LONDON June 2012

Assistance on the trip by Travel Pavillion in NJ.  Gladys Rappoport at 732-812-0173


DAY 1
Travel Wed / Thur  After landing, Paddington Express Subway Train to Paddington Station.
Heavy Rain, took a cab to Hotel Indigo two blocks away.  Cab ride is circuitous due to one ways.  Easy walk when no deluge.  Arrive at noon Thurs.

I LOVE Hotel Indigo.  It is insane in these days of dumbing down and emotional culture that you see wall paintings of Math related Fibonacci rules and Golden Equations.  Stunning celebration to intelligence and provable concepts as opposed to emotional crap so pervasive.

Room not ready.  Eat lunch at hotel.  Arthur Treacher Fish & Chips is better in the US.  Sorry, the Brit's can't do food.  Their INDIAN food is superb!

Boarded the BIG BUS TOUR to get the "lay of the land."  Rain mostly and poor photo opportunities.  Bus Schedule changed and had to learn the street map well.

Dinner at RYATH Indian Restaurant near the hotel  -  Shrimp & Lamb served with a dry Muscadet.  Management very attentive and caring.


DAY 2
Rain.  Breakfast.  Le Bistro.  Good Breakfast.

Purchase Underground OYSTER CARD.  Take Underground to Westminster Abbey, spend the morning there.  Saw the graves of Charles Darwin and Isaac Newton.  Literally standing on history.

LUNCH at Fullers Ales & Pies.  Had lamb pie.  And a Fullers ESB beer.  It is SO GOOD there.  Rarely found here in good condition.

Citi River Cruise Tour from Near Big Ben, up and down the River.

DINNER  Frontline Restaurant  Terrific.  Steak Tartare, Fish Cake, Shiraz.


DAY 3  Forecast, first day of no rain.  HEAVY DUTY DAY.  PERHAPS A WORLD RECORD OF ACTIVITY.
Tour of Stonehenge, Oxford and Windsor Castle.
6 am Breakfast at McDonalds.  No one else open until 7am.
7 am on the Underground to Victoria Station.  It is a walk from the Underground.
8:45am on the Bus for the Evan Evans Tour arranged by Gladys
10:00 am At Windsor Castle. Buy box lunch in the neighborhood at the Castle.
12:00 Noon back to the bus for the drive to Stonehenge.
1:45 - 2:10 at Stonehenge
2:10 drive to Oxford
3pm - 5pm tour Oxford.
DINNER Indian very very near Paddington Station Indigo Hotel. Staff falling asleep.
8pm LONDON EYE ferris Wheel for photos & shoot Parliament & Big Ben at dusk


DAY 4 - No rain in forecast
Kew Gardens - 250 year old Botanical Gardens
LaTaza Kosovo Breakfast.  Noon at Kew gardens
Lunch at Kew
World class Botanical garden.  Out at 4:30 pm

Dinner at Pride of Paddington pub.
Pride of Paddington Scottish brew and T-Bone steak.  Cocktail: Pimms on the Rocks

DAY 5  - RAIN
BREAKFAST Pride of Paddington pub  Eggs Benedict
Museum of Britain
Rosetta Stone, Easter Island
Lunch at Museum.  Blood Pudding.

Dinner: Flavors of INDIA

DAY 6
Breakfast at Le Gourmet - Mediterranean Breakfast
Get on Waterloo W trains to Hampton Court Castle -  Henry the VIII hangout.
Lunch near the castle at Pizza Express.  Gorganzola and Pancetta Pie.  Very good.
Dinner Thai River Restaurant near Paddington Station.  Terrific Authentic Thai.

DAY 7
Transfer to LEICESTER SQUARE
Breakfast at COSTA  - had a koffta at Le Bistro
Went to St apuls and walked around Fleet street.
Check out Hotel Indigo and by cab went to Leicester Sq.  Crazy driver.
Lunch ALL BAR ONE  terrific.

Walk around Trafalgar square.
Dinner at local pub, great Sam Smith beer.
Walk the square and ice cream dessert.

DAY 8
BOMBING RUN
Breakfast at Pompidou Salmon and bagel.
Photos in St James park on the way to Buckminster Palace.
10 Downing St
Churchill War Rooms
Multiple trains to visit Canary Wharf  (former colleagues are here)
Tower of London- Amazing stuff.  WOW.
Lunch at NorthWest Chinese Cuisine Walamuchi in Leichester Sq.  Served SE Thai style.
PORTRAIT Gallery of London
ALL BAR ONE for dinner, Duck, Calamari and Mushrooms as tapas.

DAY 9
Outta here.

PORTLAND, OREGON - April 2012

Day 1 arrival at Portland International Airport.  Killer deal with Advantage car rental via Travelocity.  No hassles.  One week rate for a full size car was about $123.  Dinner @ Jakes Seafood.  Dungeness crab claw entree.  Just claw meat sections drenched in butter. Yum.

Day 2  Drive to Columbia river Gorge, Vista house, waterfalls, hiking, bird photography.  Lunch at Multnoma Falls.  Stayed at Best Western Plus Columbia River Inn with hot tub.  Dinner nearby at Skamania Lodge.  Wine: local Willamette Valley Pinot noir from Argyle. 

Day 3 Bonneville Dam tour.  Chinook salmon running up the fish ladder right now.  Followed by fish hatchery tour..  Saw 11 foot sturgeon named Herman.   Bought Mt St Helens park pass ($5).  Drove back to Portland.  Checked into Hotel Monaco.  Lunch at DeShuttes Brewery.  Pear & chevre pizza plus their IPA.  Powell's bookstore next door afterwards.  One of the worlds largest bookstores.  Dinner at Ringside Seafood. Superb.  Wine: local Willamette Valley Pinot Gris tasted more like a White Burgundy.

Day 4:  Lan Su Chinese Scholars Garden. Similar to the one in Staten Island.  Superb craftsmanship and garden.  Lunch at the tea house on the grounds.  Not the predictable greasy banquet food we have come to see in every strip mall.   unique teas, rice noodles with mushrooms and smoked firebird ( turkey ) and green tea pumpkin seeds.   Afternoon at the Portland Art Museum.  Dinner at Greek / Cretian place:  Eleni’s.   Lamb wrapped in phyllo dough.  Wine: a Santorini white.

Day 5 breakfast at Voodoo Donuts for a Bacon donut.  Drive two hours to Mt. St. Helens Hummocks Trail.  Very unusual hike around the debris field from the eruption 32 years ago. Vegetation has mostly grown back.  Very healthy area now.  Herds of Elk in the area and tons of birds.  Did not see the summit due to clouds.   Drive back to Portland.  Dinner at Ringside Steakhouse. Wine: Rosso de Montalcino was an excellent value.

Day 6 Departure.  Breakfast at Morningstar Cafe.  Eggs with boar sausage.

NEW ORLEANS, January 2012

January 2012

Just got back from New Orleans, assisting with Mardi Gras preparations (eating and drinking). See the related Fun Stuff Post.

Here is the skinny on the current situation and places to see and places to eat:

HOTEL
Hotel Monteleone - on Royal Street, one block from the action on Bourbon Street and offers some quiet from the din.

RESTAURANTS- Unless specified, all locations in the French Quarter

BREAKFAST

• Cafe Biegnet: two locations Royal Street and Bourbon Street - Terrific Biegnets (French Donuts similar to Zeppoles), Crawfish Omellet, Cafe Au Lait.
• MOTHERS - on Poydras near Harrah's Casino.  Classic style, old time NOLA breakfast spot.  Famous for DEBRIS (Last nights Roast beef with gravy on a biscuit), Smoked Sausage, Hot Sausage, and Po-Boys.  A MUST DO.  Don't expect pleasant service, this place has plenty of attitude.  Hit 'em back with big smiles.

LUNCH

• MR B's Bistro - On the corner of Royal & Iberville. Terrific Seafood Gumbo

• Reginelli's Pizzaria - Magazine Street near the Zoo.  Pizza and Abita Amber beer on tap

DINNER

• GK FINS on Bienville St. - Incredible seafood.  Among the best in the country.  Raw oysters served on 500 degree oyster shells, they cook on the shells.  Gulf coast fish like Butterfish.  Not like the East or West coast butterfish,  it is closer in character to Chilean Sea Bass but is not threatened. Excellent wine list.

  

• PALACE CAFE on Canal St - Part of the Dickie Brennan empire.  Great INNOVATIVE NOLA food.  Farm Raised Redfish with Andoullue crust.  YUM.  Good wine list.

• Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse on Iberville St.  Wow.  What a treat.  Great aged steaks with a choice of classic or NOLA tinged sauces.  Sides like Sauteed mixed mushrooms, starters like fried Portobellow sticks.  Excellent wine list.

MUSIC

There is no accounting for taste.  Just stroll up and down Bourbon Street unless you want the history of Preservation Hall.  The new Jazz district is Frenchman Street.  But this is out of the French quarter.  Click here for NOLA Jazz updates.

But you need to check out Steamboat Willie at Cafe Beignet on Bourbon Street.  He has been there 7 nights a week since 2004 and plays 1920's, 1930's and some 1940's favorites.  Since Al Hurt is gone, Steamboat is a modern day institution.

THE ZOO AND AQUARIUM

This was a quick trip, so couldn't go to the AQUARIUM because it is closed on Monday as ALL the Audubon attractions are.  However, take the St Charles Streetcar from the French Quarter for $1.25 to the Zoo.  Enjoy the Garden district views of the Mansions.  Wait for the Zoo Shuttle at The Tulane Stop or walk the mile through the Audobon Park to the Audubon Zoo.  HINT: walk the park if you are able.  The zoo has many birds and photogenic furry friends.  Very hazardous to your hard drive, bring lots of memory cards.

HARRAH'S CASINO
On Poydras & St Peters.  Slots, etc.  Played for an hour and won!  Put in $5.00, left with $5.01!

RIVERWALK
Plan to shop inside the Riverwalk on the rainy days.  It is on the river toward the Convention Center.

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