Travel tips-Restaurant reviews-Recipes
I’ve noticed the Observer‘s Jay Rayner praise Brasserie Zedel a few times. From Mr Rayner, this means a lot. So I’ve been thinking I must try it and then a few weeks ago passed it by chance and duly noted its location, promising myself to return soon. Having decided to take another of my midweek ‘holidays’ in-between […]
Read MoreI hadn’t planned to do the February post for my record of Kew Gardens through the year that I’m writing on the blog. I had a reminder marked in my diary to do a follow-up to my January post next week. But Sunday morning walks in Kew are a regular thing for me when I have nothing else planned and […]
Read More‘Muffin’ has become something of a generic word for small cakes. Once it was used only for those light, fluffy small cakes that contain a lot of air but now it’s more or less used for any individual cake cooked in a muffin-sized tin – larger than a fairy cake but definitely for a single serving. […]
Read MoreAnnie and I headed to the swanky Rivea last night. When I saw an offer – 4 courses + glass of wine for £35 – from Bookatable at this Alain Ducasse restaurant in London’s Knightsbridge, I immediately suggested to Annie we went. Housed in the basement of The Bulgari Hotel & Residences, its rather opulent style […]
Read MoreThe winter traveller can remain good humoured about inclement weather but there’s no denying that little surge of joy when waking to a blue sky and glimpse of sun. It remained little more than a glimpse that came and went throughout the day, but it added a smile and an extra beauty, painting a perfect backdrop to […]
Read MoreA traveller in January cannot afford to be discouraged by bad weather. Well, not someone travelling in The Netherlands where cold and rain are to be expected. For the gourmet traveller, of course, there is a hidden bonus in this state: every excuse for taking shelter in another nice cafe, indulging in yet another coffee […]
Read MoreI’m such a city person. I like to say I love being by the sea – a beautiful place like Crete last September, perhaps. Or home in UK, down in Dorset where I’ve been known to happily walk miles along the beautiful Jurassic coast. You have to work quite hard to get me to admit […]
Read MoreAs I said in my last post, coming to Amsterdam was a spur of the moment decision after seeing a good offer in the British Airways sale. I caught a cab from home very early this morning to take me to nearby Heathrow Terminal 5. The flight is so short – only 45 minutes in […]
Read MoreI’ve been spending much of the day getting ready for my flight to Amsterdam tomorrow morning. It’s very much a spur-of-the-moment break, booked on impulse only a couple of weeks ago. I’d been reading Jesse Burton’s wonderful book, The Miniaturist, set in 17th century Amsterdam. One night, reading it in bed, I had a sudden […]
Read MoreIt was some time ago that my friend Elsa got us tickets to see the much-acclaimed production of The Merchant of Venice at the Almeida Theatre in Islington. When she suggested meeting a bit earlier to make more of a day of it, I was happy to go with her plans and thus I met her […]
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