An 8-day stay in London provides so much time to do and see, a second post is necessary to cover all our activities. This is in addition to the one covering Wimbledon (HERE), and the side trips covered in the previous post (HERE).  With just four remaining days, a lot of ground was yet to cover.  And here you go:

Not knowing how peppy we might be from Friday at Wimbledon, Saturday plans were open. A last- minute decision to acquire theater tickets was an unplanned but deliciously enjoyable afternoon!  First, a random choice for Vietnamese food near the theater was one of those “scores” — amazing food! Next, seeing Crazy for You, a revival directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman, was just a marvelous experience. Gershwin’s “I’ve Got Rhythm” and “Nice Work if You Can Get It” had us smiling (and singing along) throughout. At the Gillian Lynne Theater now though January 2024, I highly recommend it if you have the opportunity.

Bardo St. James is a supper club in the St. James area (obviously) I found during research for our big Saturday night.  It is an extremely well executed restaurant/club. The food is delicious and the setting is gorgeous with nightly entertainment. We thoroughly enjoyed a young lady singing from the Great American Songbook with barely a hint of British accent. We spoke with her at a break and the accent was most definitely there, so kudos to her for singing “American.” The hubby and I have long frequented Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood, but strictly for the entertainment. Food and ambience are most definitely secondary.

The singer is visible in the background (above); below our dinner and perhaps the single best dessert ever — a magnificent fruit tart.  Perfection. 

Our return visit to Buckingham Palace happened Sunday morning, early enough to still watch the Men’s Finals. Our first visit in 2011 featured a display from the Cambridge wedding (with illicit photos of Kate’s dress). This visit featured all the Coronotion regalia (with accompanying illicit photos).

The “backyard” is roughly 6 acres, including a gorgeous pond shown below.

Part of the tour included The Royal Mews adjacent to the palace, where all means of transportation are maintained. 

After watching the final match with a little picnic in our room, we had a lovely walk to a pub in Chelsea for dinner and nearly made it back to the hotel before the rains came. And came. And got us pretty soaked! Nevertheless, got those steps in.

Below, the magnificent sun setting prior to giving way to the rain.

Tickets for Windsor Castle were intentionally booked for Monday. The reason? To see the Queen’s final resting place there at St. George’s Chapel, closed on Sundays for worship services. This was also a return visit for us so we mostly did a quick perusal inside and headed to the chapel. After a fairly long queue, with full view of the tomb, I became quite emotional.  All I thought of to do was curtsy and say “thank you for your life of service” before welling up. I have always been enamored with her unfailing and lifelong devotion to service. Seeing the finality of it all just got to me.

Side note: Prince Phillip was not initially interred in the chamber. He was relocated there after the Queen’s passing. I don’t know the reason, but was told so by the guard on duty. Together with her parents, they shall remain so forever. Yes, I snuck a photo (below), not unlike what has been widely shared in the press.

Above, inside St. George’s Chapel; below, beautiful grounds at Windsor Castle

Our last evening included a spectacular performance of  Guys and Dolls at the Bridge Theater, so called as it is located steps from the Tower Bridge. What’s most unique about the venue: “It is the first wholly new theatre of scale to be added to London’s commercial theatre sector in 80 years.”

Suffice to say, any production of Guys & Dolls is by virtue of the score a joy. I would say this was exceptional.  “An immersive audience experience” — meaning guests could choose to stand during the performance. Stage management dressed as cops moved audience members about as actors on risers performed — flawlessly without interference. At the end, actors danced with audience members after the final “formal” curtain call.  An absolutely joyous experience where everyone walks out happy.

The magnificent bridge, seen after and before the performance

What to do until it was time to head to Heathrow for an overnight prior to our early flight the next day? Why, head to Harrod’s!  One can certainly spend countless hours browsing the endless floors and rooms and departments. “Go big or go home” were both true with lunch at Gordon Ramsey Burger.

Terrific people watching accompanied the delicious food. My favorite was a woman with her four children who ranged in age (I’m guessing) maybe 13 down to 6. When we left, I made a point to compliment her on their behavior. Imagine a scene where kids all sit quietly (reading/drawing/talking) without a single electronic device to occupy them!! Extraordinary, especially today.

At Harrod’s in what many women also call “the promised land.”  (No purchases in answer to your question)

We ended as we began, with a British Airways flight to Houston and a switch to United for the flight home. The hubby got to experience Wimbledon to celebrate his milestone birthday (early) and we both came away feeling extraordinarily grateful to again see and do so much.

Continuing this 2-part post from the Thanksgiving in New England (read Part 1 HERE), we had three days exploring Maine and a bit of southern New Hampshire.

From our stay Manchester, it was on to Maine via a stop for lunch in Concord, New Hampshire.  While I drive and Sam navigates (along with managing the playlist), the hubby generally does the “where to lunch” search. The Concord stop included good burgers at The Barley House, a view of the state capitol and a bit of shopping at Pitchfork Records for fans of vinyl.

Above, the capitol in Concord; below, searching for vinyl gems

From there the drive to Portland, Maine, is under two hours.  Portland not only is Maine’s biggest city, but a bustling “foodie scene” — which is always a plus.  It is well located for travel to other parts of the state and just a couple hours north of Boston.  One day it was north to Freeport (best known as LL Bean’s headquarters) and Augusta.  Another day it was south to Kennebunk and Portsmith (NH).  Clearly, one can see a lot in a relatively short period.

Below, delicious dinner at Scale’s in Portsmith — pick your seafood; arctic char; grilled bread; apple cake

Below, the only beer drinker in the family.  Fun fact:  there are more breweries per capita in Maine than any other US state. 

Below – “Marketing 101” courtesy of LL Bean                                                                     

Below, the capitol building in Augusta.

Dinner at Chaval in Portland featuring French/Spanish small plates — excellent Coq au Vin.

Below, seeing Strange World in Portsmith, NH, on Thanksgiving.  Thrilled to see Hannah’s name in the credits (again). 

Downtown Portsmith below 

Below, our travel map.  The longest route was Boston – Manchester.  Everything else was a couple of hours max.  I research everything in advance! 

And then the trip ended as it began.  The last day was back to Boston in time for spectacular pizza at Regina’s below and a rendevous with east coast cousins near Logan Airport.

So what is the “key ingredient” I teased in Part 1?  Flying home on Friday instead of Saturday after Thanksgiving.  The flight was nowhere near full, meaning empty middle seats.  I managed upgrades for the hubby and me (no cost or miles!).  American Airlines is employing new transcontinental Airbus planes and they are terrific.  Spacious, good entertainment options, and seat outlets. All pluses in my book. From landing to home was about an hour.  With checked bags.  That is unheard of.

Enjoy some previous Thanksgiving destinations via the following links (The Carolina’s, Napa, Portland-Oregon).  One fun discussion is always “where to next year.”  I’m happy to report we have a unanimous decision.  But you’ll just have to be patient to find out where.  One hint:  staying in our time zone. As always, I’m very grateful to have this family time. I hope yours was special too.

Below, the Bush family home “Walker’s Point” (viewed from the back), Kennebunkport, Maine

What a day.

Getting from Florence (see last post) to Venice isn’t really all that complicated.  One can fly, hire a driver, take the train, or rent a car and do the driving.  With all we wanted to accomplish, option 4 got the nod.

Except on this and every Sunday, one needs to backtrack to the airport to access most car rentals.  No problem as we were heading in that direction.  But then the words, “Is this the biggest car you have?”  Well, we’ll manage.  Four adults, four full size suitcases and one carry-on each required some engineering to make it all fit.  All I can say is, the hubby is one helluva good sport (see below).  I drove, Sam navigated and the hubby and Hannah were in the back, wedged in between luggage.

Below — our engineering feat; a very compliant hubby; and finally in the Venice water taxi

What a day.  Did I mention this was Mother’s Day?

Our ambitious itinerary: First to Pisa (how can one not see Pisa?) for the photo op.  Then the walled city of Lucca, but that didn’t happen.  A marathon was taking place and access was impossible. Then to the designer outlet mall (again, how can one not? But where will we fit any purchases??).  Then an attempt at Bologna, but the timing was terrible.  No parking.  I mean NONE.

So, on to Venice.  Here’s a tip:  Do not show up in Venice without first securing parking!  It is easy. We needed the car for our tour the following day so we kept it overnight. And then walking the bags from the garage to the water taxis.  And then the ride to the hotel, the Bauer Palazzo on the Grand Canal.  Here’s some irony:  the rooms were larger and less expensive than in Florence.  A win/win for sure.  But between the endless tolls and the water taxi, it was a lot of euros.  A lot.

As a Venice aside, in case one wonders about the future of this magnificent destination, two luxury hotel brands are making major investments as we speak.  The Bauer Palazzo where we stayed was just acquired.  It will shut down at the end of this year and reopen in 2025 as a Rosewood Hotel property.  Likewise, the Danieli — a few doors away also on the Grand Canal — is shutting down and reopening in 2025 as a Four Seasons.  So it seems the future of Venice is bright.

What was on our itinerary?  A visit to see the artistry of Murano glass being created.  A visit to the remarkable Peggy Guggenheim Museum.  Several strolls through St. Marks square (Piazza San Marco).  Photo ops everywhere.  A gondola ride (I know, but how can one not?) And one helluva dinner (among some great meals).

Above, a Murano artist at work; below, outstanding pizza at 1000 Gourmet

Da Ivo is famous most notably for being a celebrity go-to, long before George Clooney and his pals dined there the night before his wedding.  If one is to believe the proprietor, the group just showed up, with maybe a five-minute advance warning.  One can enter the restaurant directly from a small canal, as in stepping off a water taxi right next to where I happened to be sitting (see below).  There’s also an entrance from the front walkway.  It is very small inside with maybe seating for 40 people.  It is both formal (as in staff in suits and ties) but not stuffy.  An LA restauranteur friend connected us with the propietor Giovanni Fracassi.

That introduction led to a tour of the kitchen — modern, upgraded and producing incredible food in such a small space.  He also took us into the wine cellar, which is out the back and over a small bridge to a nearby building.  Oh, the magic of what is required to run a restaurant in Venice.  It is eye-popping.  That was a wonderful experience.

Above, simply delicious tuna tartare; below, the jam-packed wine cellar.

With Gianni in the kitchen above; words to live by below.

Venice doesn’t require much pre-planning to be enjoyed.  The views, the strolling, the people-watching, the endless shops.  Just go where the mood takes you.  As we did until it was time to say good-bye.  The hubby and I headed home after 24 days of travel; the kids headed to Milan via the train for a couple of days to wind up their two-week trip.  One final water taxi for all, with the last stop at the airport.  Suffice it to say, where else can one take a water taxi to get on an airplane?  Only in Venice …

I absolutely love visiting Chicago.  It is a world-class city with great people, shopping, culture, baseball (none for us this trip) and fabulous food.  I have visited many times, first due to working for a company headquartered in Chicago (from their L.A. office), then for a variety of reasons — an All-Star game at the ballpark formerly known as Comiskey; another baseball trip for Wrigley; a trade show; a conference, etc.  It doesn’t take much prodding for me to visit.

This year’s road trip stopped first in Cleveland and Detroit, so the proximity to Chicago was an easy decision as the place of choice to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary (previous posts and links in bold).  Below are two different views from our hotel — of Michigan Avenue and Lake Michigan.

So what was on the itinerary for the 3-night stay?  Pretty much everything listed above, plus a first:  a boat tour on the Chicago River to view the city’s stunning, historic and iconic architecture. Chicago is known for having some of the most interesting buildings, and many of the great talents in the field have contributed and continue contributing to this day.  Among those greats are the names Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies van der Rohe, and Skidmore, Owings, Merrill.  (Click here for more about the buildings.)  And the weather gods cooperated by providing a perfect day in Chicago; timing is everything as they say.  Neither cold nor hot nor humid nor windy.  If only there were more of these days. Some of the photos from the tour:

Above — 333 West Wacker Street; below – Willis Tower (110 stories)

Above – Marina City complex; below – Wrigley building

Eating and shopping were next up on the agenda, even if the latter was mostly of the window type.  As for the eating, a great deal of advance research was done in order to savor each meal (three lunches and two dinners).

RL Chicago was first up.  Ralph Lauren has a penchant for doing everything “just so,” and that includes his namesake restaurants (NY and Chicago).  While it may be considered a “scene” by some, we found the service very hospitable and welcoming and the food is delicious.  Finding Pigs in a Blanket on an “upscale” menu might be surprising, but they were perfection which is not surprising in hindsight.  The other dishes we tried followed suit.  And, yes, it was fun taking in the scene.

A tried-and-true spot is Shaw’s Crab House, part of the epic group of restaurants from Lettuce Entertain You. It is amazing that they can do so many different cuisines so well. But they do, and we’ve tried enough of their restaurants to know that is the case.

Searching for Chicago’s “best” pizza might result in a debate over thin crust (my preference) vs. a classic deep dish, and many other types in between.  I read about a place called Spacca Napoli and decided that was the winner for us.

For our anniversary dinner, a Chicago stalwart was selected — Le Colonial — recently relocated from Rush Street to fashionable Oak Street (think upper Madison Avenue and all those glorious boutiques).  I loved the food in Vietnam and thought this would be ideal.  And it was.  Just a word about the dessert — it is up there in the annals of dessert perfection.  A chewy and crispy base of oatmeal and coconut and chocolate with a perfect scoop of vanilla gelato on top.  I’d make a trip back just for that (hence the top billing below).

A last lunch was squeezed in en route to O’Hare and recommended by an LA friend who is often in Chicago.  Gibson’s Italia combines the best of their reputation for steak with surprisingly delicious Italian food.  Both were excellent and a terrific way to bid the city goodbye (but hopefully not for long).  And that view of the river from the restaurant is just beautiful!  Separately, did you ever see two happier people around food?  I think not.

If the fondest visual is saved for last, then this shot of Michigan Avenue taken from our room qualifies.  I could just stare and stare ..

 

 

 

Suffice it to say, we don’t know what we don’t know.  How profound is that?  When it comes to upcoming travel, that is certainly going to change.  And no one knows for sure just how much.

The Italy trip previously written about certainly isn’t happening now. We’re looking at November as we speak.  It’s usually a good time to travel, well in advance of the holiday season.

Here’s an upside:  I recently wrote about the importance of brand loyalty.  You know all those horror stories about waiting on hold to get through to the airlines?  American Airlines actually called me! True enough, they inquired how we wanted to handle our April 17 departure to Italy with return May 11, from Bucharest to LA, via overnight at Heathrow.  Would we prefer a voucher for future travel or a refund for taxes and fees?  While these were mileage tickets, the fees were still significant.  Not less than 24 hours after the call, the miles (140K per peson) were reinstated and fees refunded.  Loyalty pays.

The hubby and I might yet do something in May depending on when baseball resumes.  We’ve explored everything from an island trip to road trip including Mt. Rushmore (if the National Parks reopen). It’s still fluid.  No doubt, we’ll certainly notice how surfaces are cleaned, who’s wearing gloves, and have a heightened sense of our surroundings.

I feel blessed to have three passions at home to keep me busy.  It’s amazing how the hobbies keep those pesky things on the “to-do” list undone.  Someday I’ll rearrange the bookshelves and clean out bathroom drawers.  Just not now.

#1 ORCHIDS

This has been a passion since the 90’s when there was even a home greenhouse (long since given way to an outdoor kitchen).  I now keep it simple.  Cut back healthy plants after blooming; water and feed them in a low tray with pebbles (creates humidity) positioned with good indirect light; watch for regrowth.

With more available time, I decided to investigate why I continue to get those dreaded spider mites (fuzzy white bugs) — especially this time of year.  Rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) in a spray bottle is as good as anything to get rid of these creatures.  It’s tedious but necessary to look under each leaf and wipe away traces to fully eradicate.  Be sure to also clean containers, pots and plant supports.

There’s currently 15 plants in my house in various stages, containers and arrangements.  They make me happy — so happy I clearly have a problem discarding them (where’s Marie Kondo?).  Trader Joe’s makes this habit way too easy … thankfully.

 

#2 PRODUCE GARDEN

The hubby loves to comment on a $20 (home-grown) cucumber.  Only he would amortize the total cost of installation, maintenance, plant material, pest deterrents, etc.  But can one really put a price on joy?  I say no.  My collaborator-in-chief Javier amended all the beds, installed a new drip system, and planted.  Upside to no April travel:  Earlier planting.  Being at home means I can keep an eye out for early trouble signs.

#3 COOKING/BAKING

Even the Wall Street Journal had a front-page story on the scarcity of flour and yeast in stores!  Is that the craziest?  I bake and then look for recipients to get the goodies out of the house (neighbors have been great as has my gardener and his team).  Making soups from the contents of my weekly produce delivery is fun (my freezer is FULL!)  And a first attempt at pizza was inspired by purchasing the type of flour I see used on cooking shows (00 Artisan).  My daughter shared a fantastic local gourmet distributor housed in a nearby warehouse that mostly sells to restaurants and caterers.  Pricey?  Yes.  But if you’re looking for 50 types of olive oil and nearly as many mustards, then go.  Oh, and cheese selection, the french butters ..

Explore your passions until we can share a meal and some wine together.  At home or away. In person.

Hanoi (or Ha Noi), the capital city of Vietnam, was the first of our three stops in nine days following Taipei where this this spring journey began.  Hanoi’s landmark hotel is the Sofitel Legend Metropole, established in 1901.  The original building retains the era’s characteristics while the newer Opera Wing (where we stayed) has more modern rooms and architecture.  The hotel is walking distance to the Old Quarter of the city.  It is very safe to walk in Hanoi but one has to be mindful of the ubiquitous motorbikes!  Our first and lasting impression of this country is the how very friendly the people are.

We randomly picked a restaurant in the Old Quarter for dinner and it was just delicious.  Besides the terrific food, it was just $18 total for three courses and a bit of ice cream.  Welcome to Vietnam …

I had arranged in advance for a daylong tour to Ha Long Bay, a World Heritage Site, roughly 2 hours from Hanoi via a fairly new highway.  Many people do overnight trips to the area for a short getaway.  Once there, the endless stream of boats in the bay is evidence of the area’s popularity and status as a must-see destination.  Our guide Tien led us to our small charter with a staff of three for lunch and a few hours’ tour on the bay.  It turned out to be a perfect amount of time (for us).  Prior to the cruise, we were given a brief tour of a pearl farm and shown how the pearls are grown.  Not surprisingly, there was a big showroom right there!  Anyone who tours in this area of the world is accustomed to having a tutorial of some sort and then an “opportunity” to make purchases — whether it’s pearls, jade or even tea.  I passed this time but they had some very beautiful items and were quite willing to negotiate, with calculator in hand.

After a long day, we opted for a restaurant near the hotel with pretty good Italian food.  It rained a decent amount in the evening, providing some cooler temps for our city tour the next day.  By “cooler” I mean lower 90’s … No point in going into the heat and humidity; it’s a known fact but one goes with the flow as best as one can.  That’s the deal; otherwise it means missing many parts of the world where the weather is less than optimal when we travel in April/May. For that matter, it would mean forgoing much of Asia where there’s little variance at all in the course of a year.  It’s either hot or wet or both.

Our young (just 21) guide Nam met us the next morning for a half-day tour of Hanoi highlights:  Temple of Literature, Hoa Lo Prison (commonly referred by Americans as the infamous “Hanoi Hilton”), the “notorious black market” area — with store after store of bike and car parts, electronics and other items — and finally some of the famous street food for lunch.  The first thought was obviously the food isn’t being handled in a sanitary way — raw meat and poultry with no gloves as an example.  Nam told us that it is typical for locals to shop twice daily; thus the ingredients are cooked and consumed so quickly that refrigeration is not an issue.  In fact, we had the chance to go down one street where there were (still but not for long) live chickens, but I passed on that one.

Living conditions around these small streets are another reminder of how good so many of us have it at home.  The last stop was the famous Railroad Street, where folks live just feet from the tracks.  Trains go by six times a day.  It is pretty amazing.

Our big dinner was at the well-known Press Club, located across the street from The Metropole.  That was more of a splurge with fancy service and stemware, with obviously a steeper price.  The place was empty save for a couple of Brits and a large tour group.  Our fellow travelers provided some good tips and things we must see at our next stop.  Whether or not we follow suggestions, the input is always welcome — it’s interesting to hear how others traverse a given area.

 

Next up:  stop #2 in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City aka Saigon.