I knew it wouldn’t be long before I got bored of being settled. Six weeks after moving down south, I was desperate to get out and explore. The London docklands were calling my name. Seriously, I am suffering from some kind of “settled-down-crisis.” I thrive on new adventure.

Now that I’ve migrated, London is a really feasible distance and so at the start of November I escaped for a weekend. Whilst I have done London a few times, there is always more to discover and brand new attractions popping up all over the place.

The main purpose of my trip was to spend time with my wonderful family who all came to meet me. We were celebrating my beautiful Mum’s 50th birthday and since I’m now 6 hours away from ‘home,’ London proved to be somewhere accessible for all.

So, what did I do in the big smoke this time?

Forget tourist Thames-trips and London eye visits. We spent the weekend wandering around London Bridge, catching up with friends in the city and dining out. Using the docklands as a base was a bit of an experiment. Safe to say it’s more affordable and the new developments include some great hotels. However it does take a good hour to get across London to Paddington or Oxford Circus.

Despite this, a brand new attraction has been placed over at the docklands. Cable cars have been installed that transport you over the Thames towards the 02 arena. From these cars you get stunning views of Canary Wharf. Four weeks ago they opened an outlet shopping centre that sits on the circumference of the 02 arena. This has brought a fair bit of trade to the 02 pavilion and is a brilliant place to eat out. The riverside is also full of colour and as you can even climb up the 02 itself should you find yourselves daring for a challenge!

November in the city was just what I needed. I definitely recommend it if you’re a commutable distance because sometimes you just need to escape – right?