a record of ideas, the insightful, inspiring, insipid?!
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Holiday in Homes
One fine stay in London
A new London
accommodation service lets you stay in a gorgeous, posh home in a smart part of
town. And it's not even that pricey if there's a group of you
London calling ... St Mary's Gardens, a
Georgian terrace in Southwark
Staying in the home of a
local while travelling has become one of the major accommodation trends of the
last decade, with services such as Couchsurfing (where you stay for free),
Airbnb (paying low fees to crash
in someone's spare room) and homestays surging in popularity thanks to their
ability to offer a more authentic experience and enable the guest to "live like
a local" in a foreign city.
As much as this concept may appeal, and however upmarket some of the homes on
offer now are, for many travellers the approach involves one major turn-off:
having to hang out with the hosts. Yes Maria may be entertaining company, hilarious even, with fascinating
political views, but after a hard day's slog around museums, bars and
restaurants, can you honestly face even an hour of polite conversation? And
however much they urge you to "make yourself at home", if you were to sit on the
proffered couch cleaning out the gunk from under your toenails and working your
way through their DVD collection till 3am, chances are they would have something
to say about it. Which is why the latest live-like-a-local idea appeals so much more – because
you stay in their home while the hosts aren't there. Better than house-sitting, in that you have no responsibilities, more
interesting than a self-catered property or serviced apartment because the
owner's possessions, their style, their touch and their personality remain, One
Fine Stay's service essentially lets you borrow a posh house and pretend it's
yours for a while. They are calling it an "unhotel" and the houses come with
hotel-ish extras including luxurious towels, Wi-Fi, White Company toiletries and
a welcome pack of milk, cereal, sweets, fruit, tea and coffee.
The service launched a year
ago with six properties in London and currently offers
nearly 100, all in London, though there are plans to take it to New York and
Paris.
Most properties are the
main home of the owners, who tend to be away a lot. Among them are interior
designers, architects, theatre impresarios, entrepreneurs, ambassadors, a
children's author and a renowned sexologist. What they all have in common is a
tasteful home in an interesting, central area. The majority are in west and
central London, but recently I stayed at St Mary's
Gardens, a smart Georgian terrace in Southwark on a smart square just 15
minutes' walk from the South Bank, where I was greeted on the doorstep by a One
Fine Stay staff member in his socks. I don't think I've been asked to take my
shoes off at the door since I was a child but that's the rule at all of these
homes, in this case to protect some smart grey-painted floorboards. I was taken
on a quick tour and shown the no-go areas (some rooms and cupboards are cordoned
off, with little red stickers between door and door frame, so they will
know) before we settled on the kitchen benches to run through another
major selling point, the house iPhone. You can use it to make calls as if it
were your own, and it's loaded with a personalised One Fine Stay app, displaying
the house on a Googlemap, nearby tourist sites (the Imperial War Museum, London Eye) and a few decent local pubs,
shops and restaurants, favoured by the owner.
St Mary's
Gardens' kitchen
I used it later to find
somewhere for dinner, and although the modern, tarted up Tommyfield pub on Kennington
Lane wasn't exactly the "real British pub" described on the app, the chicken pie
and guinea fowl were pretty good. A few more recommendations, such as the
nearest corner shops and supermarkets would have been useful (it only listed
Borough Market), but these may be added, along with guests' tips, links to food
delivery companies, luxury taxis and "concierge" services which can make
bookings.
The house itself was gorgeous, not excessively luxurious, just a normal home
belonging to someone with good taste who can afford to shop at Alfies Antique
Market. The kitchen was full of bare wood, white tiles, vintage jars, pastel tin
mugs and jugs; the other rooms featured beautiful retro antique furniture, a
grandfather clock, quirky lamps, framed flags and artwork, including a Paula
Rego in the lounge and a glass cabinet full of old-fashioned chemistry bottles.
And there was a pleasantly overgrown garden out the back, with a table and
chairs, and a hammock. I had been told only one fact about the man behind the house, that he was a
psychiatrist. I lay on his couch, skimming through his book collection – Freud,
Susie Orbach and text books about cognitive behavioural therapy – and I tried to
analyse who the man behind the furniture might be. What was the meaning behind
certain motifs repeated throughout the house: crucifixion, the full moon,
masculinity and the male form. Two giant scribbled portraits of a man's face
loomed over the bed, others showed a blurred naked man, a young lad reading in a
window, one asleep (the Paula Rego), holding tortoises while he dreamed. The
illicit pleasure of poking through someone's stuff is practically encouraged
here. I even lay on the floor to look under the door into the forbidden room
(disappointingly it was full of boxes). I didn't turn the TV on once.
Every One Fine Stay home is
unique (one, Lighterman's
Walk, is a houseboat in Putney, £239 per night, sleeping six), all introduce
out-of-towners to an interesting part of London and, while they're not cheap,
the fact you get a whole house means they are much better value than a soulless
hotel and more of your money is going to individuals rather than
corporations.
St Mary's sleeps three and
costs £370 a night, but others are less. Ifield Road, a
one-bedroom garden flat in Chelsea, is £165 a night; a two-bedroom flat in
Covent Garden, Exchange Court, is
£190; Hillmarton Road in
Holloway sleeps three and is £151; while Church Row in
Hampstead sleeps five for £310 a night.
There is a problem in that availability is restricted, and the rules and
out-of-bounds areas might bother some, but this is a fantastic option for
staying in London.
A new UK-wide collection of
more than 700 properties, ranging from a one-bedroom apartment in
central London sleeping five from £190 per night, to a country home in the Cotswolds
sleeping 24 for around £1,125 a night. They are searchable by events, from
festivals to country shows, so if you're planning a trip to Edinburgh for the
fringe or were one of the lucky ones who managed to secure tickets to the
Olympics, check out the available homes now.
Europe's largest holiday
apartment booking website features more than 10,000 properties in 350
destinations, with 444 apartments available to rent in London alone. These
include a funky Clerkenwell
apartment that sleeps four, from £169 per night, and a Hoxton
loft sleeping three, from £141 per night. Prices are per property.
As well as its core
collection of gorgeous boutique hotels, Mr & Mrs Smith
also offers 120 stylish, hand-picked, self-catering houses
and apartments worldwide. Prices reflect the location and the level of luxury. A
beautiful three-bedroom
townhouse in one of London's most expensive addresses (Regent's Park) costs
an eye-watering £1,350–£2,150 a day (sleeping up to 10) but a rustic timber
retreat on Australia's Great Ocean Road sleeping up to six is a more
affordable £115.
Short-term rentals in 184
countries range from staying in single bedrooms in someone's home while they're
there, to absolutely jaw-dropping luxury lofts and penthouses you get all to
yourself. In New York, one apartment in Greenwich Village
which sleeps three costs $199 a night, while a room in SoHo on trendy Thompson
Street costs $80 a night. There are also treehouses, boats, villas, beach
huts
Puts you in touch with
friendly hosts with a spare room in their home. The focus is on budget places to
stay, and meeting new people who can introduce you to the city. There are rooms
in cities all over the world, predominantly the US, UK and Australia, and they
are rated by previous users. In Brisbane
single rooms cost from AU$20, in London
they're from £15 for a space in a sitting room, or from £30 for a single
room.
Another website renting out
rooms, whole apartments or houses in cities all over the world. The site shows
details of the host. In Paris, a flat
in Montmatre with views of Sacre Coeur, costs $146 per night for two people
– the host is an America photographer but he won't be around while you stay.
There are special pages for finding accommodation in London during the
Olympics next year and for the Rugby World Cup
in New Zealand later this year.
With 272 city destinations
around the world, including Argentina, South Africa, India and China, this site
focuses on short-term rentals that enable you to live like a local. In Ibiza you
could choose a spare
room in an apartment in Ibiza Town near Space and Pacha from €65, or a luxurious
hillside villa above St Eulalia, which sleeps 10, for €8,000 a week.
Aiming to create an
"accommodation community" with a network of properties for independent
travellers in the homes of people with shared interests (eg, a London marathon
runner stays with a New York marathon runner for the event). The owner's picture
and profile are displayed with each property, even when you are borrowing the
whole place and won't meet them, such as a stylish two-bed
apartment in Essaouira, Morocco, from £50 a night. Some properties specify
that they are only available to friends of friends of the founder, including a
"shabby
chic" apartment with pool and sun terrace in Javea, northern Spain, from £50
a night, with two bedrooms sleeping up to five – though this is a demographic
that's set to keep growing. There's a top 10 listing for the best hosts; and
users of the site must create a profile which could potentially be considered
grounds for rejection of a potential guest if they don't like the look of
you.
# posted by banana chocolate chip muffin @ 12/03/2010 02:04:00 am
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Next yoga mat purchase
The Manduka Eko Superlite is definitely the yoga mat that I want! For US$36, I get a lightweight mat (2 lbs), but much more sturdy and better support than the Gaiam travel mat (1lbs).
# posted by banana chocolate chip muffin @ 9/28/2010 06:45:00 am
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
A Picture on the Wall? Why Not Do the Whole Wall?
NY Times. By SONIA ZJAWINSKI
Published: July 14, 2010
While digital cameras have largely shoved aside film cameras, how we store and show off our snapshots has changed little since the heyday of Kodachrome. Overstuffed shoeboxes have simply been replaced with cluttered hard drives and Flickr streams, leatherbound albums supplanted by Facebook uploads.
Luckily, however, one perk of the digital age is the opportunity to use printing techniques and materials once reserved for professionals.
Some of these can take favorite photos and turn them into works of art that go beyond oversize prints, like custom wallpaper, murals and decals. The services cost more than the one-hour photo hut, but the results can be stunning.
GOING BIG Home printers tend to top out at 8-by-10-inch formats, but Shutterfly (shutterfly.com) offers 11-by-14, 16-by-20 and 20-by-30-inch prints starting at $8. Images are professionally printed on high-grade paper.
And Shutterfly is relatively foolproof — upload an image, crop it as desired and select a size. The order is delivered within a few business days. One caveat is that the service is limited in terms of professional help. If an image has imperfections, find someone to help or go with a service that offers more help. Shutterfly’s paper sizes also have limits, so photos with an unorthodox crop may come with a white border to be snipped off at home.
STRETCHING ONTO CANVAS Some companies offer the option to print onto a stretched canvas. The effect is instant art, ready to be hung. Canvas Pop (canvaspop.com) specializes in taking everyday photos, including candids snapped with a camera phone, and blowing them up without losing detail. Company technicians work on each image to ensure that an iPhone photo looks as good stretched across four feet as it does on a 4.5-inch screen. When comparing two shots, one from an iPhone and the other by a professional with a digital single-lens reflex camera, the difference in quality had more to do with each camera’s (and photographer’s) abilities than the printing technique. Canvas tends to work well with images that have a little motion in them, since the material’s texture softens the movement rather than making it glaringly obvious as it would on a glossy print.
After the printing, the canvas is finished with a matte laminate, which guarantees against cracking, fading or bubbling for life. If the canvas ages over the years, the company will replace it free. Sizes start at 8-by-10 inches ($30-$70 depending on finishing options) and go to 24-by-72 inches ($219-$419). Diptychs, triptychs or quads may be made out of a single image. Wood frames are available for a more polished look.
THE EVER-POPULAR COLLAGE Oddly, it takes a lot of planning to achieve that haphazard scattering of hanging photos. CollageWall, a Web service, can help streamline the process. The service, at collagewall.com, offers templates for dragging and dropping digital images, but custom collages are possible, too. The photos themselves are printed on professional paper with a luster finish, for the color benefits of glossy stock with the fingerprint resistance of matte.
Then the photos are attached to a black Styrene mounting board. I chose to scan old family photos to enlarge them with the service and was pleased with the results, though the unusual sizes — CollageWall says it is too difficult to create a uniform layout using traditional photo dimensions — made the process a bit lengthy. I struggled for hours to figure out which photos could be cropped into narrow rectangles and which would work better as squares, but the result was a unique composition that gave my black-and-white family heirlooms a modern touch. Prices range from $50 for 1.5-by-1-foot arrangements to $343 for a 6-x-3-foot collage.
TURNING TO VINYL Without the limitations of a home printer, the options for personalization are wide, even stretching to home décor. Wallhogs (wallhogs.com) specializes in turning digital photos into vinyl decals. And while the result can often seem like a novelty, it proves to be quite a crafty medium.
Instead of printing a square decal, Wallhogs creates a specific cutout. In my test, I used an image of my cat sprawled across the couch. I asked Wallhogs to include just the cat and couch, deleting the window behind her. The result allowed me to supersize the old photos on the refrigerator with a graphic that spreads from one side of the door to the other. It was so lifelike that my calico’s sibling stopped in her tracks when she saw it.
The vinyl is reusable (up to five times), and it can be peeled off without damaging a wall or a door. Wallhogs offers materials for indoor or outdoor decals. While other companies start at life-size and just go bigger, Wallhogs offers decals starting at 12 inches ($13) and the sizes can go up to seven feet for $90.
MAKE A MURAL If Wallhogs’ seven-foot decals aren’t large enough, there is always the option to go big. Crazy big. Wizard Prints (wizardprints.com) specializes in supersize images (it can accommodate almost any size and shape) onto a variety of materials including adhesives that can be stretched across a floor and trampled on, textured fabrics that easily affix to walls, as well as canvases and traditional prints on textured fine art paper and heavyweight photo paper.
The company’s wall mural fabric is made out of printable polyester that is lightweight enough to stay in place with a low tack adhesive. That sticky back is gentle on walls, too. Prices vary widely, depending on the image and size. I had the company produce a 42-by-56-inch mural, for $149.
Unlike more basic printing services, Wizard Print can work with images that have been cropped to an irregular size. It also provides postproduction help for people who are not skilled at Photoshop. Want that Hawaiian beach landscape to be a wee bit longer? Wizard Print can use so-called liquid expansion to stretch an image while keeping it proportional. It can even remove unwanted items, so the FedEx truck lurking in the background doesn’t ruin a portrait.
COVER THE WHOLE WALL The 1970s brought sunsets and woodland scenes to people’s walls. For a more contemporary spin, Design Your Wall (designyourwall.com) turns images into custom sheets of wallpaper. An array of materials is available, including Terralon, polyester and natural fiber that contains more than 30 percent recycled materials, plus heavyweight vinyl and more textured materials like grass cloth. Prices are by the square foot, from $7.95 for heavy artist canvas to $9.25 for Mylar or foil.
Getting an image to a wall is a longer process, with considerable back and forth between customer and company, which makes sense since your final product is far more permanent than, say, hanging a canvas on the wall. A company representative works with a customer to discuss the best material for the image, and scaled-down versions of an order are printed on the materials under consideration for $5 each.
Any of these options of decorating with photos is bound to be better than a stack of dusty photo-filled shoeboxes.
1. Lancashire The latest addition to the UK’s growing gastro-tourist scene is Lancashire’s Ribble Valley Food Trail, which "opens" today. The trail is dotted around the market town of Clitheroe and the Forest of Bowland. Visitors create their own route between 36 hand-picked pubs, restaurants and local producers in a corner of England often overshadowed by its more famous Lakeland neighbour. Featured purveyors range from Lancashire's superb artisan cheese and ice-cream makers to a microbrewery in a barn and the Michelin starred restaurant at Northcote Manor. Look out for Peter Ascroft’s purple carrots and golden beetroot on the area’s menus.
2. Devon Exeter sets up a restaurant trail at the first big event of the UK food calendar each year, the South West Food and Drink Festival (April 13-14). But the best trails are the routes offered by the county tourism organisation Discover Devon that cover the South Hams, East Devon and the Tamar Valley. Sharpham vineyard, an oyster shack, South Devon chilli farm and communal lunches using fresh-from-the-field produce at Riverford Field Kitchen, in Buckfastleigh, all feature on well-mapped routes that can be followed by public transport. (0870 6085531; discoverdevon.com/foodanddrink)
3. Herefordshire The Flavours of Herefordshire Food Trail takes in asparagus and soft fruit farms, the orchards of cider and perry makers and the rising uplands on either side of the River Wye, home to some of the best lamb and mutton in the country. (01432-260621; www.visitherefordshire.co.uk)
4. Yorkshire Gourmet Yorkshire has devised six drive-yourself trails that start and end in York. Absorbing pit-stops include a water buffalo farm in Brompton, Stanforth’s Celebrated Pork Pie Establishment in Skipton, and Ryelands of Helmsley who make locally grown lavender and brown bread ice cream. Markets and lunch venues are well chosen, such as the Good Food Guide’s readers’ restaurant of the year 2008, the Yorke Arms at Ramsgill. (www.gourmetyorkshire.co.uk)
5. The South East England Wine Trail More of a map than a trail the region’s wine producers have published a colourful leaflet showing 20 of the best vineyards from south Oxfordshire to Kent. Many offer tours, tastings, restaurants and even “destination” B&B style accommodation such as at Denbies Estate, near Dorking. Sample sparkling wine to rival French champagne at RidgeView Estate on the Sussex Downs, German grape varieties at Leeds Castle Vineyard and the unlikely pinot noir reds from Bookers Vineyard in West Sussex. (www.BuyLocalFood.co.uk)
Swiss-based Akris is championed by WSJ as the understated luxury brand of choice:
Boardroom alert: Any woman looking for a soft yet powerful pantsuit can look to Akris designer Albert Kriemler. The pants he showed here were cut smartly with enough give to move around the leg. This was in contrast to the many skinny-pants and huge-legged slacks we’ve seen on other runways. The jackets, of course, were never loud. The look whispered wealth and good taste. Fabrics, including a luscious beige suede used for some jackets, looked soft enough to wrap around a baby.
Mr. Kriemler, who is both Swiss and a fan of architecture, works with line and texture and clearly has no patience for second-class products or workmanship. He also added elements of art to dresses; there was airy fabric folded in sharp vertical frills or cut in tiles. The colors were black, gray, rust, blue gray and soft mauves.
Even when Mr. Kriemler tries something trendy — the suede tunics and tile-like dresses had the look of the 1970s, but with a more modern minimalism — he manages to make it timeless.
Forget poky rooms, creaky stairs and the stale smell of fry-ups - the British seaside B&B has reinvented itself. We asked the inspectors from two respected B&B guides - Alastair Sawday's and the AA's - to reveal their favourites
The Observer, Sunday May 25 2008 Chydane House, on the spectacular Gunwalloe Fishing Cove in Cornwall
England South West Southcliffe Hall Lee, Devon
This grandly idiosyncratic house overlooks the sea and is full of interesting touches - an Argentinian chandelier, antique French radiators and rediscovered Victorian garden. Vast bedrooms have rich carpets and big beds. Bathrooms are fabulous one-offs, with roll-top baths and porcelain loos. Take tea in the drawing room or on the terraces, dine in the panelled dining room and enjoy local produce at breakfast. Spot deer in the woodland, walk to the beach, or hike along the coast.
· 01271 867068; southcliffehall.co.uk; doubles from £100
Chydane Gunwalloe Fishing Cove, Cornwall
All that separates you from sand and sea is the coastal path. This delightful house has two elegant double rooms for guests. One, with a superb bed and a Chesterfield, opens onto a French balcony overlooking the waves. Upstairs is a second room with a porthole window and a new bathroom. In both there are thick white bathrobes, lovely candles and big showers. At the far end of the marvellous three-mile beach is Porthleven. All this, plus lighthouses, basking sharks, and dolphins.
· 01326 241232; chydane.co.uk; doubles from £100
Halftides Helston, Cornwall
Surrounded by three acres, and with a private path down to the beach, this peaceful hideaway has three funky bedrooms, not huge but filled with light. You'll find gorgeous fabrics, pure white walls, crisp bedding and dreamy views. Bathrooms are sleek in glass and chrome. Landlady Susie is an artist and chef and serves up a delicious organic breakfast and a dinner of seasonal food - perhaps a barbecue in the garden in summer. Walk the coastal path, visit the working harbour in the village - or grab a packed lunch from Susie and head for the beach. This is the perfect place to relax and unwind.
· 01326 241935; halftides.co.uk; doubles from £80
Jamies St Ives, Cornwall
Felicity and Jamie are wonderful hosts and take pride in welcoming guests to their comfortable and spacious house, which has bags of character. It's at Carbis Bay, a 15-minute walk from the hubbub of the St Ives seafront. Breakfast is really special here - cooked by Jamie and served at a delightful large round table. Bedrooms are spacious and comfortable with a minimalist, contemporary feel, and all have sea views.
· 01736 794718; jamiesstives.co.uk; doubles from £100
Bangors Organic Bude, Cornwall
Shortlisted for this year's AA 'Funkiest B&B of the year' award, this Victorian farmhouse has four rooms spread between main house, coach house and stables, some with sea views. Food for breakfast and dinner comes from the five-acre organic smallholding that surrounds the property.
· 01288 361297; bangorsorganic.co.uk; doubles from £100
South Baron's Hall Climping, West Sussex
A delightful one-bedroom hideaway within a seven-minute walk of the unspoilt beach. You have your own self-contained annexe to a listed Georgian house, complete with private entrance and its own large garden. In the 17th century it was a humble shelter but the thatch and beams are immaculate now. There is white bedding on the big brass bed, a rich rug on the dark floorboards, small armchairs, a hat stand for clothes and a fine chest of drawers. It's luxurious but cosy, with a shower room to match.
· 01903 713314; baronshall.co.uk; doubles from £85
Willow Tree House Rye, East Sussex
This is a gem of a place. Owners Simon and Wendy are really trying hard to establish a top-notch B&B. He used to work in the printing business and she was a PA in a large American company. They have done a 'Grand Design' and a 'No Going Back' all in one, converting what is a grade-two listed building into something very special, and spending a fortune in the process (£8,500 on radiators alone!). The six rooms are all very different in size but very tastefully furnished and decorated. The owners are loving doing their first B&B, and score really highly on hospitality and service.
· 01797 227820; willow-tree-house.com; doubles from £80
The White House Brighton
Tucked away in a quiet corner (yes it is possible) near Kemp Town, this sleek, modern B&B even boasts its own walled garden, where in warm weather you can enjoy a breakfast professionally cooked by owner/chef Sean Edlin. Everything is white, clean and bright, with carefully chosen bits and bobs to remind you that you're at the seaside - but at the same time a feeling of tranquillity prevails. There are iron bedsteads, puffy pillows and duvets, and fab modern bathrooms with fancy toiletries. Sean and his partner Kathryn are a super-friendly, easy-going couple who have put their soul into providing a laid-back setting in this boisterous city.
· 01273 626266; whitehousebrighton.com; doubles from £85
Snooze Brighton
As funky as Brighton itself, this 10-room B&B has a hotch-potch of vintage, retro and otherwise interesting furnishings and décor - somewhere between shabby chic and retro, with other periods thrown in for good measure. Quality doesn't suffer here either: beds are well dressed with Egyptian cotton and an assortment of quilts and throws. Owners Paul Munton and Tony Mead provide warm hospitality and cheerful service as well as a yummy breakfast selection in the delightfully colourful and light-filled dining room.
· 01273 605797; snoozebrighton.com; doubles from £75
Amherst Hotel Brighton
Five minutes' walk from Palace Pier, the Amherst has eight rooms, with neutral decor, nice bed linen, good showers and hairdryers and generous supplies of Molton Brown toiletries. Breakfast is served in the bedroom.
· 01273 670131; amhersthotel.co.uk; doubles from £90
Zanzibar Hastings
Is it a B&B or a boutique hotel? The Zanzibar is exactly the kind of property that is blurring the line between the two. Right on the seafront promenade, it has eight rooms - each themed around a different country and as stylish as any hotel - sensational breakfasts, but no restaurant or reception desk: you get your own key to the front door. Definitely the best place to stay in town. Some rooms have epic sea views.
· 01424 460109; zanzibarhotel.co.uk; doubles from £99
East Fern Cottage Wells-Next-The-Sea, Norfolk
This elegant Georgian house is a short walk from the bustling harbour and shops. Owners Linda and Richard have thought of everything to make you happy. Peaceful bedrooms look onto the courtyard and have large beds, dear little fireplaces and modern art; bathrooms are light and fresh. A traditional English breakfast sets you up for walks, fishing, golfing and cycling (there's bike storage), a steam train trip to Walsingham or a day on the beach in your very own candy-striped hut. Birdwatchers will particularly love it here, especially in autumn, when the pink-footed geese arrive.
· 01328 710306; ferncottage.co.uk; doubles from £70
Blakeney House Blakeney, Norfolk
This stunning Victorian manor house set in two acres of attractive landscaped grounds is a short walk from the quay and town centre. The eight stylish, individually decorated bedrooms have co-ordinated fabrics and many thoughtful touches; some rooms have superb views. Breakfast is served at individual tables in the smart dining room, which overlooks the well-stocked front garden.
· 01263 740561; blakeneyhouse.com; doubles from £90
Incleborough House Cromer, Norfolk
You can look forward to tea and home-made cake on arrival at this large, award-winning, 17th-century property, which has been lovingly restored by the current owners. The attractively decorated bedrooms are carefully furnished with co-ordinated fabrics; one of the bathrooms has a plasma screen TV tiled into the wall. The spacious public areas include a luxurious drawing room with leather sofas and an open fireplace. Breakfast is served in the large open-plan conservatory, which has a lush indoor tropical garden. The price includes afternoon tea, plus wine, chocolates, fruit and soft drinks in your room.
· 01263 515939; incleboroughhouse.co.uk; doubles from £150
Sutherland House Southwold, Suffolk
Expect a warm welcome at this delightful 15th-century house in the heart of the bustling town centre. The property has a wealth of original character, including oak beams, exposed brickwork, open fireplaces and two superb ornate plasterwork ceilings. The three stylish bedrooms are tastefully decorated, with co-ordinated fabrics and individual features. Downstairs is a large open-plan contemporary restaurant that specialises in local food.
· 01502 724 544; sutherlandhouse.co.uk; doubles from £140
North Crown House Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Scarborough... bracing walks, salty air, fresh fish, buckets and spades. This B&B is in a charming listed house in respectable South Cliff, moments from the Esplanade. Inside, the light-filled rooms are stylish and restful, and have lovely bathrooms and contemporary furniture. Barbara, thoughtful and fun, serves great breakfasts (and juices just-squeezed) at a good oval table that seats up to 10. Enjoy coastline and castles by day, home baking on your return. There are books and CDs to borrow, cats to admire, and a theatre just down the road.
· 01723 375401; crownhousescarborough.co.uk; doubles from £80
Bramblewick Robin Hood's Bay, North Yorkshire
This 17th-century building in a historic village is just a few steps from the beach. It has a wonderful atmosphere, with low beams and lots of character, but the three quaint bedrooms are full of modern comforts. There is an emphasis on quality Yorkshire produce in the candlelit restaurant, which is a popular cafe during the day. Cars can stop briefly in the village, to drop off or pick up passengers; parking available just a few minutes' walk away.
· 01947 880339; bramblewick.org; doubles from £65
Estbek House Sandsend, Near Whitby
There are four charming double rooms in this Georgian building in the pretty village of Sandsend, as well as a contemporary restaurant. Guests can take pre-dinner drinks in the ground-floor bar, where they can see into the open-plan kitchen; staff are on hand to advise on the seafood menu or extensive wine list.
· 01947 893424; estbekhouse.co.uk; doubles from £90
The Windmill B&B Scarborough
This quirky and unique B&B is tucked away in its own cobbled courtyard in the town centre. The main building is an 18th-century windmill and two apartments are reached by a steep staircase around the outside, which can be rented on a B&B or self-catering basis. The breakfast room is on the ground floor and is also a toy museum (not open to the public) with display cases of treasures that will remind everyone of their childhood. Most bedrooms are in annexe buildings around the courtyard, with some on the ground floor, and four-poster rooms on the first.
· 01723 372735; scarborough-windmill.co.uk; doubles from £64, apartments from £85
Number One St Luke's Blackpool
Winner of VisitBritain's Best B&B in Britain award in 2007, this plush property is a few minutes' walk from the seafront in the South Shore area. There are king-size beds in each of the three bedrooms, with Egyptian cotton bed linen and Siberian goose down pillows. Owners Mark and Claire have now expanded with a second property, Number One South Beach, which has sea views and 14 guest rooms.
· 01253 343901; numberoneblackpool.com; and 01253 343900; numberonesouthbeach.com; doubles from £120
Broome Bamburgh Northumberland
This completely surprising one-storey house is full of beautiful things. It is an Aladdin's cave and sits in the middle of a coastal village with access to miles of sandy beaches. The breakfast room is its hub and has a country cottage feel; enjoy locally smoked kippers here, award-winning 'Bamburgh Bangers' and home-cured bacon from the village butcher. There's also a sheltered courtyard full of colourful pots where you can breakfast in the sun. Guests have a cheerful sitting/dining room and bedrooms with fresh flowers and good books. Landlady Mary is welcoming and has stacks of local knowledge.
· 01668 214287; lindisfarne.org.uk/bamburgh/broome; doubles from £75
Scotland Dun Na Mara Benderloch, Near Oban
Twenty paces from the door, past the standing stone, is a sweep of private beach and - on a clear day - dazzling views to Mull. This Arts & Crafts house has been given a minimalist makeover by Mark and Suzanne - former architects and friendly hosts. The result is a luminous interior of low-slung beds, quilted throws, cream bucket chairs, sensual bathrooms, colourful cushions and sea views from three bedrooms. Breakfast on banana and walnut porridge, kedgeree or the full Scottish works; end the day with sherry in the sitting room, magazines, DVDs, beautiful art and books.
· 01631 720233; dunnamara.com; doubles from £90
Tigh An Dochais Isle Of Skye
A contemporary, award-winning, 'see-through' house on a narrow strip of land between the road and the rocky shoreline, this place has stunning views across Broadford Bay to the mountains beyond. Full-length windows and a cathedral ceiling allow light to flood into an oak-floored sitting room with a wood-burner and super modern art. Downstairs are bedrooms with crisp white linen, tartan throws and modern bathrooms. Neil is passionate about local food: try black pudding from Stornoway at breakfast, good fish and game for supper. Step straight on to the beach here, or stride out for the hills.
· 01471 820022; skyebedbreakfast.co.uk; doubles from £70
Wales Fynnon Fendigaid Llandysul, Ceredigion
You arrive through rolling countryside - birdsong on the breeze the only sound - to this old farmhouse. Within moments you will be sprawled on a leather sofa admiring modern art and wondering how a little bit of Milan arrived here. A place to come and pootle, with no rush; you can stay all day to pick gently through the gardens, or opt for hearty walking. Either way your bed is big, the bathrooms are luxurious and the food is local - try all the Welsh cheeses. Wide beaches are minutes away; red kites and buzzards soar above you.
· 01239 851361; ffynnonf.co.uk; doubles from £60
Llys Meddog, Newport, Pembrokeshire
This six-room property is probably more hotel than B&B, but we couldn't resist it. In a Georgian townhouse, the rooms have fluffy towels and Aveda products, but it's the food that keeps people coming back, with dishes such as calamari stew, fresh crab cakes, marinated lamb cutlets, and some top-notch puddings.
· 01239 820008; llysmeddyg.com; doubles from £90
· To order a copy of Alastair Sawday's British Bed and Breakfast, for £12.73, including UK p&p (rrp £14.99), go to sawdays.co.uk/bookshop/britain/bbb/. To order the AA's 2008 Bed & Breakfast Guide for £11.99 (rrp £12.99) including UK p&p go to observer.co.uk/bookshop or call 0870 836 0885. The winners of the AA's Bed and Breakfast awards will be announced on 4 June, see http://aahospitalityawards.com/bb.htm.
Surfing, Ireland While mammoth waves such as those off the coast of Co Clare have hogged Irish surfing headlines, it's best to learn on something a little less punchy. Head to Rossnowlagh Beach in Co Donegal, just north of the "surf capital" Bundoran. We like its gently crumbling waves and fantastically named surf school. Fin McCool (00 35 3 86804 9909, donegalsurfing.com) has an international pro tour judge as head instructor and daily lessons for £28.
· Stay nearby at cosy Heron's Cover (00353 71982 2070, heronscove.ie) with two nights' B&B and one dinner for £118pp. Fly to Donegal from Glasgow with aerarann.com, or London to Derry with ryanair.com.
This seems to be one of the very few with a shared bath for both genders. Osenkaku Ryokan in Gunma. "It is about a 2 hour and 15 minute ride from JR Ueno train station in Tokyo to JR Minakami train station."
# posted by banana chocolate chip muffin @ 5/05/2008 01:45:00 am
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Bathing Beauties, a linear gallery of bold new beach huts and other seaside structures with innovative architecture along the Lingcolnshire coast.
My favourite is the Jabba. A curvelicious multi-coloured wooden blob/swirl. Yummy and refreshing. It is curious how many of the other designs have not branched out of the traditional "architect's" themes.
# posted by banana chocolate chip muffin @ 9/11/2007 01:49:00 am
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Copenhagen annual Crafts Fair, the site is mostly in Danish but quite easy to navigate. My favourite works were the thinware as seen here, thin almost translucent works in pale beige.
Design for the other 90% at the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum. Very cool and world-changing stuff! Particularly like the Q drum, allowing one child to easily transport 75 litres of water.
Also led me to the Potters for Peace, who teach locals how to make an effective water filter.
# posted by banana chocolate chip muffin @ 5/30/2007 04:48:00 am
Monday, May 21, 2007
Eco-tecture article in the NY Times WorldChanging.com . World Changing works from a simple premise: that the tools, models and ideas for building a better future lie all around us. That plenty of people are working on tools for change, but the fields in which they work remain unconnected. That the motive, means and opportunity for profound positive change are already present. That another world is not just possible, it's here. We only need to put the pieces together.
# posted by banana chocolate chip muffin @ 5/21/2007 12:40:00 am
Monday, May 14, 2007
Need to email habitat for humanity for HK and China. They have projects in Guangdong, Guangxi (nanning!!), Yunnan and Hong Kong.
Build with Habitat: For more information please contact Daniel Taylor (dtaylor@habitatchina.org). Inquiries from Hong Kong may also contact our Hong Kong office (Habitathk@biznetvigator.com).
Volunteer openings: To inquire please contact our Administrative Office (admin@habitatchina.org). You may also contact our Hong Kong Office (Habitathk@biznetvigator.com).
Winnie So of Wanlilu has an interesting blog at little cream life. Lots of interesting links, including to Monocle, "wallpaper* for grown-ups". Looks like a video-format world affairs / fashion magazine. Need to check it out.
Tortilla Heaven - Isidor’s Tortilla Heaven is the best restaurant in New Mexico, maybe even the world. But though his tortillas are scrumptious, his enchiladas divine, Isidor has never made a dime. Why? He lives in Falfurrias, population 73. One Sunday, while all the town, including his wife and son, are piously praying mass, a miracle occurs. Upon one of his famous, hand-made tortillas appears the face of Jesus Christ.
After the Wedding - Jacob (Mads Mikkelsen) has dedicated his life to helping street kids in India. When the orphanage he’s in charge of is under the threat of closure, he receives an unusual offer. A Danish businessman, Jorgen (Rolf Lassgard), offers him a donation of $4 million. But there are certain conditions attached. Jacob must come to Denmark. And he must attend the wedding of Jorgen’s daughter. The wedding becomes a landmark meeting between past and future and puts Jacob in the dilemma of his life.
Wild Tigers I have Known - Logan is a soft spoken and lonely 13 year old boy with a crush. Unlike his equally lonely friend Joey, who obsesses over the sexual exploits of the popular boys, Logan is fixated on the boys themselves, particularly Rodeo Walker. Rodeo is the only one of the group of cool kids who shows any friendliness towards Logan, in other words, he doesn’t go out of his way to make Logan’s life miserable. As they strike up a mismatched friendship, Logan’s infatuation with Rodeo inspires him to create a new persona named Leah. Leah and Rodeo grow close through whispered late night phone calls, and when Leah agrees to meet Rodeo face to face it is Logan who must finally prove that he can ask for what he so achingly wants.
# posted by banana chocolate chip muffin @ 3/05/2007 05:15:00 am
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Saw The Lives of Others on the big screen, a dignified yet human beacon of hope, running through a gamut of topics on principles, emotion and history. Renewed my feeling of the power of cinema. The sheer scale envelopes the viewer into another reality.
# posted by banana chocolate chip muffin @ 3/04/2007 09:17:00 am
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
No matter how much you hear about Australia's breathtaking beauty, nothing can prepare you for just how stunning it actually is. In the midst of all that beauty lies the Fleurieu Peninsula. Its staggering splendour encompasses soaring red-stone cliffs alongside glorious countryside flanked by endless beaches with the famous wineries of McClaren Vale snaking along its craggy coastline. Also to be found there, perched on a cliff in the tiny village of Port Willunga, is possibly the most romantic restaurant in the world - the Star of Greece (00 61 88 55 77 420).
Named after a shipwreck, the Star of Greece appears to be little more that a tarted-up tin shack perched on a cliff with a sheer drop to the sea. Step inside, though, and you find a large, sunny dining room with breathtaking 360-degree views of aquamarine sea and blinding white beaches. I went for lunch and ended up leaving my heart at table 12. What started as a simple date, assisted by a combination of great cooking, a fun chilled-out vibe and some rather fine Cloudy Bay, resulted in my falling head over heels in love by the time my starter arrived. Baked Streaky Bay oysters with a pancetta and garlic crumb were just gorgeous, as was the pan-fried chilli squid, which moments before had been swimming in the very sea at which I was gazing. Surrounded as I was by happy smiling people, it felt as if, as one, we all sensed we had found a little piece of heaven on earth.
For more information about visiting the Piemonte region visit www.piemontefeel.it or call 00800 66677700. A four night stay at Cascina Papaveri starts from £446 per person. Price includes food, wine, two cookery lessons, market visit, Pilates and use of all facilities. Truffle hunts can be arranged in season. For further information call 0845 070 6925. Ryanair operates a daily service from London Stansted to Turin, with fares starting from £27 return including taxes and charges.
The locals are passionate about coffee and wine. If the number of cafes per head of population seems odd, I can only say it seems odder to a New Zealander that London is a city of 9 million people and one decent coffee bar (Bar Italia, but then you knew that). Waiheke Island, a 35-minute ferry ride from downtown Auckland, is home to some lovely vineyards; the best to eat at are Te Whau, Te Motu and Goldwater, where it is worth booking for the weekend lunches. Back in Auckland are dozens of options for Japanese, Thai and Korean food: the most characterful of these are Kura and Tanuki's Cave, sake bars on Queen Street.
Great holiday recommendations from the observer. TOURS TO OMAN! Yes, just what I have been dreaming about.
The expedition Where do you fancy this year? Spain? France? The Democratic Republic of Congo? The latter's not somewhere you'd usually consider, especially as the Foreign Office warns against all but essential travel to certain parts of it, but Undiscovered Destinations (0191 206 4038) has launched an 11-day adventure there. The trip includes the capital Kinshasa, a journey by dugout canoe and 4x4 into the rainforest and an encounter with pygmy culture, for £2,650 per person including flights; available from October.
The luxury escape Malaysia's Cameron Highlands is a stunning area of waterfalls, jungle trails and tea plantations high in the hills, 200km north of Kuala Lumpur. Now the region has a luxury retreat, in the shape of the Cameron Highlands Resort (00 800 9899 9999). The hotel embodies the colonial spirit of the Forties and Fifties and features a spa and golf course. Audley Travel (01869 276360) offers seven nights room-only from £1,115 per person, including flights and transfers.
The podcast Brazilian beer Brahma has joined forces with DJ Gilles Peterson to produce a series of six half-hour podcasts that chart his musical journey across Brazil, from the funk dancefloors of Rio to the underground electronica of Sao Paulo.
The website If you have a friend who lives 300 miles away, and you want to meet somewhere roughly in the middle, www.meethalfway.com can help you choose a location and venue. It calculates the equidistant spot using online mapping technology and lists activities and places of interest.
# posted by banana chocolate chip muffin @ 9/05/2006 04:08:00 am
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Chung, Melanie [mailto:mchung@harbourvest.com] Sent: Friday, June 16, 2006 6:07 PM To: Lui, Haide (GCM) Subject: RE:
Thanks for sending the article, I found a lot of truth in it.
“So what does a happy woman look like? She's probably in a romantic, generous relationship; is surrounded by family she is fond of, or by friends; works part-time or for herself and has plenty of autonomy and control over her time; is involved in the community; has activities or projects outside herself which are consuming and which provide her with a sense of flow; is physically active and has a more or less spiritual sense of something valuable beyond herself.”
Aren’t we not far from the qualities described above? For me, I just have to constantly battle a sense of anxiety – worries about what other ppl think, frustration at not being about to do better, fear of trusting, and maybe, just a feeling of lost and without meaning…
Melanie Chung HarbourVest Partners (Asia) Limited Citibank Tower Suite 1207 3 Garden Road Central Hong Kong Email: mchung@harbourvest.com Direct line: +852 2878 5630 General line: +852 2525 2214 Fax: +852 2525 2241
-----Original Message----- From: Lui, Haide (GCM) [mailto:Haide.Lui@morganstanley.com] Sent: Friday, June 16, 2006 5:40 PM To: Chung, Melanie Subject:
Love and friendship score highly on all tests of what makes people happy, although love is obviously also capable of making people very unhappy. When it goes well, love satisfies both the desire for self-fulfilment (love is a search for the self, to the very bottom) and the sometimes contradictory desire for recognition, approval and endorsement of identity. Lesley Garner believes that the kind of love that lasts 'is completely non-negotiable. It's never considering that there's an alternative. It's the ability to get cross without ever falling out. And it's about being more stricken by anxiety for the other person than for yourself.'
Haide Lui Morgan Stanley | Global Capital Markets 30/F, Three Exchange Square, Central | Floor 31 Hong Kong Phone: +852 2848-8171 Fax: +852 3407-5437 Haide.Lui@morganstanley.com
# posted by banana chocolate chip muffin @ 8/29/2006 01:22:00 am
Monday, August 28, 2006
NICOLAI OUROUSSOFF of the NY Times on the new Glass Pavilion at the Toledo Museum of Art, designed by the Japanese team of Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa
For me the meaning of Sanaa’s creation snapped into place when I arrived at an empty room overlooking the back garden. Lined with a few simple benches, this area was conceived as a contemplative space, a place to refuel mentally before venturing back into the galleries. In an age when museums are packed with bookstores, cafes and shops, persuading curators to keep this space empty must have been a triumph.
But it also reveals the architects’ awareness of the delicacy of their own creation. This is not a design that can easily sustain an endless crush of tourist traffic. It recognizes that emptiness, in our world, is increasingly a luxury.
It is not architecture with a Big Message. It is about empathy for the human condition. Once you drift outside again, the tree branches seem to sway more gently, the light feels softer, the world more tender. Most important, you are more attuned to the distances between people. There are few higher compliments you could pay a building.
# posted by banana chocolate chip muffin @ 8/28/2006 04:17:00 am
Thursday, August 10, 2006
London restaurants
1Osteria Posillipo, 14 Albion Street, Broadstairs, Kent (01843 601 133) According to a survey conducted by one British supermarket chain, the single most popular foreign cuisine among children in the UK is - wait for it - Italian. Of course it is, because Italians invented da-pizza-and-da-pasta, and if you want to have a nice quiet lunch where the little ones are wreathed in smiles rather than suspicious scowls, you could do much worse than this outpost of Italy on the Kent coast. Its location and large terrace overlooking the North Sea are a definite draw for families. On sunny days, the views over a sandy bay are uplifting; but so too is the drama of enormous waves breaking on the jetty when the weather turns rough. Inside, there's excellent seafood for the adults, exuberant chefs who spin pizza dough on their fingers and an atmosphere of genuine Neapolitan bonhomie.
2Duke of Cumberland Arms, Henley, West Sussex (01428 652 280)
If your idea of a family-friendly pub is one where climbing frames and plastic slides outside vie with fruit machines and a ball pond inside, then the 15th-century Duke of Cumberland (above) will come as a blessed relief. Children are positively welcomed here, but the diversions are all old-fashioned. Chief of these is the five-acre garden with its large trout ponds, where the kids can help fish out their own lunch before it is plainly roasted in the kitchen. They can also feed the fish, or play hide-and-seek between courses (the gold medal-winning Blackburn & Haynes ice cream, choux buns stuffed with cauliflower cheese and tuna cooked rare always fetch them back). Favourite family meal - ordered with 24 hours' notice - is the whole roast joint, served at your table for carving, with all the trimmings, at around £14 per head. Puddings are of the treacle tart variety, and the only mobile phones are those nailed to the wall.
3The Grove, Chandler's Cross, Hertfordshire (01923 807 807)
Rightly dubbed 'heaven for children', this country-house hotel just 40 minutes from London has several eateries that kids love. At the Stables (more Ralph Lauren than horsey house), which has a wood-burning oven centre-stage, it's all bangers and mash and home-made brownies. As well as the terrace and the dining room there are 300 acres to explore, complete with nature trails, lakes and beehives. Meanwhile, in the open kitchen of the Glasshouse young tyrants can help themselves to salads of confit baby octopus and artichokes, then watch their prawns being wok-fried. Any boredom is allayed by an Ofsted-inspected nursery-cum-kids' club, which entertains children for £5 an hour and proposes tennis, swimming, painting, cooking, treasure hunts, and anything else that does not involve slumping in front of a screen.
# posted by banana chocolate chip muffin @ 8/10/2006 03:00:00 am
You don't need to ditch your friends, just reassess the way you are measuring your own success. ... Try to remember that your friends are the same people you once had so much in common with. Don't be shy of suggesting places you can afford to have dinner. Coming round to your house for a casual get-together is doubtless as appealing an invite as it ever was. Since when was a successful evening measured by the size of the dining table? Stop sitting around feeling sorry for yourself and measuring success by standards you probably don't even believe in. Every single day that you manage to enjoy to the maximum is worth far more than six noughts on a bank statement. It's easy to envy money; the challenge is to lead a good life.
# posted by banana chocolate chip muffin @ 8/10/2006 01:11:00 am
When Ben and Charlotte Hollins lost their grandfather last year, they faced a race against time to save his pioneering organic farm from the developers. Now, with the help of 7,000 investors, their buyout has left a whiff of revolution in the country air. Lucy Siegle reports
"... Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) is difficult to propagate by convenient methods like grafting, and when raised from seed takes 8 to 10 years or longer to bear fruit, a major disincentive for aspiring growers. ... There’s something about the mangosteen, amplified by its longtime unavailability, that has driven its devotees to obsession and hyperbole. Thus Rudyard Kipling wrote in 1902, entranced by the fruit’s mystique, “You’ll know what my riddle means / When you’ve eaten mangosteens.”
VISITOR INFORMATION Travelers usually fly to Ulan Bator, Mongolia’s capital, through Beijing or Moscow. The Trans-Mongolian train that runs between Beijing and Moscow also stops in Ulan Bator. I flew on Air China from Beijing to Ulan Bator one way for 2,280 Chinese yuan (about $292, at 7.8 yuan to $1) and took the train back. Because I bought my train ticket at the station in Ulan Bator, it cost about $80 (as is usually the case for travelers from the United States, I was charged in dollars, rather than in local currency, the tugrik) for a berth in a soft-sleeper compartment. In summer, tickets often sell out quickly. Except for my air fare and my stay at the Puma hotel, I paid cash for everything. In Ulan Bator, we hired a driver and cook through a woman named Daka at Chez Bernard, a popular Belgian-owned travelers’ cafe on Peace Avenue. Chez Bernard operates a travel agency, Happy Camel. Daka’s local cell phone is (976) 998-44844. For a 14-day road trip through northern and central Mongolia, we paid $33 each a day. The cost was for a group of four people and included the services of a driver and cook, food, gas, tent rental and accommodation, often in ger camps. Travelers often tip the driver and cook at the end of these trips. At Khovsgol Lake, we hired our horses and guides for the three-day trek through Ganbaa, the owner of the Monkh Saridag ger camp (lake-hovsgol@yahoo.com or horseride-ms@yahoo.com, 976 998-12323) in a settlement called Khatgal on the southern shore. We paid $5 a horse a day, and $10 for each guide and his horse. For our group of four travelers and a cook, we hired five riding horses, two packhorses and two guides with their own horses. We paid for four days because of the guides’ travel time from and to their home. Two nights in a ger, at the start and end of the trek, were included in the price. The total cost for our group was $220.
WHERE TO STAY Ulan Bator has a range of accommodation. At the Zaya Backpacker Hostel, (976-316-696) off Peace Avenue, a double room costs 18,700 tugrik or about $17, at about 1,100 tugrik to $1, and a dormitory bed is 4,700 turgrik, or about $4. Another budget hostel with similar prices is the UB Guesthouse, www.ubguest.com. A relatively new hotel popular with business travelers is the Puma Imperial, (976) 313- 043, to the east of Sukhbaatar Square. A double costs about $100, buffet breakfast included. A superb Indian restaurant is on the ground floor.
WHERE TO EAT While on the road, our cook usually prepared simple dinners, often stir-fried noodles or soups. Ulan Bator has a variety of restaurants, all relatively inexpensive. A popular Mongolian place among foreigners is Modern Nomads. East of the city center, Hazara serves tasty North Indian dishes and has its own tandoori oven. Also recommended are Le Bistro Français, a few blocks north of Sukhbaatar Square, and Millie’s Cafe, south of the square. Silk Road Bar & Grill has great views over the monastery of the Choijin Lama. Good Korean restaurants can be found throughout the city. Meals often cost less than $10 a person at Ulan Bator’s better restaurants.
Have not written a proper post for many a month. Life is good! Happy! :)
# posted by banana chocolate chip muffin @ 8/02/2006 12:56:00 am
Friday, May 26, 2006
Barbados is a funny mixture, with the polo and millionaires and quaint English names - Hastings, Worthing. Next day, I go on a tour and discover old-fashioned wooden chattel-houses falling down by the sea, the beautiful parish church of St John, and something even more amazing: Barbados is only 21 miles long by 14 miles wide. I don't think I've been to any country whose fame is so monumentally out of proportion to its size. And while the rich gather in a sanitised little west coast enclave with its multi-million pound condominiums, golf-courses and marinas, the east coast is rugged and wild and a million times more beautiful. The prettiest spot on the entire island is Bathsheba, where only surfers stay.
But then, doing the season - Christmas to Easter - when prices are two-thirds more expensive than during the rest of the year, is intimately connected with having more money then sense, the apogee of which, and its final, logical conclusion, is Sandy Lane. It changed hands a couple of years back when the owners spent $300m rebuilding it, room prices average around $3,000 a night, and it has become a love-it-or-loathe-it litmus test of everyone on Barbados.
# posted by banana chocolate chip muffin @ 5/26/2006 02:55:00 am
The Buyuk Londra in Istanbul. I went there on my honeymoon. It's a wonderful old hotel and right across the street from Pera Palas, which is a fancier version. They're both the most unbelievably romantic places. They were built in the 1880s for travellers from London and you get the feeling they haven't dusted the armchairs in the lobby since then. It was just fantastic.
# posted by banana chocolate chip muffin @ 5/26/2006 02:01:00 am
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Venetian mosaics decorate the walls and ceilings of countless churches and palazzi — and now the guest rooms of the tiny Domus Orsoni hotel, located in the Orsoni family's villa and workshop in Venice's Cannaregio district. With only five rooms, it was opened two years ago by Lucio Orsoni, whose relatives have been making tile for more than a century; their mosaics decorate Sacré Coeur in Paris and the Sagrada Familia Church by Gaudi in Barcelona. Guests can tour the foundry or immerse themselves in one- or two-week classes. You can sign up with Giovanni Cucco, who has been overseeing mosaic restoration at the Basilica for 27 years and leads private tours.
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Domus Orsoni The Orsoni family's workshop in Venice. Domus Orsoni, Cannaregio 1045, 30121 Venice; call 011 39 041 275 9538; go to www.domusorsoni.it. Rooms: $97 to $290. Classes: one week, $907; two weeks, $1,694. -- DEGEN PENER
Bali - wedding/hotel information -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Mak, Jennifer [mailto:Jennifer.Mak@disney.com] Sent: Tuesday, May 23, 2006 5:41 PM To: Lui, Haide (GCM) Subject: RE: Bali May'06
You seem very interested my dear. Shall I introduce you to the bride in case you need help? =)
Our villa is nothing by comparison. Ha. It looks contemporary on pictures but it’s not so modern if you get up close...But it’s ok for the price we pay (US$140 per night). It’s called bvilla. http://www.bvilla.com/
Jennifer Mak Hong Kong Disneyland Resort Lantau Island, Hong Kong Phone: +852 3550 2806 (Tie line: 8633) Fax: +852 3550 2887
# posted by banana chocolate chip muffin @ 5/23/2006 07:07:00 am
St Mary's
Gardens' kitchen
