All the Styles
A beautiful warm morning in Lisbon. Friday in mid-November so all the tourists are off to the Pena Palace. Why not join them? After breakfast we headed off to Sintra; we walked to the Rossio station where we caught a…
One Room Bright and Neat
We said goodbye to Porto shortly after breakfast. We took a taxi to the train station, about 15 minutes drive, then caught the “express” to Lisbon; three hours centre to centre, a few stops, hit 220 km/h a couple of…
TMI
Wednesday rain. Drizzle, then a lot of drizzle, then wind, then rain and wind, then drizzle again, back and forth and up and down and just consistent enough to make tourism miserable. We walked from the hotel across the…
Feet Don’t Fail Me Now
“Can I have it on the good foot?” Woof, what a day for walking this was… Breakfast is included so we had one of those elaborate hotel breakfasts usually served buffet style, but served to us, fruit and fruit juice,…
Alicia Through the Looking Glass
Bright and early out of the hotel to CDG. Terminal train transit two stops to Terminal 2. Checked in at 2F. Boarding pass, processed luggage, went to pass security, then informed I was meant to check-in at 2G. If it’s…
Last Day in the City of Love (and Locks, and Looks)
Sunday I had 2 PM checkout; that’s like adding an extra day to the itinerary, no cost. Had breakfast, packed, then took a long walk to get the steps in. Oberkampf to the Marais is about 20 minutes by…
Net, Let & Ycnex
Or “uspekh” as they say in Sofia. Saturday morning, before the tennis, was caustic; rain like Hollywood, in sheets. Then “torrential drizzle” then just flooding, puddles in the Metro, pools that overlapped the street and sidewalks. I ventured out, but…
The Millefeuille of Art and Architecture
I quote the NYT. Only an American would refer to Paris that way. That said, whether your first time in Paris or your tenth, the initial 48 hours is all eye candy. But to get to that, to arrive,…
English as She is Spoke
Wednesday was stormy upon departure from Cricklewood, sunny upon arrival on the South Bank. In the AM did a quick skinny in the Tate modern, lunch at Wagamama, then a matinee at the Young Vic. The plays, the first a…
Enough Blue Sky to Make a Dutchman’s Breeches
Tuesday was clear. Tuesday was cloudy. It was dry, it was drizzly. There was a breeze, then still. In short, Tuesday was an autumn day in London. In the morning I took the train down to Richmond and walked the…