I have something of a love-hate relationship with London. I've visited many capital cities, and it's definitely not my favourite.

Nor was it the most auspicious of starts. The train from Newark, on which we'd taken the trouble to book seats, was cancelled, so we had to squeeze, unreserved, onto a train full of inebriated football fans. The Underground was hot and packed (when is it not?). Our tiny hotel room was stifling.

But at the end of the day, London is a class act.

Here are the weekend's awesome things (not to mention the awesomest, which was catching up with two sets of old friends):

1.

Touring the BBC's New Broadcasting House, courtesy of a friend and former colleague. I'd never been there, my BBC experience having played out at the highly historic but now sadly vacated Caversham Park and Bush House.


The vast open-plan layout of the News Room was reminiscent of the Listening Room where I used to work in Caversham (though much bigger). But there's something undeniably stirring about seeing the studios, or visiting the set of a flagship programme. For all its struggles, the BBC remains iconic.






2.

Being invited out for fabulous food...

And you'll have to excuse the minutiae, because the delight (just like the devil) is in the detail.

Laz is a wonderful Turkish restaurant in Camden (which is a very lively area on a springlike Saturday night...). A quick look at the menu will give you an idea of their magnificent flavour combinations (my goat's cheese salad, for example, came with avocado, pomegranate, and fig, and was just delicious). In the dessert department, don't leave without trying the tirilice. This rich, succulent cake originates from Albania, apparently, but has become very popular in Turkey. Its sensational squidginess reminded me of Bengali sweets.

Scott's, in Mayfair, specializes in fish, and does it beautifully. The weather was nice enough to sit out on the "summer terrace" facing Sunday-quiet Mount Street. Again, it's the innovative combinations that make eating here such a pleasure (my choice was roasted cod, which was served with cauliflower puree, chorizo pieces, and rocket). You can always judge a place by its vegetables, and the creamed spinach and barbecued carrots were top-notch. (Don't miss the chocolate truffles either...)

The same friend who showed us round at the BBC also gifted us a box of genuine Egyptian kahk from Classique Patisserie, Alexandria. These are delicate little pastries with delicious nut fillings. Great for afternoon tea in your tiny hotel room when you're battling with Azerbaijan visa applications...


3.

Walking... We stayed at a place on Queensborough Terrace near Kensington Park.


It's an area where porticos, railings, and balustrades abound:












We'd walked the Kensington Park/Hyde Park complex a few years ago, but there's always something new to discover.




So... another brief visit is over. Toodle pip, London. Bonjour, Paris...