words and images from my world
05 Apr 2013 Leave a comment
Bollinger followed by the Buddha Bar which had an amazing atmosphere, cool tunes from a DJ and accompanied by a live trumpeter. The food was asian and our shared entree consisted of ‘calamari and frogs legs’. 
The next morning, the actual day of his birthday, we had raspberry and pistachio tart for breakfast before Floyd left for Copenhagen.
05 Apr 2013 Leave a comment
in Culture, Environment, Time
What is Paris without the Eiffel tower which manages to be awe inspiring every time I see it…
03 Apr 2013 1 Comment
in Culture, Environment, food, People
Pink Bird and all things pink!
03 Apr 2013 Leave a comment
in Coffee, Culture, Environment, food, People, Society, Time
Explored the historic Marais, Ile St louis and St Germain…
02 Apr 2013 4 Comments
in Culture, Environment, People, Society, Time
In only 2 hours and 5 minutes I arrived vie the Eurostar train from Ebbsfleet to Gare Du Nord and ventured onto the streets of Paris. Taxi to my apartment at 2 Rue Du Petit Pont in the Latin quarter. It is right near the Seine and has a spectacular view of the Notre Dame Cathedral. It is a lively area full of shops, bars, bistros and interesting sights. The first glitch was the contact not showing to let me in, then losing my spare sim cards…oh well…the good thing was the happy faces of Floyd, Amy Snow and Ruth Hodge to meet me and stay for a few days. The apartment is petite, french and lovely! We explored the area and Amy played the piano in Shakespeare and Co the renowned bookstore just near my apartment. We had dinner in a tiny french bistro and drank a beautiful french Rose wine. Amy left us today to continue travelling and we made straight for the fresh food market for our supplies…berries, creme fraiche, ham, fresh crusty bread from the boulangerie and cheeses from the Fromagerie. Fois gras from the charcuterie and a bordeaux to wash it all down.
31 Mar 2013 1 Comment
Had a really nice day with Roseanne, Glyn, Ted , Mabel, Jenny and James..Bollinger champagne, truffles, turkish delight and lunch at The Anchor at Hullbridge. There was a little bit of fun with the Royal family during the afternoon!
25 Mar 2013 1 Comment
Flew from Newquay to Gatwick to land in a very snowy scene.The white stuff was everywhere and still falling! Snow ploughs were all out on the tarmac ready to go to work. Got my little bus transfer to Roseanne’s and I was the only passenger so sat up the front and chatted to the driver. Everyone was waiting for me including Floyd when I arrived back at the house…a pot of bubbling soup, more snow and then a lovely roast chicken dinner (a Roseanne specialty!). The next morning we met Jenny and James at their regular Sunday breakfast place …a real British style Caf! We all had the ‘all day breakfast’ with eggs, bacon, tomatoes, sausage, beans, bubble n’ squeak and a slice!(of bread and butter). It was actually very good, especially with loads of ‘brown sauce’.
22 Mar 2013 1 Comment
in Coffee, Culture, Environment, food, People
Explored Newquay which is a bit of a surfing mecca…ripcurl shop, quiksilver, surfing schools and lots of ‘surf’ and ‘beach’ cafes although the main shopping area is a bit dowdy and not atmospheric. I resorted to Costa for a coffee which was actually really good but maybe I’ve been in Polperro too long! I was looking for somewhere for lunch and was getting desperate so gave up and drove around the town and started heading out into the countryside when I came to a tiny cove called Watergate Bay. I parked in the paid parking lot ,as you have to absolutely everywhere here ,and saw a sign near the path to the beach saying “Fifteen” so in I went. It turns out to be Jamie Olivers Fifteen Restaurant, very funky and with a spectacular view of an almost perfect surf pumping in from the Atlantic ocean…no wonder I had seen the surfers in the car park hurredly kitting up with wetsuits, booties, hoods and gloves. It was on! The restaurant was booked out so they sat me at the bar where I had the best, friendliest service with a glass of prosecco and fresh cornish crab bruschetta. I decided to lash out and the barman made me a sensational flat white and I had a blood orange chocolate piece of decadence.
20 Mar 2013 1 Comment
in Culture, Environment, food, People, Society
Drove from Port Issac to Rock and caught a passenger ferry across the Camel River Estuary to Padstow. Some beautiful sunshine and lots of lovely golden sand that reminded me of home. Rock was amazingly quite an upmarket place!
Padstow Harbour was quite nice and the shops and restaurants definitely upmarket. Rick Stein’s restaurant was there and he has ‘cashed in’ with a merchandise shop next door and a patisserie down the road…nice stuff though I must say. I didn’t do lunch there as I had it waiting for the ferry…fresh sea scallops just pan seared to perfection. I did actually lash out and have a sweet sensation..classic English Victoria Sponge with a pot of tea. it was moist and delicious and so worth it!
20 Mar 2013 1 Comment
in Culture, Environment, People, Society, Time
Visited Port Issac or more affectionately know by Doc Martin fans as “Port Wenn”. It is a pretty little harbour town unaffected by the ‘fame’. Saw the surgery, harbour and school and had a coffee in a nice little shop that was the only place to sell souvenirs and it was all cute and not overdone or too commercialised. 
pinkbirdflies 