HOLIDAY QUEEN

Saturday, 22 February 2014

Cultural New York and eating out!

I would hate to try to make a comparison between the two theatre capitals of the world. The truth is I rarely get the time to go in London due to work and end up making up for it in my down time in New York! So invariably my experience is one of enjoying Broadway much more. My friends always make sure we have tickets when I visit and this time was no exception .. they really pushed the boat out! It was an ecclectic mix of entertainment that's for sure!

The first was to the New York City Center to see 'Little Me, Encores!" In the summer of 2013, City Center launched Encores! Off-Center, a new series featuring seminal Off-Broadway musicals filtered through the lens of today’s most innovative artists. Neil Simon's first musical adaptation for the stage first played on Broadway in 1962 and although it opened to 'mostly rave reviews' it didn't really catch on and disappeared from view.

All the Encore productions run for a week at a time and I have to say I enjoyed this production immensely. It starred Christian Borle (most recently known for Smash) and he did a phenomenal job as did the rest of the cast!


photo: Joan Marcus

My second outing was to see 'Beautiful - the Carole King Musical' which I think will be running for quite some time. Bookings are being taken until October 2014 at present. It tells the story of the life of Carole King, a Grammy award winning singer/songwriter. The show starts with her life before she became famous .. when she was just a 16 year old girl from Brooklyn with a passion for music and songwriting .. right up until she became a star in her own right. I loved it and was amazed at all the songs I knew and who she had actually written for. Jesse Mueller who plays her did a fantastic job! I'm hoping it will transfer to London - fingers crossed!

I was also privileged to go to a cocktail party at the Salmagundi Art Club which featured Grammy nominated Robert McDuffie playing violin to promote the Rome Chamber Music Festival which he founded and is held every year in Rome.

The second weekend I was there marked the 50th anniversary of the Beatles arrival in New York City. There were various events on and a special TV show from the Grammy theater in LA. We went along to 'America Celebrates The Beatles All-Star Concert' which sounds as though it would be absolutely fabulous! It boasted a multitude of stars all paying tribute in their own way. I don't like to be negative about anything but this has to have been the worst show I think I have ever been witness to so I will say no more than we stuck it out for as long as we could but left before the end ... and I almost never do that!

Lastly, I feel lucky enough to have been able to attend a performance of 'Carousel' by the NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development. The entire orchestra, actors and dancers attend the school and it was an absolute triumph! There is a massive talent at the school and I'm sure we'll be seeing them in future theatre, film and television productions.

Mussels in BXL Cafe

I haven't left myself much room to mention the fab restaurants I went to so I'll just list them as recommendations and hope you get the chance to go if and when you visit the city.

It's also always great fun to dine out in a genuine American Diner .. eggs over easy, pancakes, crispy bacon, bottomless coffee ... etc etc etc

Balthazar Restaurant, 80 Spring Street, New York NY 10012 (French)
Osteria al Doge, 142 West 44th Street, New York NY 10036 (Italian)
BXL Cafe, 125 West 43rd Street, New York NY 10036 (Belgian)
Enoteca Otto Pizzeria, One Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10003 (Italian)
Craft Bar, 900 Broadway, New York NY 10003 (American)
Landmarc Restaurant, Time Warner Center, 3rd Floor, 10 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10019 and Tribeca, 179 West Broadway, New York NY 10013 (French/Italian)
Luna Rossa, 347 East 85th Street | New York, NY 10028 (Italian)

Bon appétit!!

- See more at: http://www.newyorkcitytheatre.com/theaters/stephen-sondheim-theatre/beautiful-the-carole-king-musical.php#sthash.ZqOrNhFz.dpuf

- See more at: http://www.newyorkcitytheatre.com/theaters/stephen-sondheim-theatre/beautiful-the-carole-king-musical.php#sthash.ZqOrNhFz.dpu

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical tells the story of the life of Carole King, a Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter. The musical tells her story from her life before she became famous - when she was just Carol Klein, a young girl from Brooklyn with heaps of passion and talent - to her rise to stardom. - See more at: http://www.newyorkcitytheatre.com/theaters/stephen-sondheim-theatre/beautiful-the-carole-king-musical.php#sthash.ZqOrNhFz.dpuf

Other Broadway Venues in New York

BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL

Ms. Mueller, a Broadway star in waiting for several years.... steps confidently into the V.I.P. room of musical headliners.

Ben Brantley

Buy Tickets

- See more at: http://www.newyorkcitytheatre.com/theaters/stephen-sondheim-theatre/beautiful-the-carole-king-musical.php#sthash.ZqOrNhFz.dpuf

Other Broadway Venues in New York

BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL

Ms. Mueller, a Broadway star in waiting for several years.... steps confidently into the V.I.P. room of musical headliners.

Ben Brantley

Buy Tickets

- See more at: http://www.newyorkcitytheatre.com/theaters/stephen-sondheim-theatre/beautiful-the-carole-king-musical.php#sthash.ZqOrNhFz.dpuf

Other Broadway Venues in New York

BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL

Ms. Mueller, a Broadway star in waiting for several years.... steps confidently into the V.I.P. room of musical headliners.

Ben Brantley

Buy Tickets

- See more at: http://www.newyorkcitytheatre.com/theaters/stephen-sondheim-theatre/beautiful-the-carole-king-musical.php#sthash.ZqOrNhFz.dpuf

Other Broadway Venues in New York

BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL

Ms. Mueller, a Broadway star in waiting for several years.... steps confidently into the V.I.P. room of musical headliners.

Ben Brantley

Buy Tickets

- See more at: http://www.newyorkcitytheatre.com/theaters/stephen-sondheim-theatre/beautiful-the-carole-king-musical.php#sthash.ZqOrNhFz.dpuf

East Village and Street Artists

This time two weeks ago was my last Saturday in New York and was spent wandering around the East Village. It certainly hasn't lost the old charm and hopefully won't as it's home to the New York University campus and dorm houses.

In the 1950s, the migration of Beatniks into the neighborhood later attracted hippies, musicians and artists well into 1960s. The area was dubbed the "East Village", to dissociate it from the image of slums evoked by the Lower East Side. According to The New York Times, a 1964 guide called Earl Wilson's New York wrote that "artists, poets and promoters of coffeehouses from Greenwich Village are trying to remelt the neighborhood under the high-sounding name of 'East Village.'"

I met with my friends at Craft Bar for brunch .. truly scrumptious and a great way to set up a day of walking which was beautifully sunny but with a temperature of -6C! We shared the Brioche pain perdu (French toast!) which was amazing then followed up with Pork scrapple and eggs .. so delicious but after scoffing the French toast we all found it hard to finish our plates!

We walked through the Farmer's market and meandered through the streets on our way to the Dorian Grey Gallery to see a collaboration of work by street artists Remi Rough and John 'Crash' Matos. I have been a fan of John's work for a number of years. He was one of the original graffiti artists whose work adorned the New York Subway in the 70's and has gone on to greater things. I feel lucky to have seen the subway in the 80's when I first went to NY just before they were cleaned up. The carriages looked quite different to anything I'd ever seen and I found the atmosphere very intimidating and scary. Crime was rampant so I was right to be cautious. How different it is now!

Whilst at the gallery we got to see prints by London based artist Stik.

Stik mural

Stik people, although androgenous and constructed from simple shapes, are nevertheless capable of conveying complex body language and emotion. These themes of human emotion and expression are infused in Stik’s brightly coloured street art. Stik, the street artist, himself was homeless for a period and ideas surrounding human vulnerability are also detectable in his art. I love the visual simplicity of his work and the prints I saw were all sold ready for shipment. I acquired a small diary he had produced and signed so that's my little piece of Stik art to treasure.

The area is a hub of vintage shops and independent traders. I loved the vibe and reminded me so much of all those iconic scenes in old movies. I really hope that the gentrification that's occurring all over the city doesn't make too much of an impact on it. Once the soul has gone it never returns.

http://www.doriangreygallery.com/
http://remirough.com/
http://www.crashone.com/#!trains/c1w1e
http://streetartlondon.co.uk/blog/2011/01/06/street-artist-stik/

Monday, 17 February 2014

Snow and skin care in New York


No going out for the flip flops!

The thing I love about living in the Northern Hemisphere is the seasons, although there doesn't seem to be much of a variation some years! I love New York at any time whether it's scorching hot or freezing cold. Being February it was bound to be cold and as I've said in a previous post, it has been known to be spring like in January so anything is possible! However, this year the winter has been a bitterly cold one.

In the weeks prior to my arrival the temperatures had been extreme with snow storms and ice threatening to disrupt travel plans and the Super Bowl. I was lucky as it had calmed down and when I arrived it felt relatively mild .. and apart from a few mounds of leftover snow drifts most of it had gone and I had an easy transportation into New York City.

If you have read the previous post to this you will already know that my first day was working at Super Bowl but once that was over I could look forward to nine days of fun in my favorite city with good friends.

Carl Schurz Park


Dog walkers with their pack

Waking up on the morning of my first day off I looked out of the window and saw it was snowing heavily. I love the snow and was not deterred from going out. New Yorkers know how to deal with it too .. people were already out clearing the sidewalks and garbage trucks doubled as snow plows to clear the roads so traffic could function as well as possible. People carried on as normal and were out with their dogs .. some with custom coats and booties - the dogs that is! I even saw a cute little pooch with a black leather jacket obviously made to measure! It helps to have the right gear yourself and as long as you wear layers and have a good coat and some snow boots, or in my case boots with yak trax attached, you can plow through the ice and snow with abandon! (I highly recommend having some of these on hand anyway as you never know when you might need them.) I particularly loved walking through the park .. the fresh snow brings a sound of silence (except for the crunching underfoot) and a freshness in the air that for me has a real feel good factor.

The one downside is that the freezing cold air really does play havoc with your facial skin specially when you have been in an environment with warm dry centrally heated air indoors! My skin felt dry and dehydrated even though I was drinking copious amounts of water and moisturizing profusely! One morning I decided to give myself a DIY facial using skin Chemists Rapid Facial. It's a real luxury item and not cheap (£117) but you only need a small amount at a time and I found it really gave my skin a healthy glow and made it feel smooth and soft again. Unlike other 'face masks' I've tried before it does not dry to a hard feels-like-your-face-will-crack-if-you-smile finish and it just requires a gentle rub as you exfoliate and wash it away with warm water.

My next posting will be about exploring the East Village and the fab restaurants and shows I was lucky enough to attend!

Saturday, 15 February 2014

Super Bowl XLVIII - February 2nd 2014

The Super Bowl is the annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL), the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather than the year in which it is held. Source Wikipedia

Walking to the MetLife Stadium

Our view from the studio

I was fortunate enough to be able to work at Super Bowl this year in my role as a make up artist for the Sky Sports NFL team. It was an interesting experience and perhaps the best thing about it for me was the spectacle. It is incredibly well produced and one of the most watched televised annual sporting events in the world. Security is extremely tight - cars are not allowed to tailgate and without a parking permit are not permitted anywhere near the stadium grounds. On approach our people carrier was redirected by wardens a number of times and before even being allowed out of the vehicle it was swept by some serious looking security guards who eventually allowed us in.


Half time show


In between on air segments


The big screen

Once inside however, we were able to get on with the job of putting on the show. Our studio was just under the MetLife sign at the Seahawks end so we had a great view of the game and the half time show which featured Bruno Mars and Red Hot Chilli Peppers. The atmosphere was electric and a very enthusiastic crowd really made some noise. The tickets were not cheap .. upwards from $1,500 per person so if you had a seat you were definitely committed to having a great time! Nothing comes cheap at Super Bowl. A plain hot dog was $13 .. that gives you an idea of the starting price! So if you take into account that neither of the teams were local .. Denver Broncos (Colorado) and Seattle Seahawks (Washington State) it's a lot of money that most people I know would rather spend on having a great holiday!

However, I appreciate what it means to die hard fans and it is an American institution where people have Super Bowl parties at home while watching the game .. not a bad way to spend a cold winter's night!

If you are interested in next year's Super Bowl XLIX it will be held in Glendale, Arizona.

http://azsuperbowl.com/

Thursday, 16 January 2014

Half way through January already!

2014 is underway and HQ is looking forward to her next trip .. an all time favourite and second home New York City! In just over two weeks time the trusty flip flops and I will be heading off across the big pond for a day of work at the MetLife Stadium - East Rutherford, NJ (so excited about it and will let you know how it went when I'm back) then chilling out for a few days hoping that the weather won't be as bad as it has been these last few weeks .. although I have a coat for all occasions so am not too concerned.

The flip flops will probably not see the cold light of day but perhaps just make it out to an indoor pool and a pedicure - for me that is! Right now the big freeze is over for the time being but it is always just a bit chillier than London town at this point in the season .. although I do remember a time not so long ago in late January when it was 75F so anything is possible!

Saturday, 28 December 2013

A new year is dawning ...

With only 3 days left till the end of 2013 I just wanted to express what a fab year it's been again! I think it's so important to get away from the daily grind even if it's only for a long weekend. You know what they say (whoever they are) all work and no play ... Work is important to me of course, as I love it but I don't ever want to be dull! It lifts my spirit to look forward and plan the next trip ... working makes it possible.

As well as revisiting old haunts there have been some new additions to the list of locations I've been and I have loved all of them! There are still many more in my sites and it's always a challenge deciding where to go next. However, I do know where I'm going next and that will be Barbados again at the end of March. I like to top and tail the winter with a week of sunshine and it means taking a long haul flight somewhere. Barbados never fails to deliver and I can't wait .. but I may just squeeze in a quick little long weekend trip somewhere before that to visit friends ... somewhere the flip flops won't be needed (except perhaps by an indoor pool) so I will keep you posted!

Thanks once again for reading and sharing my travels with me .. it's lovely to get all your positive feedback and hopefully give you some inspiration to go somewhere you've always wanted to visit.

Have a very Happy New Year and a fabulous, healthy and prosperous 2014!

عام سعيد ~ Καλή Χρονιά ~ felice anno nuovo ~ feliz año nuevo

(Happy New Year in the languages of the countries I visited this year)

* * *

Monday, 9 December 2013

Hola buenos días .. chilling in the Riviera Maya, Mexico

People often ask me why I go all the way to Mexico or the Caribbean for just a week. Granted it's a relatively long flight but whether it's 5, 7 or 10 hours it really makes no difference to me. On day flights I catch up on the movies I've missed and overnights I may watch one movie then try to sleep till breakfast. It's only time shifting .. for me jet lag is partially in the mind. I set my watch to my new time zone as soon as I'm on the plane and put myself in that headspace. I start thinking I'm already in the new zone and on arrival I push myself to stay up as late as I can and don't give in to napping (disastrous if you sleep longer than intended though!) Take one day at a time. If I feel tired early in the evening on day 2 or 3 maybe then I let myself have an early night if there's nothing going on. Let's face it even with no time zone change, hanging out in the fresh sea air and sunshine can make you tired anyway so just go with the flow. The reason I do long haul in winter is because I can get guaranteed warmth and sunshine and it breaks up the darkest part of winter in the northern hemisphere.

So my first trip this winter was to Mexico once again but this time to the East Coast and Riviera Maya which faces the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea. We stayed about thirty minutes drive south of Cancun at the Grand Mayan. It's a large resort but very spread out with a number of their own hotels on site in varying sizes and price scales. It's only a 15 minute drive from the city of Playa del Carmen which has undergone rapid development in the last few years. There are numerous hotels in the area and the atmospheric Avenida Quinta (Fifth Avenue) is a pedestrian street with artisans, high street clothing brands and restuarants in abundance.

Mexican scrambled eggs

This trip was all about relaxing by the pool and the beach and enjoying good food. The resort was large enough to accommodate a variety of different restaurants with food ranging from Italian, Thai to traditional Mexican, but we did make the effort to go to Playa del Carmen one day and mooch around the shops for an hour or two before finding a great little Italian restaurant Cenacolo where they make their own pasta and try to keep the dishes traditional.

This region of Mexico is sub tropical so we had a little rain on a couple of occasions. These can be torrential downpours but only last for a few minutes. We saw many species of birds and butterflies as there are a huge variety of tropical plants and forests within and surrounding the resort. There are also iguanas, geckos and crocodiles and there is a turtle nesting site on the beach. Turtles nest all along the stretch of beach from Cancun to Tulum. Six of the seven species of turtles are found in Mexico. I tried in vain to photograph some of the birds I saw but they were just too quick.

brightly coloured bird

I did manage to capture some pelicans flying in formation, kites and seagulls. I couldn't even begin to tell what the other brightly coloured varieties were but they made a heck of a racket in the mornings and all I could see was bright yellow or orange creatures scooting in and out of the treetops from my third floor balcony!

As I love ancient history and architecture next time I plan to go for longer and visit Tulum in the south -
"The Tulum archaeological site is relatively compact compared with many other Maya sites in the vicinity, and is one of the best-preserved coastal Maya sites."
and Chichen Itsa-
"It is located in the eastern portion of Yucatán state in Mexico. The northern Yucatán Peninsula is arid, and the rivers in the interior all run underground. There are two large, natural sink holes, called cenotes, that could have provided plentiful water year round at Chichen, making it attractive for settlement. Of the two cenotes, the "Cenote Sagrado" or Sacred Cenote (also variously known as the Sacred Well or Well of Sacrifice), is the most famous. According to post-Conquest sources (Maya and Spanish), pre-Columbian Maya sacrificed objects and human beings into the cenote as a form of worship to the Maya rain god Chaac. Edward Herbert Thompson dredged the Cenote Sagrado from 1904 to 1910, and recovered artifacts of gold, jade, pottery and incense, as well as human remains. A study of human remains taken from the Cenote Sagrado found that they had wounds consistent with human sacrifice."

This was my fourth time in Mexico and I absolutely love it .. the people are warm and hospitable and can't do enough for you. I look forward to going back again next year and now I know what to expect of the area will plan a few day excursions and perhaps make it a two week trip for a change!
¡Hasta luego!

To see more photos follow and 'like' my facebook page .. Holiday Queen https://www.facebook.com/TravelsWithMyFlipFlops

Friday, 1 November 2013

Living the high life Middle Eastern style .. Part 1 Dubai

Last week I set off on my first trip to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. When I say 'first' I know there will definitely be a 'second' and a 'third' and maybe more to the region.

Dubai was never a place I fancied visiting as all that I had seen and heard about it made me imagine a world of opulent glitz and glamour quite removed from my reality. To be quite frank I had never even thought about visiting Abu Dhabi either! The fact that it was featured (with artistic licence) in the film 'Sex and the City 2' didn't inspire me in the slightest, especially since I knew most of it was filmed in Marrakech, Morocco! However, all that has now changed and I can honestly say I was pleasantly surprised.

My first 'wow' factor was flying with Emirates on their A380-800. It's a massive aircraft and from the moment you step inside you feel the difference. Economy is like flying premium on other airlines and the entertainment system is state of the art. You can watch movies (from a selection of 100's) from the minute you sit down until you land and you can access wifi for a nominal fee. They have on-board cameras so you can have a birds eye view from the tail, nose and undercarriage. It was amazing seeing the lights of the runway in the distance and the approach through to the landing .. fascinating stuff! (I must admit to feeling a little nervous wondering how something that big can take off and land!) I now want to fly with them all the time! I wonder do they go to Caribbean??!! The food, the service and facilities were second to none .. I can't rate Emirates highly enough.

We arrived quite early in the morning and made our way to the hotel The Address, Dubai Marina right beside the Marina Mall. The staff were very friendly and hospitable, sorting out our room while we had a leisurely breakfast allowing us to check in a few hours early for no extra cost. We spent the 2 days in Dubai being tourists, visiting the Dubai Mall, watching the Dancing Fountains whilst marvelling at the world's tallest building the Burj Khalifa. Seeing it rising endlessly into a clear blue sky was awesome and I suspect that on the next trip I may make it to the top, although I'm slightly nervous about that prospect too! We also visited the Gold Souk and dined outdoors at the Madinat Jameirah where we had Persian food and a fab view of the Burj al Arab.

I could easily spend a week there particularly at this time of year when the weather is cooler than the unbearable temperatures of high summer. I also quite fancy a little desert retreat for a couple of days! I look forward to my next visit in the not too distant future!

Take a tour on the Emirates Airbus A380-800 .. it's the first ever aircraft to feature on Google street view!

Living the high life in the Middle East .. Part 2 Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi was never on my list of places to go. I knew nothing about the place and although I had heard of it, I had no real concept of where it was. It's just over an hour's drive south from Dubai and is the capital of the UAE. It is smaller (population under a million) and less ostentatious on the surface but don't be fooled, this place drips in gold.

We stayed at the InterContinental Hotel situated within 5 minutes drive from the Marina Mall and has it's own beach which was in redevelopment while we were there. It has great views of downtown Abu Dhabi, and you can watch the sunset from the pool or various levels in the hotel.

Our first afternoon was spent having high tea at the Emirates Palace a wonderful hotel complex which
has the appearance of having been around for a long time. In fact it's less than 10 years old!

Emirates Palace

The building was designed by architect, John Elliott RIBA, who was Senior Vice President at Wimberly, Allison, Tong and Goo, an international firm specialising in Luxury Hotels. It opened in November 2005 but certain restaurants and spas did not open until 2006. The hotel was built by and is owned by the Abu Dhabi government, and is currently managed by the Kempinski Group.
The costs to build the hotel were 3.9 billion GBP or 11.02 billion AED or about 6 billion USD. The Emirates Palace occupies 850,000m² of floor space. Underground parking allows housing for 2,500 vehicles. There are two swimming pools and spas. The hotel has its own marina and helipad. The Emirates Palace is the second most expensive hotel ever built, only surpassed by Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.

Prepare to spend at least 2 hours enjoying the food (and the cappuccino with the edible gold sprinkles) all beautifully presented. There was so much we couldn't finish it all so opted for a doggie bag at the end! We took a walk around the complex .. the beach is private so we weren't able to go there but it would be a fabulous place to stay if you could afford to!
They even have a gold vending machine in the lobby if you feel so inclined to buy some.

We took a Big Bus tour around the city on day 2. It's a great way to see and learn about the city and another architectural beauty is the Sheikh Zayed Mosque which also looks like it may have been around for a while but it too is only a few years old. We also went to Saadyat Island and had lunch. This will be an amazing place when the development is completed. The Louvre and Guggenheim galleries are under construction as well as many other attractions. The bus tour also offered a shuttle service to visit Yas Island which is home to Formula 1 racing and Ferrari World, but we didn't have the time to go on this occasion. There's always next time!

HOLIDAY QUEEN

Saturday, 22 February 2014

Cultural New York and eating out!

BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL

BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL

BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL

BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL

East Village and Street Artists

Monday, 17 February 2014

Snow and skin care in New York

Saturday, 15 February 2014

Super Bowl XLVIII - February 2nd 2014

Thursday, 16 January 2014

Half way through January already!

Saturday, 28 December 2013

A new year is dawning ...

Monday, 9 December 2013

Hola buenos días .. chilling in the Riviera Maya, Mexico

Friday, 1 November 2013

Living the high life Middle Eastern style .. Part 1 Dubai

Living the high life in the Middle East .. Part 2 Abu Dhabi

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