London


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-favourite-lunch-spot-alto-by-san-carlo-on-the-roof-top-of-selfridges-london">Favourite lunch spot: <a href="https://sancarlo.co.uk/restaurants/alto-london-selfridges/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alto by San Carlo</a> on the roof top of Selfridges, London</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky2.jpeg" alt="Alto by San Carlo (roof of Selfridges)" class="wp-image-4207" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky2.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky2-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky2-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>I love coming here for lunch as I feel like I’m immediately transported to Italy.  When it’s a gorgeous day and you’re sitting under the orange grove with the roof open, drinking an Aperol spritz and eating delicious seafood linguine, it’s the best place to be. Makes me feel a bit <em>Sex In The City</em> with the girls and I love the fact that its tucked away and out of sight. If you didn’t know, you wouldn’t know.  </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-favourite-view-joia-rooftop-bar">Favourite view: <a href="https://www.joiabattersea.co.uk/rooftop-bar/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Joia Rooftop Bar</a></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="664" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky3.jpeg" alt="Joia Rooftop Bar" class="wp-image-4211" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky3.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky3-300x199.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky3-768x510.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>I live in South West London and the Battersea Power Station redevelopment has totally transformed the area. My new favourite place to go is the Joia Rooftop Bar and restaurant on the 16<sup>th</sup> Floor of the Art’otel. With its infinity pool and panoramic views across London, it makes me feel like I’m styling it out in Manhattan on the Hudson River. I get such a buzz from this view, it makes you feel like you can conquer the world. Ok, perhaps that’s a bit much but I believe to visualise the future you need to be able to see the horizon.  We spend so much time staring at our phones its good for our mental health too look up and out.  </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-favourite-place-to-swim-tooting-lido">Favourite place to swim: <a href="https://www.placesleisure.org/centres/tooting-bec-lido/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tooting Lido</a></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky4.jpeg" alt="Tooting Lido" class="wp-image-4213" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky4.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky4-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky4-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Having undergone a £4m refurbishment, the largest freshwater swimming pool in the UK opened again this year.  Who needs an ice bath in their garden when you have Tooting Lido down the road.  The water is close to freezing (for me anyway) all-year round but 10 – 20 lengths in and you feel this amazing sense of calm. It’s my de-stress tonic plus a great training pool if you decide to embark on a sprint triathlon like I did a few years ago. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-favourite-holiday-spot-castiglione-falletto-barolo-country-in-italy">Favourite holiday spot: Castiglione Falletto, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castiglione_Falletto" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Barolo country</a> in Italy</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky5.png" alt="Barolo Country, Italy" class="wp-image-4215" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky5.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky5-300x200.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky5-768x512.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>If you’re tied to school holidays finding a haven away from the crowds is always a challenge. As much as I love the beach, tripping over bodies to find a patch of sand isn’t my idea of fun. So this year we decided to do something different and headed to the Langhe wine area in Italy aka Barolo country. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such afar reaching views of pristine vineyards amongst tiny hilltop towns dotted around the landscape. Each with small but incredible restaurants serving what I can only describe as gourmet food with a view, and as for the wine. Let&#8217;s just say I got a little over excited on the first night. Best part was the lack of tourists and the general peace and calm in the area, it has the charm of Tuscany without the crowds. Highly recommend a road trip if you’ve never explored Piedmont. We stayed in Castiglione Falletto.  </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-favourite-spot-for-a-weekend-break-the-light-house-isle-of-wight">Favourite spot for a weekend break: <a href="https://www.steephill-cove.co.uk/the-lighthouse" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Light House, Isle of Wight</a></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky6.png" alt="The Light House, Isle of Wight" class="wp-image-4217" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky6.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky6-300x200.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky6-768x512.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>One of my favourite places for a weekend escape is the Isle of Wight. There’s something about getting on a Ferry that makes you feel like you’re travelling afar when in fact its less than an hour from Portsmouth.  What I love about the Island are the uninterrupted sea views, everywhere you go. My favourite place to stay is at The Lighthouse on Steephill Cove with its uninterrupted sea views and tiny village with a restaurant and a few shops. It’s a total haven for chilling, swimming and walking the coastal path. I always feel like I’ve been away for a month when I get back on the ferry at the end of the weekend.  </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-favourite-coastal-walk-seatown-to-hive-beach-dorset">Favourite coastal walk : Seatown to Hive Beach, Dorset </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky7.png" alt="Seatown, Dorset" class="wp-image-4219" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky7.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky7-300x200.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky7-768x512.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Walking along cliff tops with never ending sea views and fresh air is my happy place. One of my favourite places to walk is along the cliffs from Hive beach to Seatown in Dorset followed by lunch overlooking the beach at <a href="https://www.theanchorinnseatown.co.uk/">The Anchor Inn.</a>  You can also reverse the walk, ending with lunch at The Hive Beach café, but this is usually a lot more touristy, so I prefer to start at Hive and walk to Seatown which is more low key. Also a good spot to book a beach sauna before plunging yourself into the sea for a refresher.  </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-favourite-bench-sitting-by-the-serpentine-hyde-park">Favourite bench: sitting by the Serpentine, Hyde Park</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="997" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky8.png" alt="Hyde Park" class="wp-image-4220" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky8.png 997w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky8-300x300.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky8-150x150.png 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky8-768x770.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 997px) 100vw, 997px" /></figure>



<p>I get asked all the time why I haven’t left London and moved out to the countryside, and one of the reasons is this.  I get so much joy from jumping on my bike on a gorgeous sunny day and cycling along the river to Hyde Park, grabbing a coffee from one of the in-park café’s and sitting on a bench watching the ducks and swans glide across the water. For a big city its surprising how easy it is to escape the main roads and get close to water whether it’s the Thames or Hyde Park. When I need time to myself, to recalibrate and think this is where I go during the week when the crowds are low and beauty of London shines through.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-favourite-hike-breiskrednosi-wild-voss-norway">Favourite hike: <a href="https://www.visitnorway.com/listings/unesco-breiskrednosi-1189-wild-voss/261699/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Breiskrednosi, Wild Voss, Norway</a></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky9-1024x683.png" alt="Nicky Hambledon-Jones Breiskrednosi Norway" class="wp-image-4221" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky9-1024x683.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky9-300x200.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky9-768x512.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Nicky9.png 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>By now you’ve probably realised I’m a bit of an outdoors girl at heart.  As much as I love the fashion and living in London, I also love being close to water and a good view. So I tend to ensure my holidays tick one or both of those boxes. I recently went on a hiking trip to Norway, and one of the mountains we climbed was Breiskrednosi which is 1,189m above sea level. It took 12 hours to climb up and down and was pretty tough going at times but the view at the top was one of the most spectacular I’ve ever experienced. A real bucket list moment, one I will never forget, despite it taking a few days for my legs to properly recover.  </p>



<p><em><strong>Nicky runs 10 Years Younger Retreats in the Algarve Portugal aimed at helping women live their best mid-life.  Her next retreat is on the 10 – 13 Oct, the perfect pick me up treat to circumvent the post summer holiday blues. Full details can be found <a href="https://nhjstyle.mykajabi.com/10-years-younger-retreat" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.</strong></em></p>



<p><em>Follow Nicky on Instagram @nickyhambletonjones </em></p>


My favourite places: TV fashion guru Nicky Hambleton-Jones’

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