Island Grill Restaurant at the Royal Lancaster Hotel | Review

It’s always intriguing to revisit places that you haven’t been for a while – memories are rather ephemeral (*cough* when not blogged *cough*) and in the case of the Royal Lancaster Hotel, a multi-million pound refurbishment has transformed the hotel to my remembrances. This time we gathered in the Island Grill Restaurant on a grey old London day for a taste of their fresh lunchtime menu, overlooking Kensington Gardens & Hyde Park. Disclaimer: We were… View Post

The best London Parks and Gardens

Did you know that London is the greenest major city in Europe and the third greenest city of its size in the world (officially)? Well, it is, and it has so many beautiful spaces where the city gives way from cold architectural structures to thriving green lungs that give us city-dwellers respite. Selecting the best London parks and gardens for this post was a job I adored taking on. Oh, and they are wonderful places… View Post

House of Minalima – Harry Potter in London

“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” —Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The wizarding world of JK Rowling has inspired millions, if not billions of imaginations around the world – and it all came from an idea she had on a train journey. The House of Minalima here in London showcases some of the incredible graphics of the franchise, and it’s well worth taking… View Post

If we were having coffee…

If we were having coffee… I would be sipping something according to the fey winds of the April weather; a flat white if it’s cold and grey outside, or a Vietnamese iced coffee if the sun is shining. We’ve had several of my favourite days in the world recently –  crisp, cool days where the sun is shining and the skies are a beautiful blue as far as the eye can see. If we were… View Post

Overnight in Oxford: A Whirlwind Trip as sweet as Honey

The honey-stone walls of Oxford city centre conjure all kinds of wishes and whimsy – and each time that I’ve stayed overnight in Oxford, it’s like slipping into an architectural Narnia. Disclaimer: On this visit I was an invited guest of Mercure Hotels and Experience Oxfordshire, but all thoughts and laboured literary metaphors are very much my own. Oxford is one of those cities that seems unaffected by the passing of time.