{"id":37762,"date":"2016-09-16T09:20:02","date_gmt":"2016-09-16T09:20:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/expat-life-en\/diario-blogger-primi-giorni-da-londoner\/"},"modified":"2026-10-15T07:55:49","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T07:55:49","slug":"diary-of-a-blogger-first-days-as-a-londoner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/en\/expat-life-en\/diary-of-a-blogger-first-days-as-a-londoner\/","title":{"rendered":"Diary of a Blogger: First Days as a Londoner"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text\" style=\"grid-template-columns:15% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Penna-a-Spillo-Stickers.png\" alt=\"Logo Penna a Spillo Blogger\" class=\"wp-image-34072 size-full lazyload\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Penna-a-Spillo-Stickers.png\" alt=\"Logo Penna a Spillo Blogger\" class=\"wp-image-34072 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Penna-a-Spillo-Stickers.png 400w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Penna-a-Spillo-Stickers-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Penna-a-Spillo-Stickers-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1 wp-block-paragraph\">W<em>ritten by Penna a Spillo<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>&#x270d;&#xfe0f; Category: Blogger\u2019s Diary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">&#x1f1ec;&#x1f1e7; First days as a local in London: my SoulMap&#x2122; diary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is the story of my first real encounter with London, the moment when I stopped looking at it as a tourist and started living it as a local.<br \/>It is part of my London diary, a personal stop along my <a href=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/en\/soulmap\/\" type=\"page\" id=\"37676\">SoulMap&#x2122;.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2\"><strong>&#x1f9e0; How I feel: processing the move and &#8220;Take Your Time&#8221;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3 wp-block-paragraph\">It feels like having jet lag that lasts for a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-4 wp-block-paragraph\">You don\u2019t quite understand why: you organise everything, plan every detail, put things in order for months, and then, despite the joy and euphoria of something new, and the excitement of being in a city like London, your body puts up a certain resistance and makes you feel exhausted for several days.<br \/>Almost as if to remind you that yes, it\u2019s all wonderful, but you need time to get used to the idea of living somewhere else, in another country, where people speak a different language and have different habits and rules from yours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5 wp-block-paragraph\">At the beginning, you also have to say goodbye to all your automatisms, at least until you manage to get things working again (phone, wi-fi, bank account, groceries, car, school, just to name a few).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-6 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>So basically, in the first few days, you find yourself caught in an organisational whirlwind, where every day the tasks to deal with are about a million, and your energy level is that of an amoeba.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-7 wp-block-paragraph\">But there is a phrase people say here that struck me immediately and that I loved straight away, maybe because it perfectly fits my post-move psycho-physical state, and that I immediately made my own:<br \/><strong>\u201cTake your time.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-8 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>In Italian there isn\u2019t really a literal translation, <\/strong>and above all, you don\u2019t hear it said very often. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9 wp-block-paragraph\">Here, instead, they repeat it to you constantly, as if they were fully aware of the effort you\u2019re making just to get things to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-10 wp-block-paragraph\">So, with this new mantra of mine, I try to find my way through all the new things coming my way, and I begin to process a few thoughts, in no particular order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-11\"><strong>&#x1f441;&#xfe0f; What I see: living by the Thames and exploring the city<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-12 wp-block-paragraph\">I see the <strong>Thames from my window.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-13 wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s beautiful: it flows calmly and quietly under a blazing sun, which I believe is rather unusual.<br \/>Professional rowers practising, houseboats moored along the opposite bank, runners jogging along the path along the river, and even a little boat leaving from the pier just below my house and heading to Westminster, like the vaporetto in Venice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/122D7EB9-9F15-4604-8D6C-721E59ADBDE9_1_201_a-scaled.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/122D7EB9-9F15-4604-8D6C-721E59ADBDE9_1_201_a-scaled.jpg\" data-id=\"18160\" alt=\"Scenic riverside view along the Thames pathway looking towards Kew Bridge on a clear autumn day in London.\" class=\"wp-image-18160 lazyload\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" data-id=\"18160\" src=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/122D7EB9-9F15-4604-8D6C-721E59ADBDE9_1_201_a-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Scenic riverside view along the Thames pathway looking towards Kew Bridge on a clear autumn day in London.\" class=\"wp-image-18160\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/122D7EB9-9F15-4604-8D6C-721E59ADBDE9_1_201_a-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/122D7EB9-9F15-4604-8D6C-721E59ADBDE9_1_201_a-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/122D7EB9-9F15-4604-8D6C-721E59ADBDE9_1_201_a-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/122D7EB9-9F15-4604-8D6C-721E59ADBDE9_1_201_a-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/122D7EB9-9F15-4604-8D6C-721E59ADBDE9_1_201_a-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/122D7EB9-9F15-4604-8D6C-721E59ADBDE9_1_201_a-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/122D7EB9-9F15-4604-8D6C-721E59ADBDE9_1_201_a-1080x810.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ZdbJW1jbT5afA8r8eS5Sdw_thumb_1d95b.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ZdbJW1jbT5afA8r8eS5Sdw_thumb_1d95b.jpg\" data-id=\"14953\" alt=\"Scenic riverside view along the Thames pathway looking towards Kew Bridge on a clear autumn day in London.\" class=\"wp-image-14953 lazyload\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"488\" data-id=\"14953\" src=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ZdbJW1jbT5afA8r8eS5Sdw_thumb_1d95b.jpg\" alt=\"Scenic riverside view along the Thames pathway looking towards Kew Bridge on a clear autumn day in London.\" class=\"wp-image-14953\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ZdbJW1jbT5afA8r8eS5Sdw_thumb_1d95b.jpg 650w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ZdbJW1jbT5afA8r8eS5Sdw_thumb_1d95b-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/F2A5B2F3-6429-401D-9BCC-650C48D0019F_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/F2A5B2F3-6429-401D-9BCC-650C48D0019F_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg\" data-id=\"18050\" alt=\"Scenic riverside view along the Thames pathway looking towards Kew Bridge on a clear autumn day in London.\" class=\"wp-image-18050 lazyload\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1919\" data-id=\"18050\" src=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/F2A5B2F3-6429-401D-9BCC-650C48D0019F_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"Scenic riverside view along the Thames pathway looking towards Kew Bridge on a clear autumn day in London.\" class=\"wp-image-18050\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/F2A5B2F3-6429-401D-9BCC-650C48D0019F_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/F2A5B2F3-6429-401D-9BCC-650C48D0019F_1_201_a-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/F2A5B2F3-6429-401D-9BCC-650C48D0019F_1_201_a-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/F2A5B2F3-6429-401D-9BCC-650C48D0019F_1_201_a-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/F2A5B2F3-6429-401D-9BCC-650C48D0019F_1_201_a-1536x1151.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/F2A5B2F3-6429-401D-9BCC-650C48D0019F_1_201_a-2048x1535.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/F2A5B2F3-6429-401D-9BCC-650C48D0019F_1_201_a-1080x810.jpeg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I discovered that during September, from the 1st to the 30th, London hosts the <strong>Totally Thames Festival<\/strong>, with installations, initiatives, and 150 artistic, cultural, musical and sporting events concentrated along the banks of the Thames in various parts of the city; the full programme can be found here: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.totallythames.org\/\">www.totallythames.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-14 wp-block-paragraph\">Oh, and I almost forgot: <strong>many riverside restaurants offer special fixed-price menus created specifically for the occasion.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-15\"><strong>&#x1f3e1; London&#8217;s leafy neighbourhoods: Richmond, Chiswick &amp; Kew<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-16 wp-block-paragraph\">Then, in these first days, I see London\u2019s neighbourhoods, starting with the ones close to my home: <strong>Richmond, Chiswick, Kew Bridge, Brentford, Barnes.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-17 wp-block-paragraph\">They are neighbourhoods not far from the centre, but at the same time quiet and tucked away, like small villages in their own right, with their own centre, schools, parks, flower markets and independent caf\u00e9s with tables outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/hQrzQjLZRo1eejarVFZJg_thumb_e4e7.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/hQrzQjLZRo1eejarVFZJg_thumb_e4e7.jpg\" data-id=\"11401\" alt=\"Chiswick London\" class=\"wp-image-11401 lazyload\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"488\" data-id=\"11401\" src=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/hQrzQjLZRo1eejarVFZJg_thumb_e4e7.jpg\" alt=\"Chiswick London\" class=\"wp-image-11401\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/hQrzQjLZRo1eejarVFZJg_thumb_e4e7.jpg 650w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/hQrzQjLZRo1eejarVFZJg_thumb_e4e7-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/hQrzQjLZRo1eejarVFZJg_thumb_e4e7-573x430.jpg 573w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"http:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/XQFma4OSBq2Wz2jA0d4g_thumb_1d888.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"http:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/XQFma4OSBq2Wz2jA0d4g_thumb_1d888.jpg\" data-id=\"14905\" alt=\"Scenic riverside view along the Thames pathway looking towards Kew Bridge on a clear autumn day in London.\" class=\"wp-image-14905 lazyload\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"867\" data-id=\"14905\" src=\"http:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/XQFma4OSBq2Wz2jA0d4g_thumb_1d888.jpg\" alt=\"Scenic riverside view along the Thames pathway looking towards Kew Bridge on a clear autumn day in London.\" class=\"wp-image-14905\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/XQFma4OSBq2Wz2jA0d4g_thumb_1d888.jpg 650w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/XQFma4OSBq2Wz2jA0d4g_thumb_1d888-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-18 wp-block-paragraph\">Neighbourhood life is fascinating: it introduces you to the local deli (Italian, with Parma ham), the pub where fans of the local team gather,<strong> the small supermarket and the hug<\/strong>e one, the little bookshop and the hairdresser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-19 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>It lets you observe people\u2019s habits and customs<\/strong>; for instance, there are lots of lively elderly ladies going shopping in the morning and happily stop to chat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-20\"><strong>&#x1f3a1; From Oxford Street frenzy to serene Royal Parks<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-21 wp-block-paragraph\">And then <strong>I see the heart of London,<\/strong> when with just a few underground stops I reach the city centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-22 wp-block-paragraph\">Now, this is something that drives me completely mad (in a good way): in twenty-five minutes in London you can casually move from the frenzy of Oxford Street to a rarefied, almost nineteenth-century novel-like atmosphere, with grand houses set in greenery and everything else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/172D60FE-4917-43DE-A1D3-9F9E7665728B_1_105_c.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/172D60FE-4917-43DE-A1D3-9F9E7665728B_1_105_c.jpeg\" data-id=\"18164\" alt=\"London Skyline\" class=\"wp-image-18164 lazyload\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-id=\"18164\" src=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/172D60FE-4917-43DE-A1D3-9F9E7665728B_1_105_c.jpeg\" alt=\"London Skyline\" class=\"wp-image-18164\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/172D60FE-4917-43DE-A1D3-9F9E7665728B_1_105_c.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/172D60FE-4917-43DE-A1D3-9F9E7665728B_1_105_c-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/172D60FE-4917-43DE-A1D3-9F9E7665728B_1_105_c-768x576.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/6184BC7E-4B3D-4D9D-91A1-95CB9F0EE32F_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/6184BC7E-4B3D-4D9D-91A1-95CB9F0EE32F_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg\" data-id=\"18166\" alt=\"London Skyline\" class=\"wp-image-18166 lazyload\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" data-id=\"18166\" src=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/6184BC7E-4B3D-4D9D-91A1-95CB9F0EE32F_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"London Skyline\" class=\"wp-image-18166\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/6184BC7E-4B3D-4D9D-91A1-95CB9F0EE32F_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/6184BC7E-4B3D-4D9D-91A1-95CB9F0EE32F_1_201_a-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/6184BC7E-4B3D-4D9D-91A1-95CB9F0EE32F_1_201_a-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/6184BC7E-4B3D-4D9D-91A1-95CB9F0EE32F_1_201_a-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/6184BC7E-4B3D-4D9D-91A1-95CB9F0EE32F_1_201_a-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/6184BC7E-4B3D-4D9D-91A1-95CB9F0EE32F_1_201_a-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/6184BC7E-4B3D-4D9D-91A1-95CB9F0EE32F_1_201_a-1080x810.jpeg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0B31D497-7591-4FD0-9B65-07496DEF29F4_1_201_a-scaled.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0B31D497-7591-4FD0-9B65-07496DEF29F4_1_201_a-scaled.jpg\" data-id=\"17042\" alt=\"Tower Bridge London\" class=\"wp-image-17042 lazyload\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" data-id=\"17042\" src=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0B31D497-7591-4FD0-9B65-07496DEF29F4_1_201_a-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Tower Bridge London\" class=\"wp-image-17042\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0B31D497-7591-4FD0-9B65-07496DEF29F4_1_201_a-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0B31D497-7591-4FD0-9B65-07496DEF29F4_1_201_a-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0B31D497-7591-4FD0-9B65-07496DEF29F4_1_201_a-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0B31D497-7591-4FD0-9B65-07496DEF29F4_1_201_a-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0B31D497-7591-4FD0-9B65-07496DEF29F4_1_201_a-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0B31D497-7591-4FD0-9B65-07496DEF29F4_1_201_a-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/0B31D497-7591-4FD0-9B65-07496DEF29F4_1_201_a-1080x810.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-23 wp-block-paragraph\">The city is frenetic, energetic, full of life, yet just a few bus stops from Piccadilly there are parks inhabited by foxes and deer, complete with wide palmate antlers (see Richmond Park).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-24 wp-block-paragraph\">Finally, I see London traffic: impossible to describe in all its chaotic glory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-25 wp-block-paragraph\">The first time I ventured to IKEA, which is five miles from my house, it took me almost two hours to get back home, between traffic jams, diversions, roadworks, roads that suddenly turn into motorways without you even realising it, and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-26\"><strong>&#x1f4da; What I read: 3 essential books for moving to London<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-27 wp-block-paragraph\">I<strong> can\u2019t imagine any trip without a book that speaks to me about the place I\u2019m going<\/strong>, and moving to London without a certain number of books on the subject.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-28 wp-block-paragraph\">And so, on the bookshelf of my London home, the following appear, in this order:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-29 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Enrico Franceschini \u2013 <em>Londra Italia<\/em>, Laterza, 2016.<\/strong><br \/><strong>A book made of stories: the stories of Italians who have chosen to live here,<\/strong> with the most diverse experiences and professions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-30 wp-block-paragraph\">But also the story of how London has influenced their lives, inspired them, shaped and changed their way of being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-31 wp-block-paragraph\">Simple and less simple stories, adventurous, funny, sometimes tragic, but always and in any case expressions of courage and initiative and therefore a great source of inspiration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-32 wp-block-paragraph\">In one word: <em>encouraging<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-33 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Caterina Soffici \u2013 <em>Italia Yes, Italia No<\/em>, Feltrinelli, 2016.<\/strong><br \/>Written by a journalist, with a simple and flowing style, it explains why, despite the many things one might miss, thousands of Italians want to come and live in London.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-34 wp-block-paragraph\">Very sharp, it essentially analyses the great differences in mindset across various areas of life (many of which I have already experienced myself), moving from politics to education, habits, civic sense, and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-35 wp-block-paragraph\">These differences are not theorised, but told through amusing anecdotes that make everything immediately clear and extremely entertaining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-36 wp-block-paragraph\">In one word: <em>instructive<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-37 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>And finally, last but not least:<\/strong><br \/>I reread the book \u2014 a milestone for surviving in London \u2014 by Beppe Severgnini: <em>Inglesi<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-38 wp-block-paragraph\">Written years ago (and later updated), and still full of completely relevant observations, it is the book that best manages to analyse and highlight the vices and virtues of this people, so peculiar and unique as to seem almost unfathomable, yet so magnetic that it continues to attract people from all over the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-39 wp-block-paragraph\">In one word: <em>comprehensive<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-40\">&#x2728; Falling in love with London: a new chapter begins<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-41 wp-block-paragraph\">It will take time to understand things, to organise everything (or almost everything) and to truly start living as a Londoner, but from these very first days, I can clearly feel that I could fall in love with this city, which perfectly fits a definition I once read somewhere and immediately made my own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-42 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>London is magical.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-4 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/3230EC6E-3492-408E-A633-B8191F00E9F3_1_105_c.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/3230EC6E-3492-408E-A633-B8191F00E9F3_1_105_c-e1682627492958.jpeg\" data-id=\"18175\" alt=\"Hampstead London\" class=\"wp-image-18175 lazyload\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"482\" data-id=\"18175\" src=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/3230EC6E-3492-408E-A633-B8191F00E9F3_1_105_c-e1682627492958.jpeg\" alt=\"Hampstead London\" class=\"wp-image-18175\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/3230EC6E-3492-408E-A633-B8191F00E9F3_1_105_c-e1682627492958.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/3230EC6E-3492-408E-A633-B8191F00E9F3_1_105_c-e1682627492958-300x222.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/F313053E-FB49-451A-BA1F-F3B28A6B679E_1_105_c.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/F313053E-FB49-451A-BA1F-F3B28A6B679E_1_105_c.jpeg\" data-id=\"18081\" alt=\"Scenic walkway along the River Thames in London surrounded by vibrant autumn foliage, with golden and orange leaves covering the ground under a crisp daylight sky.\" class=\"wp-image-18081 lazyload\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-id=\"18081\" src=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/F313053E-FB49-451A-BA1F-F3B28A6B679E_1_105_c.jpeg\" alt=\"Scenic walkway along the River Thames in London surrounded by vibrant autumn foliage, with golden and orange leaves covering the ground under a crisp daylight sky.\" class=\"wp-image-18081\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/F313053E-FB49-451A-BA1F-F3B28A6B679E_1_105_c.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/F313053E-FB49-451A-BA1F-F3B28A6B679E_1_105_c-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/F313053E-FB49-451A-BA1F-F3B28A6B679E_1_105_c-768x576.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/F07A74F2-6DA5-43AE-87AE-1BDF3450516D_1_201_a.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/F07A74F2-6DA5-43AE-87AE-1BDF3450516D_1_201_a.png\" data-id=\"25870\" alt=\"Scenic riverside view along the Thames pathway looking towards Kew Bridge on a clear autumn day in London.\" class=\"wp-image-25870 lazyload\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"487\" data-id=\"25870\" src=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/F07A74F2-6DA5-43AE-87AE-1BDF3450516D_1_201_a.png\" alt=\"Scenic riverside view along the Thames pathway looking towards Kew Bridge on a clear autumn day in London.\" class=\"wp-image-25870\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/F07A74F2-6DA5-43AE-87AE-1BDF3450516D_1_201_a.png 650w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/F07A74F2-6DA5-43AE-87AE-1BDF3450516D_1_201_a-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-43\"><strong>&#x1f9ed; Discover more London stories &amp; updates<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Follow my London adventures on my <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/pennaaspillo\/\">Instagram account<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>And don\u2019t forget to subscribe to the monthly <a href=\"http:\/\/subscribepage.io\/pennaspillo-newsletter-mensile\"><strong>Penna a Spillo Newsletter<\/strong> <\/a>for updates on events, exhibitions, unusual places in London and beyond.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Newsletter-Penna-a-Spillo-3.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Newsletter-Penna-a-Spillo-3.png\" data-id=\"34672\" alt=\"Newsletter Penna a Spillo London Lifestyle &amp; Travel Blog\" class=\"wp-image-34672 lazyload\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"341\" data-id=\"34672\" src=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Newsletter-Penna-a-Spillo-3.png\" alt=\"Newsletter Penna a Spillo London Lifestyle &amp; Travel Blog\" class=\"wp-image-34672\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Newsletter-Penna-a-Spillo-3.png 650w, https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Newsletter-Penna-a-Spillo-3-300x157.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-fe48e5de wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div style=\"--wp--block-button--width: 75;\" class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width wp-block-button__width-75\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-white-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color has-text-align-center wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/expat-life\/diario-blogger-primi-giorni-da-londoner\/\" style=\"background-color:#a5171d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>If you enjoyed this article, feel free to share it<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The first days in London are a mix of excitement and small misadventures: finding your way around the neighbourhood, dealing with the English weather, and surviving the Tube. In this diary, a blogger recounts the beginning of her new life in the British capital with lightness and a touch of humor.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":30701,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":"","_wp_rev_ctl_limit":""},"categories":[116],"tags":[1328],"class_list":["post-37762","post","type-post","status-publish","format-gallery","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-expat-life-en","tag-soul-map","post_format-post-format-gallery","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Diary of a Blogger: First Days as a Londoner<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Moving to London is not just about fish &amp; chips and red buses: between language, queues and surprises here are the first steps as a Londoner.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/en\/expat-life-en\/diary-of-a-blogger-first-days-as-a-londoner\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Diary of a Blogger: First Days as a Londoner\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Moving to London is not just about fish &amp; chips and red buses: between language, queues and surprises here are the first steps as a Londoner.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/pennaspillo.it\/en\/expat-life-en\/diary-of-a-blogger-first-days-as-a-londoner\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Penna a Spillo\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" 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