Located a few steps away from the corner bus stop, across from the canal is an unassuming white building set back from the street with a few marble steps to enter the archway. As I stepped inside, I was instantly transported to a luxury hotel filled with history and famous […]
If you are reading from the U.S. this week, I’m sure you’ve seen or heard the soundbite “…eat only six French fries as a portion” – yes, we all laughed because who can only eat six individual fries? I know that fries aren’t quite healthy but they are really tasty […]
It’s no secret, I’m a chocoholic. I developed this chocolate sweet tooth later in life and as I get older, I’m definitely more selective in what I choose to indulge in. So when I planned my last-minute trip to Rotterdam and Belgium (Bruges and Ghent), I knew I needed to […]
New Year’s Eve has never been my favorite holiday. The forced “fun”and thinking that life changes at midnight wiping the old year’s slate clean and offering a tabula rasa isn’t quite realistic in my experience. As I entered my 40’s, I settled into my single girl comfort (after work) of […]
I’m a sucker for a boutique hotel even more so when it’s new and no one has heard of it yet. It gets to be my secret happy place for a time, usually a short time, until the awards start to come and everyone starts shouting about it. One such […]
I’ve stayed in many London luxury historic hotels, boutique hotels and small rooms but my first visit to the Great Northern Hotel London melded all of my past experiences into one luxury hotel award stay. The original London railway hotel first opened in 1853 and has been restored with such luxury […]
When I arrived to the boutique Rotterdam hotel, the Mainport Rotterdam Hotel, I was exhausted. It was a very long travel day with the overnight flight from New York, the six hour layover in London, the train from Amsterdam and the taxi from the train station. Luckily, the hotel restaurant […]
If you could design the food hall or farmer’s market of your dreams, what would you include? What experiences do you want locals and tourists to enjoy? The smells, the tastes, the sights and sounds – what senses are key? Now imagine that your dream hall is filled with vendors […]
A Philly Cheesesteak in London? Call me skeptical, as I’ve argued Philly Cheesesteaks around the world. No…… green peppers are not a topping…mushrooms and green peppers are even worse and don’t get me started on the bread. The Philadelphia Cheesesteak is imbedded in my childhood and those memories of how […]
What to do when you have a six hour layover at London Gatwick Airport and are flying British Airways? Take a shower at Gatwick! Unfortunately, London Gatwick doesn’t have an Arrivals Lounge like London Heathrow so I made my way to the British Airways (BA) Departure lounge, in the South […]