Category Archives: Travel

Road Trip To Bath: London To Windsor Castle & Bath

Picked up a very nice BMW 520 Diesel at Victoria Station at 9:30 am. GPS is a must as there is always a learning curve driving on the left side of the road.

Drove to Windsor Castle and arrived at about 11. Very light crowds as it was threatening rain, but the tour did not disappoint. Beautiful collections of gold and silver work, paintings by Hans Holbein the Younger (who painted Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell in the 16th Century), and amazing tapestries.

We then continued west and drove to the village of Lacock in the county of Wiltshire.

After a quick pint of a Wadworth Swordfish Rum Infused Ale, we finished the drive at our Hotel, The Bird, in Bath.

We went into town and visited the Jane Austen Center, well worth it for the animated presentation, and costumes to be tried on.

We walked through Bath and were amazed at the shops, restaurants and social scene.

We finished up with Fish and Chips and two Gin and Tonics at The Saracens Head, the oldest pub in Bath.

Boomers In London: Day 3 – Kensington To Mayfair, Soho & Bloomsbury

After a great British breakfast, hopped on the Tube at Tower Hill and headed for the South Kensington station. Arrived at the Victoria & Albert Museum as it opened at 10.

The V&A has an amazing collection from all over the former British Empire, Europe and the United Kingdom.

We then walked into the Kensington Gardens, and visited the Diana, Princess of Wales Fountain. There was swim race taking place in The Serpentine.

We then visited the Serpentine Gallery before walking to the northeast corner of Hyde Park.

We walked along Oxford Street and headed south on South Molton to New Bond St. to visit the Saville Row tailors.

It was Open House London on Saturday so we toured Huntsman, Cad & The Dandy, Richard Anderson and Hidalgo Brothers

We then walked to Hatchard’s Bookstore and Fortnum & Mason.

A very fun small alcove awaited at Neal’s Yard in SoHo.

The last major stop was the British Museum in Bloomsbury.

Top Pubs In London: The Viaduct Tavern

After visiting a few pubs during the walk from Somerset House to St. Paul’s Cathedral, we fortunately came across The Viaduct Tavern. It is ground zero for fabulous Gin Drinks. We had two:

The Gin of the week, No. 209, served with grapefruit, thyme and Fever Tree Tonic. Amazing.

The second was a Monkey Tree 47 with nectarine garnish and Fever Tree. Outstanding.

The ambience was lively, the decor charming and the staff very friendly.

Oh, and the ice was chipped off a block of ice.

Boomers In London: Day 2 – South Bank To Tate, Westminster Back To The City

Set out at 9 am across Tower Bridge and experienced South Bank.

Borough Market is a must visit and it delivered delicious stall after stall of every cheese, meat, vegetable and savory or sweet foods.

We then continued along the Thames for a quick view of Shakespeare’s Globe, followed by a tour of the Tate Modern.

We then hopped aboard the Tate Boat for a trip to the Tate Britain at Millbank. This is the home of the largest collection of J.M.W. Turner paintings in the world.

John Constable and Thomas Gainsborough are also in abundance.

Headed north to Buckingham Palace before walking through St. James Park to the National Gallery.

The National Gallery is amazing. A must visit for Renoir, Van Gough, Monet and Rembrandt.

We finished up with a visit to St. Paul’s Cathedral and a great final walk along the Thames to the hotel near The Tower.

Top New Travel Videos: “The Hand Of India” By Simon Mulvaney (2019)

Filmed, Edited and Directed by: Simon Mulvaney

The Hand Of India By Simon Mulvaney (2019)

At the height of the Cold War, amidst growing tensions between the US and Russia, Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi traveled to Washington D.C to deliver a pragmatic speech on the subjects of communication, understanding and friendship.

35 years later, with increasing polarisation around the globe, her simple yet elegant message has never felt so relevant.

However, it is in India, where Indira Gandhi’s message still rings most true; somehow managing to make sense of a beguiling and beautifully chaotic society, with a rich reputation of inspiring swathes of Western visitors.

The Hand Of India By Simon Mulvaney (2019)

Shot during a two month backpacking trip, with minimal camera equipment, this is my attempt to communicate the beauty of Indira’s home country, along with the resonating themes she touched upon all those years ago.

Destination Travel: Captain Whidbey Inn In Washington, “Gateway To Beautiful, Rugged Wild”

From the Captain Whidbey website:

Captain Whidbey Inn Washington sceneryThe presence of the inn itself demands this kind of myth-making. Its hulking imperfections, hidden staircases and infinite doorways, narrow pathways and intricate stonework, call to mind an honest, handmade world, where times were slower and things made to last. Rumors of its past are worn proudly on its proverbial sleeve — stripped wood where there once was a second floor balcony, prominently displayed plaques of historic register, mismatched sediments of historic photos, the speckled outline of a dart board and creaking floorboards. The front door was originally the back door because most guests arrived by boat.

Since 1907, Captain Whidbey has been a locus of natural beauty, community gathering and quiet, exalted delight. A place where locals and visitors do things together — even if those things are simply eating, drinking, appreciating nature, looking out across the water, feeling alive, feeling grateful.

Captain Whidbey is the Unofficial Official Lodge of Ebey’s Landing National Historic Reserve. The gateway to beautiful and rugged wild, Captain Whidbey fosters a sense of romance, a longing for adventure and a communion with the natural world.

To read more: https://www.captainwhidbey.com/

Top-Rated Resorts: “Sunset At The Palms – Jamaica” Is Eco-Friendly, All-Inclusive (And Affordable)

From the Sunset at the Palms website:

Sunset at the Palms Jamaica photos…one of the top all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica as selected by Trip Advisors Peoples Choice for 2018 and 2019. 

Sunset at the Palms was the first hotel in the world to receive certification for Environmentally Sustainable Tourism by the U.K.’s Green Globe. The resort also won the prestigious Governor General’s Award for overall architectural design as was recognized by TripAdvisor.com as one the “Top Ten Most Romantic Resorts in the Caribbean” in the 2018 Traveler’s Choice hotel list. In 2015, received the Trip Advisor Hall of Fame Award for earning the Award of Excellence five years running.

Website: https://www.thepalmsjamaica.com/

Outdoor Exhibitions: British Artist Bruce Munro’s “Field Of Light At Sensorio”, Paso Robles, CA

From a New York Times online article:

Jennifer Young and Ron Genauer at the installation.CreditJim McAuley for The New York TimesBut there is nothing quite like the mind-bending spectacle now on display at dusk in the hills of Paso Robles here, a popular wine destination. That is the witching hour when thousands of solar-powered glass orbs on stems, created by the artist Bruce Munro, enfold visitors in an earthbound aurora borealis of shifting hues.

Since it opened in May, “Field of Light at Sensorio” — the 60-year-old British artist’s largest such installation to date — has drawn thousands of tourists and become an Instagram phenomenon. The subtly changing patterns of this light safari, activated by a nebula of fiber-optic cables attached to hidden projectors, seem to inspire a cathedral-like awe among ticket-holders, who pay $19 to $30 for an evening stroll along 15 acres of illuminated walkways.

https://www.sensoriopaso.com/

To read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/15/arts/design/field-of-light-sensorio.html