Category Food
Beach, brunch, and a breakdown on Waiheke
This was supposed to be the highlight of my stay in the Auckland area: a day trip to the island paradise of Waiheke for brunch at Mudbrick vineyard, an afternoon of beaches and hiking, and then dinner at Cable Bay vineyard before a sunset ferry ride home. Let’s just say that’s not exactly how things […]
Exploring Auckland
Sunday was my day to explore Auckland. I caught a mid-morning ferry to the CBD . . . . . . and made my way to the Auckland Art Gallery, which with its striking wooden awning is my certainly favourite building in Auckland so far. The gallery has an impressive collection of Maori art . […]
Look who’s here!
While I was managing the flower emergency, Justin was landing at Heathrow. And because all Americans now enjoy the streamlined border control, he was out and on my doorstep practically before I knew it (certainly before I was fully ready!) First order of business was lunch at The Grind, a New Zealand cafe to give […]
Because why go only once?
The choice was room service in the hotel room by myself or Christmas-market food with friends. Clearly there was only one right answer…
Christmassy Luxembourg
Sometimes you just have to schedule Monday morning meetings that require you to fly in the night before and enjoy the Christmas market. I took a tasting menu approach to dinner: first a bratwurst with sauerkraut . . . . . . then some raclette over potatoes . . . . . . with a […]
As one turns 40
Somewhere across town the London Symphony Orchestra is performing Berlioz’s Romeo and Juliet for an audience of n minus 1, as I think the expression goes. That’s because instead of occupying seat C42 in the Circle, I’m sitting cozily in my living room, enveloped in wool and candlelight and the sounds of a Beethoven symphony […]
Ceramics and rain in Oxford
Remember how last year I brought that (allegedly) 18th Century Chinese dish home from the Cotswolds and used it for eating burrito bowls until I broke it by tapping it gently on my granite countertop? Well, it occurred to me (and some of you — Susan!) that this might be an interesting opportunity to try […]
Translations, Ham House, and Petersham Nurseries
What to do in London in the middle of October? The weather’s not great, certainly not reliable. All the gardens are past their peak. But the theatre season has begun! So pop down to the National Theatre to see Translations, a play about language and identity and British-Irish relations and history. There was a costume […]
State Fair!
Because it couldn’t be more American, I couldn’t resist when Justin suggested we visit the Washington State Fair. We journeyed down to Puyallup, which is not pronounced how it’s spelled and doesn’t seem to have much to boast if besides being home of the fair. Inside the busing gates we found the obligatory halls of […]
Seville!
Praised be that I had the foresight a few weeks ago to tack on a weekend in Spain ahead of some meetings in Madrid on Monday. After one of the crappiest weeks in recent history at work, I need a mini break (and this just after a 4-day weekend in Ireland!). I left London a […]
A More Gentlemanlike Manner 