After visiting a few pubs during the walk from Somerset House to St. Paul’s Cathedral, we fortunately came across The Viaduct Tavern. It is ground zero for fabulous Gin Drinks. We had two:
The Gin of the week, No. 209, served with grapefruit, thyme and Fever Tree Tonic. Amazing.
The second was a Monkey Tree 47 with nectarine garnish and Fever Tree. Outstanding.
The ambience was lively, the decor charming and the staff very friendly.
Oh, and the ice was chipped off a block of ice.
Set out at 9 am across Tower Bridge and experienced South Bank.
Borough Market is a must visit and it delivered delicious stall after stall of every cheese, meat, vegetable and savory or sweet foods.
We then continued along the Thames for a quick view of Shakespeare’s Globe, followed by a tour of the Tate Modern.
We then hopped aboard the Tate Boat for a trip to the Tate Britain at Millbank. This is the home of the largest collection of J.M.W. Turner paintings in the world.
John Constable and Thomas Gainsborough are also in abundance.
Headed north to Buckingham Palace before walking through St. James Park to the National Gallery.
The National Gallery is amazing. A must visit for Renoir, Van Gough, Monet and Rembrandt.
We finished up with a visit to St. Paul’s Cathedral and a great final walk along the Thames to the hotel near The Tower.
After touring the Tower, three blocks west lies (very appropriately) The Hung, Drawn & Quartered.
They feature Fuller’s Frontier lager and an excellent small plate food selection. We decided on Crispy Squid, Steak & Fuller’s Mini Pie and Chorizo in Red Wine. All were very good and followed up with another Fuller’s Craft Lager.
Leave Los Angeles on a 4:15 pm flight…arrive at Heathrow at 11 am.
Heathrow Express to Paddington Station in 20 minutes.
Grab a Black Cab outside and enjoy a great ride to your hotel near the Tower Bridge.
Check into your hotel and walk over for a 2-3 hour tour of the Tower of London.
Filmed, Edited and Directed by: Simon Mulvaney
At the height of the Cold War, amidst growing tensions between the US and Russia, Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi traveled to Washington D.C to deliver a pragmatic speech on the subjects of communication, understanding and friendship.
35 years later, with increasing polarisation around the globe, her simple yet elegant message has never felt so relevant.
However, it is in India, where Indira Gandhi’s message still rings most true; somehow managing to make sense of a beguiling and beautifully chaotic society, with a rich reputation of inspiring swathes of Western visitors.
Shot during a two month backpacking trip, with minimal camera equipment, this is my attempt to communicate the beauty of Indira’s home country, along with the resonating themes she touched upon all those years ago.
From the Captain Whidbey website:
The presence of the inn itself demands this kind of myth-making. Its hulking imperfections, hidden staircases and infinite doorways, narrow pathways and intricate stonework, call to mind an honest, handmade world, where times were slower and things made to last. Rumors of its past are worn proudly on its proverbial sleeve — stripped wood where there once was a second floor balcony, prominently displayed plaques of historic register, mismatched sediments of historic photos, the speckled outline of a dart board and creaking floorboards. The front door was originally the back door because most guests arrived by boat.
Since 1907, Captain Whidbey has been a locus of natural beauty, community gathering and quiet, exalted delight. A place where locals and visitors do things together — even if those things are simply eating, drinking, appreciating nature, looking out across the water, feeling alive, feeling grateful.
Captain Whidbey is the Unofficial Official Lodge of Ebey’s Landing National Historic Reserve. The gateway to beautiful and rugged wild, Captain Whidbey fosters a sense of romance, a longing for adventure and a communion with the natural world.
To read more: https://www.captainwhidbey.com/
From the Sunset at the Palms website:
…one of the top all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica as selected by Trip Advisors Peoples Choice for 2018 and 2019.
Sunset at the Palms was the first hotel in the world to receive certification for Environmentally Sustainable Tourism by the U.K.’s Green Globe. The resort also won the prestigious Governor General’s Award for overall architectural design as was recognized by TripAdvisor.com as one the “Top Ten Most Romantic Resorts in the Caribbean” in the 2018 Traveler’s Choice hotel list. In 2015, received the Trip Advisor Hall of Fame Award for earning the Award of Excellence five years running.
Website: https://www.thepalmsjamaica.com/
From a New York Times online article:
But there is nothing quite like the mind-bending spectacle now on display at dusk in the hills of Paso Robles here, a popular wine destination. That is the witching hour when thousands of solar-powered glass orbs on stems, created by the artist Bruce Munro, enfold visitors in an earthbound aurora borealis of shifting hues.
Since it opened in May, “Field of Light at Sensorio” — the 60-year-old British artist’s largest such installation to date — has drawn thousands of tourists and become an Instagram phenomenon. The subtly changing patterns of this light safari, activated by a nebula of fiber-optic cables attached to hidden projectors, seem to inspire a cathedral-like awe among ticket-holders, who pay $19 to $30 for an evening stroll along 15 acres of illuminated walkways.
To read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/15/arts/design/field-of-light-sensorio.html
From a New York Times online article:
A more recent addition to San Francisco’s rooftop bar scene is Everdene, a standout which opened this April atop the new Virgin Hotels San Francisco. Besides taking its name from the heroine of Thomas Hardy’s “Far from the Madding Crowd,” Everdene has a lush, garden party vibe that feels far removed from the crowds below in SoMa. The drinks program consists of brightly colored, flora-heavy sippers (tequila-based “Her Majesty’s Pleasure,” with cucumbers and sugar snap peas, is an early favorite), courtesy of the lead bartender Tommy Quimby, another Trick Dog alum.
To read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/14/travel/san-francisco-hotel-bar-cocktails.html
Filmed, Edited and Directed by: Christophe Hamon
Music by: Olafur Arnalds (“Happiness Does Not Wait”)
Thailand is a wondrous kingdom, featuring Buddhist temples, exotic wildlife, and spectacular islands. Along with a fascinating history and a unique culture…
Dreaming of crossing this land with my family and friends for 3 weeks. Our adventure took us by train – boat – car – foot (a little bit), overnight boats between the south and north.
