Some Work and Some Play

Thursday was a day of work for Lisa but fun for Christos. It was also a day of rain so after a hearty English Breakfast, he did not wander too far from the hotel, just taking a walk along Piccadilly to shop at Fortnum & Mason's and other places. He picked up a new tweed jacket (but not at Purdey's which is outrageously expensive!) and a book on the Wars Of the Roses and some biscuits from F&M's before enjoying a lunch of moules marinieres at "The Only Running Footman".

The rain picked up as the day went on and thus Thursday evening was low key with dinner in room from the local Italian place and an early night as Lisa had been working all day.

We awoke Friday to sun and warmth! So after a bit of a late start and breakfast for two at the hotel, it was off for an hour walk through Regent's Park to Camden Market where Lisa bought some lights and Christos picked up a 45" of Cars by Gary Numan. Camden is always such a joy with its bustling courtyards festooned with stalls selling exotic foods wedged next to converted stables now serving as funky shops all peopled by a melting pot of fashion, culture and languages!

That evening we met up with Brian and two of his buddies at the Audley for pints at 6PM and after chit chat for a couple hours, including much talk of a prospective gold mine!, Brian vetoed his buddy's suggestion of a steak place across town and decided we needed to go to Morton's, a private club on nearby Berkeley Square, for dinner.

It turns out Brian had previously worked there and after a couple of calls he secured us a reservation. Fortunately we were both dressed decently, Christos sporting his new tweed!

We strolled the short distance over to Morton's where the Hostess couldn't find us in the reservation book but fortunately the Maitre'D informed her we had just been secured a spot by Brian.

Dinner was amazing with an excellent Italian Red Wine, Tuna Carpaccio served on a bed of Avocado, Green and White Asparagus Risotto and Rib and Roast of Galloway Beef.

After dinner we decided to check out the small bar/club below and stayed for a couple of drinks listening to the DJ in the back play good house music while nobody, except for Lisa and Christos, albeit tamely, danced ... just as we were ready to leave (it being around midnight), a five piece band showed up having just finished their gig and played a set of five songs (including Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe") which got the crowd moving and induced us to stay for another drink before making it back to the hotel forty minutes later.

We both agreed it was an amazing evening, although a bit excessive on the wallet. Six (high end) Vodka and Sodas was (including gratuity) ... one hundred pounds!

London, rainy but we love the place

We arrived in London late on Wednesday afternoon an uneventful flight and checked into the Connaught around 7pm. However, before we accessed our rooms, Lisa's boss offered us his reservation at a local restaurant as he and his wife were (we think) a little tired. We happily accepted and off we went to "La Petite Maison". Dinner was wonderful, one of the best we have had in ages! The restaurant is French food but served "family style" (ie shared plates). We had the escargot and carpaccio to start followed by homemade pappardelle with veal ragu and grilled prawns. The wine was a lovely red from Les Baux De Provence (a place we have visited!). It was all excellent. It seems Lisa will be making a reservation at La Petite Maison during future sojourns in London.



After dinner it was off to the Audley Pub for some Guinness where we bumped into Brian from our last London trip! After some pints and chit chat, we agreed to meet up the next day to discuss potential business in the afternoon and perhaps dine together in the evening. We made it back to the hotel around 11pm and settled into bed. Unfortunately, the night's sleep was interupted by noise from next door a couple of times and while Christos eventually had a good night's sleep, Lisa tossed and turned from 2am till dawn. The next morning saw typical London weather (ie rain) which was a disappointment as it was gorgeous when we landed. Lisa rushed off to work while Christos enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in the Connaught's dining room ....

A few days in Barcelona

Once more Lisa's hard working ways have the added benefit of a quick break from Toronto and work for Christos! A mining conference she attends is held every other year in beautiful Barcelona; one almost thinks the venue drives the conference!

So off we went on Sunday night from Toronto, arriving in Barcelona mid afternoon on Monday. After a nap to combat jet lag, it was off for a walk of the city at 6PM. Lisa had rediscovered an old haunt the last time she was in Barcelona that we call "Champagne Charlie's" but is really called Can Paixano after the namesake pink bubbly they serve there. Christos had first been in 1990 (yup, he is old) with his parents when he first visited Barcelona. Lisa's first visit was in 2001 during our grand trip of Europe when we visited Christos' parents in Barcelona. The place is literally a hole in the wall; it is perhaps five meters wide and extends back around fifteen meters and is standing room only. They serve grilled sandwiches and small snack plates and man are they awesome! The sandwiches are of many varieties and include multi flavoured ones such as "Baco, queso, cebolla, pimiento" (bacon, cheese, friend onion and pepper) or  just "xorico" (sausage) and these are washed down with glasses of bubbly pink champagne! It is also very inexpensive. A 750ml bottle of the pink bubbly (10pct alcohol) is 5.6 euros (nine bucks) and the sandwiches are between 2 and 4 euros. All told, one can have lunch for 7 euros, with two glasses of bubbly at just over 1 euro each. We ate sandwiches, drank bubbly and made new friends.


After "Champage Charlie's" we continued to wander through old Barcelona, hitting the Ramblas as well as a faerie garden bar we have visited before and quaffing a couple pints of Guinness.  We bought some street art on the Ramblas and a dress for Lisa during our wanderings before we hopped on a pedicab for the 10 euro ride back to the hotel. The only bad news was Lisa had a spill departing the pedicab and managed to scrape her chin and hands as she faceplanted.

The next day started out a little rough as we both woke in the wee hours and Lisa was not well. We were a bit worried that she may have been suffering from the fall the night before (concussion?) but by late in the day she seemed much better. Lisa spent Tuesday working while Christos went for a walk to Barcelona, visiting the Maritime Museum as well as lunch at Champagne Charlie's and general wandering. The Maritime Museum's star attraction is a life sized replica of the 60m galley that served as he flagship of Don Juan of Austria during the battle of Lepanto (1571). The rest of the museum is a bit of a let down although the building (the old naval arsenal/factory) itself is wonderful. Lisa and Christos met up around 4ish and after a brief rest went for a walk along the quay before dinner at 9pm at the 2 star Michelin restaurant at the hotel. Unfortunately, we thought the place was overrated and while dinner was good, it was not what we expected from a 2 star Michelin establishment! Finally it was off to bed at 11:30 and a solid night's sleep before our final day in Barcelona.

Our finally day was in Barcelona was one of work for Lisa and relaxation for Christos who slept in late and lazed around the hotel/beach until lunch with Lisa. Lisa is finishing up her day of meetings while Christos is off for a stroll before we depart for London in a few hours ....

Scotland Tickets Booked!

While we normally head for the sunny shores of the Med on holiday, this year it is time for something different ... a trip to the land of Lisa's ancestors ... the land of the Scots! We just booked the tickets today and are very excited.