London Daily Photo: Pitch
Share this:
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
Leave a comment
Good Stuff #46
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.
With its 700mm gooseneck flexible extension with a mounting clip on one end and a phone grasping clip at the other, my “Lazy Arm” mobile phone holder has been something of a Godsend since I picked it up from Genie Gadgets (suggested retail price of £8.95). If you need to access more than one screen at a time or to see what’s on your phone but have your hands free for something else, keep the Lazy Arm in mind.
Happy Birthday to Young’s Pubs
Young’s Pubs turned a spritely 184 years old last week. I tagged along to one of the group’s best (and best loved) venues, The Ship in Wandsworth. It was a fun time in an excellent boozer. A few of my favourite pubs are in Young’s impressive portfolio. It was great to celebrate the milestone with the brand and enjoy a couple of London Stouts while doing so.
This “big red wine” is a flavoursome and silky blend of Tempranillo, Shiraz, Merlot and Garnacha An easy drinker and a safe bet for pairing with meaty meals, find it at Morrisons for around £7.
Here’s the quickie synopsis for Convenience, a new feature film opening in cinemas 2 October and starring Vicky McClure, Adeel Akhtar and Panthaki with appearances by Anthony Head and Verne Troyer: two convenience store robbers screw up the crime and end up working there for the rest of the night. It’s worth keeping in mind if you like hair-brained situation comedy.
Share this:
Posted in Beer, Celebrities, Drink, Entertainment, Good Stuff, London, Pubs, Shopping, Wine
Tagged beer, Celebrities, comedy, Convenience, Drink, Entertainment, Genie Gadgets, good stuff, Lazy Arm, London, mobile phones, Movies, pubs, reviews, Shopping, The Duke, THE SHIP, wine, YOUNG'S PUBS, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
Leave a comment
London Daily Photo: Necks
Share this:
See the Sights at a Hotel near the Castle Museum York
You may be taking a trip to York for a number of reasons – a business trip or conference, visiting family or someone going to the university, or you are just passing through the area – but you want to make sure you take some time while you are there to see some of the wondrous sights the city has available.
York has some fantastic historical venues that you may want to see along with all kinds of great entertainment of all kinds that you may enjoy. When you know you are coming through the area you may want to arrange to stay at a budget hotel in York so you can be sure to save some money on your trip so you can spend some time seeing the sights.
Find the Popular Attractions
Planning ahead of your trip can be a big help to you when you are coming to York. Take a look at the many different places available for you to visit so you can decide on places you might like to spend the most time. For some people, this may mean looking at historic York University. Others may want to spend time shopping at the Monks Cross Shopping Centre. Perhaps you want to see the National Railway Museum or York Minster. Note the places that interest you the most and then try to choose a hotel that is central to the locations so you can get to each place with ease. Finding a hotel near the City Centre can make this easier since the Centre is close to the major attractions and gives you access to public transit should you need it. If you want an affordable hotel near Castle Museum York, a must see attraction in York, the Holiday Inn Express York is the best choice for you.
Enjoy the Fun and Your Stay
The Holiday Inn Express York is close to all of the best attractions in York so you have the opportunity to enjoy all of the fun spots you want to see most. For hotels near York Race Course, one of the top horse racing venues in Britain, the Holiday Inn Express is the ideal spot. The hotel lies only a few miles from the City Centre so you can get to everything easily and see all of the sights you want and be able to get back to the hotel to relax in just minutes. You will be staying in one of the forty-nine rooms of this modern facility that has been recently refurbished to feature all of the amenities you want most and give you the clean, comfortable and affordable stay you are looking for.
Take advantage of your time in York and see as much as you can in the area. Staying at the Holiday Inn Express York will make this easier for you as you will be c lose to all of the action in the city and have a place to stay that is well-suited to any budget.
Share this:
Posted in England, Hotels, Travel
Tagged england, hotels, SPONSORED POST, Travel, york
Leave a comment
London Daily Photo: Kingsland
Share this:
Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged east london, hackney, kingsland road, London, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, shoreditch, street photography, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
Leave a comment
Infographic: European Food Guide
Hungry? You will be after having a look at this super nifty infographic put together by the folks at CurrencyFair, the world’s first online person-to-person foreign exchange marketplace, to help you decide what delicacies you should spend your money on next time your travels take you to Europe.
From the bratwursts of Germany to traditional Greek moussaka and Spanish paella, Europe is home to a fantastic selection of culinary delights. Set your taste buds tingling as you join us on our tour of Europe’s finest food festivals.
Infographic courtesy of CurrencyFair. Find out more at currencyfair.com/blog/european-food-guide.
Share this:
Posted in Food, infographic, Money, Travel
Tagged CurrencyFair, European Food Guide, Food, infographic, money, Travel
Leave a comment
London Daily Photo: Cloudy Sky Boat
Share this:
Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged London, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, south bank, south bank centre, south london, southbank, street photography, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
Leave a comment
Online, In-Flight? Lufthansa Says Yes. (OneTravel)
German airline Lufthansa has announced it is to offer high-speed internet during short and medium-haul flights from 2016 onwards.
From early summer 2016, Lufthansa will be the first network airline in Europe to make such an offering, allowing passengers on continental flights and flights within Germany to go online with “wide bandwidth above the clouds.”
Read my complete post at OneTravel.
Share this:
My Mini Grand Tour: Hit the Road to Pure Swiss Bliss!
It was a pleasure getting to explore a few stops along Switzerland Tourism’s Grand Tour self-driving route to see some of the country’s many “must-see” sights and attractions. In all, the 1,000-mile route takes in five Alpine passes, 22 lakes, and 11 UNESCO World Heritage Sites while steering clear of motorways wherever possible in preference of country roads and rural byways.
My mini-Grand Tour hit the cantons of Vaud (aka the Lake Geneva Region) and Fribourg for a brief but incredibly scenic and especially delicious visit. My second time in Switzerland (in as many years), I yet again found it easy enough and super quick to get there from the UK, especially London. To help you better browse the posts I’ve published about my tour of the Grand Tour of Switzerland, here’s a list with links to all of them:
And here are a few ace resources for planning your own tour.
Addison Lee
My Grand Tour of Switzerland began bright and early with a hassle-free ride with Addison from my London home to City Airport and ended with an equally pleasant pickup from Heathrow. Yep, another awesome trip made easy by a couple of taps of the Addison Lee app! I’ve relied on the app a number of times before and have yet to encounter issues or less than exemplary service. Find out more at addisonlee.com/apps.
Swiss International Air Lines
UK to Zurich: SWISS offers up to 110 weekly flights from London Heathrow, London City, Birmingham and Manchester to Zurich. Fares start from £63* one-way. Our fares include all airport taxes: one piece hold luggage and free ski carriage (exclude “hand luggage only” fare). (*Please note this is a leading fare and is subject to change, availability and may not be available on all flights. Terms and conditions apply.)
UK & Ireland to Switzerland: SWISS operates up to 200 weekly flights to Switzerland from London Heathrow, London City, London Gatwick (seasonal during winter), Manchester, Birmingham and Dublin from as little as £38 one-way* (Geneva Economy Light Fare only includes hand luggage). The all-inclusive fares start from £63 one-way*, including all airport taxes. (*Note this is a leading fare and is subject to change, availability and may not be available on all flights. Terms and conditions apply.)
For reservations call 0845 6010956 or visit swiss.com.
Swiss Travel System
The Swiss Travel System provides a dedicated range of travel passes and tickets exclusively for visitors from abroad. The Swiss Transfer Ticket covers a round-trip between the airport/Swiss border and your destination. Prices are £104 in second class and £167 in first class. Speak with a Swiss rail specialist by calling Switzerland Travel Centre on 0080010020030 or visit swisstravelsystem.co.uk.
Grand Tour Tips
The Grand Tour can be accessed quickly from the border towns of Basel, Geneva and Chiasso. Switzerland Tourism recommends driving it in a clockwise direction and allowing eight days to experience the complete route. There are 115 hotels and guesthouses selected by Switzerland Tourism as ideal Grand Tour accommodations based on their location and facilities. Bookable packages are available; a selection can be viewed and booked at MySwitzerland.com/grandtour.
Vaud/Lake Geneva Region For a wealth of advice on enjoying a visit to the lovely Lake Geneva Region have a look at lake-geneva-region.ch and myvaudtrip.ch.
Fribourg Region For info about one of the most pleasantly pastoral spots I’ve even had the good fortune to experience go to fribourgregion.ch.
Cheers for following My Mini Grand Tour. Please feel free to take a look at all tikichris miniseries and special features.
Share this:
Posted in My Mini Grand Tour, Switzerland, Travel
Tagged Fribourg, Fribourg Region, Grand Tour of Switzerland, Gruyere, Gruyeres, Lausanne, My Mini Grand Tour, swiss, switzerland, Travel, Vaud
Leave a comment
London Daily Photo: Bethnal Green Road
Share this:
Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged BETHNAL GREEN ROAD, east london, London, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, shoreditch, skateboard, street photography, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
Leave a comment
My Mini Grand Tour: A Great Stay in Gruyeres
A most memorable part of my recent visit to Switzerland was the time spent in and around Gruyères. In a lot of ways, the area was an ideal stomping grounds for me. Offering access to amazing art, great regional food, plenty of scenic beauty and fresh mountain air – I wish I could have had more than just a couple of days there, and I’d jump at any opportunity to visit again.
Situated among the rolling mountains of Fribourg Region, Gruyères is home to a stonking grand castle and a quaint and tidy medieval village, vast untouched forests with large lakes and fresh water flowing everywhere, one of the world’s favourite cheeses and Switzerland’s best loved chocolate factory, and the creepiest art museum I’ve ever come across.
Of course, the world famous cheese, Gruyère, comes from here. I had fun touring La Maison du Gruyère, a working dairy that doubles as a demo centre where guests can learn about how the cheese is produced while watching it happen. lamaisondugruyere.ch
It’s not just the local cheese that makes Gruyères such a delectable destination though. The area is well known throughout Switzerland for its meringues (one bite into one and I realised with good reason!), as well as the Cailler chocolate factory in the nearby village of Broc. Caliller is the country’s oldest chocolate factory still in operation – not to mention the second most visited cultural attraction in the whole country. cailler.ch/en
A couple of restaurants wowed my palate and ensured snacking between meals was not necessary during my brief visit. Dinner at La Pinte des Mossettes, about an hour’s drive away from the village, proved to be one of the best meals I’ve had all year. Set in an Alpine chalet surrounded by forests, pastureland and stunning panoramas, I was hooked the minute I arrived at Le Pinte. Its focus on locally sourced ingredients and seasonal dishes with a contemporary fine dining take on traditional recipes yielded scrumptious results. lapintedesmossettes.ch
I also loved my hearty fondue lunch at homey and humble Le Chalet de Gruyères located in the heart of Gruyères village. gruyeres-hotels.ch/index.php?page=chalet
A lot less appetising and bucolic but phenomenally captivating is the art on display at the HR Giger Museum, just round the corner from Le Chalet. The museum boasts the world’s biggest collection of art by Giger, the artist who designed the monster in the movie Alien (but has done way more stuff than just that). His work is incredibly well executed – especially considering how prolific he was over his 74 years of life.
Not for the squeamish (or the prudish), the museum offered a sharp contrast to the otherwise wholesome feel of Gruyères. Movie buffs of all stripes – especially horror, sci-fi and fantasy geeks — along with anyone interested in the fringes of popular art should adore the time spent browsing its galleries. Despite the gloomy subject matter, staff at the museum is friendly. Next door to the museum is the HR Giger Bar, an immersive Giger-esque bar and café serving drinks and light meals. hrgigermuseum.com
But the best thing about Gruyères was being outside. An afternoon forage in the forests of Charmey with local wild herbs expert Françoise Rayroud was an eye-opening delight. Getting a taste of her homemade mirtle sauvage was an absolute treat.
Visit la-gruyere.ch/en and fribourgregion.ch to find out about outdoor activities and all sorts of other info for your own trip to Gruyères.
Read more about Switzerland in My (Mini) Grand Tour series of posts.
Share this:
Posted in Art, Chocolate, Food, My Mini Grand Tour, Restaurants, Shopping, Switzerland, Travel
Tagged Art, cheese, chocolate, Fondue, Food, Fribourg Region, Grand Tour of Switzerland, Gruyere, Gruyeres, HR Giger, HR Giger Museum, My Mini Grand Tour, restaurants, swiss, switzerland, Travel
Leave a comment
BC25 Gear Finder
The BC25 Gear Finder is perfect for outdoor enthusiasts, travel bugs or those who simply want to get out to the wilderness on the weekends. Everyone loves a good deal on the gear they buy but searching all over the Internet can be time consuming and frustrating.
Introducing: The one stop shop for all of your outdoor gear deals, BC25. BC25 allows users to search for gear on a category basis (biking, climbing, fishing, running etc), at top retailers, and on a specific product basis using the BC25 Gear Finder. All of these tools allow outdoor enthusiasts to get the best deal possible.
How does it work?
Using the Gear Finder is simple. Just type in a products category, name or product number. Instantly, you will be able to view all of the deals on the goods you are looking for. You can categorize your search by the highest percentage discount, price from high-low and vice versa and by best match.
In this case I am looking for a shoe made by Nike. I have a product in mind, but I am not sure where to get the best deal. By typing in Nike shoe in the Gear Finder numerous discounted products are at my fingertips:
Using the Gear Finder I am able to get awesome deals that are guaranteed to work. Try the Gear Finder today to find your deals.
Share this:
Posted in Shopping, Travel
Tagged BC25, BC25 Gear Finder, Shopping, SPONSORED POST, Travel
Leave a comment
My Mini Grand Tour: Abbaye de Montheron
As mentioned yesterday in my initial Grand Tour post, last month I tagged along on Switzerland Tourism’s Grand Tour of Switzerland International Media Trip as one of more than 130 journos visiting from a few dozen countries. Grand indeed!
Some of the events (and the logistics behind them) were of epic proportion. I was greatly impressed with the first night’s full-on mingle fest at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne. And a table service dinner lined along the terraced vineyards of Lavaux for 150-plus guests – with each guest granted a commanding view of Lake Geneva – was the most memorably scenic dinner I’ve possibly ever experienced.
Equally unforgettable but considerably more low key was the lunch I had just outside of Lausanne in the riverside garden of the 12th century Abbaye de Montheron.
Established in 1142 by Cisterian monks – and reopened in February 2011 after centuries of disuse – the ancient Abbaye de Montheron is today run as a contemporary inn with a kitchen committed to sourcing fresh and seasonal ingredients from local producers for dishes inspired by monastic traditions and the medieval history of the setting. Wines are local too (with some from neighbouring Eastern France and Northern Italy as well) and are all from small, independent winemakers practicing organic viticulture, and relying on limited filtrations and moderate levels of sulfites if any at all.
I loved every bite of my al fresco lunch. Trout escabèche with beetroot and elderflower, duck breast in a rich raisinée topped with strawberries, absinthe and apple sorbet – these are but a few highlights of the inventive dishes I got to sample during my visit. Thinking back on the meal, a simple oat and fruit dessert made with the most flavoursome double cream (produced at a dairy “over the hill” from the abbey) I’ve ever tasted.
Set beside the Talent River within the wooded Jorat Valley (and only about a 15 minute drive outside central Lausanne), the Abbaye is an ideal venue for special occasions, dynamic dinners paired with long forest walks, and quick rural retreats without having to put too much of a pause on all that urban luxury just up the road in Lausanne.
Beyond the great food and wine and bucolic environs, the abbey’s church and still holds regular services and hosts events and tours. If you get a chance to listen to its historic organs being played by the house organist, don’t miss it! I poked my head in while he was practicing. Such beautiful music has stayed with me since.
The Auberge de L’Abbaye de Montheron is located at Route de l’Abbaye 2, 1053 Montheron. Prices start at 75CHF for four courses. Booking is advisable. Find out more at montheron.ch.
Keep an eye out for more posts in my Grand Tour miniseries about my visit to Switzerland.
Share this:
Posted in Drink, Food, Luxury, My Mini Grand Tour, Restaurants, Switzerland, Travel, Wine
Tagged Abbaye de Montheron, Auberge, Auberge de L’Abbaye de Montheron, Food, Grand Tour of Switzerland, Gruyere, Gruyeres, inn, Jorat Valley, Lausanne, luxury, Montheron, My Mini Grand Tour, swiss, switzerland, Travel, Vaud, wine
Leave a comment
London Daily Photo: Camden Lock
Share this:
Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged camden, camden lock, CAMDEN TOWN, London, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, street photography, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
Leave a comment
My (Mini) Grand Tour of Switzerland
The Grand Tour of Switzerland – a new 1,000-mile self-driving route – was launched over the summer by Switzerland Tourism to share the best the Swiss have to offer and highlight “must-see” sights and attractions across the country’s four language regions and along its most scenic roads. The route takes in five Alpine passes, 22 lakes, and 11 UNESCO World Heritage Sites while steering clear of motorways wherever possible in preference of country roads and rural byways.
Based on my own recent mini-Grand Tour visit to the cantons of Vaud and Fribourg, any excuse or amount of time you might have to explore any part of Switzerland is worth taking. It’s easy enough and super quick to get there from the UK, especially London. And even if you don’t want to drive, you’ve got one of the world’s most efficient and beautifully situated rail networks as well as safe and affordable public transport to help you access whatever it is you hope to see.
My tour started with a few nights keeping lovely Lausanne as my base before hitting the road to enjoy the fresh air of the Fribourg Region. I loved everything I experienced along the way! Lausanne was a delightful little city to explore, and Fribourg Region was wonderful too – I fell especially hard for the rustic charm of Gruyerés and its surroundings. In fact, it’s taken so long for me to get round to writing about the trip because I’ve been too busy trying to figure out how I can get back there – to return to Fribourg Region and to see other parts of the country as well.
I’ll be chronicling my trip in a few Grand Tour posts to follow soon. Until then, have a look at this list of practicalities to help you make the most of your visit to Switzerland.
Addison Lee
My Grand Tour of Switzerland began bright and early with a hassle-free ride with Addison from my London home to City Airport and ended with an equally pleasant pickup from Heathrow. Yep, another awesome trip made easy by a couple of taps of the Addison Lee app! I’ve relied on the app a number of times before and have yet to encounter issues or less than exemplary service. Find out more at addisonlee.com.
Swiss International Air Lines
UK to Zurich: SWISS offers up to 110 weekly flights from London Heathrow, London City, Birmingham and Manchester to Zurich. Fares start from £63* one-way. Our fares include all airport taxes: one piece hold luggage and free ski carriage (exclude “hand luggage only” fare). (*Note this is a leading fare and is subject to change, availability and may not be available on all flights. Terms and conditions apply.)
UK & Ireland to Switzerland: SWISS operates up to 200 weekly flights to Switzerland from London Heathrow, London City, London Gatwick (seasonal during winter), Manchester, Birmingham and Dublin from as little as £38 one-way* (Geneva Economy Light Fare only includes hand luggage). The all-inclusive fares start from £63 one-way*, including all airport taxes. (*Note this is a leading fare and is subject to change, availability and may not be available on all flights. Terms and conditions apply.)
For reservations call 0845 6010956 or visit swiss.com.
Swiss Travel System
The Swiss Travel System provides a dedicated range of travel passes and tickets exclusively for visitors from abroad. The Swiss Transfer Ticket covers a round-trip between the airport/Swiss border and your destination. Prices are £104 in second class and £167 in first class. Speak with a Swiss rail specialist by calling Switzerland Travel Centre on 0080010020030 or visit swisstravelsystem.co.uk.
More Grand Tour Tips
The Grand Tour can be accessed quickly from the border towns of Basel, Geneva and Chiasso. Switzerland Tourism recommends driving it in a clockwise direction and allowing eight days to experience the complete route. There are 115 hotels and guesthouses selected by Switzerland Tourism as ideal Grand Tour accommodations based on their location and facilities. Bookable packages are available; a selection can be viewed and booked at MySwitzerland.com/grandtour.
Keep an eye out for more posts in my Grand Tour miniseries about my visit to Switzerland.
Share this:
Posted in My Mini Grand Tour, Switzerland, Travel
Tagged Fribourg, Fribourg Region, Grand Tour of Switzerland, Gruyere, Gruyeres, Lausanne, My Mini Grand Tour, swiss, switzerland, Travel, Vaud
4 Comments
London Daily Photo: Snake in the Garden
Share this:
Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged London, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, playground, street photography, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
Leave a comment
International Day of Peace (OneTravel)
Today – September 21 – is International Day of Peace, a date that the General Assembly of the United Nations has declared as a day “devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples.” And never in the 43 years that I’ve been alive has the world more seemed to need a day dedicated to just that … for the whole world to stop, take a deep breath and just let each other be and give humanity the benefit of the doubt.
Isn’t that one of the chief reasons we travel? To make connections with people we would not have had a chance to otherwise and to experience firsthand the realization that as different as other people living elsewhere may seem from afar, they’re really a lot like you and me with the same basic motivations, hopes and concerns.
Read my complete post at OneTravel.
Share this:
Posted in OneTravel, Travel
Tagged International Day of Peace, OneTravel, Travel, World Peace Day
Leave a comment
London Daily Photo: Market
Share this:
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
Leave a comment
Waffle On at The Watch House
Bermondsey’s getting buttered up with street food darlings Waffle On getting behind the bar to iron out a new evening menu at The Watch House.
Waffle On at The Watch House is an evening kitchen takeover that, as far as I know, is an indefinite collaboration. Still, I’d recommend heading over ASAP because Waffle On’s buttermilk waffles are delish and The Watch House is comfortably cosy café whether you’re craving waffles or not.
Presented with an array of savoury and sweet toppings ranging from that’s-exactly-what-I-wanted obligatory offerings (southern fried spicy buttermilk chicken with a maple syrup butter, £7) to more inventive oh-I-never-would-have-thought-of-that creations (baked plums with crushed Amaretti biscuits and Italian zabaione cream, £6) with a short regular menu and the promise of regularly updated chalkboard specials. I loved the full flavoured chicken and waffle combo – would be happy to order it again – and left The Watch House feeling satisfied for having had it.
The setting – a 19th century listed building originally used as the guardhouse for the churchyard of Saint Mary Magdalen – provides another lovely reason to visit. It’s historic, maybe a little quaint but certainly not twee, rustic, idiosyncratic, and impressively restored – the sort of place to visit when losing track of time or forgetting about the rat race just beyond its doors is on the agenda.
Fancy a drink with your waffle? The Watch House is a BYOB establishment. There’s a range of nice juices and soft drinks (such as Karma Kola) though and the baristas pull Ozone Coffee exclusively.
The Watch House is located at 199 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3UW.
Hours for Waffle On at The Watch House are Sunday to Wednesday, 5pm to 10pm; Thursday to Saturday, 5pm to 11pm. Find out more at watchhousecoffee.com and waffleon.net.
Share this:
Posted in Coffee, Drink, Food, London, Restaurants
Tagged bermondsey, BERMONDSEY STREET, coffee, east london, London, restaurants, reviews, SE1, SE1 3UW, south london, The Watch House, Waffle On, waffles, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
Leave a comment
London Daily Photo: Saturdays Only
Share this:
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
Leave a comment
Win a Month’s Supply of Soda Folk Root Beer and Cream Soda
COMPETITION IS NOW OVER AND THE WINNER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING TIKICHRIS. PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR LOTS MORE FUN AND FREEBIES TO COME!
The refreshment! The flavour! The fun! I’ve been having a blast with my Root Beer Reboot series of posts about my all time favourite all American soft drink. Have I whet your appetite? Then keep reading to find out how one lucky reader is going to win the chance to crack open can after glorious can with a month’s supply of Soda Folk craft soda.
Yep, I’m giving away a month’s worth of Soda Folk drinks. It’s not just root beer though, as I’ve got plenty Soda Folk’s Great Taste Award winning cream soda to share too.
Soda Folk can be found across Britain, most notabely at Selfridges and Byron. The brand is the brainchild of American expat Ken Graham, who, when he moved to London from the States, got a homesick feeling for root beer like he used to get back home in his home state of Colorado. So Ken teamed up with a little brewery high in the Rocky Mountains to create his low quantity/high quality soft drink recipes.
His cream soda is made simply with carbonated water, pure cane sugar and Madagascan vanilla extract. The root beer is also made with a base of carbonated water and pure cane sugar, with added spice of the uniquely pungent and piquant wintergreen root (similar in taste to dandelion and burdock), and rounded off with aged vanilla and pure maple syrup. Yum.
Fancy ten cans each of both of these fantastic thirst quenchers?
To be in with a chance to win a month’s supply of Soda Folk root beer and cream soda, simply tweet the following:
Please take a moment to read the terms and conditions before tweeting!
T&C
I’ll pick one winner at random on Friday 2 October at 11.30am BST. The winner will receive ten 330ml cans each of Soda Folk Root Beer and Soda Folk Cream Soda. To be eligible to win, you need to have an address in the UK where the prize can be delivered.
For more info about Soda Folk go to sodafolk.co.uk.
COMPETITION IS NOW OVER AND THE WINNER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING TIKICHRIS. PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR LOTS MORE FUN AND FREEBIES TO COME!
Check out more tikichris competitions.
Share this:
Posted in Competition, Drink, Food, Freebies, Root Beer Reboot, Shopping
Tagged competition, cream soda, Drink, Food, free, freebies, root beer, Root Beer Reboot, RT to win, Shopping, soda, Soda Folk, soft drinks, twitter competition
2 Comments
London Daily Photo: Ground
Share this:
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
Leave a comment
Piled High and Fantastically Assembled Sarnies: Cafe Mish, Shepherd Market
There’s a piled high and fantastically assembled sarnie in Mayfair now that Café Mish has opened its doors at the southeast corner of Shepherd Market to offer made-to-order gourmet sandwiches and coffee in a small but comfortable venue.
New on the scene from the same team behind Le Menar (which I loved when I ate there at the beginning of this year), Café Mish
I can’t claim to live in Mayfair, but any given week sees me passing through there multiple times. So a new (and good!) place to eat that doesn’t require making a reservation, refinancing my mortgage, or wearing fancy clothes is a most welcome addition.
The salt beef (sourced from Hensons) is the real deal, and I was pleased to have ordered it. Other options vied for my attention when deciding what to eat and may succeed at swaying me to try them upon any subsequent visits. Roast Angus, wild mushroom and Gruyere, and pastrami were among the tastiest looking selections from the menu.
Served as a sandwich with sweet pickled gherkins and Dijonnaise on a couple of thick slices of caraway bloomer, my salt beer sandwich was delicious. It wasn’t cheap though. A small salt beef sandwich costs ya back £6.75, a medium is £9.75, and a large sets ya back £12.75. But even with the Mayfair markup, for the sandwiches to be stuffed with 100, 150 or 200 grams (respectively) of meat, it stacks up to being pretty good value.
I ordered the medium – and was satiated for hours. Of course, I should mention I had some chips with my sandwich – an ample cupful of super tasty sweet potato and “connoisseurs hand cut chips” with spiced Halen Mon salt (£2.95).
Mine was a late afternoon/early evening visit dashing off to an event nearby. So, I didn’t try the coffee. It’s touted as “premium” with an espresso priced at £2.10 and no hot beverage costing more than £2.80. I’d be inclined to drop in there as much as anywhere else I know doing coffee in the area.
Service was friendly and quick. I was there a slow part of the day though. So I can’t comment on what it’s like around lunchtime. Seating is limited to a bar with a few stools, but those stools are a lot more plush and comfy than you’d probably expect. A row of USB and electrical sockets along the bar was a welcome feature too. I found it to be a pleasant place to sit a spell and catch up on my emails before heading off.
Café Mish is located at 1A Shepherd Street, W1J 7HJ. Find out more at cafemish.co.uk.
Share this:
Posted in Food, London, Restaurants
Tagged Cafe Mish, Food, lunch, mayfair, restaurants, reviews, SALT BEEF, sandwiches, shepherd, shepherd market, Shepherd Street, W1, W1J 7HJ
Leave a comment
London Daily Photo: Untitled
Share this:
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
Leave a comment
Recipe: Root Beer Miso Butter
Mini biscuits made with root beer miso butter
Three easy ingredients and a bit of blending turn boring old everyday butter into super yummy root beer miso butter. I took a chance with this recipe – reckoning that the woody flavour of Soda Folk root beer would pair nicely with the salty, nutty flavour of miso – and absolutely loved the results. To be sure I’ll be making more soon and intend to keep a log wrapped up and stowed away in my freezer for flavour emergencies.
ROOT BEER MISO BUTTER Yum
Ingredients
250g stick of butter, at room temperature; 75g red miso (I used an additive free miso); 100g root beer (any’ll do but might I recommend Soda Folk root beer?).
Method
In a large bowl, thoroughly blend the butter and miso together. Pour in the root beer a few drips at a time and blend until it is all absorbed in the mix.
Serve
Once the ingredients are mixed together well, you’re done. The butter can be eaten immediately or rolled into a log in plastic wrap to refrigerate or freeze for later. I’ve used my stick of root beer miso butter in a variety of ways since coming up with this recipe: spread across a piece of toast, slathered all over an ear of roasted corn, added as an ingredient when I baked some biscuits. All were delicious.
Root beer miso butter is simply a flavoured butter to be used as you might any normal butter. I’m craving to make some pancakes or French toast with a pat of my butter on top – the butter’s so tasty I may not need any syrup!
Soda Folk
I’ve teamed up with Soda Folk, an American craft soda maker supplying the UK, for Root Beer Reboot, a short series of posts exploring some of my all time favourite American foods and flavours. Stay tuned for more posts from me. To find out more about Soda Folk go to sodafolk.co.uk.
Share this:
Posted in Drink, Food, Recipes, Root Beer Reboot, Shopping
Tagged Butter, Drink, Food, miso, miso butter, recipes, root beer, Root beer miso, Root beer miso butter, Root Beer Reboot, Shopping, soda, Soda Folk, soft drinks
2 Comments
Heathrow Airport Hotels
Everyone is well aware just how hectic travel can be today, particularly when you are going through airport after airport.
Even the most seasoned business traveler can get frustrated and feel stress over dealing with all of the arrangements that need to be made, getting to the airport on time and finding the right hotel space for your trip. More and more people today are turning to using hotels that keep them close or at the airport of the city they are traveling to because it can be so much easier for them to get back and forth as it is needed. Traveling to London is no different and if you are going through Heathrow you may want to take a look at some of the hotel options available to you near the airport.
A Convenient Location You Can Afford
Looking airports at or near the hotel can make your travel plans a lot easier, particularly if you travel often through the area for the business and do not spend a long time in one place. You want to look for hotels that will keep you within just a few minutes of the airport so you can get there without any fuss or fear of getting caught in heavy traffic that can keep you from making your flight. When you look at Heathrow, you may even want to focus your attentions in on cheap and budget hotels near Heathrow Terminal 5, one of the busiest and most traveled areas of the airport. While there are a number of hotels in the area, many may charge higher room rates than you want to spend and still not supply you with a clean and comfortable place to stay. For the best of the Heathrow Airport hotels, try looking at what the Master Robert Hotel has to provide for you.
Proximity, Comfort and Price
When you stay at the Master Robert Hotel, you will only be ten minutes away from Heathrow Airport so you can get back and forth without any trouble at all. The hotel has several different park and go packages available so that you can park your car right at the hotel either for free or a very low price during the time of your travel and know you have a place to return to so you can spend the night and your car will be safe and secure. The hotel itself features 96 bedrooms and all provide you with comfort that you seek as a traveler, giving you a clean and comfortable room with a private bathroom, large space in your room, a place for you to work with ample lighting and much more. There is also a lounge and restaurant on site for all of your meals.
For a truly comfortable and very affordable stay near Heathrow Airport the Master Robert Hotel is the place for you to stay. The next time you are making plans to come to London be sure to check the room availability at the hotel by looking online or calling the hotel directly and they can be sure to set you up with just the right space at a price you will be happy with.
Share this:
London Daily Photo: Out the Window
Share this:
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
Leave a comment
One Sixty – City: “US Style” Smokehouse and Bar
USA portions and flavours are on offer at new City smokehouse, One Sixty.
After epic success with its original restaurant in West Hampstead (I’ve never been but have heard great things), the team behind One Sixty have opened a sister site roughly equidistant to Liverpool Street and Aldgate Tube stations. Meathead carnivores and folks in the area who like a strong drink: start salivating now if you haven’t already dabbled in the meaty excesses on offer.
I really enjoyed my dinner at One Sixty – City. Hot wings with blue cheese sauce (£7 or £9.50 depending on order size) met my approval and are easy to recommend as a starter or bar snack. Ultra tender mega-slab of eight-hour smoked pork ribs (served with chips and/or slaw, £10 for a half rack or £16 for a full rack) satisfied as well. And ox cheek (also smoked for eight hours, served with mash £17) was an equally juicy, melt-in-your-mouth main.
Drinks wise, the bar leans heavy on the craft beer, but there’s more than decent wine and great cocktails too. I sampled a range of drinks over my meal; the Mezcal and Chill Old Fashioned (£9.50) was the undeniable fave. Smoky and with a kick, it was a pleasure to drink and might have been the highlight of my visit – it would be my top choice upon any repeat visit, and I’d stick with it if having more than one drink.
At the time of my visit, there were no dessert items on the menu. I took it as a good excuse to have another drink. I was told sweets are on the way soon though.
Service was exceedingly gracious and quick. In full disclosure, I should mention that the staff knew I was there to review the place and that might have affected how I was approached. That said, server Beatrice knew her stuff and never faltered when I relied on her for advice for food and drinks (that mezcal Of Fashioned was Beatrice’s suggestion).
Music was loud and rockin’ (I liked the Tom Petty playing when I first entered, but found it hard to have a meaningful conversation with my dinner guest). Then again, it’s not the sort of place I’d think to visit for thoughtful convo anyway.
If you work in the area, this would be an ideal place (well, as long as you’re not too ardently vegetarian) for full-on lunches and after work shenanigans.
One Sixty – City is located at 9 Stoney Lane, E1 7BH. Find out more at one-sixty.co.uk.
Share this:
Posted in Drink, Food, London, Restaurants
Tagged BARS, BBQ, city of london, cocktails, Drink, E1, E1 7BH, Food, London, One Sixty, One Sixty - City, restaurants, reviews, smokehouse, Stoney Lane, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
Leave a comment
New for Paris: Frank Gehry’s Louis Vuitton Foundation (OneTravel)
Opened October 2014 in the Bois de Boulogne public park on the western edge of Paris, the Fondation Louis Vuitton is the city’s newest art museum and cultural center – and is making waves more for the building itself than what is inside it.
Designed by American “starchitect” Frank Gehry, the museum is a being hailed as a 21st century marvel and possibly the best work of Gehry’s celebrated career. At age 89, the architect’s most recognized accomplishments include the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the Dancing House in Prague, and his own home in Santa Monica.
Read my complete post at OneTravel.
Share this:
Posted in Art, Design, France, Museums, OneTravel, Paris, Travel
Tagged ARCHITECTURE, Art, design, Fondation Louis Vuitton, france, Frank Gehry, Louis Vuitton Foundation, museums, OneTravel, paris, Travel
Leave a comment
Hotels Near London Major Tourist Attractions
Whenever you travel to a major city like London for a pleasure trip there are a number of things you want to keep in consideration as you make your plans. One of the most important of all of your decisions is going to be the hotel that you decide to use for your visit.
There are a number of considerations that are going to go into deciding just where you want to stay, including the quality and condition of the hotel, the reputation of the staff and service and, of course, the cost of your room. One other thing you may want to consider closely in your decision is the actual location of the hotel. If you are planning on visiting some London’s top attractions you want to look at hotels near Hammersmith Apollo, Harrods, the Kensington area and other prime spots.
Choosing the Best Location
There are many great places in London that are considered among the top spots visitors want to see the most. Luckily many of the can be found in the same general area within Central London. This can make it much easier for you when you are looking for a hotel as you can confine your search to that general area. With this plan in place you can be sure to have a room that is not only close to places like Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Hyde Park, the London Eye and the like but that you will also have good access to the public transportation system so that you can make use of the trains and buses to get around the city. If you really want the best of the hotels near London major tourist attractions then you will want to look at the City Continental Kensington London as the place to stay.
A Quality Hotel in the Best Spot
The City Continental is in the ideal location in London, with a great spot in the Kensington area that makes it close to all of London’s best and most major attractions. The hotel is just a quick two minute walk away from Earl’s Station so that you can connect to any of the parts of London you may want to visit via the train. The hotel is recently refurbished and features fully modern rooms with wireless Internet access, en-suite bathroom facilities, in-room tea and coffee making facilities, ample workspace, comfortable bedding and more. There is also a continental breakfast available each morning of your stay. You get all of this, plus excellent staff service, at one of the best budget prices found anywhere in Kensington.
To make the most of your trip make sure you get a hotel room that places you in the best spot in London for the best price you can find. Look at the rooms for reservation during the time of your trip at the City Continental Kensington London and you will find that it can be the perfect spot for you so you can get to see everything London has to offer.
Share this:
London Daily Photo: Ladbroke Grove
Share this:
Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged LADBROKE GROVE, London, London Daily Photo, london photographer, notting hill, Photography, street photography, west london, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
Leave a comment
Virtually Travel the World Without Leaving Your Hotel Room
The future of international travel? It might be staying put or so it seemed after I settled in to my room and got kitted out for demonstration of VRoom Service at The Marriott Hotel Park Lane a few days back.
Just launched this week, VRoom Service is a first-of-its-kind offer allowing guests to order “inspiring” virtual reality experiences to their rooms. Created in collaboration with Samsung Electronics America, VRoom represents the latest in a series of innovations by the Marriott International intended to change how people travel.
Currently being tested for two weeks at the London Marriott Park Lane and New York Marriott Marquis hotels (check with the individual properties for exact dates), VRoom can be requested to use for free by guests in the same manner as they might go about ordering room service meals or laundry pickup. Upon request, the VRoom gear is hand-delivered to the guest’s room along with instructions and left on loan for up to 24 hours.
Upon arrival at the hotel for my VRoom demo, I was whisked up to Room 238, a lush suite with views over Park Lane and out towards the northeast corner of Hyde Park, where the gear was presented to me in a utilitarian metal briefcase and consisted of a set of headphones, a clunky looking headset (think Daft Punk on holiday) and a Samsung mobile to be slid into the headset’s visor. The gear sat comfortably on my head as I settled in not to enjoy the local London scenery, but to take in the sights and sounds around an ice cream shop in Rwanda, admire the panorama from atop the Andes in Chile, and observe the bustle of street life in Beijing.
Those three scenarios were the settings of the short “VR Postcard” clips viewed via my headset. Described as “intimate and immersive travel stories” that follow “a real traveller on a journey to a unique destination,” the VR Postcards are designed to give viewers an enhanced experience while learning about a destination. Without being any sort of tech geek or audiophile, I have to say in layman’s terms that the visuals and sound were amazing.
My VRoom session was kinda mind blowing, if a little wonky. I was pleasantly transported away from London during the brief demo with all the hotel room trappings fading away for the short while I was immersed. Though, I must say I never lost awareness of the fact that there were two strangers – a hotel associate and a professional photographer sitting in the bedroom next to me – with an unknown number of Marriott reps and PR folk waiting just outside the door keen to speak to me about VRoom. Nevertheless, it was delightfully disconcerting to find during the Rwanda VR Postcard that the person who was talking was doing so behind me and I had to look over my shoulder to find her. While watching the same clip, it was slightly creepy (but in a neato sort of way) to glance down at my lap only to see the empty seat of a chair.
As novel as the demo was, the potential application of such technology seems vastly more impressive than the actual VR Postcards I watched. What if we could “virtually” view a hotel room before booking it? Or get wraparound 3D directions to a place we’ve never been before heading out? What if ordinary folks like you and me could send our own VR Postcards to friends and family when we travelled. In the future will people book hotel rooms to stay in and then spend a day VR sightseeing? Will bloggers be more likely to publish immersive VR posts instead of posts with only text, photos, or old school 2D videos?
The Marriot Hotel Park Lane is located at 140 Park Lane (at the Marble Arch end of the street), W1K 7AA. Find out more about VRoom Service at travel-brilliantly.marriott.com/our-innovations/vr-postcards.
Share this:
Posted in Entertainment, Hotels, London, Luxury, Travel
Tagged Entertainment, hotels, London, luxury, Marriot Hotel Park Lane, marriott, mayfair, park lane, SAMSUNG, technology, The Marriott Hotel Park Lane, Travel, Virtual reality, VRoom Service, W1K 7AA, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
1 Comment
London Daily Photo: Lane
Share this:
Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged brick lane, east london, London, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, street photography, tower hamlets, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
Leave a comment
September Issue of UK Cigar Scene Out Now
Issue Eight of the monthly UK Cigar Scene Magazine is now online and ready for download.
Each issue of UK Cigar Scene is free to download and includes a video interview with a key cigar personality along with news of events, gossip, and more stogie related info celebrating the specialists, their staff and the many personalities who enjoy a fine cigar here “in one of the world’s most energetic cigar scenes.”
The magazine is the creation of proprietor and editor (and my long time acquaintance), Nic Wing. The September issue features an interview with London jazz man and cigar lover, Ray Gelato. As with previous issues, I was pleased to do the still photography for the interview.
Have a look at ukcigarscene.com.
Share this:
Posted in Freebies, interview, London, Luxury, Photography, Shopping
Tagged cigars, CUBAN CIGARS, Darren Cioffi, free, freebies, interview, London, luxury, nic wing, Photography, Principle Cigars, Shopping, UK Cigar Scene, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
Leave a comment
