Sunday Mayhem in the West Village

Of course in New York you have to go for brunch. I have plenty places to recommend but my favourite is one that you don’t go purely to eat. You simply must try the Beaumarchais in the West Village, New York.

Don’t waste your time going there in the week, you have to go on a Sunday afternoon to get that truly bonkers feeling of turning repeatedly to people around you screaming oh my god can you believe this crazy place on a SUNDAY??

It starts off ok. A little bit pretentious and we were made to wait over 30

How to…Pack for Holiday?

Bubbly you’ve GOT to help me!!! That was my sis as she thought of packing for her ten day holiday (3 days before the departure date… a little extra notice would help).  And another friend told me that she recently returned from a trip to Mexico exasperated as nothing she packed went together and she simply couldn’t create looks she was happy with while she was there.  There’s no doubt about it, holiday packing can be stressful.

My first advice to my sis was to make a grid with the number of days at the top and day and night to the left:

Amy’s Bread

If you find yourself wandering around bustling Hell’s Kitchen, New York then there are a million and one places to stop for cake and coffee. So how to select the best one once you ignore all the chains? (Rather alarming posters of Oprah Winfrey currently on every Starbucks window as she’s promoting her new Chai Latte, now that’s random.)

Easy! Go to Amy’s Bread – it is such a find! Too cute – it reminds me a little of Gail’s Kitchen in London but this is a million times better and cheaper. We walked in for $3 iced mochas and read a cute sign “Voted Best Carrot Cake by the New York Post”. Sold!

Marrakech in Style

Riad Lila

My sister and I spent a long weekend in Morocco recently and my goodness it was fun.  It could easily have been a bore, I had just returned from Delhi and so a traditional Moroccan trip of spending endless hours in souks and around henna painters was not the fix I was going for.  What did we do instead?  Nikki Beach, YSL gardens, a live Arabic music night club, a day trip and made new local friends that’s what….

My sister found the most delightful and stylish independent hotel, Riad Lila that was off the historic old square.  A gorgeously decorated secret retreat,

From Scotland With Love

Loads of my friends in London have never been further north than Manchester.  Scotland? Why go there when you can fly somewhere warm for the same price?  I understand that point, however, home is where the heart is and mine is firmly in Scotland.

I live in London and Delhi too and I love the difference in climate, culture and things to do.  A rather compact country, Scotland is best

Dubai: The Gloss Peels Off

News that Dubai has pardoned the 24 year old Norweigian woman’s 16 month sentence after reporting being raped has come as welcome news.  The story became a PR disaster for the country with many newspapers and TV channels musing how to digest the glitzy image Dubai portrays with the sheer daft misogyny of the Norweigian woman’s ordeal.

Of course, in context, she is actually lucky

Happy Holidays!

Bunty and I would like to wish you a very merry Christmas, a drunken Hogmanay and wonderful 2013!

We won’t be posting much over the holidays but we wanted to say thank you for

British Beaches: Croyde Bay

Following on from our series of posts last year on Britain’s best beaches, I add another glorious Blue Flag beach to the list; Croyde Bay, Devon.

Unspoilt by commercialism. Yes can you believe it, no Mcdonalds, Tesco Express or even a Starbucks!  You could almost believe that the sleepy town of Croyde is still set in the 40’s with green hills setting the backdrop for the glorious Atlantic waves to roll into. The landscape is totally breathtaking.

Kinder Than London

Having just spent a weekend in Brussels, I was overwhelmed by the numerous genuine acts of kindness in the city. I rarely experience kindness in London from strangers and in the few times that I have, it has been from those visiting the city. However, in Brussels, people were really helpful.

Is the world really a kinder place across the Channel?

Loving Loch Lomond

This year has been about exploring the British Isles for me. Earlier this year we did the beaches of Devon and then went camping on the Yorkshire Moors and the weekend just gone, we ventured north to Loch Lomond in Scotland.

The Royal Wedding

With just over a week to go, people in London are talking about the Royal Wedding. At the hairdressers today, Kate and Wills were a part of everyone’s conversation. “What are you doing?”, “Are you watching it?”, “Have you seen her dress” etc… One customer was discussing the street party they have organised.

Whether you are a royalist or not, the Royal Wedding is a topic of conversation. So what will you be doing? Are you interested? Are you going to get away and escape the Royal madness?