I am on a business trip to New York. The temperature here is minus 6 degrees Celsius. It is freezing cold in New York! I have come well prepared on this trip with my thickest coat which makes me feel like I am being wrapped in a cosy duvet. However, with my girth, I probably look like Michelin man wearing that. But who cares - I am warm and toasty! So there I was, wrapped up in my coat and woolly scarf with my warmest gloves on, walking past Bryant Park towards the Bank of America ...
1,500 kms of Portuguese roads and no McDonalds
We have done so well. Almost a week of travelling and no McDonalds at all so far! We have been enjoying the freshly cooked seafood here. This has been so, so much better - healthy & yummy! "Mum, I am going to have a Double Sausage McMuffin for breakfast when we are home on Sun," David says. Grrrrr.... We woke up yesterday to torrential rain at Viseu - exactly like the London we left behind. The drive through the mountains this time was very different, especially when a dense fog ...
Hotels that used to be a monastery and a hospital
We were staying in many different hotels on this road trip. As we would stay only one night at each place, I have tried to book into some of the more interesting hotels where possible. If my choice turned out to be a disaster, it would have been bearable for only one night. So here we are in a hotel which used to be a monastery and we are in Cell 203. This place has kept many of its old features and furniture. But thank God, the amenities are not on keeping with its previous monk ...
Road trip in Portugal with a 9 year old
It was the February half term school holidays and older son had gone off skiing with his school. I thought it would be a good idea for the rest of us to go check out a new country. It had been raining such a lot in London that I wanted somewhere a tad warmer. I thought Portugal would be a good fit as I had not been there before and the flight cost was reasonable. British Airways had a deal whereby the car rental was only £1 and we ended up with a truly luxurious executive car. The excess for any ...
Trying to buy beer in New York without ID
I am in New York for work and we have been invited to a game of ice hockey at Madison Square Gardens. New York Rangers playing against New Jersey Devils. I was brimming with excitement. This is such an American sport and I was looking forward to seeing some players throwing a tantrum or fighting each other on the ice. Sadly the players behaved rather well today and we were treated to only one slinging match. The funniest thing has to be the music that accompany the start of the game. It ...
