Category Archives: Travel

Lazy Days on the Riviera

Posted on 29 July 2015 by sheg4184

We arrived at the far end of the French Riviera in the early evening, in a ruinously expensive taxi from the Airport Côte d’Azur, to discover Menton, la perle de la France a small, bustling tourist town once conjoined with Monaco, … Continue reading →

Posted in France, Travel | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Lazy Days on the Riviera

Down the Dart: from Dartmoor to Dartmouth via a vineyard

Posted on 22 July 2015 by sheg4184

The Dart. A picturesque and tidal river that rises on Dartmoor and meanders down through voluptuous hills and green leafy valleys to Dartmouth on the South Devon coast. Here the estuary is guarded by a pair of stone forts, somewhat … Continue reading →

Posted in England, Food & Wine, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Down the Dart: from Dartmoor to Dartmouth via a vineyard

Just My Cup of Tea

Posted on 5 July 2015 by sheg4184

London isn’t everybody’s cup of tea Often you hear visitors complain Noisy, smoky city but it seems to me There’s a magic in the fog and rain Maybe it’s because I’m a Londoner That I love London so Maybe it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in England, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Just My Cup of Tea

Marble Splendour in Abu Dhabi

Posted on 24 June 2015 by sheg4184

“Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun…” ~ Noel Coward As I sit in London, in Holland Park under scattered clouds and mere wisps of blue sky, amidst all the lush flamboyance of summer foliage, it seems … Continue reading →

Posted in Local Culture, Travel | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Marble Splendour in Abu Dhabi

Sashimi: a Japanese Cooking Philiosophy

Posted on 4 May 2015 by sheg4184

As a rule, the philosophy of cooking aims at the creation of new tastes that do not exist naturally… but Japanese cooking methods are antithetical to this philosophy. The ideal of Japanese cooking is to retain the natural tastes of … Continue reading →

Posted in Cooking, Japan, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Sashimi: a Japanese Cooking Philiosophy

Simple Joys

Posted on 27 April 2015 by sheg4184

Tokyo. A shopper’s wonderland. My friends are green with envy at my good luck. Sadly, I am not a woman who lives to shop. Basement food halls, malls and department stores make my eyes blur with panic. Too much stuff. … Continue reading →

Posted in Food & Wine, Japan, Travel | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Simple Joys

“Such stuff as dreams are made on…”

Posted on 14 March 2015 by sheg4184

Twenty five feet from the sea squats a small, thatched hut with a veranda from which we step straight onto the sand. A traveller’s dream destination, fittingly labelled ‘Play House,’ we happily make a temporary home in this cosy little … Continue reading →

Posted in Philippines, Travel | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on “Such stuff as dreams are made on…”

Inside Out in Akaroa

Posted on 31 January 2015 by sheg4184

Gardening is not usually my bag. My mother has the green fingers, and the tendency to arrive home with clippings from friend’s gardens, Botanic Gardens, woodland or verges. But I do appreciate other people’s efforts, and I can name a … Continue reading →

Posted in New Zealand, Travel | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Inside Out in Akaroa

Villa Escudero

Posted on 13 January 2015 by sheg4184

It was our daughter’s birthday last week, and with our men folk off about their own business, we decided a Mother/Daughter road trip might be fun. We packed the car and headed south for her favourite spot: Stilts, in Calatagan, … Continue reading →

Posted in Philippines, Travel | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Villa Escudero

Hiding Out at The Henry

Posted on 4 January 2015 by sheg4184

The behemoth that is December in the Philippines had descended on Makati like a tidal wave. Cars rolled doggedly down EDSA and Ayala Avenue, bumper-to-tailgate, like an insuperable lava flow. Every shopping mall was seething with excited shoppers walking four … Continue reading →

Posted in Philippines, Travel | Comments Off on Hiding Out at The Henry