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Legends of the Martini – Royal Academy of Arts, London. Belvedere’s a winner.
Hello back room in the Royal Academy. This was a fun little surprise for an hour. This idea is based around an exhibition that’s just a room with a boards on it and some kind of guessing game about martinis. Whatever. You soon spot the giant martini glass you can sit in and have your photo taken in.
We were then taken to a table and intensely taught for one hour about martini making with Belvedere Vodka. And to my surprise it was great fun. And I learned something. You get to learn to say exactly how you like your martini – shaken or stirred – what parts you like in it (forgotten already) and taste different zests. It’s only on until the end of August and as a bit of something to do in what feels like hidden London, go do it. At the end you can buy a very strong martini. If you don’t drink, then don’ go. You won’t like it. Go at night, It feels like you are at a secret London party in a museum.
Barcelona – supermarkets and paella – discuss
We arrived and for once did not go to the main area of Las Ramblas and the Gothic District. I’ve been to Barcelona a few times before so it was time to go off piste and see what the city had to offer. We air b n b’d a great apartment in the area of Rambla del Poblenou and it was less than £100 a night for a two bedroom. I took a photo of the street name on my iphone as it was particularly difficult to pronounce. This proved a life saver when getting home in a cab.
We searched for a supermarket because everyone knows that European Supermarkets are ridiculously good and should be high on your list of important points of interest to see as soon as you land. Never has fruit tasted so good. It puts England and the States to shame when it comes to tasty fresh produce.
Things that you immediately need to buy to keep for a weekend away in spain. Chorizo, nectarines, tomatoes, tortilla, bread, emergency drunken pizza, sweet peppers in a jar, fresh anchovies, Strawberry twizzlers, milk, condensed milk to make iced coffee, coffee. Rose wine, red wine, beer. Water, fresh limes and lemons.
This photo does not do the Paella justice in Vell.
We went on the hunt for Paella and Sangria. Which isn’t hard being in Barcelona, but it had to be right. We had a gourmet Paella from what was like a local cafe looking restaurant in a place called Vell. Not the real yellow type this was a treat gently simmered in stock and tasted like it had been cooked in a top restaurant even though we were in what felt like a cafe. We had a great paella the day after which was the dirty saffron kind but once I’d had the gourmet one it was like comparing steak to a greasy kebab . Both have their own merits but are right for different times in life.
Need Meat and Malbec in Barcelona? Go Patagonia
I was too greedy to stop and take a picture of my steak so took this pointless picture of the wine instead. But it was a good wine.
We had had enough of the tapas and we needed steak. And not small bits of steak but lump sums. We saw the ribeye. It was for two, but we wanted it split in half and cooked two different ways. This was no pizza hut. Could they do it? Would they do it? It was tense for about two minutes. But the answer was positive and service swift and friendly. There was a plethora of Malbec to choose from too. We were too drunk to eat dessert. Was it the best steak I’ve ever had? No, but it was very good. And local peoples were eating in there, which is always a good sign.
Reims – Champagne Weekend in France
Cathedral in Reims
Everyone has a different version of how to say it and the one we went with sounded like ‘Rance’ as if choked from the back of the throat. I went on a coach ride, with a bunch of people I didn’t know and lets just say alcohol does wonderful things to bond strangers.
The ferry took just over an hour to get to France. I had it in my head that it was three hours, so this was bonus number one . Getting to Reims only takes another few hours. Bonus number two.
There’s a lot to be fermenting and drinking in these.
I went to visit Pomeroy which had auspicious cellars but that was about it. But then over a couple of days we saw three other independent and smaller champagne producers and that’s much more fun. They talk away about how they make it and everyone nods politely, whilst downing the first glass quickly to get the six more. No one was pausing to comment on any aromas of pear. Within the hour I and my motley crew were smashed and buying enough champagne to fill our imaginary cellars at home.
I don’t know why this is in a champagne house but maybe it represents how you feel after one too many bubbles.
You get drunk, buy champagne, store it in the coach and take it home. Some champagne did not make the coach journey back. Some places put on a lunch. Reims is also a great place to stay in. There’s not a lot to do there bar see the cathedral and drink, but apparently there’s a great Xmas Market too. This champagne weekend is the ultimate hen do waiting to happen.
Here’s a couple of places
http://www.champagne-lacourte-godbillon.com/content.asp?IDR=114273
http://www.champagne-dauby.fr/welcome_172.htm
Here’s some info.
Click to access Group-tours-in-the-Champagne,-the-Marne-BD2.pdf
Spaniards Inn – Hampstead, London.
Sometimes this pub can get a bit too busy for it’s own good, but that’s because it’s a great pub and everyone knows, find a great pub and find the worst kept secret. So if you want it when it’s buzzy then go in the summer and crash someones gigantic table outside in the huge garden, and join everyone else who is getting sloshed. If you want it a bit quieter than do what I just did and get there at midday on a Sunday and grab the last unreserved table. I was having a Roast Dinner in the Evening and did entertain the idea of ordering one from lunch and doing the double, but I didn’t I went for Gnocchi, and I’m so glad I did. I mean look at it. One of the best gnocchi’s I have ever had. Hand made, truffle cream with pea shoots and chestnut mushrooms. This deserves the biggest picture ever. 
Manhattan Hotel Bars
No Diving unless you are a tadpole.
OK not the best photo but I had to take a sneaky photo of the pool on the roof top of Jimmy’s Bar in The James Hotel in Manhattan. It is the size of a pond and as shallow as a puddle so I’m glad they put the No Diving because you know. we were all wondering there for at least two seconds.
Now I’m a bit of a hotel bar slag. I love a good cocktail but, Manhattan your service and clientele are disappointing me. Jimmy’s bar had so many questions to get into the place from security I thought I was going through customs again. And surprise surprise, there weren’t that many people upstairs; and neither it seems was a waitress. Oh wait there was one but just not one for us. In fact I’m not sure who she served. One barman on and one man behind him with not much to do but shuffle lemons place to place and look at the floor with a face saying please don’t ask me anything. Getting a drink felt like an eternity
The seats outside by the pond are park benches. Yes the view is great. That is all that is. Google images make it look a lot better which is why I put my rank photo.
Taken from their site so it will look good
The Thomson hotel well that one was even worse. After looking nervously at a very vexed security guard to again get up stairs and feeling like you are dealing with a headmaster we got sent to the top floor only to be sent back down for half hour to the middle bar where the DJ, who did look amazing, decided she would like to play the music really loudly whilst attempting to ‘scratch’ the records. Painful to all involved. Again service pretty dismal.
We made it to the top and these seats are much comfier and the place more relaxed and chilled. Service was much better. However who you get to sit next to is roulette. You’d think if you wanted a private conversation you wouldn’t bother with others listening, but no. We got to listen in on a guy introducing his boyfriend to his very straight parents whilst the boyfriend said the classic line. It’s not just women who have a biological clock, I do too…. I almost spat my drink out at this point. After they moved we thought hurrah and then got the drunk couple making out. Fail….
Taken from their site and looks better than this
But there is a winner and no it may not have a rooftop but for great service and excellent cocktails and that’s the Crosby Street Hotel. We had someone come over and say they could make us anything we wanted. They put food on the table, they smiled without willing us to curl up and die. They genuinely wanted us there. Bar Staff and any Waitresses. Best cocktails, best atmosphere. Only moan is the bathroom is a mile away.And even though these bars are expensive, best priced. I had an espresso Martini. Delicious. I have been there about three times since. So nice to find a place where the staff don’t think they are more important then the customers.
Las Vegas – Days 49 -52
Welcome to the money pit.
The first thing that hits is that New York To Vegas on a flight is a five and a half hour trip. I could almost me back in London by then. The flight was a lot of fun though. It was a real mixture of people but I enjoyed mainly listening to the guys behind me who were drunk trying to chat up the non interested girl sitting between them whilst randomly shouting out ‘Yeah! Vegas!’.
The guy next to me was irritating as he didn’t understand the meaning of personal space. His lanky arms were knocking me the whole time and I had to give him a look of ‘go to hell’ at which he apologised but continued all the same. I stared out the window and as the landscape of the everlasting desert hit my eyes I thought this is one place where there really is nowhere for miles and if we crash landed we would be truly screwed.
When we landed a couple of people clapped. Why on earth do people do that? It was a terrible bumpy landing that felt it was like the pilot’s first time. That or he had been on the Vegas juice himself. The comedians behind me commented loudly at the two passengers clapping ‘ worst landing ever.’
So off the Wynn hotel to meet my parents who are bigger party goers than me. Vegas was having a heat wave but who would have known that? Everyone was in, playing the computer games that take your money; my-self included. When I did win all of twenty bucks I felt terribly embarrassed as the noises of what is similar to a fire alarm went off. I’m terribly English and people are looking. Shush machine, shush. The volume was down from then on.
Hey Everyone come play me lots of love Dolly.
Walking past the nightclubs I did want to point out to some of the young ladies who weren’t hookers that maybe that dress really didn’t fit them. Go a size up – I wanted to say. It will flatter you more. Maybe actually four sizes up. What could I say though ? I spent most of my time eating in amazing restaurants and drinking for free at the machines.
I’ve been a few times to Vegas and so didn’t go to see the shows. I’d always recommend ‘O’ in the Bellagio as the best one. I joined the masses throwing money away in the name of fun but I guess that’s what we used to do as kids on arcades just perhaps on a larger scale.
Philadelphia and New York – Days 42 to 48
After recovering for a few days from Road Trip a friend and I took a long hot drive to Philadelphia because my favourite sandwich is a Philly Cheese Steak and why not have it in Philly? So he very kindly drove us the three hours – I had in my head it took an hour and a half. We stopped along the way where I was introduced to Cinnabon which has massive cakes that look like deep filled chicken pie. I couldn’t do it, I had to choose the cheese steak there was too much riding on it.
Two rivals opposite each other Pats and Genos. We went to the one with the bigger queue which was Pats. The pressure was on to make sure the order was correct. It seems there is an etiquette as to how to order and how to get it right. The sandwich did not disappoint and was demolished probably a bit too quickly. The kind of quick where you sit wondering just how loud your stomach can get digesting. Within half hour we were back on the road. Five hours of driving for a sandwich, crazy I know. But there wasn’t anything else to see in Philly on that baking hot day bar a wall with some street art so we left.
My favourite restaurant in Manhattan is Stanton Social on the lower East side. It’s a place that does Tapas style food and Beauty and Essex is the sister restaurant around the corner. They are a little bit up themselves in there unlike Stanton and so are the clientele. I don’t like it really if the person asking you if you would like a drink is looking at you like a bored soon to be ex.
I don’t know if it’s a one-off or standard but in the ladies bathroom separated in a changing area they give away free champagne. I delighted in taking this offering (tipping of course) and watching the look of amusement on my friends faces as they waited to get served and I swanned upstairs with a glass of bubbly. Why we didn’t just traipse up and down all night I do not know. The waitress wouldn’t have noticed.
Later in the week, I walked the Highline which apparently on, online dating is the equivalent of going to Borough Market in London, as in everyone does it. It’s alright; kind of cool to see the city from a height, but not that mind-blowing however to walk on some concrete at a height. If I had gone on a date there I would have been pissed right off.
But New York had to have a quick goodbye for a couple of weeks after that as I made the next journey to Vegas, Miami and Tampa Bay once more.
worldwideattitude 