She was born in Croatia, grew up in Sydney and now lives in London. There’s no one more “jetset” than lifestyle blogger Adriana Kupresak.
She loves luxury hotels, Michelin-starred restaurants and a normal night out, according to her, is never without a bottle of champagne. A good bottle, that is. She knows the right people to have a fabulous time in a city so large that it can overwhelm even the avid traveler in all of us.
May I add, it was a delight to rekindle my relationship with London through the eyes of a woman full of light, joy, steps with twirls (as you can see in the video) and constant giggles.
Last month, I traveled to the city of Big Ben for a few days and thought I’d connect with several JST social media followers. Adriana was the first person I thought of. I had an intuition that we would hit it off. And that, we did.
When I invited her to a lovely dinner at One Aldwych Hotel, where I was staying, the conversation never stopped (which you can read more about on her female empowering blog filled with travel adventures and London with which she conspires as her greatest love affair.) When one world traveler meets another, there are many stories to divulge. In our case, we weren’t connected so much as world travelers but as women who classify with three different cultural identities.
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For someone who was born in a small Croatian village, grew up in an international metropolis like Sydney and now discovering her solid independent grounds in London; I felt as if someone could finally relate to my lifelong struggles with being born in Taipei, raised in the United States and finding a steady solitude in Paris.
Adriana and I had such a great time that she offered to take me out for an afternoon in London the next day. When you’re traveling solo, it’s beyond a gift to have a local showcasing her stomping grounds or favorite hotspots.
Within hours, Adriana infused both touristic and luxury in our perfect London afternoon which kicked off with strolling by the Big Ben, London Eye, drifting along St. James Park and peeking through the gates of Buckingham Palace. After a spontaneous visit at The Lanesborough Hotel, we indulged in a rooftop lunch at Harvey Nichols’ Fifth Floor Cafe (get the English Roast on the menu, it’s divine!) The afternoon wouldn’t be complete without a pitstop at Chanel inside Harrods where we bought our desserts. Adriana had the brilliant idea of devouring our pastries while paddle boating in Hyde Park, which was the ultimate delight.
https://www.instagram.com/p/7mjXgXrY0X/?taken-by=wendyhung915
I was fifteen years old during my first trip to London. Since then, I have been back occassionally. But this time, I truly fell in love with London. How could one not, after a beautiful afternoon with a gracious host?
Don’t underestimate the power of a few hours or even a layover in a city as populous as Londontown. Follow what Adriana and I did, you’ll surely wish the trip wasn’t so short and wonder when the next return will be. Just as I thought to myself.
Check out Adriana Kupresak’s blog. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ & Instagram.
