Maxine Clayman is a travel writer and editor of the blog My Hidden Gems. In the next in our World In London series she meets Croatian born Ana-Maria Volaric who explains why it’s her mission to bring a taste of Croatia to London.

“Last year my husband Chris and I decided to set up D’Issa, a company selling exclusively Croatian produce.

“I’ve lived in London now for 24 years and I’m married to a North Londoner. I’m originally from Zagreb and I still feel incredibly connected to my roots. I wanted to draw on my knowledge and passion for Croatian culture and introduce Londoners and visitors to the capital to Croatian food.

“Currently we’re the only Croatian retailer in the UK. We have a stall in Borough Market and we also sell to Fortnum & Mason and a couple of specialist delis in London. Our merchandise is quite high end, which may surprise a lot of people, as Croatia isn’t a country that’s necessarily associated with quality cuisine.

“There are only around 2,000 Croats living in London so our food is still relatively new to people. My aim is to educate Londoners about one of the best-kept gastronomic secrets Europe has to offer. For instance, it might come as a surprise to discover that some of the finest truffles in the world can be found in Istria, Croatia.

“Our fig products are proving incredibly popular with Londoners. Smokvenjak is a traditional Croatian fig cake made from dried figs, almonds, lemon juice, raisins, rosemary and sage. It’s packed with natural energy, so it’s good for athletes, and you can use it as a base for canapés, with cheese or ham.

“Pumpkin seed oil is another unique item that we stock. It’s got a wonderfully nutty flavour and is great for roasting and marinating meats. But my top tip is to drizzle it over vanilla ice-cream. Delicious.”

Visit D’Issa at Borough Market on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays in the Jubilee Market area. www.dissa.co.uk

The chaps from VisitBritainTV have taken a tour of some of London’s more unusual places using Boris bikes.

Check out their video above, and learn more about Nelson’s Column, the Hunterian Museum, Lincoln’s Inn Field, Borough Market and more.

Have you got a favourite “curious” attraction or museum in London? Let us know in the comments below.

This old footage is from the Huntley Film Archives. It follows an American tourist around Central London as she tries to find The Globe Theatre, then visits Borough Market and other London  attractions including pubs and bars and some late-night cabaret. Enjoy!

Following in the footsteps of  The Anthologist, The Folly bar launched in East London last night.  The huge two-floor venue was packed with City workers, who will no doubt be back for more.

The Folly is open seven days a week with a huge range of food available; brunch, sandwiches, sharing plates, and hearty dinners are all on the menu. Taking advantage of its proximity to Borough Market, the ingredients are locally sourced – enjoy a Neal’s Yard cheeseboard or fish of the day.

The new bar offers beers, wines, cocktails (including “skinny” options), sharing punches and “wine flights” should you fancy tasting a few of The Folly’s fine wines.

There’s also a pop-up shop with changing stock – although we didn’t manage to fight our way through the mass of opening-night revellers to take a closer look.

I liked the garden-inspired décor and flattering low lighting. And full marks to the waiters who expertly negotiated the nooks and crannies of The Folly to keep everyone topped up with canapés – wherever we stood or sat, they found us!

Given The Folly’s location, just 10 minutes walk from VL Towers, I’m sure I’ll be returning. I’m very keen to try the Black Forest knickerbocker glory – something you don’t often see on a menu!

The Folly, 41 Gracechurch Street, EC3V 0BT

NB: The Folly is closed this weekend (6-7 Nov) but open for business as usual on Monday 8 November.

Argentinean polo player Oscar Manchini will represent Team Argentina at the Gaucho International Arena Polo match at The O2 in February 2011.

Alongside Argentina captain Nacho Figueras (pictured above) and Adolfo Casabal, Manchini will battle it out for the Bryan Morrison Trophy in a gladiatorial grudge match between Argentina and England.

Oscar Manchini and Nacho Figueras (who is also a Ralph Lauren ambassador) took some time out of their busy training schedule to answer a few questions about polo and Argentina in London for our World in London series.

Visit London: Polo seems to be having a resurgence of interest lately in London, why do you think it’s so popular?

Oscar Manchini: Polo has definitely become more popular over the last few years. Events like The Gaucho International have made polo more accessible to the general public and attracted a new audience to this ancient sport.

Arena Polo is a truly exciting form of polo played on a reduced-size pitch and with only three players per side rather than the usual four. I would encourage anyone who has not ever seen or understood the game to look into it. You don’t know what you are missing out on!

VL: Are you looking forward to competing at The O2?

OM: I’m really looking forward to playing at The O2 as this will be the first time arena polo has ever been played there. I’m hoping that with over 10,000 people expected to come to the event, the arena will be full of cheering supporters in a truly festival atmosphere.

NF: Polo is growing so quickly now and the introduction of such a great tournament to the UK during the winter off-season is a welcome addition. Arena polo is an exciting form of the game and it will be truly special to play it at such an iconic venue.

VL: Who are you expecting to see in The O2 audience?

OM: I’m hoping the Gaucho International Polo will attract lots of Argentines living over in the UK as we have some of the country’s finest players representing Argentina. However, I am also hoping the event will attract a wider audience of people who would not necessarily have watched polo before.

VL: Is there anything in London that reminds you of Argentina?

OM: Funnily enough, the architecture of typical British housing and some train stations is very similar to what you might find in the city of Buneos Aires. For example there are a number of British streets in West London that particularly remind me of neighbourhoods such as Temperley or Banfield. This is because there were many British engineering pioneers in Argentina at the beginning of the century and therefore the designs are very similar.

VL: Besides polo, what other London-Argentina connections are there?

OM: Argentines are very similar to British people in terms of music choice. Back at home, we listen to a lot of rock & roll by traditional British bands such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Oasis and Coldplay.

Another connection between Argentine and British citizens is that we are both very passionate about football. It is great that there are more Argentine players who are being recognised in the UK such as Carlos Tevez and Fabricio Coloccini.

VL: Can you recommend some Argentinean experiences in London?

OM: Gaucho obviously is the best place where you can find the same tender Argentine meat that you get back home.
Every Sunday during the summer months it’s really popular for members of the Argentine community to spend the day in Hyde Park and enjoy an asados (traditional Argentine BBQ).

And there is great stand at Borough Market where you can buy Mate, which is a traditional Argentine tea infusion. For all those who have never tried Mate, I would definitely recommend it!

VL: Got any top tips for other Argentinean people visiting or moving to London?

OM: I would advise other Argentines thinking of moving over to the UK to get used to the rain!

The  Gaucho International Arena Polo is at The O2 London on 24 Feb 2010. Get your tickets here.

Are you an Argentinean in London? Tell us your recommendations in the comments below.

From a Spanish roof garden to Spanish art and the best Spanish eateries, Spain in London blogger Jon Yeomans guides us through the perfect Spanish day out in London for our World in London series.

The last census recorded around 22,000 Spanish people living in London – around 40% of the entire Spanish population of the UK.

London has long been in thrall to Spanish customs and tastes – from the rash of tapas bars in the West End to the Iberian brand names colonising the high street. Zara, Mango and Bershka are among the Spanish stores making an impact on British wardrobes and wallets.

There are few better places to start a day in “Spanish” London than on the west side of town, where generations of Spanish people have settled.

Portobello Road on a Saturday seethes with Spanish tourists. It is also home to R Garcia & Sons, a Spanish deli selling everything from olives, chorizo and paella pans to Fillipino brand chocolate and papery turron sweets. Head to the café next door for great coffee and slow service, or stop by Galicia restaurant further up the street for an authentically grungy tapas experience.

Heading into town, step out of the shopping and eating whirlpool of Kensington and into a slice of Granada. The Kensington Roof Gardens sit atop an old department store and feature a Moorish-influenced garden based on the Alhambra palace. Visitors are advised to phone ahead to check opening times.

Continue the trail of Spanish traces in London with a visit to the National Gallery, home to a fistful of fine Spanish art. Goya, El Greco and Zurbarán are all well represented, while Velázquez’s The Rokeby Venus is one of the highlights of the museum’s collection.

Round off the day with tapas in one of the West End’s plethora of Spanish restaurants. Barrica in Fitzrovia won the Time Out award for Best Spanish Eating and Drinking 2010 for dishes such as pork and oxtail meatballs, and chicory leaves with picos cheese.

Barrafina in Frith Street is a popular and authentic take on a Barcelona tapas bar. (Hispanophile owners Sam and Eddie Hart based it on Barcelona’s legendary Cal Pep) while Tierra Brindisa on Broadwick Street is the Soho outpost of the acclaimed Borough Market deli, which specialises in cured hams.

Or for a more informal atmosphere, try Pix in Covent Garden. This pintxo bar offers snacks at £2.50 a bite along with great wine – a fine way to end the day.

See more of Jon’s recommendations at www.spaininlondonblog.wordpress.com. We reckon this is a pretty comprehensive list, but if you’ve got more tips for enjoying Spanish culture in London, share your knowledge in the comments below.

Continuing our World in London series, we asked ex-VLer Eileen Geibig (who has sadly for us returned to Germany) where she used to go for a taste of home.

Eileen pointed us in the direction of the German Deli in Borough Market:

“They sell Bratwurst with Sauerkraut at the market – to die for! I recommend a type of sausage called Nuernberger Rostbratwuerstchen that you can buy there. They are tiny sausages with lots of herbs and funnily taste even better with English Colman’s mustard.”

Do you agree that German Deli serves the best Bratwurst in London? We’d love to hear your ideas about Germany in London.

There are so many fantastic things about this wonderful time-lapse video by alienchi87 – not least the choice of Londoner Florence as the soundtrack – we’re quite in love with it.

Look out for the time-lapse morris dancers: surely a YouTube first?

We’ve got another great video from Steven Gardner this week.

Following on from the fabulous London facts video we shared back in March, Steven’s been out exploring in the London sunshine again. This time, Steven and his chirpy presenter, Will Gowing, are letting us in on some secrets around the South Bank.

Let’s hope the weather’s like it is on this vid over the weekend!

Look away if you’ve maxed out on cute animal pictures over Easter! We spotted these adorable lambs and their mum at Borough Market last Thursday. We weren’t sure about them being positioned opposite the lamb curry stall, but hope they were having a nice day out regardless.