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Monthly Archives: April 2014
Portugal Please: Charming and Cheeky Aveiro
Know as the “Venice of Portugal,” Aveiro is an attractive little coastal canal-crossed town in the Centro region of Portugal. I spent a couple of days in this part of the country, marvelling at how awesome the region was yet how largely undiscovered by tourists it seemed to be. Pretty, walkable and full of lovely shops, bars and restaurants, Aveiro was a particularly fine place for my introduction to the area. Continue reading
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Posted in Art, Design, Drink, Food, Hotels, Portugal, Portugal Please, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel, Wine
Tagged Art, art nouveau, aveiro, caldeirada, centro, centro de portugal, centrol, design, Drink, Food, hotel, Hotel Moliceiro, hotels, O Bairro, o bairro restaurante, ovos moles, ovos moles de aveiro, portugal, Portugal Please, portuguese fish stew, PORTUGUESE FOOD, portuguese wine, restaurants, seasfood, Shopping, sunvil, Travel, travel blog, venice of portugal, wine
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London Daily Photo: Cosy
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Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged E17, east london, LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, photography blog, street photography, WALTHAMSTOW, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Portugal Please: Amarante Quickie
Halfway between Provesende and Porto (or at least that’s how it seemed riding around in the press trip van), is Amarante. Like so many of the places I visited in Portugal, Amarante was sweet, cosy and somewhat kitsch without ever crossing over into being twee or cloying. With the others in my party needing to catch and flight (and me with a tight road trip itinerary of my own), I was really only in Amarante long enough for a short walk and (of course) a tasty snack. However, I saw enough to know I would love to return and reckon if you’re thinking about visiting Porto or the Douro Valley, you’d be wise to consider a stop in Amarante too. Continue reading
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Posted in Drink, Food, Portugal, Portugal Please, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel, Wine
Tagged Adega Kilowatt, amarante, bar, Confeitaria da Ponte, discover the origin, doçaria conventual, douro, douro valley, douro wines, Food, o porto, O Vale do Douro, port, porto, portugal, Portugal Please, portuguese, portuguese cuisine, PORTUGUESE FOOD, portuguese wine, restaurant, restaurants, road trip, romanesque, Shopping, Tâmega River, Travel, travel blog, Vale do Douro, wine
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A Look at a Few of England’s World Record Sites (CheapOair)
England. It’s a land that’s as celebrated as much for its pomp and circumstance as for its more subtle eccentricities. Those who know the English well are aware of their love of competition – whatever the contest. No matter how … Continue reading
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Posted in CheapOair, England, London, Travel
Tagged british museum, chetham, Chetham's Library, cinema, england, essex, library, London, London blog, manchester, nottingham, Nottinghamshire, screen 22, Southend Pier, Southend-on-Sea, Travel, travel blog, windsor, windsor castle, World Records, World's Longest Pleasure Pier, World's Oldest Public Library, world's smallest cinema, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Portugal Please: Morgadio da Calçada
Situated atop a plateau yielding (yet more) beautiful panoramic views of the Douro River and its undulant valley, the tiny ancient village of Provesende was my final stop in the area. Here I took a quick wander round the village and a proper snoop inside 17th century mansion (with contemporary accommodations) Morgadio da Calçada. Continue reading
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Posted in Design, Drink, Food, Hotels, Portugal, Portugal Please, Restaurants, Travel, Wine
Tagged discover the origin, douro, douro valley, douro wines, Food, hotel, hotels, Morgadio da Calçada, o porto, O Vale do Douro, port, porto, portugal, Portugal Please, portuguese, portuguese cuisine, PORTUGUESE FOOD, portuguese wine, provesende, Quinta, red wine, restaurant, restaurants, road trip, Shopping, Travel, travel blog, Vale do Douro, village, vineyard, vintage port, white wine, wine, wine cellar, wine maker, winery
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App Review: Cruising with “Two Taps” from Addison Lee Minicabs
If you’ve been paying any attention at all to this blog over the past couple of weeks, then you’ve probably noticed that I’ve been bouncing round between airports a lot more than usual (and having an absolute blast between each bounce). On the ground here in London, the new and improve iPhone app from minicab maestros Addison Lee has been significantly simplifying how I’ve been getting to and fro my flights as well taking a chunk of hassle out of more locally-minded jaunts around town. Continue reading
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Posted in Apps, Freebies, London, Travel
Tagged addison lee, addison lee app, addison lee minicabs, app review, cabs, car service, free, free app, freebies, London, London blog, minicab app, minicabs, review, transport, Travel, two taps, two taps app, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Portugal Please: Even More Douro Valley Quintas
No, I didn’t just lounge around at a couple of scenically situated hotels while in the Douro (although, that would be a terrifically recuperative way to spend one’s time). When I wasn’t enjoying my stay in the luxury laps of Quinta do Vallado and Quinta Nova, I was bopping all over the rest of the valley trying to visit as many different vineyards as possible – and loving every minute of it. Here are a few brief notes about the rest of the Douro Valley quintas I visited, including Quinta do Crasto, Quinta da Pacheca, Quinta do Panascal and Quinta do Seixo. Continue reading
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Posted in Drink, Food, Hotels, Portugal, Portugal Please, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel, Wine
Tagged 30 Year Old Tawny, discover the origin, douro, douro valley, douro wines, Fonseca, Fonseca Guimaraens Vintage Port, Fonseca Port, Food, hotel, hotels, Late Bottle Vintage, LBV Port, o porto, O Vale do Douro, port, porto, portugal, Portugal Please, portuguese, portuguese cuisine, PORTUGUESE FOOD, portuguese wine, Quinta, Quinta da Pacheca, quinta da pacheca 30 Year Old Tawny, Quinta do Crasto, Quinta do Panascal, Quinta do Seixo, Quinta do Seixo Wine Centre, red wine, restaurant, restaurants, road trip, sandeman, Shopping, Tavora River, Travel, travel blog, Vale do Douro, vineyard, vintage port, white wine, wine, wine cellar, wine maker, winecaching, winery
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London Daily Photo: The Longest Outdoor Street Market in Europe
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Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged E17, east london, LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, photography blog, street photography, WALTHAMSTOW, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Portugal Please: Quinta Novo de Nossa Senhora do Carmo
A lovingly restored 18th century manor cum 21st century four star hotel and the centrepiece of a lofty patchwork of vineyards rolling down to the Douro River: Quinta Novo de Nossa Senhora do Carmo was my home for a night. Leaving Vallado for a full-on day of winery visits around the Douro, my second evening in this idyllic valley wound down in equal parts elegance and comfort. Continue reading
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Posted in Drink, Food, Hotels, Portugal, Portugal Please, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel, Wine
Tagged Chef Jose Pinta, Clã Special Reserve Port, discover the origin, douro, douro river boat rides, douro valley, douro wines, Food, geocaching, Grainha Reserve, Grainha Reserve 2012, hotel, o porto, O Vale do Douro, port, porto, portugal, Portugal Please, portuguese, portuguese cuisine, PORTUGUESE FOOD, portuguese wine, Quinta, Quinta Nova, Quinta Nova Reserva 2012, Quinta Novo de Nossa Senhora do Carmo, red wine, restaurant, restaurants, road trip, Shopping, Travel, travel blog, Vale do Douro, vineyard, vintage port, white wine, wine, wine caching, wine cellar, wine maker, winecaching, winery
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5 Great Authors to Take with You on Your Next Trip (OneTravel)
Text messages, emails, tweets, status updates – when’s the last time you read something more than a few paragraphs long and solely for the sheer joy of reading it? Got a long haul flight or some time lounging by the … Continue reading
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Posted in Books, OneTravel, Travel
Tagged authors, bill bryson, books, Earnest Hemingway, james michener, mark twain, novelists, novels, OneTravel, Paul Theroux, Travel, travel authors, travel blog, travel writers, writers
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Portugal Please: Sniffing Around Quinta do Vallado
After a quick sightseeing jaunt and overnight stay in Porto, I was off to the Douro Valley for a few days of scenic sipping. My first night there, I had the ultra-luxe pleasure of spending some time – and a very restful night – at Quinta do Vallado. To put it plainly, I loved everything about this place. It hurt a little to have to leave and I’m aching to return for another chance to admire in situ this wine hotel’s blend of tradition with modern design; savour more of its homey food; and, of course, enjoy its fabulous wines. Continue reading
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Posted in Drink, Food, Portugal, Portugal Please, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel, Wine
Tagged Adelaide Vintage Port, Antónia Ferreira, discover the origin, Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira, douro, douro valley, douro wines, Food, Francisco Ferreira, hotel, Muscatel Galeg, o porto, O Vale do Douro, port, porto, portugal, Portugal Please, portuguese, portuguese cuisine, PORTUGUESE FOOD, portuguese wine, Quinta, Quinta do Vallado, red wine, Reserva Branco, restaurant, restaurants, road trip, Sausa, Shopping, tawny port, Travel, travel blog, Vale do Douro, Vallado, vineyard, vintage port, white wine, wine, wine cellar, wine maker, winery
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London Daily Photo: Happy Easter Opening Hours
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Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged E17, east london, LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, photography blog, street photography, WALTHAMSTOW, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Portugal Please: Porto
My Portugal Please tour commenced in the compact and cosy city of Porto, which proved to be an excellent gateway to the Douro Valley and a fine place to visit in and of itself. If you’re looking for somewhere to visit for a city break, Porto is only a two hour flight away from London with plenty to see and do and eat and drink and browse and buy. Here are some highlight from my all too brief time there. Continue reading
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Posted in Beer, Drink, Food, Hotels, Portugal, Portugal Please, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel, Wine
Tagged 1969 Single Harvest Tawny, beer, cheese, discover the origin, douro, douro valley, douro wines, Food, Gaia, Graham's Port, Graham’s, Graham’s 20 Year Old Tawny, hotel, Hotel Teatro, Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto, IVDP, Mercearia das Flores, o porto, port, port cellar, porto, portugal, Portugal Please, portuguese, portuguese cuisine, PORTUGUESE FOOD, portuguese wine, restaurant, restaurants, road trip, Shopping, sovina, sovina beer, Sovina Cerveja Artesanal, tawny port, trael, Travel, travel blog, Vila Novo de Gaia, vinum, Vinum at Graham’s, wine, wine cellar, wine maker, winery
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London Daily Photo: The Money Shop Pawnbroker
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Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged E17, east london, LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, photography blog, street photography, WALTHAMSTOW, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Portugal Please: Wão. What a Trip!
Does it ever seem like far too many folks are stuck in the same tired rut of a far too well beaten path, only hitting a few main sites in a short selection of only a few Western European countries – namely Spain, France, and Italy – and never realising that there’s so much more to explore just as close, just as scenic, just as steeped in tradition … and often accessible at far greater value than most of the EU? Not you and me though. We’re going to Portugal! Continue reading
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Posted in Drink, Food, Portugal, Portugal Please, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel, Wine
Tagged alentejo, centro de portugal, douro, douro valley, douro wines, Drink, Festival of Food, fly tap, Food, Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto, Maria Cabral, o porto, Patrícia Martins, port, porto, portugal, Portugal Please, portuguese wine, restaurants, road trip, Shopping, Silvia Aires, TAP Portugal, Travel, travel blog, Turismo do Alentejo, Visit Centro de Portugal, wine
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London Daily Photo: Booth
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Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged circus poster, clown, E17, east london, LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Manze's, Photography, photography blog, Pie & Mash, street photography, WALTHAMSTOW, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Good Stuff
Good Stuff and lots of it! Here’s the low down on some fine things to see, sip or savour – all of which I’ve recently come across and thought were worth sharing with you. Enjoy. Dodo Chilli Dipping Sauce I recently got … Continue reading
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Posted in Beer, Drink, Food, Good Stuff, Hotels, London, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel
Tagged beer, burgers, carnaby, carnaby street, chelsea, chilli sauce, Dodo Chilli, Dodo Chilli Dipping Sauce, Drink, E17, east london, Food, Generator Hostels, generator london, good stuff, hostels, hot sauce, hotels, JAPAN CENTRE, king's road, KINGLY COURT, Kirin Frozen, L Manze, L Manze Eel, London, London blog, manze, manze's pie and mash shop, mauritian, Mauritius Foods, pie and mash, pie and mash shop, ramen, ramen bar, shoryu, shoryu ramen, TOMMI'S, TOMMI'S BURGER JOINT, Travel, travel blog, WALTHAMSTOW, Walthamstow High Street, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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London Daily Photo: Slim Slow Slider
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Celebrate Record Store Day in Soho, London (OneTravel)
Fingering your way through crate after crate of vinyl discs in search of that one final piece of sonic perfection that’s been eluding your otherwise complete collection of cherished LPs is a lot like hunting for Easter eggs, just way … Continue reading
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Posted in London, Music, OneTravel, Shopping, Travel
Tagged berwick street, Black Market Records, London, London blog, london blogger, music, OneTravel, Phonica, Reckless Records, record shops, record store day, record stores, records, Shopping, Sister Ray Records, soho, Sounds of the Universe, The Music and Video Exchange, Travel, travel blog, vinyl, W1, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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London Daily Photo: Billy
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Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, photography blog, street photography, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Istanbul in an Instant
For my birthday, Kemey and I spent a long weekend in Istanbul. Yes indeed, ya gotta do the Blue Mosque/Hagia Sophia/Basilica Cistern/Topkapi Palace/Grand Bazaar shuffle when you’re there, but there’s so much more to see and do in this massive and dynamic city. Here are just a few of the “other” highlights from our trip. Continue reading
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Posted in Coffee, Drink, Food, Hotels, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel, Turkey
Tagged black sea, bosphorus, bosphorus cruise, CAFES, Cankurtaran Gida, coffee, Drink, Food, Full Bosphorus Cruise, hotels, istanbul, Mevlevi Sema, momo cafe, orient express, pastrami, restaurants, Shopping, Sultan House, Sultan House Hotel, sultanahmet, Travel, travel blog, turkey, whirling dervishes
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London Daily Photo: Gold
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25% Off Food and Drink at Punch Tavern, Fleet Street EC4
Yep, that’s right. There’s no typo in the title you just read. I have teamed up with Fleet Street’s historic Punch Tavern to offer you folks a sizeable discount on some properly yummy pub grub. How do you get a quarter of your food and drink bill sliced away? Just tell ’em tikichris sent ya! Continue reading
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Posted in Beer, Discounts and Special Offers, Drink, Food, London, Pubs, Restaurants
Tagged 25% discount, 25% discount punch tavern, 25% off, 25% off bill, bar, beer, british cuisine, british food, city of london, city pub, CRAFT BEER, discount, discounts and special offers, Drink, EC4, EC4Y 1DE, FLEET STREET, Food, get 25% off your meal, London, London blog, pie, pie and mash, pies, pub, pub grub, punch tavern, restaurant, restaurants, special offer, SUNDAY LUNCH, SUNDAY ROAST, tavern, tikichris special, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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London Daily Photo: Sloane Square
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Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged chelsea, LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, photography blog, sloane square, street photography, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Win Lunch for Two at Hutong, The Shard
Not my comp but a tasty one indeed! So I thought I’d pass on the details about an especially yummy opportunity to win a free dim sum lunch for two at a restaurant I really love – Hutong at The … Continue reading
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Posted in Competition, Food, Freebies, London, Restaurants
Tagged chinese, chinese cuisine, chinese food, chinese restaurant, chinese restaurants, competition, dim sum, dim sum menu at hutong, hutong, hutong at the shard, London, London blog, london bridge, restaurant review, SE1, SE1 9RY, south london, St Thomas Street, the shard, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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London Daily Photo: Screen
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Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged east london, LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, photography blog, street photography, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Win an Assortment of Vini & Bal’s Rustic Indian Curry Sauces – Fresh is Best!
Vini & Bal’s award winning curry sauces are fresh, chilled, nutritious and healthy. They’re super yummy too and full of rustic Indian flavour. But don’t take my word for it. Here’s a chance to win a goodie bag of Vini & Bal’s sauces and have a taste for yourself! Continue reading
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Posted in Competition, Food, Freebies, Shopping
Tagged #freshisbest, competition, contest, curry, curry sauce, Food, free, freebie, fresh is best, goodie bag, indian cuisine, indian food, jeera, RT to win, rustic indian curry sauce, twitter competition, vegetarian, Vini & Bal's, Vini & Bal's Rustic Indian Curry Sauces
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London Daily Photo: Mon Droit
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Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, photography blog, street photography, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Post-it Personality: What My Handwriting Says about Me
So, a few weeks back I mentioned that some folks from Post-it had been in touch to see if I would be up for having my handwriting (along with my choice of pen colour and shape of note) analysed by a graphologist to find out what it might say about my personality. The results are in and the analysis is intriguing. Continue reading
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Posted in Shopping
Tagged Adam Brand, graphologist, graphology, handwriting, handwritting, post it notes, post-it, post-its, Shopping, SPONSORED POST
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London Daily Photo: Diversion
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Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged coffee, LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, photography blog, street photography, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Tops Sights and Sounds Around Muscle Shoals, Alabama (OneTravel)
Nestled along the banks of the Tennessee River, the area of Muscle Shoals in northwest Alabama is a nature lover’s dream. It’s a music lover’s dream too, where a small handful of recording studios have been responsible for some of … Continue reading
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Posted in Alabama, Design, Music, OneTravel, Shopping, Travel
Tagged 20th century design, Alabama, Alabama Music Hall of Fame, ARCHITECTURE, aretha franklin, birthplace of helen keller, colbert county, Deep South, design, do right woman do right man, Duane Allman, Etta James, fame studios, florence, florence alabama, frank lloyd wright, helen keller, ivy green, live music, Lynyrd Skynyrd, mid century modern, Muscle Shoals, muscle shoals rhythm section, muscle shoals sound studio, music, north alabama, northwest alabama, paul simon, Percy Sledge, recording studio, Rock 'n' Roll, rolling stones, rosenbaum house, sheffield alabama, shoals, soul music, sticky fingers, tennessee river, the shoals, Travel, travel blog, tuscumbia, tuscumbia county, Wilson Picket
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London Daily Photo: Atrium
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Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged atrium, british museum, LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, photography blog, roof, street photography, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Infographic: UK Flight Disruption Infographic
Flight Disruption Infographic from Sainsbury’s Travel Money
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London Daily Photo: Tower Bridge
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Evian: The Amazing Baby & Me Video
Following the success of its previous Roller Babies, Baby Inside, and of course the Baby & Me campaigns, Evian has launched the latest in its Live Young initiative, The Amazing Baby & Me 2. For fans of Marvel Comics and Spiderman, it’s … Continue reading
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Posted in Drink, Movies, Video
Tagged Baby & Me, comics, evian, evian spiderman video, spiderman, The Amazing Baby & Me, the amazing spiderman, water
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