On the London Banh Mi Trail
CheapOair, September 30, 2011
Bánh mì are Vietnamese baguette sandwiches made with thinly sliced pickled carrots and daikon, cucumbers, coriander, chilli peppers, pâté, mayonnaise and an assortment of meat fillings or tofu. A variety of eateries offering these Saigon sandwiches have sprouted up in London over the past couple of years. Here’s a list featuring a few of the best …
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On the London Banh Mi Trail
New Restaurant Review: Bread Street Kitchen
Londonist, September 30, 2011 at 14:00 pm
… it’s hard not to be wowed upon first take of the massive multi-storey Bread Street Kitchen with its nonetheless intimate design … The menu, seemingly taking its cue from St John and other celebrated British eateries, is equally impressive.
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New Restaurant Review: Bread Street Kitchen
London Food & Drink News: 29 September 2011
Londonist, September 29, 2011 at 16:00 pm
Photo by Simon-K
Lots of new eats and free frozen yogurt for London …
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London Food & Drink News: 29 September 2011
Stumbling upon Mayfair’s Shepherd Market
OneTravel, Sep 29, 2011
Tucked quietly away in the exclusive and historic Mayfair, it’s an ideal spot for relaxing over a pint or glass of wine with some friends, grabbing something great to eat, doing a bit of upscale window shopping and generally soaking up some “olde” English countryside atmosphere without having to actually leave town.
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Stumbling upon Mayfair’s Shepherd Market
Consider this my ‘feel good post of the season’ or perhaps even the year as family-friendly movies with happy endings about cute animals overcoming incredible odds and inspiring millions isn’t my usual sort of content. But after meeting David Yates, CEO for Clearwater Marine Aquarium, at a press lunch about the new film Dolphin Tale I’m hip to spread the good word about this movie based on the remarkable true story of Winter the Dolphin.
After losing her tail in a crab trap as a two month old baby dolphin, Winter went on to become the world’s first dolphin to be fitted with a prosthetic limb. Rehabilitated at Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Winter defied all odds by not only by surviving but learning to swim again. Today she’s a happy and healthy six year old still living at the CMA and is an inspiration to children, people of all ages with disabilities or who have lost limbs and essentially anyone in need of a good dose of willpower triumphing over adversity.
Here are a few facts about Winter and her amazing tail:
Along with the real Winter the Dolphin actually appearing in the film, Dolphin Tale features an A-list line up of actors – Morgan Freeman, Harry Connick Jr, Ashley Judd and Kris Kristofferson. Another star of the film is its location – Clearwater, Florida. Filmed entirely in Pinellas County, Florida, the area’s famous white sand beaches and world record sunny day climate play a key role in film.
Much of Dolphin Tale takes place at the CMA which offers the exclusive opportunity to visit Winter in her home as well as the once in a lifetime chance to swim with her. There’s even a dolphin encounter program, allowing visitors to snorkel with St Pete/Clearwater’s Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the CMA’s main goals are to rescue, rehabilitate and (if possible) release its animals. Its role as a tourist attraction is secondary and mainly provided as an opportunity to educate the public and raise funds to further its cause.
Apparently, Dolphin Tale has been blowing the box office away since opening in the States a week or so ago. With the film’s success in the States, the not-for-profit Clearwater Marine Aquarium is now able to underg renovation and development in excess of $12 million. The renovations are set to triple resident dolphin space and double sea turtle rehabilitation capacity, feature a new 6.4 million litre Dolphin Pool Complex with stadium seating and educational exhibits, and will be complete in early 2012.
Dolphin Tale opens 12 October in the UK. I want to see. Even the clips viewed during lunch with David gave me chill bumps and left me feeling much less cynical than I was before. I reckon “Dolphin Tale” will be a hit here as well. I mean, who doesn’t like death defying dolphins … or Morgan Freeman … or scenes with white sand beaches and palm trees swaying in the sun?
Tight squeeze for an ample sized sofa!
What started out as an easy purchase with free delivery of a big and comfy sofa bed back about a year ago when I lived in a ground floor studio flat with a wide front entrance turned into a bit of a nightmare recently when I tried to relocate the behemoth of a butt-rest to its new home – the living area of loft at the top of three narrow flights of stairs with even narrower doorways.
A tiny bit of blood, lots and lots of sweat and thankfully no tears later, I along with some very much appreciated brain and brawn assistance from my friend Richard finally managed to get the [insert all sorts of lovely expletives here] sofa in the desired space.
But I honestly didn’t think we were gonna make it. And I really really thought I was going to have to embark upon a new sofa beds search. Budget stretched to the limit (with no plans to purchase any more furniture), wits at their end and my back absolutely killing me, I was distressed to say the least.
Seemingly thwarted atop the last staircase with the sofa wedged firmly in a doorway – and only feet away from where it was to be place – I started to wonder if we were going to have to haul the [insert more expletives here] all the way back down to the street … and I really didn’t know if we were going be able to manage that without hacking the thing apart first.
But some last minute ‘umph’ came by way of a crabby old mover “helping” move my stuff from storage into the flat. Exasperated and with Richard stuck behind the sofa, he looked up from the bottom of the stairs and sized up our situation and definitively declared “You’ll never get that in there.” Just the inspiration we needed!
Some measurements, strategizing and a few solid heave-hoes and we were in with the win. The sofa looks fine and ain’t goin’ anywhere for a long, long time.
What’s for Lunch? Ed’s Easy Diner, Soho
Londonist, September 27, 2011 at 11:30 am
C’mon ya know you want it. A bit of American style grease served in a 1950s setting.
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What’s for Lunch? Ed’s Easy Diner, Soho
The Olde Bell: Stay and Feast at One of England’s Oldest Inns
OneTravel, Sep 27, 2011
… for all its history and antiquated charm, lodgings at the Olde Bell feature lots of mod coms. Free WiFi throughout the inn’s five buildings with bedrooms (which “range from spacious to bolthole”) and satellite telly along with contemporary creature comforts such as pure cotton sheets and extra Jakob’s wool blankets in all rooms ensure a restful visit just beyond but never isolated from the trappings of modernity.
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The Olde Bell: Stay and Feast at One of England’s Oldest Inns
Best of Spain in London
CheapOair, September 27, 2011
Hardly exhaustive – and deserving of a “part two” post – but here’s a quick list of some great places to keep in mind if you find yourself hankering for something yummy and Spanish the next time you’ve booked flights to London.
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Best of Spain in London
You know, before settling into the idea of committing myself to a 25 year mortgage (yep, just recently bought a flat with my partner!), I had the fanciful idea of buying a caravan or camper van – hitting the open highway and trying to take my freelance lifestyle to a new extreme.
It’s a fantasy that still lingers in the back of my mind. Maybe once I’m feeling comfortable with the whole homeownership thing and the money’s flowing like I hope it will, I might get a “second home on wheels.” As much as I love London and reality of now owning a (very) small piece of it, I can’t quite shake the thought of living on the road. And something mobile appeals to me more than, say, investing in a holiday home where I’m then stuck only visiting and/or trying to rent out. With the right recreational vehicle (I’m want something fairly compact and easy to manoeuvre) I could travel to Spain, France, Scotland, wherever there’s some paved stretch of road.
Of course, I’m sure there’s much more to making such a dream come true than to simply buying a van/caravan and then setting off on some crazy adventure. There’s a load of logistics and practical concerns to consider: caravan insurance, where to keep all my stuff, where to park the vehicle when I’m not travelling, receiving mail, broadband/WiFi, etc. I’m pretty content without a car in London and when I lived in New York and owned a car it was often more of a hassle than a convenience.
Still I reckon with a bit of research and determination, any potential problems could be worked out and that owning some sort of live-in van is an achievable goal. It’s certainly a fun daydream for me at the moment.
Street Market Focus: Whitecross Street
CheapOair, September 23, 2011
Formerly a Sunday market, Whitecross Street Market dates back to the 17th century making it one of London’s oldest street markets. Know as Squalors’ Market at the end of the 19th century, Whitecross Street was in a general state of decline for decades but luckily is today a vibrant and safe place to shop and dine. It’s hip too. So hip in fact that it was voted the third hippest street in the whole of the UK (and the only London street to make the list) in a recent Google competition.
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Street Market Focus: Whitecross Street
Botero’s Broadgate Venus
OneTravel, Sep 22, 2011
Amid the hustle and bustle of the City of London (London’s financial district) and seemingly hovering just above the ever busy Liverpool Street Station on the eastern side of Exchange Square, the serene (and enormous!) Broadgate Venus reclines in a pose of suspended animation, blissfully unfazed by the suit-and-tied commuter commotion and the hubbub of global financial happenings.
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Botero’s Broadgate Venus
What’s for Lunch? Noodle Oodle, Oxford Street
Londonist, September 20, 2011 at 11:30 am
Not the most graciously eaten dish in Central London, but Noodle Oodle’s “Szechuan Dan Dan LaMien” (served with peanut, sesame and shredded chicken, £6) hits the spot when you’re in a rush for lunch and hoping not to tread too far beyond the fiver threshold. For six quid, this super spicy (seriously, you could work up a sweat) soup with doughy hand-pulled noodles offers a massively slurp-worthy meal.
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What’s for Lunch? Noodle Oodle, Oxford Street
Exploring the Go Ape Tree-Top Obstacle Course at Alice Holt Forest in Surrey
OneTravel, Sep 20, 2011
Looking to add a bit of outdoor adventure to your upcoming trip to London? Or maybe you live here in the “Big Smoke” and you’re in desperate need to escape the urban jungle if only for a few short hours? A day trip to one of Go Ape’s treetop obstacle courses might be just the thing to help you release your inner Tarzan.
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Exploring the Go Ape Tree-Top Obstacle Course at Alice Holt Forest in Surrey
Burlington Arcade: World’s First Shopping Arcade
CheapOair, September 20, 2011
A precursor of the European shopping gallerias of the 19th century European as well as a notable template for the modern shopping centre, Burlington Arcade is recognized as the world’s first shopping arcade and hailed as a historic landmark and architectural treasure.
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Burlington Arcade: World’s First Shopping Arcade
Anybody else come across that massive six foot high giant white hands installation in Covent Garden’s Piazza today? No clear indication as to what they’re actually doing there, but it looked to me as though they we’re holding an invisible camera. I supposed all will be revealed soon? They carry no branding, but promote a mysterious URL, www.thebighands.com, and a #thebighands hashtag.
Judging from all the shutterbugs taking a moment to ponder and photograph the big hands, whoever is responsible for erecting the public art seems to really be onto something. I certainly stopped in my tracks to give ’em a look and take more than a few shots. Never a dull moment, I suppose.
London Gallery Hop: 16 September 2011
Londonist, September 16, 2011 at 14:00 pm
A selection of gallery exhibitions currently on show in London and worth making time to view.
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London Gallery Hop: 16 September 2011
Best Upscale Indian Restaurants in London
OneTravel, Sep 15, 2011
Everybody’s got a favourite local curry joint that’s affordable and yummy. But subcontinent cuisine isn’t just about the cheap and cheerful curry.
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Best Upscale Indian Restaurants in London
