New York
Highlight
- The rain didn’t let down at all, and it was so miserable out. We didn’t head out until after 11am, and the first place we visited was the Buttercup Cake Shop. There was not too huge a selection of cupcakes and other desserts, but everything looked super nice. I ordered half a dozen to go, and they were very yummy.
- Tried very hard to get money out of the ATM and only just managed. I don’t know why I have been having all these problems with my card.
- Went to a huge Johnston and Murphy store but couldn’t find that bag anywhere. At least I tried.
- Went over to MoMa since today is definitely a museum day. Unfortunately they wouldn’t let me in unless I had photo ID, and I didn’t want to pay the $20 entry fee when it could be free.
- Giving up on that, made a long track to the Met. I got distracted along the way actually, and went to look at the futuristic Guggenheim instead. Unfortunately most of the space was being renovated or closed, so I finished there in about ½ hour. Luckily I didn’t have to pay the $15 entry fee. There were a few gems among the collection though the $3 I paid for the audio guide probably wasn’t worth it.
- Tried to get into the …. But it wasn’t free. They did have an excellent gift shop though so I spent some time on that.
- Finished up at the quite excellent Jewish Museum. The displays were very informative and great. I managed to finish the 4th floor and most of the 3rd floor only though.
- Took the very long subway ride home. It must be the dire weather, as I managed to have a subway carriage all to myself and took a picture of it as evidence.
- We stayed in and ordered Oaxacan for dinner. The great thing about NYC is that you can get all sorts of great stuff for take-out. The food was actually quite expensive and you don’t get much, but at least it tasted very good.
Food
- jerk chicken, rice and beans, mixed vegetables
- Jerk Leg of Lamb – boneless leg of lamb stuffed with Jamaican jerk spices and roasted to a spicy climax.
- The Buttercup Bake Shop cupcakes:
- Red Velvet - yellow cupcake with a hint of cocoa, dyed a deep beautiful red (tastes like a light chocolate cake). Frosted with cream cheese icing
- Lady Baltimore - An almond-flavoured white cupcake filled with coconut, candied cherries, cookie crumbs and almonds. Frosted with meringue and topped with coconut, cookie crumble and a cherry
- Sour Cream Spice - A dense cupcake packed with all your favourite spices, filled with walnuts and raisins. Frosted with cream cheese icing.
- hot chocolate
- Chilies and Chocolate Oaxacan Kitchen:
- corn chips
- Mole Negro chicken ($18) Made from dried chiles, chocolate, sesame seeds, plantain, and tomatoes, served with rice
- Rubbed Meat with Pork, salad and guacamole, wrapped in tortilla
Buffalo -> New York
Highlight
- Got up really early to catch my flight, but everything went smoothly and there was no delay.
- I decided to catch the Air Train instead of the local bus since East NY is supposed to be a rough area so it was best not to look like a tourist there.
- The subway system was so antiquated, even worst than London or Sydney. They don’t have indicator boards telling you where the trains are going and when the next train is. The signs for the station are really small and you can’t see, and the subway is dirty and old.
- Somehow I was on some express service (that I didn’t know about) and it didn’t stop at the station I wanted, so I had to back paddle and wasted 20 minutes in the process, since the subway was so infrequent.
- Took 1.5 hours to get to Helen’s place, and costs me $9.
- We hung around her apartment and met her flatmate and generally caught up. We were waiting for her friend to come and meet us and for that horrible rain to die down before we went out.
- Well, we didn’t end up heading out until 3pm, and by that time it seemed the sun has decided to come out. This also meant that there was a huge line of people who just seemed to have materialised to go to the Cherry Blossom Festival in the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens.
- Before we joined the huge line, we stopped off to pick up some delicious The Jamaican takeaway of jerk chicken and a huge pile of rice.
- We waited in line for ½ hour, but found out we could have skipped it with our employee free pass.
- Finally we were able to witness a whole swamp of weirdos all dressed up in manga character, people in kimonos, and every mum dad and dog all admiring the cherry blossoms that were in full bloom.
- Stopped by the street trolley for some “Italian ice” and then took the long subway ride out to dinner.
- Dressler was very busy, and we were squashed into a little space. I was not that impressed with the menu as it was very typical American and not at all imaginative. I ended up having 2 entrees as I was still full from my 3pm lunch. The food though was excellent, especially the smoky sauce in my ribs.
- We finished pretty early since there was another table after us and we were absolutely stuffed.
- Went to hang out at the Lower East Side, first to Mason Dixon, the only bar in NYC with a mechanical bull. We watched for 2 hrs everyone getting on and getting thrown off.
- Then off to Fat Baby, another bar on the hip Rivington St area, where I had a beer and we got chatted up by a bunch of weirdos.
- Called it a night around 12:30, and then had to take a long subway ride home, so I didn’t sleep until 2am.
Food
- raisin bagel with cream cheese
- hot chocolate
- The Islands lunch:
- jerk chicken, a Jamaican delight. Spicy delicious chicken baked with this unique combination of spices from the island, rice and beans, mixed vegetables ($10)
- plantains ($3)
- rainbow Italian ice
- Dressler dinner:
- BBQ St Louis Ribs ($14)
- Bourbon Glaze Pan Roasted Diver Scallops ($15) – Stoneround Grits, Salsify, Wild Mushrooms and White Truffle Oil
- Troegs Hop Back Amber Ale ($7)
- Blue Light beer
Buffalo
Highlight
- The weather was terrible, raining and foggy.
- Everyone was having a really relaxing day since there were no testing, and I didn’t do anything, since I have to wait for Andrew to respond anyway.
- Had a v long lunch with Vince, gossiping about work. I had the fish fried too, which was much better than the stuff from the London office, but otherwise uninspiring.
- Everyone knocked off at 4pm, and I didn’t want to hang around, so actually went back to hotel to swim and pack stuff and get stuff ready before going off to see Seinfeld.
- Shea’s Performing Arts Theatre was packed to the rafters, and people seemed very determined to have a good time. Some random guys started talking to me and asking whether Seinfeld actually played the saxophone?!?!
- Anyway, Seinfeld, I thought he wasn’t that funny with his scripted material, but the parts where he interacted with the audience was great. He’s a very smart guy, and I can’t believe he’s actually 55. The show lasted about 90 minutes, with Jerry on for about 60 of those. I probably won’t go and see him again but at least I can tick it off the list.
- Afterwards, Hans took me to the Chinese restaurant that he said is the best in Buffalo. It turned out to be a buffet…but I ordered from the menu. The food was very Westernised Chinese, but at least it was fresh.
- So my plans for an early night didn’t eventuate, but I enjoyed myself anyway.
Food
- Hilton breakfast:
- fresh fruit
- waffle with blueberry jam and cream
- vegetable mix
- fried fish with coleslaw and chips
- New Fuji Buffet:
- Stir-fried chicken with broccoli and rice
Buffalo
Highlight
- Another crappy day at the office, but at least now Andrew has left, so you can actually hear yourself think.
- They issued a travel alert warning, so everyone else’s trips are all cancelled. So, I am by myself next week.
- Went out with Joe and Vince for dinner at Bacchus again. I didn’t mind since I like Bacchus. What I wasn’t pleased about was Joe ordered a $75 wine and then ordered the most expensive meals, then we had to split the bill.
- I left the guys to drink at Darcy McGee’s and went back for a swim with a whole bunch of teenagers (not fun at all), but at least I got some exercise in after all that eating.
Food
- Hilton breakfast:
- fresh fruit
- orange juice
- omelette with cheese, tomato and mushroom
- raisin scone with cream cheese
- pizza with tomato
- cauliflower
- Bacchus:
- Porcini Mushroom Soup ($7)
- Duck ($26) - duck confit / boneless breast, mango and greens salad, sesame reduction
Buffalo
Highlight
- Someone from the UK called me at 3am, so I was really tired the whole day.
- Got called “too aggressive” at work when I was just trying to say one thing, so just shut up for the rest of the day.
- Went to a few meetings and had a nice lunch with Vince, without Andrew interrupting for once.
- Dinner with some work people at Hutch’s, which was recommended to me by a few people. The food was not disappointing and the service was great. The only down side was listening to Andrew being worshipped like a god.
- Got home very late. No time for gym at all.
Food
- Hilton breakfast:
- savoury scone with bread sauce
- vegetable mix
- fresh fruit
- orange juice
- range chicken wrap
- minestrone soup
- Hutch’s:
- Half Rack of Ribs char-grilled pork ribs with Hutch’s barbecue sauce ($11.50)
- Escargot with garlic butter ($9.95)
- Beef Tartare
- Norwegian Salmon over creamy polenta, sautéed spinach and fresh tomato ($26.95)
- Crème Brulee
- Chocolate Cake
Buffalo
Highlight
- Jet lag was not too bad, only got up at 4:30am.
- Met everyone at the office again, only a few new faces.
- Usual business at work. Andrew overtook everything and I was kept busy.
- Met up with Ravi for an uninspiring lunch.
- Went to Anchor bar and had some very disappointing wings. Asked for Hot sauce which wasn’t even hot. The servings were the usual huge size.
- Went for a swim at the v nice pool after dinner. It meant I didn’t get to sleep until late but it was worth it.
Food
- Hilton breakfast:
- fresh fruit
- pecan muffin
- scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, vegetable mix
- orange juice
- grilled chicken burger
- Anchor Bar:
- Hot Buffalo Wings ($10)
- Veal Parmigiana – Breaded Veal Covered with Sauce and Topped with Mozzarella Cheese, with Spaghetti Side ($18.00)
- New York beer
London -> Toronto -> Buffalo
Highlight
- Not very impressed by BA, as usual. The lounge had the same sorry state of food, but this time was much more crowded. The massage therapist was much better than last time though and gave me some free samples.
- We got a v old plane. They didn’t even have first class. The seats on Club World weren’t even the new seats and you can’t make them totally horizontal, so you still have to sleep with a tilt. Needless to say, there was no entertainment on demand and I had seen just about every movie they had on offer. I only watched The Reader (it was good!) and that was it. What’s worst, they haven’t even changed the menu from the last time on the flight, and I wanted to order the chicken this time but they didn’t have it available. Food was the same old boring.
- The limo driver this time around was very non talkative, and didn’t even tell me his name. That’s fine by me as I got to read on the way to the hotel.
- Hilton Garden Inn is nothing exciting, but at least it’s a change from the Hyatt I suppose. The room is older, but pleasant enough. I think the good thing is it’s quiet and there aren’t any colleagues staying here.
- Because I was so stranded, I had to order room service for the first time…I wasn’t hungry, but luckily the chilli was really good.
Food
- BA lounge:
- pain au chocolate
- grapefruit juice
- mushroom and tomato baguette
- yoghurt and fresh fruits
- ginger stem biscuit
- BA snack:
- BA lunch:
- Seared Scallops with Fennel and Pesto
- Fresh Seasonal salad served with vinaigrette
- Wild Mushroom Risotto with Broad Beans
- Perigueux Goat’s Cheese and Cropwell Bishop Stilton Served with Savoury Biscuits
- BA snack:
- apple
- Salad of Marinated Feta and Chilli-Roasted Aubergine
- Fruit Scones served Warm with Clotted Cream and Strawberry Preserve
- Sachertorte
- Peppermint Tea
- The Great American Grill:
- Buffalo Chilli ($4.99)
- grapefruit juice ($2)
Buffalo
Highlight
- Had breakfast with the HK guys, as Lee San went to work early.
- Weather has turned cold again, but not as bad as last week. The sun is shining again by the afternoon.
- Another full day where I don’t even have time for lunch. Spent ages trying to get my mortgage worked out, which finally happened, probably just before the deadline.
- Didn’t have time to visit the gym again, as wanted to come home early to pack.
- Got my dry cleaning back, with my cashmere sweater re dry-cleaned and also the hole mended.
- Caught a taxi to Elmwood again, this time to a Spanish restaurant recommended by Amit…the service was the worst I’ve had for a upper class place in Buffalo, and the food was so so. The ribs were very nice, but the paella was really disappointing.
- The HK guys were so funny. It started snowing a little bit (like maybe 5 drops), and they got so excited.
- Managed to squeeze everything into my bags, so quite happy about that.
Food
- Hyatt breakfast:
- French toast and maple syrup
- fresh fruit
- beef and mushroom soup
- Toro dinner:
- Pomogranate martini
- Spanish Caesar Salad ($10) - with piquillo peppers, spanish olives, manchego & paprika crouton
- Braised Baby Back Pork Ribs ($14) - with mango bbq and Thai cabbage slaw
- Paella ($41) - Toro's signature dish that serves 2 to 3 people, made to order with saffron rice, chicken, smoked chorizo, shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels and lobster
Buffalo
Highlight
- Had to get up so early in time for a 7am call at the office, so the breakfast buffet was not even ready…ended up having Tim Horton’s for breakfast :(
- Finally got around to complaining about my dry cleaning. Managed to get $75 from them in voucher, and got my shirt recleaned for free. Not too bad for the effort.
- Decided to try out EB Green’s finally. There was no one there as usual, but I think the steak was better than the chophouse. The funny thing was when they served the baked potato and they ask if you wanted butter for your potato, and when you say yes, they drop about one block of the stuff there.
Food
- Tim Horton’s Cappuccino
- butter criossant
- chilli
- EB Green’s dinner:
- House Salad - leaves, walnut, mandarin, blue cheese, onion
- 8 oz. New York Strip ($26.00) with Baked Potato, butter, sour cream and chives
Buffalo
Highlight
- More boring work day, and long hours as usual.
- Stuck in meeting after meeting, where Lee San just asks question after question.
- Met Amit who is a foodie too, and he recommended he go to Cecelia’s. Had a nice dinner without Lee San and not by myself for once, so that was great.
- Even managed to fit in the gym beforehand.
Food
- Hyatt breakfast:
- French toast and maple syrup
- fresh fruit
Polish selection: Polish Sausage, Lazy Pierogi, Pierogi - Cecelia’s dinner:
- Stuffed Banana Peppers ($9) – Signature cheese filling, crostini, Italian vinaigrette
- Calamari ($8) – Crispy calamari, lemon herb aioli, sweet chilli sauce
- Taste of Italy ($17) – manicotti, eggplant parmegiana, breaded cutlet of veal, house tomato sauce
- Pischascio cake with strawberry cream
Buffalo
Highlight
- Got my breakfast for free again…I think they charged me wrong the first time….anyway.
- Harriot’s is under renovation, so all food is now served at EB Green’s… Maybe that’s why we get hot food now.
- Horrible day where I worked from 8am to 7:30 pm.
- Had another unexciting lunch at the canteen.
- Finally got to meet some of the IT guys I have been talking to for a long time at dinner, at the infamous Century Grill. I went with Lee San’s recommendation of Chili which turned out to be a dud of course, but the mussels were very nice. It was definitely fun to have dinner with people I have only heard about.
Food
- Hyatt breakfast:
- French toast and maple syrup
- fresh fruit
- chicken noodle soup
- Century Grill dinner:
- Century Nachos ($6.50) - Fresh Corn Chips, Jack & Cheddar Cheese, Jalapenos, Red Beans, Sour Cream & Pico De Gallo and Chicken ($2.50 extra)
- Spicy Chili ($3 cup) - Very Very Hot
- Apple Walnut Salad ($8.50) - Fresh Greens Topped with Crumbly Bleu & a Brown Sugar Vinaigrette
- Steamed Mussels ($8.50) - One Pound Of Mussels In A White Wine, Garlic & Butter Sauce With Grilled Bread
Buffalo
Highlight
- They had the full breakfast buffet again, but this time they didn’t charge me.
- Walked along Erie Canel Harbour. It was such a beautiful day, up to 7oC and no wind. The sun shining.
- There were lots of interpretive panels to read and hardly anyone around, os it was very peaceful.
- Toured around the main buildings. Buffalo has a lot of beautiful ones from the 1890s to 1930s, its heyday, and Art Deco style dominate. It’s kinda sad to see the city fade from its glory, but a lot of these buildings are now protected from demolition. Standouts were:
- Guaranty Building
- Erie Community Collete (Old Post Office)
- M&T Bank
- Electric Tower
- Old County Hall
- Buffalo City Hall
- The inside of a lot of these buildings are nice too, so I have to wait for a nice weather weekday to try to visit.
- Watched St Patrick’s Day Parade. It was so crowded, I’ve never seen so many people in Buffalo. There were so quite elaborate floats, and a lot of Irish Dancing, but other than that, they just seem to be lots of big trucks and people wearing green.
- Lee San didn’t want to do anything again afterwards, so I went to check out the Rotary Skating Rink myself. It wasn’t crowded, and it was only $3 to rent skates, but I was feeling a bit tired and didn’t want to skate around by myself, so went back to the hotel instead.
- Wanted to go to Duo the Italian restaurant for dinner, but only to find that it has closed down…so off to Papaya instead. Lucky the food was good, otherwise I would be so sick of that place.
Food
- Hyatt breakfast:
- scrambled eggs, potatoes, bacon, sausauge
- French toast and maple syrup
- fresh fruit
- Papaya dinner:
- Spicy Lemon Grass Seafood ($26.00) - Shrimp, scallop, squid, and fresh mussel, spicy lemon grass basil sauce.
- Asian Kiss ($8.50) - Vodka mixed with black raspberry liqueur and pineapple juice; topped with a float of champagne.
Buffalo -> Niagara -> Buffalo
Highlight
- Got up nice and early, and it was a beautiful day. So caught the bus from Niagara Sq and Niagara Street to the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls.
- The 1.5 hr trip, including a bus change, was interesting….but it only costs me $4 instead of about $80 if I caught a cab.
- The outlet mall was smaller than I thought, but that was good as I only allowed myself 3 hrs there. There was so many good stuff, if only the £ was stronger. I bought tons at the Saks Outlet store. Managed to pick up a lot of good quality bags, 2 at Johnston and Murphy. The Coach store had so many people and a huge line, and a lot of Chinese people in there of course. Being Chinese, I had to join the crowd and picked up 2 bags for myself.
- Laden with bags, I hopped on another bus to see Niagara Falls proper. I have to say, the views from the US side is not very spectacular. One time I must go over to Canada to have a look. Still, the amount of water was very impressive, and it was cool to see all the ice and snow that’s formed around the mountain.
- Went for a walk around the island. As soon as you are away from the main viewing area, the crowd thins out, and you can have a nice time wondering around.
- I was going to stay until night time for the illumination, but I had already finished looking at everything and all the attractions were closed, so I decided to head back early and save the illumination for another trip.
- Lee San bailed on dinner again, so I made my way to the Buffalo Chop House. The service was very good, and more importantly, the food tasted wonderful and the service was fast. Makes it easier when you are eating alone.
Food
- Hyatt breakfast:
- scrambled eggs, potatoes, bacon, sausauge
- French toast and maple syrup
- fresh fruit
- Buffalo Chophouse dinner:
- Filet Mignon 10 oz ($38.00) aged USDA prime beef
- Steamed Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce ($9.50)
Buffalo
Highlight
- Got woken up at 4am from next door’s alarm. I could hear it so clearly I knew exactly what song they were playing and how long they were in the bathroom for.
- Another full day at work. Was looking forward to the clam chowder but they weren’t serving it, so tried the chicken finger, recommended by Lee San instead. As expected, it was terrible, so I don’t have high hopes for the clam chowder when it comes.
- Having a girls’ night out with some work people. Supposed to be dinner and movie. Things started out well, we went to the Jack Astor’s bar for some drinks and snacks, but we couldn’t decide on a movie, so ended up shopping at Walden’s Galleria – found some ski jacket but nothing in my size :(. Went to a few shops but things weren’t very cheap at all, and the things that were didn’t fit me. So good thing I didn’t buy anything.
Food
- Hyatt breakfast:
- yoghurt with dried fruit and nut
- seeded bagel with Philly cheese
- chicken finger
- mixed salad
- Jack Astor's Bar & Grill dinner:
- Blue in the City – bluebeery liquor martini
- Mini Souvlaki Pitas ($7.47) - Three pitas filled with marinated grilled pork tenderloin, lettuce, tomato, cucumbers and tzatziki sauce.
- Grilled Chicken Quesadilla ($8.98) - Grilled chicken, Pico de Gallo and lots of melted Monterey cheese in toasted flour tortillas. Served with salsa and sour cream.
- Jack’s Ultimate Nachos ($9.46) - Crispy corn tortillas layered with tomatoes, peppers, onions, jalapeños and a bubbling blend of cheeses. Served with sour cream and salsa.
- Spinach and Artichoke Dip ($7.98) - Spinach and artichoke mixed with Asiago cheese. Served with salsa and crisp tortillas.
Buffalo
Highlight
- I finally got my pass…hurray.
- Spent most of my day on the phone on a call with Chicago, except they kept discussing things that were on a board, so it was useless for me to follow. I really should’ve gone there instead of to Buffalo, but they would never let me go.
- Ate my huge salad for lunch so didn’t even grace the canteen.
- Went to the HSBC Arena to watch the Buffalo Sabres vs Florida Panthers. The Sabres won 3-1, so the crowd was happy. Apparently because it was a Thursday night and also because these people weren’t real rivals, the crowd was subdue. Still, there were so many people there, it was exciting. Not much atmosphere, not compared to the English football .
- Enjoyed American food, and watched American kitsch… Kiss cam, dance cam, lost of campness in general.
- Food was revolting…I only managed to eat about a quarter, but I was full from beer
- A quick hop on the tram back so it wasn’t too bad.
Food
- Hyatt breakfast:
- yoghurt with dried fruit and nut
- blueberry danish
- Spinach Salad
- jumbo hotdog ($3.50)
- butter popcorn
- draught beer
- sour lollies
Buffalo
Highlight
- Had one meeting today, but otherwise an uneventful day at the office. The highlight was probably getting my security pass from the weirdo who has all these America Most Wanted pictures up on his wall…I don’t get my pass until tomorrow so still need to rely on people in the meantime.
- The great weather didn’t last by the afternoon. It was so so windy…I was planning ot walk back to the hotel, but I was absolutely blown away by the end, so ended up waiting in the cold, behind some posters, for the tram.
- Went to dinner by myself again, this time tired Laughlin’s…it’s a bar/bistro but it was dead on a Wednesday night. The food took so long to arrive, and then it didn’t taste that great. Although there was a mountain of it.
- I ate so little that I ended up taking some time because I felt guilty.
Food
- Hyatt breakfast:
- yoghurt with dried fruit and nut
- blueberry muffin
- minestrone
- Laughlin’s dinner:
- Buffalo Wings ($8.95) - Hot
- Spinach Salad ($8.95) - Baby Spinach, Shredded Cheese, Onion, Tomato, Olives, Cucumbers, Almond Slivers, Bacon, Croutons , Egg with Hot Bacon Dressing
Buffalo
Highlight
- Off to work, met almost everyone on the team. They don’t have open plan so it’s good. Everything is kinda old.
- I don’t have a pass so have to keep getting people to open the door for me.
- Checked out the gym, which was really small. You can’t even have more than one person working on the floor.
- Lee San ditched me for dinner so that meant I could go and eat whatever I wanted. Chose Bacchus as it was raining and this was close by, plus you can get points on Open Table.
- The service was really nice, the atmosphere was good….for Buffalo, but the food took ages to arrive. The sauce was a little salty, but otherwise the food was really nice, if a bit expensive, but you do get a lot.
Food
- Hyatt breakfast:
- yoghurt with dried fruit and nut
- blueberry bagel with Philly cheese
- Mushroom and barley soup
- Bacchus Wine Bar dinner:
- Lamb cutlet with Dijon crust, Butternut Risotto and Asparagus spears
- Californian Merlot
London -. Toronto -> Buffalo
Highlight
- BA was doing a roaring trade in the business area, so even though there was a fast track line, there were so many people there that it wasn’t much faster. As a result I didn’t get that much time in the lounge…but I really didn’t miss out on much, as the food was limited and not appealing, and the Elemis Spa was so fast (<15 mins) and nothing to wow over.
- My flight managed to leave and land on time.
- The service, compared to the only other time I flew business was terrible. The air stewardess told me she couldn’t help me put my bag in the overhead locker because she wasn’t allowed to, but told me to stand on my chair to reach it instead? What if I had actually fallen over from doing it? Luckily I found a nice young man to do it for me.
- Flight was bad…even though we were on the new club world seats, they didn’t have entertainment on demand?!? What the. I thought it’s a given in business class since most economy airlines have it now…
- Arrived in Toronto, but there was no one to greet me. Waited over an hour before I found out that I was supposed to go to some booth to tell them I’ve arrived.
- Never mind, once we got over that, everything went smoothly. Joe the driver was very nice, and had been transporting all these people from work for years, so knows them better than I do.
- The Hyatt was better than expected. The room was newly renovated and I like the new decoration. There’s a nice flat screen TV, plenty of space and the right amenity. Minus are that there is no fridge, safe and the walls are so thin you can hear everything.
- Met up with Lee San and went to her favourite restaurant, Papaya, for dinner. I was full from eating so much today already, so just ordered something light. The food was good, atmosphere was good, so I’m sure we’ll be back, especially since Lee San doesn’t eat half the food that’s out there.
Food
- BA lounge:
- pain au chocolate
- apple juice
- mushroom and tomato baguette
- yoghurt and dried fruits
- BA snack:
- BA lunch:
- Seared Scallops with Fennel and Pesto
- Fresh Seasonal salad served with vinaigrette
- Lamb Cutlets with Paloise Sauce
- White Chocolate and Caramel Toffee Cheese Cake with Toffee Praline Sauce
- BA snack:
- vanilla bean ice cream
- Grilled Artichoke and Asparagus Salad with classic Vinaigrette
- Fruit Scones served Warm with Clotted Cream and Strawberry Preserve
- Raspberry Madeleine
- Camomile Tea
- Papaya dinner:
- Tom Yom Goong ($5) - Shrimp, oyster mushroom, lemon grass, galanga, lime leaves, Thai basil
- Pepper Tuna ($10.50) - Pan seared ahi tuna, spicy sesame seaweed salad, spicy daikon relish.
London -> Cambridge -> London
Highlight
- The bus there wasn’t very full, but the seats were quite comfortable with a cushioned head rest.
- Arrived at around 10:30am, on a grey and overcast day, but there were lots of people out and about.
- Our first stop was to be Kings College since we missed out on seeing this last time. However, we forgot that it was Sunday and there was a service on, so we couldn’t go in. So had a talk around the grounds outside.
- As expected, the grounds were very beautiful, with the punts on the Cam, green everywhere, and delightful old buildings.
- Walked around Corpus Christi College with its peaceful lawn
- Visited the Market Square again, with the market in full swing. There was a very small farmers market going on but we didn’t manage to find something we wanted to buy.
- Lunched at a Turkish restaurant. We had booked nothing to start with because we thought we would have a quick lunch, but because we had seen always everything and because I was tired so easily from my illness, we wanted to have a sit-down lunch. The place itself wasn’t bad, passable food (entrees were the best, with each subsequent course getting worst and worst), ok atmosphere. Read the full review here
- Walked around the lovely grounds of Clare College.
- Visited St John College, with the Bridge of Signs and some lovely buildings. Saw lots of people being punted around.
- Had to wait until the afternoon before we were allowed on the inside of Queen’s College. This is actually my favourite, with a Tudor style wooden house, the wonderfully named Mathematical Bridge (rumoured to have been held together without bolts in the olden days)
- Sat around waiting for the Evensong at the Kings College Chapel, since mass is just about the only time you can visit on a Sunday. We had to sit in the back section as we had to catch the bus and couldn’t sit through the whole service. The ceiling was very impressive, with their fan-shaped support, but other than that, the chapel looks like any other chapel. The choir was very very good…and they certainly sang a lot during the service.
- A full bus on the way back. We were stuck in traffic for a long time (typical of every Sunday of course), but luckily we got off at Aldgate instead of having to make our way from Victoria.
Food
- Anatolia Restaurant lunch:
- Mixed Meze:
- Spinach Tarator - strained yoghurt with spinach, garlic and olive oil
- Stuffed Vine Leaves - vine leaves, pine kernels
- Pilaki - pinto beans in a tomato sauce
- Cacik - Yoghurt with cucumber and a hint of garlic
- Humus - puree of chick peas, tahini, lemon and garlic
- Tabbouleh - parsley salad with mint, bulgar, tomato and onion
- Borek - filo pastry filled with cheese, parsley and herbs
- Chicken Shish - Marinated grilled chicken on a skewer
- Kul Basti - Grilled fillets of lamb with oregano and mint sauce
- Baklava - Crushed nuts in a filo pastry topped with syrup
London -> Canterbury -> London
Highlight
- For once there was no trouble with the transport.
- As we arrived relatively early, we took a quick tour around the central streets before the world came out. The place reminds me of the other cathedral towns we have been to, most notable York and Cambridge in terms of the architecture, the layout and the range of shops.
- Had a quick look at the Westgate as well as a stroll along the Tyne river, with its shady tree setting, before making our way towards the Cathedral in time for mass.
- The Cathedral was indeed impressive, although, as usual, they were doing restoration work on it. Only a very small section of the outside had been restored, and looked very clean, but the rest was in major need of the scrub up.
- For such an important church, there were relatively few people who were at the sung Eucharist. We sat through the very long service, with the highlight being we were actually interacting with the High Priest himself when it was time for the “peace be with you” segment.
- After the service, had a look around the impressive Cathedral…crypt, the altar and the abbey and cloisters on the outside before we left, saving ourselves the £7 entry fee.
- Lunch was very nice at Michael Caines. The portions were very small, like tasting menu portions. We were actually not full afterwards – which really is not such a bad thing The execution was very well done, although the service left a lot to be desired.
- There wasn’t that much to see other than the Cathedral, we visited the old Norman castle, which really didn’t have much to recommend it, as most of it had been destroyed.
- Took a walk along a section of the City Wall, and up a which was artificially created in ancient times.
- Walked to the St Augustine Abbey, but it was part of the English Heritage property, so we didn’t go in.
- Just as well that we decided to skip this for another time as it started raining at this point, quite hard too. So off we trotted to the shops to waste some time before our bus.
- The shops were pretty much the same as everywhere else, but they all closed between 4pm and 5pm on Sunday, so we were still left with nothing to do between 5pm and 5:50pm.
- We actually arrived 10 minutes early on the way back, and there was no trouble, unless you count the mean bus driver who didn’t let people who put their luggage in the back section instead of the front, like he told them, get off at the stops they wanted and made them go all the way to Victoria.
Food
- Michael Caines at Abode Canterbury:
- Twice baked Roquefort soufflé - poached haddock, quail’s egg, hollandaise sauce
- Boudin Blanc - wild mushroom puree, roasted almond foam
- Roast Topside Kentish Beef - pomme puree, wild mushroom, red wine jus
- Pan Fried Mackerel - Serreno ham, smoked red pepper puree, basil and aged balsamic vinegar
- Orange Rhubarb Charlotte - orange cream, poached rhubarb
- Banoffee fool chocolate fudge muffin - caramel and cream sauce
London -> Newcastle-upon-Tyne -> London
Highlight
- Glimpsed the Angel of the North from the train. You can only see it as a speck in the distance. After all the hype I read about it, I expected it to be very spectacular. Needless to say, I was very disappointed.
- Everyone always brag out Newcastle, but I actually found the place very charming. Gorgeous Georgian buildings, wide street, great mix of shops…although they were right about all the people going around in t-shirts in freezing weather.
- Started by touring the historic Grainger Street and the Grainger Market. It wasn’t very exciting, but did contain the original Marks and Spencer Penny Bazaar, the smallest M&S in the world.
- Toured the historic centre, including Grey St, the Grey’s Monument statue, Central Arcade with its beautiful façade around Grainger Town…
- Visited St James Park, home of Newcastle United. But it looked like any other stadium to me. Their shop wasn’t even that exciting.
- Chinatown was very disappointing, there was only one street, and it looked really dead, with the exception of one shop – where there was a line of people waiting outside for it to open. It was an all you can eat buffet, so I was very curious. Since it was Valentine’s Day, all the restaurants were running these overpriced tacky menus, so we actually had no plans for lunch. So we joined the queue…afterall, we are suckers for queues.
- Bad mistake…this Chinese buffet is exactly how I imagined a Chinese buffet would be. I only managed 3 plates (must be getting old, my metabolism seems to have slowed right down), and felt sick from all the fried stuff afterwards. Slokky seemed to have enjoyed it though, said it brought back childhood memories (whereas my parents would never take me to a place like that for my childhood).
- What was really surprising was the amount of people that were coming in and out of this place. None of them really filled up their plates either, they just ate quickly and left, but more people took their place.
- When we emerged 1.5 hours later, we found Chinatown had come to life. There were people filling up all the all you can eat places….that’s Newcastle for you.
- Visited Blackfriars, an old monastery that has been converted into shops. Very charming.
- Visited St Nicholas Cathedral, which had helpful explanation, and doesn’t look too bad.
- Visited Castle Keep (£2.50), where they have an interesting display of some artefacts and you can walk through a few different rooms.
- Walked pass the front of the cool looking Bessie Surtee’s House
- Took a stroll by the waterfront, observing the famous bridges (Gateshead Millennium Bridge was my favourite, better than the Sydney Harbour Bridge lookalike) and the Sage Gatehead, designed by Sir Norman Foster.
- Spent the last part of the day in Baltic, a contemporary art gallery. There was a major perspective on Yoko Ono… and one particular video she said where she tells the world the “Onocode” – using blinks from a torch to say “I love you” was just darn weird. There were also lots of images of her and John Lennon.
- Rang out of things to do after that, so browsed the shops. Unfortunately these closed as well, so spent our time in Waitrose while waiting for the time to get the train.
- Delayed by 1.5 hours because of a broken down train, so didn’t get home until after midnight.
Food
- Lau’s Buffet King:
- Sweet and sour soup
- Fried chicken wing
- Crispy seaweed
- Crispy won-ton
- Spring roll
- Curry Samosa
- Sweet and sour spare rib
- Salt and pepper spare rib
- Peking Spare rib
- Egg Foo Yung
- Singapore Vermicelli
- Beef in black bean sauce
- Sweet and sour pork
- Pork in pepper sauce
- Lemon chicken
- Braised mushroom
- Stir fried vegetable
- Salt and pepper prawns
- Mussel in black bean sauce
- Pork & Veg in XO Sauce
- Stir fried beef with mushrooms
- Beef in black bean sauce
- Stir-fried roast pork
- Seafood & Mushroom Fried Rice
- Fried banana
- Fried pineapple
- Ice-cream with fruit salad
London -> Basel
Highlight
- A relatively late start to another beautiful day, although it was colder and mistier today.
- Visited the Markplatz for the morning market – which was small and wasn’t really happening. It’s good if you want to do some basic shopping, but there was nothing on offer in terms of choice.
- Visited the Town Hall which was quite magnificent.
- Started on the green walk. Highlights were going to the peaceful and more suburban St Alban, crossing the Rhine on the current powered boat, and enjoying the scenery along the side of the Rhine.
- Stopped off for some shopping for the Basler Läckerli honey biscuit. We got a sample of it at the official store, and it was really yum, but we decided to check out the prices at the supermarket before we committed. We found a 1.5kg bag on sale for 11 CHF, which was cheaper than buying the 500g bag. There was no way I was going to buy the small bag, so we ended up with so much biscuit we didn’t bother trying to buy anything else.
- Had a very indulgent lunch at Les Quatres Saisons. We were the only ones there besides an old couple. The food was wonderful and they were very generous with the servings, so much so that I was so full I couldn’t even fit in dessert. The waiter was funny too, but I don’t think she meant to be.
- We emerged back into what had turned into a warm afternoon 2.5 hrs later. We waddled slowly through the orange walk, the highlight of which was seeing the cactus in the very small Botanical gardens and the cool Spenditor (gate). And this time we got to go inside The Cathedral afterall. It was very nice, but of course I have seen better.
- The gray walk already covered a lot of ground from the previous walks, but takes the narrow routes and stairs. It was not altogether unpleasant, and it was interesting seeing the parts at different parts of day, bursting with activities, instead of the dead town of the weekend. We couldn’t resist stopping by Gigen confisurie as we saw lots of people going in there. We picked out 3 different pastries item – palmier (comparable to the best from France), marzipan slice (yum), raisin and nut log (very Asian in feel and yum)
- The walks over, we spent the last hour or so wondering around some shops. It was quite interesting as there are some unique shops around, and not (much of) the Euro high street store you find in every city. We weren’t planning on buying anything else as our bags were loaded full, but ended up in Manor department store where they had a watch sale, so Slokky picked himself a Casio Baby-G for 50 CHF (I know it’s not even Swiss!) and I got myself a black diamante Reis for 89 CHF.
- We needed to use up our francs, so ended up getting cheese and chocolate from Coop before heading off to airport.
- A very smooth ride home, no delays and no incidence.
Food
- taste test bread
- Läckerli biscuits
- Les Quatres Saisons:
- olive puff pastry, tomato puff pastry
- bread assortment
- venison with vegetable terrine
- langoustine with asparagus
- apple, foie gras terrine
- Bouillabaisse with toast and langoustins
- saffron mussel soup with scallop
- lamb with carrot and mashed potato
- veal with parsnip mash and brussel sprout
- cheese with grapes and walnut and fruit bread: crème fraise, maulbier, Gorgonzola, Gruyere, camembert
- 3 desserts: raspberry and fig compote, chocolate crème brulee, passionfruit, mango and raspberry sorbet
- tea and espresso with petit fours
- pistachio macaroon, raspberry lemon tart, tuile, milk and dark orange peel, Läckerli biscuit, chocolate with nuts, alcoholic chocolate
- glace chestnut
- palmier
- chocolate spice cake slice
Basel
Highlight
- Caught the tram out for breakfast at Confiserie Bauchmann. The food was fine, but I was appalled at the smoking in the restaurant, especially for breakfast!!
- Went to the train station, where it was very busy, a mass of activities with everyone taking advantage of the weather and the weekend.
- The lady at the tourist office talked us into going on a cable car.
- Caught the train to Liebsel , then a crowded bus to W
- There was a fair and everyone seemed to be out and about. We didn’t hang around as we wanted to get started on our walk.
- Caught a long cable car ride, then did some walks. There was no maps and no English, so we just wandered aimlessly, but it was very nice walking, except for the cow poo and the annoying bells that kept ringing and ringing.
- There were a few restaurants along the way, but we decided to save our stomachs for dinner instead.
- Walked to Passe , the highest point, and did a loop around. Nothing in particular to see, but it was nice to get away into nature.
- Caught the cable car down, taste tested some apples, picked up some cake, biscuit, chestnuts and cheese from the fair, before a long bus ride back.
- Wandered around the the few restaurants that actually open on a Sunday, and settled on the dingy pub place near the station. As usual, dirty, but the food delivered. We were very full. I still can’t believe we ate a whole pot of cheese.
- Strolled very slowly back via the Rhine Bridge.
Food
- C Bauchmann breakfast:
- hot chocolate
- orange juice
- milk bread
- salty bread (pretzel)
- croissant with jam and butter
- bircher muesli
- milk chocolate bread
- marble cake
- taste test apples
- roasted chestnuts
- chocolate aniseed biscuit
- Steinbock dinner:
- traditional fondue with bread
- liver traditional style with rosti potatoes
- mint tea
- Feldschlosschen beer
London -> Basel
Highlight
- The weather was great, we caught lots of public transport.
- We got to our hotel at 6pm, so everything was closed, but we went on 2 of the walks (red and blue). The highlight was the cathedral, but it was under renovation.
- Faltz, overlooking the river and the cool building with funky shops, but too dark to do anything.
- Dinner was very good. Very formal but good food that you can smell. The best was the duckling. They gave us 2 pre-desserts and petit fours because they forgot they had already given us one, so bonus!
Food
- Cheval Blanc dinner:
- bon bon
- trio of bitterbollen, fish and caviar, tomato terrine
- tuna
- artichoke nad foie gras
- duck breast and mash
- duck liver and spring rolls
- petit fours:
- coconut macaroons
- raspberry tart
- passionfruit terrine
- flapjack
- chocolate cake
- iced coffee mousse
- millefeuille
- raspberry, milk chocolate
- cappuccino
- mint tea
Oslo
- green hills
- pine trees
- blondes
- harbour
- lakes
Peak District 2
- lambs
- baby lambs
- fog
- old people
- green fields
- stone cottages
Eindhoven
- bikes
- canals
- cafes
- beer
- brown
Malmo
- hairdressers
- trolls
- babies and prams
Copenhagen
- people walking dogs
- canals and boats
- colourful houses
- lamp shops
- design shops
- cafes with outdoor tables and blankets
- babies and prams
Chester
- old tourists
- old black & white buildings
- old English pubs
- tea rooms
Manchester
Rotterdam
- funky buildings
- McDonalds
- architecture
- boats
- docks
Cambridge
- tourists
- old buildings
- colleges
Stockholm
- McDonalds
- design shops
- harbour
- babies and strollers
- kids
- H&M
- hairdressers
- hot blonds
Leads
- shopping centres
- constructions
- new buildings
- young people
- restaurants, bars and pubs
- hairdressers
York
- old building
- castle walls
- shops
- tea rooms
- people
- pubs
- churches
Lille
- dog poo
- beggars
- homeless
- furniture store
- specialty beauty products
- sales
- clothing store
- dressed up people (but only from the afternoon)
- joggers
Paris 1
- food shops
- grand parades
- baguettes
- dogs on metro, in supermarkets, in baskets
- tight parking space
- grand architecture
Peak District
- lambs
- rolling hills
- people walking, decked out in walking gear
- cobble stoned streets
- churches with graveyard
- coffee shops and tea rooms
- Bakewell tart and Bakewell pudding
San Francisco
- Walgreen
- fog
- cars
- Chinese
- buses
- fat birds
- cable cars
- bagels
- information
Valencia
- garden
- pastries
- bars
- cafes
- tapas
- cool structures
- bus
1. Madrid
Summary
England
2. Ski La Plagne
Summary
France
3. Paris
Summary
Iceland
4. Newcastle & Canterbury
Summary
England
England
5. Cambridge 2
Summary
England
6. The Cotswolds
Summary
England
7. Buffalo & Niagara
Summary
USA
8. Australia
Summary
England
9. Milan
Summary
England
10. Nice
Summary
Sweden
11. Buffalo & New York City
Summary
USA
12. Kaula Lumpa
Summary
England
13. Hong Kong
Summary
Denmark
14. England Day Trips
Summary
Wales
15. Malaga
Summary
France
16. Buffalo, Niagara & Toronto
Summary
USA
17. England Day Trips 2
Summary
England - Exeter
England - Winchester
England - Petersfield
England - Bournemouth
18. Ghent and Ypres
Summary
Belgium
19. Stavanger
Summary
England
20. Rhodes
Summary
France
21. Gothenburg
Summary
Sweden
22. Turin and Alba
Summary
Norway
23. Ibiza
Summary
Wales
24. Berlin
Summary
Germany
Lyon -> London
Highlight
- We were so surprised that the sun was actually up, so we hurried our breakfast so we could have a walk around Tete d’Or
- Breakfast was the usual affair, but after indulging last night, we took it easy…and didn’t even ask for the made to order pancakes or eggs
- It seems like everyone was out in force at the park again. Everyone was either running or riding a bike or pushing a stroller around. So I guess that’s how all the French people stay skinny.
- Found out Nicola was pregnant while we were walking through the park, so that was great news.
- Off to Vieux Lyon, which goes from Saint George’s right up to Saint Paul, which was really cool. The old houses with their traboules (silk workers passageways) were still in use, and we kept going inside houses to discover magnificent interior courtyards, wells and spiraling staircases
- Up to Fourviere Hill again since the sun was up, and admired the much more beautiful city views.
- The Croix Rousse market was already finished when we got there, and it seemed the sun has also decided to call it a day. Still, we enjoyed some more views from the hills area, saw more courtyards and walked through more traboules, but these weren’t as magnificent as the ones around Vieux Lyon, and because we were getting quite cold, decided to held for some food.
- Most of the restaurants had completed their services, and there were only about 2 restaurants still opened, so we went to Le Bouchon Des Carnivores. As the name suggests they specialise in meat, but we decided to get more bouchon classics. As expected, the food was very good, and we got very filled up.
- The wind was really blowing at this stage, but we still went on the Light Tour of the city. The Notre Dame cathedral was the most lit up, and looked spectacular, but otherwise the buildings we looked at were a bit dull.
- It started snowing, so we thought it was time to call it a day… so off to the airport we went.
Food
- Hilton hotel breakfast:
- orange juice
- grapefruit juice
- pineapple juice
- muesli with strawberry pot set yoghurt and dried fruits
- grapefruit
- smoked salmon
- smoked halibut
- cold cuts
- cheese selection
- sausage, bacon, mushroom, beans, grilled tomato, scrambed eggs
- croissant
- pain au chocolat
- apple turnover
- raisin twist
- Le Bouchon Des Carnivores dinner:
- baguette
- Lyonaise salad – lettuce, bacon, coutons, egg, mustard dressing
- hot sausages in cast iron pan
- andouillette (liver sausage)
- crumbed pig trotter
- chips
- nougat with almond
- almond tart
London -> Lyon
Highlight
- The plane was very empty. We actually arrived ½ hour early, but then had to stand in the freezing cold while waiting to go through immigration.
- Took us awhile to figure out the public transport situation, but finally got to our nice new hotel with a nice balcony.
- Off to Bernachon, the patisserie, which was doing a very brisk trade…so we joined the queue and got some really delicious food.
- Picked up our tourist map, then walked around the Place Bellacour with its huge horse statue, but it was very cold.
- Window-shopped our way to the Rue de Merciere, which is filled with bouchons, for lunch.
- Picked a little place in an alleyway, but there were so many people and it was very cold since the heater went off. Luckily the food was good and we tried a few Lyonese specialties.
- After that very full lunch, it was time for some actual sightseeing, so we took the funicular up to the top of the Fourvière hill, where we visited the spectacular Basilica Notre-Dame de Fourvière church, with its beautiful interior, as well as exterior.
- The view from the top was not too bad, but the grey clouds meant any photos would be terrible.
- The Fourvière Roman Theatres was very large and very impressive as well. There are good signs to tell you what is going on.
- Hit the shops since we knew everything would be closed tomorrow, so caught the metro back to Part Dieu for the shopping centre there.
- Bad idea, the whole world seemed to be there too. It was so packed you can’t actually get to the shops since there will be crowds of people walking past.
- It didn’t seem like the French seem to be suffering from any recession at all. The shops were packed and people were buying up big. There seemed to be a few shops having about 20% discount, but the majority were not.
- I found some stuff I like but as usual, they didn’t have my size.
- I gave up on shopping pretty quickly and decided to head back to the hotel to relax first.
- As usual, we were the first people to be at dinner, for a long time actually. We didn’t mind as the service was very good at the beginning, and as the restaurant filled up and they got busy, things slowed down a fair deal.
- And the food…average one star stuff. I did think some of their sauce was too salty and heavy, otherwise it was a wonderful experience, and I got to practise some French.
Food
- Bernachon:
- sausage brioche (€2.60)
- coffee eclair (€2.70)
- Le Merciere lunch:
- bread with mustard potato, terrine, puy lentils and haricot beans
- head of veal with potato and garlic mayo
- crumbed stomach with penne mushroom bake
- quenelle in crayfish sauce
- cervelle de canut (chives cheese)
- gateau Lyonnais
- Christian Têtedoie dinner:
- sesame stick
- seafood foam
- vegetable tartlet
- grain bread
- coteaux languedoc rouge (€9)
- veal crumbed ball with raspberry cream with crumble mix
- Smoked Monkfish with Langoustin with Avocado dressing
- Snails in Vegetable Foam
- Rabbit Rilette
- French duck
- Grand Marnier souffle
- Chocolate tart with chocolate ice cream and cream
- fruit tartlet
- almond tuile
- chocolate biscuit
Limerick -> Shannon -> London
Highlight
- The usual hoo-ha of arriving “early”.
- Had to run for the train since Slokky lost his boarding pass.
Food
Limerick -> Adare -> Askeaton -> Tarbert -> Killimer -> Kilkee -> Kilcolgan -> Galway -> Ennis -> Limerick
Highlight
- Got up nice and early to try to fit everything in before the sun (or should that be light) fades. So drove to Adare and watched the sunrise there.
- Trinitarian monastery with its dovecot was very cool.
- Walked along the main road to the Augustinian Priory, with very nice cloisters.
- Slokky was so scared and didn’t want to cross the bridge to go to The Desmond Castle, so we went on the Riverside walk back to town.
- Missed out on the The Franciscan Friary because Slokky thought we were inappropriately dressed to go on the golf course, even though we weren’t even playing
- Had a brief wonder around the park with its orange leaves, looked around the thatched houses.
- The Franciscan Friary at Askeaton, with its fantastic cloisters.
- Caught the very expensive car ferry (€17 one way) across to Killimer. It was so windy I just tried to dodge the wind the whole way. We shared the ferry with yet more Americans doing the grand tour.
- Had a brief stop at Kilkee, another Victorian resort town, but it was quite ugly, and the terrible weather didn’t help either.
- It was very windy and foggy on the other side of the river, so there was pretty much no point trying to see the Cliffs of Mohir, as we couldn’t even see much in front of us.
- We decided to skip the scenic drive we planned to do and head to Galway instead.
- We stopped off at the Burren Smokehouse where we watched a very old video on their smoked salmon production, but more importantly, got to taste test and then buy the product.
- Off for some food. We wanted to go to Paddy Burke’s Oyster Inn but they were filled to brimming – plus they actually didn’t have oysters on the menu, so off to Moran’s Oyster Cottage instead.
- Moran’s was doing a roaring trade as well, but as now it was quite late and the cottage was huge, they fit us in. They managed to get our order mixed up, so we got to try some vegetable soup for free. The seafood was excellent, and while the oyster was tasty, I’ve had better.
- Finally made it to Galway, but the weather didn’t improve, although the whole town seemed to be filled with people shopping or eating or drinking…and they all seemed to have some sort of (non-Irish accent).
- Had a brief look around the church, with a semi-interesting Sunday craft market going on.
- The Galway Cathedral was boring.
- Nora barnacle House, wife of James Joyce also uninspiring.
- The Lynch’s Castle is now a bank, the Spanish arch had drunks around, so we took another riverside walk back to the car.
- Passing tour of Eyre Square with the curious window frame.
- Drove to Ennis through traffic jam, but it was raining very hard, so we just did the car tour of the abbey and the cathedral.
- Took awhile to decide on dinner, as the 1st 2 place we went to didn’t deliver. Finally took some pictures of Limerick (King John) castle though.
- Moll Darby turned out to be quite excellent. The duck was very good and the desserts tempting.
Food
- scone
- Burren Smokehouse smoked salmon
- Moran’s Oyster Cottage:
- brown bread
- vegetable soup
- seafood chowder
- Seafood Cocktail - crab, prawn, smoked salmon served with Marie Rose sauce.
- 1/2 dozen Clarenbridge oysters
- Moll Darby’s:
- bread basket – sun-dired tomato, toast, brown bread
- Pan Fried Breast of Irish Duck (€28) – Pan fried Breast of Irish duck set on a Crisp Pastry of Duck Confit Legg, Sweet Onion
- Braised Rump of Lamb (€26) – Slow Braised Rump of Lamb, Sautéed York cabbage, Smoked bacon, Whipped Potato and Onion Jus
- Caramelised Banana Tart - Individual Banana Tartlet served Warm with Vanilla Rum Ice-Cream, Butterscotch Sauce and a Banana Tuille (€8.50)
- Poached Pear and Chocolate Pudding - Moist Poached Pear and Chocolate Pudding served warm with Roasted Chestnut ice-cream and Vanilla Anglaise
London - > Shannon -> Limerick -> Cashel -> Cahir -> Lough Gur -> Limerick -> Garrykennedy -> Limerick
Highlight
- Usual Ryanair hoo-ha about arriving early, but nothing to it really.
- Picked up car, and because the weather was bad again, decided we would take it easy.
- Drove into Limerick to see the morning market held at the aptly named Milk Market. It was quite small and kinda dull, but we were able to see the locals at work, buying up big for the weekend. We got a few tarts to keep us going while we make our way to Cashel
- Luckily we got in early enough for lunch at Café Hans. It was extremely popular – with the locals again as they didn’t seem to be much tourists out and about at all. The food was very good café fare…not too much choice, but things were fresh and nicely prepared
- To The Rock of Cashel – which is actually the remains of an old gothic abbey and an even older chapel, which had retained some frescos. The surrounding area was very beautiful also – when it wasn’t bucketing down with rain.
- Went for a stroll around the Hore Abbey, amongst the cow poo, but you get a wonderful view of the Rock of Cashel.
- The whole place hardly had any tourists, except for a few stray Americans.
- Cahir to see the outside of the castle and a nice riverside walk.
- It was already getting dark by this stage, so we hurried along to see the Pre-historic stone circle near Lough Gur. We were met there by Tim, the local owner, who showed us pictures of his kids and told us lots of story. Unfortunately it was so dark we couldn’t actually see anything, but at least we met some Irish folks.
- Decided to drop by the Travelodge before dinner. All Travelodges look exactly the same .
- Took a long drive through some bumpy roads and in the rain to Larkins, situated in a very small town. The pub itself was very nice, small and comfy, very homely, but unfortunately the food didn’t really measure up.My steak was way past medium and the chips were really really bad. Maybe we ordered wrong but it definitely wasn’t worth the 2 hour return car journey.
Food
- berry almond tart
- pear and almond tart
- Café Hans lunch:
- warm salad…..
- open prawn sandwich on Irish soda bread with seafood dressing
- Larkins dinner:
- brown bread
- cheese tart with salad
- Prime Irish Hereford Sirloin Steak, served with Sauteed onions, mushrooms and French fries. Pepper sauce
- Larkins Steak Burger - Larkins home-made Prime Irish beef burger served with side salad and french fries.
Llandundo -> Beaumaris -> Conwy -> Denbigh -> Rhuddlan London ->
Highlight
- The weather didn’t get any better at all, but we managed to go for a drive around the Great Orme drive…and because the weather was crap/it was early, there was no one manning the toll booth, so we got to drive it for free.
- The view would’ve been excellent on a nice day, but that huge storm cloud that kept getting into our pictures, and the really strong wind, not to mention the call of breakfast, meant we didn’t stay long.
- The brief stop at the top, with the really strong and cold wind was fun though.
- The breakfast was slow, and quite disappointing. From the way it was described you expected it to be really good, but the food was pretty tasteless and there was not much variety.
- Off for the first drive, back to Beaumaris Castle. The weather was absolutely horrid, with really strong winds, that my umbrella did nothing, but it was eerie wondering around the castle in darkness though, especially through the many corridors of this castle.
- Then back to Conwy, which was a cute little town, but we didn’t stop to browse the shops, as we were in a hurry. A brief look at the outside of Plas Mawr Elizabethan Town House, then onto Conwy Castle, which was my favourite of all. Still retaining its crumbling charms, but with lots of towers to climb, for views towards the sea. There is a nice display about chapels in castles, but most of all, because it has retained its grand structure, it was the best.
- It was already getting dark by this time, so we went to Denbigh Castle, which was a very different sort of castle. It was not built by Edward II and was not concentric, instead, everything was on a grand scale. Unfortunately the castle is now in quite a bad state, but the view of the surrounding town and farmland was beautiful, with the autumn leaves.
- Off to Rhuddlan Castle, which was closed, but we got a good picture from the outside.
- Hit a series of small monuments, which we shouldn’t have bothered, as the weather got progressively worst (from the already terrible to start with), and it was getting too dark to see anything.
- Started our journey home, but was pretty much stuck in traffic only after about 20 minutes in. We took a detour, which cost us 30 minutes, so we arrived at dinner at the Kinfe and Cleaver at 8:30pm.
- The place was not a pub at all, but a small hotel with a bar/restaurant attached. Apart from another couple, who were obviously staying the night there, we were the only ones there. The food was cheap and very nice, and very generous, and the service was homely too. Read the reviews here.
- We were a bit afraid as the weather was absolutely mad while we were eating, we could hear the wind making a lot of noise. Luckily, the weather improved as we drove towards London, and the traffic wasn’t nearly as bad as we thought, so we made it back before the last tube closed, although we did get soak walking to the tube.
Food
- The Lindens breakfast:
- pineapple juice
- tea
- coffee
- yoghurt with dates and grapefruit
- full breakfast with poached egg, sausage, black pudding, bacon, tomato, mushroom, fried bread, hash brown
- toast
- digestive biscuit
- Knife and Cleaver dinner:
- Prawn ball, relish on toast
- seed bread and foccacia
- Smoked Haddock Chowder (£5.25) With parmesan cheese straws
- Deep Fried Whitebait, Gremolata (chopped parsley, lemon, garlic olive oil) (£6.00)
- Gourmet Steak Burger (£9.75) Home made bun, crispy pancetta, chunky cut chips with tomato relish
- South Coast Dab baked whole with an Anchovy and Shrimp Butter (£12.25)
- ratotouille, potato gratin, buttered leek
- coffee cafetiere
Oswestry -> Llangollen -> Harlech -> Criccieth -> Caenarfon -> Bangor -> Colwyn Bay -> Llandundo
Highlight
- Very bad weather yet again, rain and wind.
- Llangollen was a small cute town, pity not much was opened. We picked up some welsh cake from the bakery.
- To Plas Newydd – nice garden with shrubbery by the river.
- Valle Crucis Abbey – was very much like Tintern, but abandoned and very muddy due to the rain.
- To Llangar Church, which was a long walk and probably not worth it since the weather was crap.
- To Harlech Castle, but it was raining really hard, and there were a lot of places to climb, which were muddy and slippery, so not a good idea.
- Criccieth Castle – was mostly in ruins but the view was very nice, when it’s not overcast.
- To Caernarfon, but unfortunately the castle was under renovation, so we couldn’t get a good picture.
- People actually speak Welsh here! What a difference to Cardiff and the south.
- Stopped off for too long a lunch at Black Boy Inn. Read the reviews here.
- Finally made it to the castle around 2:30. We climbed several towers while the rain held out, then headed down to see the various exhibits: Princes of Wales and The Royal Welch Fusiliers, but we didn’t finish the displays as we got kicked out early. It wasn’t that interesting anyway so no loss there.
- Tried to go to the Segontium Roman Fort, but it was getting dark, so we couldn’t see very much.
- A brief stop at Bangor, but the weather was so bad and it was so dark, we couldn’t see the Menai Suspension Bridge or Victoria Pier.
- Our hotel was very nice. Cosy and a bit old, and very hard to open the front door. Our room was beside the road though and the road noises were quite bad.
- We didn’t know this, but Pen-y-Bryn is run by the same company who ran The Armoury. So the décor and menu were pretty similar. We didn’t mind though, and ate more great food. Read the reviews here.
Food
- Welsh cake
- Black Boy Inn:
- traditional Caernarfon lob scouse (£8.95) – chunks of steak cooked with onions, root vegetables and potatoes in a great stokc, served with chunky bread
- Sardines with Salad
- Snowdonia Ale from Purple Moose Brewery
- Pen-y-Bryn:
- Braised half shoulder of Welsh lamb with dauphinoise potatoes, vegetables and rosemary sauce (£13.95)
- Slow roast belly pork with roasted apple, sage & onion mashed potato and vegetables (£11.45)
- Eton Mess (merigne with fresh raspberries, strawberries and cream) (£4.95)
London -> Shrewbery -> Oswestry
Highlight
- hertz mucked up, there was no meet and greet service at st Pancreas. So we had to catch a taxi to the Russell Square branch after arguing for a long time with the employees there.
- The problem eventually got resolved (or so we thought), and we wasted the 45 minutes advantage we had over the weekend traffic.
- As a result, we were truly stuck in traffic, so took over 1 hour to get out of London. It was very quick after we got out, and all the speeding helped of course.
- Shrewberry was a charming, rich town, with cute timber houses and a nice riverside vibe.
- The Armoury was very good and also very busy. The desserts were a bit of a disappointment. Click here for reviews.
- Finally arrived at our cut-price Travelodge, which was not bad at all for the price.
Food
- The Armoury dinner:
- Pigeon Breast, bacon and black pudding salad (£6.25)
- Spicy Moroccan lamb shoulder with olive and almond cous cous (£14.95)
- Belgian waffle with honeycomb ice cream and chocolate sauce (£5.25)
- Sticky toffee pudding with toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream (£5.25)
Belfast -> Hillsborough -> London
Highlight
- The weather was absolutely horrid – grey rain and lots of strong wind, so it was no good for walking.
- We drove up to Belfast castle on Cave Hill, but didn’t walk up the hill because of the weather.
- had the whole castle to ourselves. It was kinda scary as we could wander everywhere. The visitor centre was tacky.
- To St Anne’s Cathedral and that Quarter. Dongall St had some fine architectural buildings, but looked a lot like England.
- Down to Maggie May where all the students seem to be eating. Read the reviews here.
- Spent awhile at Queen’s university. It was a very nice building, and did the “tour”, which was not that interesting.
- The botanic garden had a nice glasshouse.
- Back to the city to see the Albert memorial Clock and City Hall.
- Actually did some shopping. It is pleasant here, nice shops, wide space, plenty of things on sale and not too many people. We managed to pick up some Levi’s for Slokky for more than 50% off. Unfortunately there was nothing for me.
- went to see the viewing tower/platform at Victoria Square…the view was kinda obstructed but it seemed to be a popular passtime.
- Toe ht doem of Waterfront Hall to see the Big Fish.
- Resisted visiting the Titanic Docks.
- To Shankill Road and Falls Road to look at the Loyalist and Republican murals. It is still very bleak area and the huge high fence to separate the two region is still in place, reminding you of the ominous past.
- Hillsborough – seems to be a small posh town. We visited the lovely tree-lined church and graveyard, but the castle and fort were already closed.
- A lovely dinner at The Plough Inn – great service and very busy, read the reviews here.
- Forgot we couldn’t carry the jam we got at St Georges Market on the plane as we only had hand luggage, so had to give it up at security.
- It was a very rocky plane ride with lots of shaking.
Food
- cherry tomato foccacia
- Maggie May’s breakfast:
- fried Irish soda bread with sausage and fried egg (£2.99)
- Traditional Fry Up – bacon, sausage, tomato, mushroom, soda bread, potato bread, pancake, fried egg (£3.99)
- cappuccino
- Plough’s Inn dinner:
- Dundrum Bay Mussels, served with a garlic and white wine cream (£6.25)
- Deep-Fried Whitebait with Asian Salad and lemon and parsley mayo
- Grilled Langoustines, with avocado and rocket salad (£15.95)
- Succulent Roast Sirloin of beef with creamy champ, chasseur sauce and Yorkshire Pudding
- Roast potato, creamed cauliflower, carrot, squash, peppers, beans
- Trio of Asian Brulee, passionfruit, pear and coconut (£4.95)
London -> Belfast -> Ballymoney -> Bushmill -> Dunlace -> Whitepark Bay -> Carrick-a-Rede-> Cushenden -> Carnlough -> Belfast
Highlight
- Smooth airport ride. Even got our free KK, and we arrived 10 minutes early.
- Slokky forgot his paper license, but luckily we were still able to rent our car.
- Got given a card by the girl at the Budget rental, very cute.
- St George Market was excellent- just like Borough but with much less people. There were lots of tastings and Northern Ireland produce. Excellent cakes.
- Decided to go to the Giant Causeway today because the weather was going ot be worst tomorrow.
- Stopped off at Balymoney on the way, with nice rolling hills, sheep and cows. We drove through the cool Dark Hedges, a series of trees forming these tunnels.
- The Giant cuaseweay was very cool, hexagonal rock phenomenon. There were lots of visitors.
- Luckily we got a bit of sunshine when we started climbing on it, like steps…but unfortunately the weather turned while we were around, and got caught in the huge downpour with nowhere to shelter, and got absolutely soaked.
- We wanted to stay longer ot enjoy the scenery and the nice walks, but gave up because of the weather.
- It cleared up again for some nice coastal shots.
- Bushmill Distillery, where I managed to score a free tasting…I think whiskey is still an acquired taste.
- Dunluce castle was crumbling but in a beautiful location right by the sea.
- A quick stop at Whitepark Bay
- Carrick-a-Rede Roe Bridge was kinda scary but the scenery wasn’t worth it as big sections of it were closed off.
- Started the drive on the Causeway Coastly Route, with some spectacular scenery, stopping at Cushenden, Carnlough on the way. All very nice, but it was too dark to really fully enjoy.
- Day’s Hotel was very busy. They must’ve had some big party there as all the rooms were full and we had to wait ages for service.
- Walked to Deanes via the pretty Crown’s Inn pub with its too cool tiles and closed booths.
- Deane’s was nicely decorated, the food was great but the service was shocking. Read the full review here.
Food
- krispy kreme chocolate glazed ring
- hog roast with apricot stuffing (£4.50)
- taste test at St George market: cheese, cake, yoghurt, sausage
- Greek yoghurt with granola and berries
- taste test Old bushmill original whiskey
- cherry tomato foccacia
- Deane’s dinner:
- sun-dried tomato bread
- black olive bread with oil oil/ tapenade and balsamic oil
- Celeriac Veloute with truffled ricotta dumplings
- Slow Poached Breast of Pheasant with pickled carrot and watercress salad, aniseed emulsion, nibbed cocoa
- Pan-Fried John Dory in Crisped Couscous with Baked Piedmontes red pepper, olive Polenta & Basil Tapenade Crisps
- Breast of Irish Duck with Warm Config Leg Terrine, Savoy Cabbage, Vanilla, Pear & Chestnut
- Ardi-Gasma with Fig Chutney and Crozier blue ice-cream
- Homemade Vanilla Yoghurt with Poached Blackberries and Ginger Biscuits
- Milk Chocolate and Orange Custard Cake with Milk Chocolate & Tea Ice-Cream, Citrus Reduction
