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.
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.
After touring the Tower, three blocks west lies (very appropriately) The Hung, Drawn & Quartered.
They feature Fuller’s Frontier lager and an excellent small plate food selection. We decided on Crispy Squid, Steak & Fuller’s Mini Pie and Chorizo in Red Wine. All were very good and followed up with another Fuller’s Craft Lager.
Leave Los Angeles on a 4:15 pm flight…arrive at Heathrow at 11 am.
Heathrow Express to Paddington Station in 20 minutes.
Grab a Black Cab outside and enjoy a great ride to your hotel near the Tower Bridge.
Check into your hotel and walk over for a 2-3 hour tour of the Tower of London.
Filmed, Edited and Directed by: Simon Mulvaney
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.
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.
Filmed, Edited and Directed by: Christophe Hamon
Music by: Olafur Arnalds (“Happiness Does Not Wait”)
Thailand is a wondrous kingdom, featuring Buddhist temples, exotic wildlife, and spectacular islands. Along with a fascinating history and a unique culture…
Dreaming of crossing this land with my family and friends for 3 weeks. Our adventure took us by train – boat – car – foot (a little bit), overnight boats between the south and north.
From a Wall Street Journal online article:
Beethoven moved nearly 70 times while living in Vienna. Two of his former homes are open to the public, and many more are marked with commemorative plaques.
High above Vienna’s historic center, at the edge of the hilly Vienna Woods, the city’s Beethoven Museum, is housed in a onetime bakery complex dating back to the late Middle Ages, with an 18th-century annex containing a small apartment where Beethoven spent the summer of 1802. While living here, he composed his tragic “Tempest” piano sonata and began work on his 3rd Symphony, the “Eroica.”
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN is as Viennese as apple strudel. Though born in Bonn, Germany in 1770, he moved to the Austrian capital when he was in his early 20s, and then spent the rest of his 56 years changing the course of Western music from the city on the Danube. A quirky, cantankerous celebrity in his own time, he premiered his groundbreaking symphonies and concertos in Vienna’s grand palaces, escaped the summer heat in what are now its sleepy suburbs, and moved around between dozens of supposedly squalid apartments that sprawl across much of the city.
To read more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/where-to-binge-on-beethoven-in-vienna-11568303745
From the OpenHouseChicago.org website:
The Chicago Architecture Center’s Open House Chicago (OHC) is the city’s annual architecture festival. For one weekend in October you can explore Chicago’s most iconic and unique architectural treasures. From mansions to sacred spaces, theaters to private clubs, hotels to secret rooms—OHC gives visitors a behind-the-scenes look at many of the city’s great spaces that are rarely, if ever, open to the public.
OHC is a citywide event that includes more than 350 sites located in more than 38 neighborhoods. Sites reflect the cultural diversity and history of Chicago, as well as the unique character of each community. Locations include private clubs, residential spaces, offices, hotels, theaters, design/architecture studios, schools and places of worship as well as manufacturing, cultural and government facilities. This diverse selection of sites allows visitors to plan an itinerary according to their own specific interests. Browse the sites that have participated in OHC since 2015.
To read more: https://openhousechicago.org/
Filmed, Edited and Directed by: Michael Shainblum
City timelapses and hyperlapses from around the world. This is a collection of my favorite cityscape timelapses from over the years. The video is a mix of static shots, motion controlled timelapses and manual hyperlapse shots. I really hope you all enjoy the video and thanks so much for watching!
Places featured in the video:
Dubai UAE
New York City, New York
Los Angeles, California
San Francisco, California
Doha, Qatar
Singapore,
Shanghai, China
Hong Kong,
Venice, Italy
Cinque Terre, Italy
Seattle, Washington
and a castle in Scotland.
Website: http://www.shainblumphoto.com/
From a Curbed.com online review:
The trailer is set up for families thanks to a king-size bed on one side and twin bunk beds on the other. A full bathroom boasts a shower, sink, and chemical toilet, and bamboo shelving allows for plenty of storage space. A leatherette dining area provides a place to sit inside, and on-demand hot water, a heater, and built-in air conditioning come standard.
https://www.opuscamper.us/op15/
Opus has created their first full-size, hard-sided camper. Called the Opus OP 15, the new trailer blends off-road capabilities with amenities for a family. It’s also expandable, designed with a pop-up top for extra headroom in a way that’s similar to Safari Condo’s Alto R Series trailer. This means that while you’re towing the Opus OP 15, you have a low-roof, compact, 15-foot trailer. But once you get to camp you have plenty of room inside.
To read more: https://www.curbed.com/2019/9/9/20857187/rv-camper-travel-trailer-off-road-opus-op-15
Boomers Daily 