hipster youth of the east end, all thirsty to grab a bargain here today!

East End Thrift Store Sale Queue

East End Thrift Store Sale On the way

East End Thrift Store Sale Queue

After seeing the street-long queue I decided to leave and maybe come back another time to the store itself when it is not as busy as now!

So I started walking towards Aldgate and to Liverpool street in a slow pace, taking photos enjoying the sun!
My first stop was the eucharist St Botolph Church with these huge plants in front of! :)

East London St Botolph Church

In front of myself there was a strange wooden creation...it seems like a house built in floodplain areas, to avoid water coming in the flat ruining the possessions. I got an explanation from someone that these buildings represent the 'then' (couple of hundred years ago) townhalls of London and these can be found across England in other cities too. Well after reading the plate on the ground...I am not sure how accurate this townhall theory is, but it definitely marks the historic Aldgate, where Chaucer lived.

East London Wooden Building

Then walking further I noticed a sign...I have never seen any similar to this in west London, but okay it is better to keep this in mind and better be self conscious than be surprised...

East London Sign Not everyone is as nice as you

The East End was always the lower end of London where poverty was ruling. These days with lots of investments it started to become an up and coming hipster area, however some of the streets are still mirroring what it was.
Some snapshots below about a general street in the EastEnd.
Council estates, graffitis and derelict buildings in contrast with the City's shiny skyscrapers in the neighbouring areas.

East London buildings

East London Buildings

Really loving these letters on rolling-shutters of east london shops.

East London Graffiti Letters

East London Graffiti Letters HAPPY

This is a bar or club or pub, I have no idea. This time it was closed, but when I was here last time, there were many people in the door smoking, drinking, so definitely something is going on inside!

East London Pub

Zoomed in, the head note on this pub/bar/club is quite funny! I don't feel like I want to kill anyone today! Well I would hope so! :)

East London Pub Sign: I don't feel like I want to kill anyone today! :) Lucky!

Still at the same place...luckily I had a glance backwards and noticed this rat graffiti, which I believe is made by ROA a Belgian graffiti artist. He has already left his unique styled graffitis on many of the walls here in east London, mainly on Bricklane's sidewalks and backwalls.

East London ROA graffiti

East London Poster

Around Petticoat Lane market.

East London Petticoat Lane

East London Petticoat Lane Graffiti

This picture shows quite rightly the differences in this neighbourhood...

East London Contrast

Derelict building-front on Toynbee street, which is a shame in London. How can these buildings left alone to leave it to mother nature to take them back, when in the meantime there are so many people struggling to afford accommodation.

East London Derelict Building

East London Derelict Building vs Porsche

Now in better and well known part of East London...Spitalfields.

East London Spitalfield

Christ Church Spitalfields

East London Spitalfield

Finally, before I left for home, I had a late brunch in Cafe Daily Grind. Well it was a big disappointment.

From the outside it looked such a cute and typical to this area type of Cafe...but when I entered...my enthusiasm immediately dropped. I stayed though...don't really know why...even after when they told me that they ran out of salmon, what I initially wanted...

So all in all the food was okay, the hot chocolate I had...well was just pure cocoa with lots of froth though :) and my banana cake has never made it to my table...the cutlery was dirty and the service was average.

And strangely I had this 'get out of this place as soon as I can' feeling in me...this place tries to be a hipster place in Spitalfield, but though they had some statement pieces in the decoration, like that golden steam punk style coffee machine something, the rest... is disappointing...the fake flowers in the vases...the lamp pole and fake windows in the wall. Truly some of the items they had I would like to own, but I had a feeling they were just thrown next to each other in a one after the other order...

So all in all..this place is not what you would expect it to be...

...though on the positive end...if you want a nice smile from a cute Italian then do go in :)

Spitalfield Daily Grind Cafe

My breakfast at Spitalfield Daily Grind Cafe

The steampunk style something at Spitalfield Daily Grind Cafe

Spitalfield Daily Grind Cafe

I had to be fast and rush my walking a bit, because finally after 5 months waiting to see what The Grand Budapest Hotel by Wes Anderson is about, today was the day!

I was going to the Electric Cinema in London Portobello Road to watch it!

I always wanted to go to this cinema, but since I don't really have time to go to the cinema, never really went....
This must be the movie I had to watch there I thought!
The movie was great! I knew it though! Great rating on imdb....I like Wes Anderson's movies, I have seen so far...the cast is smashing!

Electric Cinema The Grand Budapest Hotel

The inside of the cinema was luxurious and it was a bit of a timetravel to the time of the Great Gatsby, with comfortable armchairs, sofas and beds to have an exclusive cinema experience.

Even the average guidance what to do before the movie e.g. switching off the phone, showing the toilets, turning down the volume of your hair :) was filmed with real actors and actresses...with one of them being the more and more famous and handsome Cumberbatch himself.