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Monthly Archives: May 2015
Barcelona Brief: The Stylishly Sumptuous Hotel Majestic
If you’re keen to hold convenient court in Barcelona’s elegant and central Eixample district (yet never realise it as long as the door to your room’s terrace is kept shut to not allow even a decibel of noise to seep in from the streets), then this five star hotel’s location is for you. Within easy reach of Las Ramblas; loads of upscale shops; Gaudi’s Casa Batlló, La Pedrera (Casa Milà) and Sagrada Familia; and the Barri Gòtic, it’s a fine location for sightseeing. The hotel is also only a minute’s stroll from Passeig de Gràcia station, where you can hope a train to the airport and be there in about a half hour. Continue reading
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Posted in Barcelona, Barcelona Brief, Drink, Food, Hotels, Luxury, Restaurants, Spain, Travel
Tagged barcelona, Barcelona Brief, breakfast, catalan, catalunya, Chef Nandu Jubany, Drink, Eixample, Food, Hotel Majestic, hotels, luxury, Majestic Breakfast Experience, Passeig de Gràcia, restaurants, spain, Travel
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Clearing up the Mystery of Blogging with the HMA at 17 June at Royal Garden Hotel
Aimed at an audience of bloggers, social media specialists, hospitality marketers and operators “who understand the importance of social media in matters relating to reputation management, promotion, consumer purchasing behaviour and the evolving service culture,” the seminar’s focus will be “experiences, case studies, pitfalls, best practice and how best to develop relationships for your specific marketing needs.” Following the panel discussion, there will be an opportunity to network. Continue reading
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Posted in Blogs, Hotels, London, Travel
Tagged #HotelsnBloggers15, Chartered Institute of Marketing, CIM, Clearing up the Mystery of Blogging, HMA, Hotel Marketing Association, hotels, kensington, Kensington High Street, London, Royal Garden Hotel, seminar, Travel, Traverse Connect, W8, W8 4PT, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Barcelona Brief: Ah-Inspiring Hotel Arts
The highest building in Barcelona? It’s the five-star, 43-storey Hotel Arts. At the top floor of this seaside beacon of luxury is 43 The Spa. For rarefied pampering with a view to match, the spa’s signature 43 Sea Experience allows the body to unwind while the mind and spirit soar. That guests can have a gorgeous al fresco lunch several floors down just minutes after … or a stroll the beach … or hit the far humbler but nonetheless inviting neighbourhood bars in nearby Barceloneta … or hop the Metro/hail a cab for more decidedly Barcelonan delights adds dreamy depth to such splendorous me-time. Continue reading
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Posted in Barcelona, Barcelona Brief, Drink, Food, Hotels, Luxury, Restaurants, Spain, Travel
Tagged 43 Sea Experience, 43 The Spa, barcelona, Barcelona Brief, Barceloneta, Carrer de la Marina, catalan, catalunya, design, Drink, Food, Frank Gehry, Hotel Arts, Hotel Arts Barcelona, hotels, luxury, Marina, Natura Bissé, restaurants, spa, spain, Travel
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London Daily Photo: Tension
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Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged London, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, street photography, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Barcelona Brief: High on Generator
For my first of only two nights in Barcelona, I stayed at Generator … in the 8th floor penthouse … and absolutely loved it! If you hanker for a bit of luxury and a chance to spread out when in Barcelona (while still holding on to more than a few spare euros in your pocket), this suite is hard to beat. But whatever you might hope to achieve when booking a budget conscious visit to this bodacious city, you’d be smart to keep in mind Generator’s rather broad spectrum of possible overnight arrangements. Continue reading
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Posted in Barcelona, Barcelona Brief, Chocolate, Drink, Food, Hotels, Luxury, Restaurants, Spain, Travel, Wine
Tagged barcelona, Barcelona Brief, BARS, catalan, catalunya, chocolate, churros, Drink, Food, Generator Barcelona, Generator Hostels, Gracia, hostels, hotels, La Gilda, La Pepita, La Sagrada Familia, luxury, restaurants, spain, tapas, Travel, wine
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London Daily Photo: St Pancras
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Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged eurostar, London, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, st pancras, St Pancras King's Cross, street photography, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Barcelona Brief: Too Brief but Brilliant!
Just back from far too few but still wonderfully rejuvenating days in Barcelona, it’s easy to proclaim it as the ideal getaway. So ideal, I can’t stop thinking about what it might be like to getaway there for good! No matter your “thing” – art, food, beach, luxury, street life, shopping, history … etc etc ad nauseum – or whether you’re one to zealously guard a small budget or magnificently blow a big one, you can do so with flying colours in this captivating Catalan capital. And if you’re like me and want the best of it all in maximum dosage, then keep an eye out for upcoming posts in my Barcelona Brief. Continue reading
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Posted in Apps, Barcelona, Barcelona Brief, Drink, Food, Hotels, Luxury, Restaurants, Spain, Travel
Tagged addison lee, apps, barcelona, Barcelona Brief, BARS, boating, boats, catalan, catalunya, Drink, Food, hotels, luxury, restaurants, spa, spain, superyachts, Travel, yachts
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Dammann Frères Teas at the Sofitel London St James’s Rose Lounge (espressoCrazy)
Man cannot live on coffee alone. And as much as I tried (often succeeded) in doing so, I must admit it’s nice to have a cup of something else every once in a while. Horses for courses and all that … Continue reading
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Posted in Drink, espressoCrazy, Food, Hotels, London, Luxury, Restaurants
Tagged afternoon tea, Dammann Freres, Drink, espressoCrazy, espressocrazy.com, Food, hotel, illy, London, luxury, restaurants, reviews, Rose Lounge, Sofitel, Sofitel London St James, st james's, SW1, SW1Y 4AN, tea, Waterloo Place, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
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London Daily Photo: Double Negative
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Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged London, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, street photography, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Artistan Wine Fair – RAW – Returns to Truman Brewery
My favourite wine event of the year, Raw, returns to London this Sunday and Monday (note: Monday is trade only) featuring “one of the most exciting collections of fine, natural, organic and biodynamic wine artisans” sharing some of the best … Continue reading
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Posted in Drink, London, Shopping, Wine
Tagged artisan wine, brick lane, Drink, E1 6QL, east london, London, old truman brewery, RAW WINE FAIR, Shopping, wine, WINE FAIR, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Old Street Station Crepes by Les Deux Amies
Yesterday, I had a lovely lunch visiting with Caroline and Adeline, two French expat friends bringing a taste of their home country to commuters zipping through Old Street Station. Their Les Deux Amies pop-up offers a short and sweet (and savoury) assortment of responsibly sourced, French crêpes, galettes and homemade jams and sauces with a side of social enterprise. Continue reading
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Posted in Food, Good Cause, London
Tagged crepes, east london, EC1, EC1Y 1BE, french food, galettes, good cause, Les Deux Amies, London, lunch, old street, pop-up, review, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
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London Daily Photo: Relax
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Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged London, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, street photography, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Light, Camera, Cannes! (OneTravel)
For movie buffs, Francophiles, and paparazzi wannabes, the coming of May means it’s time for the glitz and glamor of the world’s most famous film festival: Cannes! Celebrating its 68th “edition” of showcasing the world’s best cinema, this year’s Festival … Continue reading
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You’re Saving When You Shop Online with VoucherBin, Right?
I wish I’d known about VoucherBin ages ago – for all the renovations we’ve undertaken but also for all sorts of other more every day sorts of situations. Better late than never I suppose. I’m certainly glad I’m now in the know about the site. Continue reading
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Posted in Money, Shopping
Tagged money, online shopping, Shopping, SPONSORED POST, voucher codes, VoucherBin, VoucherBin.co.uk
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London Daily Photo: Brushes
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Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged London, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, street photography, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Win Dinner for Four + Two Bottles of Wine at Vapiano
Vapiano is a great value restaurant with pasta starting from just £6.95 and all pasta, sauces, pizzas and salads made completely fresh in-house everyday. It’s quite a feat, especially when you consider that 27,000 customers are served each week across its trio of London outlets alone. Want to add to the impress count of Vapiano’s happy pasta and pizza fans … and have your meal for even better value than usual (as in for free)? Keep reading for a chance to win dinner for four with wine at one of the Italian restaurant group’s London outlets. Continue reading
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Posted in Competition, Drink, Food, Freebies, London, Pizza, Restaurants, Wine
Tagged bankside, competition, fitzrovia, free, freebies, italian food, London, pasta, pizza, RT to win, soho, southwark, twitter competition, vapiano, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
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London Daily Photo: Yellow
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Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged London, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, street photography, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Choccywoccydoodah: Enter a Chocolate Wonderland with their New Book
Maddie Salters pays a visit to ChoccyWoccydoodah, Carnaby Street’s infamous chocolatier, for a look at its long-awaited cookery book, Chocolate, Cake and Curses. Continue reading
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Posted in Books, Chocolate, Drink, Food, London, Shopping
Tagged books, cake, carnaby, carnaby street, Choccywoccydoodah, chocolate, Chocolate Cake and Curses, cookbook, FOUBERT'S PLACE, London, Maddie Salters, recipes, Shopping, soho, W1, W1F 7PS, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
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London Daily Photo: Dude
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Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged London, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, street photography, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Beany Green at Broadgate Circle
Based on the throngs (moving through a swiftly served queue, mind you) of folks showing up for lunch at the Beany Green flagship café at Broadgate Circle on the sunshiny weekday when I dropped by last week, this newly opened City worker pit stop for Aussie coffee and clean-minded food hardly needs an endorsement from me to ensure steady patronage. Still, I was impressed with just about every aspect of my visit and could see why everybody else seemed so keen for Beany Green bites. Continue reading
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Posted in Beer, Coffee, Drink, Food, London, Restaurants
Tagged Beany Green, beer, Broadgate Circle, city of london, coffee, EC2, EC2M 2QS, Fourpure, London, Prue Freeman, restaurants, reviews, roasting party, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
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The Basics for Having the Best Time in Bath, England (OneTravel)
A comfortable gateway to England’s rugged West Country and easy excursion from (or chilled out alternative to) London, lovely and compact Bath is an excellent destination for experiencing the best of contemporary Britain coupled with an accessible and superbly preserved … Continue reading
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London Daily Photo: Shiny Lines
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Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged London, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, street photography, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Win VIP Access to Yelp’s Mad Scientist Soiree at Strongroom Bar in Shoreditch
Exploding cocktails? A GIF Photo Booth? A mini ice cream festival? 600 Mad Scientists? And all for free? Yeah, I’m teaming up with Yelp again to bring more fun your way. This time, I’m helping spread the word about Dr Xander Alexander’s Mad Scientist Soiree. Presented by Yelp and Digital Shoreditch at Strongroom on Tuesday 12 May, it’s totally free and promises to be an absolute hoot. Read on! Continue reading
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Posted in Competition, Drink, Food, Freebies, Yelping with tikichris
Tagged #MadScientistSoiree, cocktails, competition, curtain road, Digital Shoreditch, Dr Xander Alexander, Drink, east london, EC2, EC2A 3SQ, Food, free, freebies, London, RT to win, shoreditch, street food, Strongroom Bar, twitter competition, Yelp, Yelp London, Yelping with tikichris, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン
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London Daily Photo: Waterloo
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Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged London, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, south bank, south london, southbank, street photography, WATERLOO, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Le Vie della Zagara: Zestful and Juicy Sicily
I hope you’ve enjoyed this online tour of Sicily’s via Le Vie della Zagara. I certainly had a wonderful time discovering this distinctive destination for myself and sharing the most zestful bits of that journey with you. Continue reading
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Posted in Food, Italy, Le Vie della Zagara, Sicily, Travel
Tagged addison lee, Citrus, Citrus District of Sicily, Distretto Agrumi di Sicilia, ficuzza, Food, Gusto di Campagna, Italy, kolymbetra, Le Vie della Zagara, palazzo reale ficuzza, Sicilia, sicilian, sicily, Travel, valley of the temples, Vie della Zagara
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DFDS Best Travel Photo Blogger 2015? Thanks!
So, when I posted (and tweeted) about my blog being nominated by DFDS Seaways as a contender for 2015’s Best Travel Photography Blogger I guess some as you paid attention and agreed with DFDS as I just got the word that … Continue reading
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Posted in Blogs, Photography, Travel
Tagged 2015 Travel Blogger of the Month, Blogs, DFDS Seaways, Photography, Travel
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Le Vie della Zagara: Ceramic Dynamic Caltagirone
Caltagirone was one of those places where soon into my time there I started wondered about the price of local property. Could I afford to chuck it all in and relocate? How could I make such a transition work – and what kind of work would I even be able to do if I actually did settle there? Such a feeling of immediate attraction to a place often used to overwhelm me when travelling in my 20s and early 30s. It’s a less frequent – but much deeper and more exacting – experience when it hits me these days. No, I don’t think I’ll actually up and move to Caltagirone (and I very much love my life here in London), but that possibility lingers still in my thoughts as I remember it. And I sorely hope I’m don’t have to wait too long to return there for further exploration. Continue reading
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Posted in Art, Drink, Food, Italy, Le Vie della Zagara, Museums, Restaurants, Shopping, Sicily, Travel, Wine
Tagged Art, Caltagirone, ceramics, contemporary art, Drink, Feudo di Santa Tresa Wine, Food, Il Locandiere, italian food, Italy, Le Vie della Zagara, Museo d'Arte Contemporanea Caltagirone, museums, Ospedale delle Donne, restaurants, Ristorante Il Locandiere, Sammartino e Delfino, Santa Tresa, Scala Santa Maria del Monte, seafood, Shopping, Sicilia, sicilian, sicily, Travel, wine
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London Daily Photo: Dalston
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Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged dalston, east london, hackney, London, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, street photography, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Le Vie della Zagara: Palazzo Adriano
Okay. I’ve covered the citrus side of my Sicilian excursion – with bits about Ciaculli mandarins, Ribera oranges, blood oranges, Interdonato lemons and Syracuse lemons – and now I want to talk about some of the other equally fruitful aspects of my trip. So in the next few posts of my Le Vie della Zagara series I’m going to highlight a handful of the more remarkable sights encountered while touring Sicily. First up is the quaint and scenic mountain village of Palazzo Adriano. Continue reading
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Posted in Food, Hotels, Italy, Le Vie della Zagara, Movies, Pizza, Restaurants, Sicily, Travel, Video
Tagged Albergo, Albergo Del Viale, Albergo Ristorante Pizzeria Del Viale, Cinema Paradiso, Del Viale, hotels, Italy, Le Vie della Zagara, Movies, Palazzo Adriano, pizza, Sicilia, sicilian, sicily, Video
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La Vie en Rose Afternoon Tea at the Sofitel London St James
On now and running throughout May is a new floral-inspired La Vie en Rose afternoon tea at the Rose Lounge at the Sofitel London St James hotel. I got a taste of this limited run luxury a couple of weeks back and very much enjoyed it. Here’s a waft of what made it such a treat for me. Continue reading
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Posted in Drink, Food, Hotels, London, Luxury, Restaurants
Tagged afternoon tea, Dammann Freres, Drink, Food, hotel, London, luxury, restaurants, reviews, Rose Lounge, Sofitel, Sofitel London St James, st james's, SW1, SW1Y 4AN, tea, Waterloo Place, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Le Vie della Zagara: Limone di Siracusa
A fertile coastal plain stretching between the mountains and the sea with plenty of sea air and consistent year-round sunlight make conditions right for growing Limone di Siracusa, aka Syracuse lemons – some of the juiciest and zestiest on the market. Such conditions add up to a gorgeous place to visit too. The last of the low hanging PGI fruits picked along my journey across Sicily, here’s why I’m a sucker for the aroma and flavour of this mighty if diminutive squirt! Continue reading
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Posted in Drink, Food, Hotels, Italy, Le Vie della Zagara, Shopping, Sicily, Travel
Tagged agriturismo, Agriturismo Pozzo di Mazza, Citrus, Drink, Food, IGP, Italy, Le Vie della Zagara, Lemons, limone di Siracusa, PGI, Pozzo di Mazza, Shopping, Sicilia, sicilian, sicily, Siracusa, Syracuse lemons, Travel, Vie della Zagara
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London Daily Photo: 11 Day Dean Street
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Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged DEAN STREET, London, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, soho, street photography, W1, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Le Vie della Zagara: When Life Hands You Lemons Make Granita!
One of the zestier episodes during my zip across Sicily’s Le Vie della Zagara was a visit to the seaside town of Alì Terme in the province of Messina. Here and along the Valle del Nisi, aside perhaps from the tourist trade, the locally grown Limone Interdonato is the main draw – whether on its own with a skin so sweet you can eat it raw or transformed into one of many refreshing delicacies at the local bar/pasticceria/gelateria/bomboniere. Continue reading
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Posted in Drink, Food, Italy, Le Vie della Zagara, Restaurants, Sicily, Travel
Tagged Citrus, Drink, Food, IGP, Italy, Le Vie della Zagara, Lemons, Limone Interdonato, Pasticceria Bar Todaro Carmelo, PGI, Shopping, Sicilia, sicilian, sicily, Travel, Vie della Zagara
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Are you Sitting Comfortably? Street Food Heroes Crabbieshack Pop-up at The Hat & Tun
For three nights only from Wednesday 13th – Friday 15th May, 5.30pm to 9pm, Crabbieshack will be serving Old Bay Batter Soft-Shell Crab Burgers (£9.50) at The Hat & Tun pub in Clerkenwell. Continue reading
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Posted in Drink, Food, London, Pubs, Restaurants
Tagged burgers, Clerkenwell, Crabbieshack, Drink, EC1N 8HX, Food, Hatton Wall, Leila Dukes, London, pop-up, Previews, pubs, restaurants, SOFT SHELL CRAB, The Hat and Tun, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Le Vie della Zagara: Sicily’s Beautiful Blood Oranges
The three varietals of Sicilian blood oranges include the deeply crimson Moro, the Tarocco (a great all rounder and Italy’s most popular orange), and the sweet and succulent Sanguinello. During my time travelling Le Vie della Zagara, I got a taste of all three blood oranges (and more – keep reading!) while visiting two places involved in the production of aranchia rossa: the lavish San Giorgio Estate with its upscale luxury Aranjaya villa and the more pragmatic but nonetheless impressive processing facilities of Pannitteri & C. Both are located in the eastern area of Sicily within the province of Catania and bestowed with jaw-dropper views of smoking and snow-capped Mount Etna. Continue reading
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Posted in Drink, Food, Hotels, Italy, Le Vie della Zagara, Luxury, Shopping, Sicily, Travel
Tagged aranca rossa, Aranjaya, blood oranges, Citrus, DOP, Drink, Food, hotels, IGP, Italy, Le Vie della Zagara, luxury, oranges, Pannitteri & C, PGI, Ribera, Ribera Oranges, Rosaria, San Giorgio Estate, Shopping, Sicilia, sicilian, sicily, Travel, Vie della Zagara
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