A Lady in London

It’s not every day that I wake up in time to see the sunrise. And it’s not every week that I wake up in time to see it twice. But after the spectacular pink sky I saw at Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, I couldn’t turn down an opportunity to see the sunrise over the rainforest in Borneo. Standing atop a 60-meter platform in the middle of the jungle, I was awed by the beauty of the golden disc over the misty mountains in Brunei’s Ulu Temburong National Park.

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Bangkok is bustling. Spending four days in the serenity of the great temples in Siem Reap and Luang Prabang before heading to Thailand threw the intense urbanity of the country’s main metropolis into stark relief. Bangkok is one of my favorite cities in Southeast Asia, and I was exited to let its energy sweep me up and send me off to explore.

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Everybody loves Laos. I have read innumerable travel blogs extolling the country, its people, and its culture. So after visiting Siem Reap last week, I continued my Southeast Asia travels with a stop in Luang Prabang, Laos’ northern gem.

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Siem Reap is magical. Full of centuries-old temples like the mighty Angkor Wat, the Cambodian city has intrigued me for years. The rich culture and deep history of the area beckoned for so long that this week I finally answered their siren call and traveled to Southeast Asia.

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London has some of the best museums in the world. From the British Museum’s plundered treasures to the Tate Modern’s world-class contemporary art, there is no shortage of galleries and exhibitions to explore. After four years of living in England, I have seen most of them. But this week I ventured a bit outside of the city center to see a museum that has eluded me for years: the Horniman Museum in London.

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There’s a new restaurant in town. Everybody’s talking about it. Some people are lining up in the snow for an hour just to try it. It’s called Pitt Cue, and it’s a restaurant in London that serves what just might be the best BBQ outside of the American south.

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I always associate oysters with summertime. Maybe it’s because I love eating oysters outside by California’s Tomales Bay and enjoying them by the sea in England’s Whitstable. But in reality, and in the dead of winter, oysters can easily be enjoyed at any time of year. Like February. After a snowstorm. At The Oyster Shed, a new restaurant on the Thames in the City of London.

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I took my first trip to India two years ago this month. I took my second trip two years ago next month. After a record start, I have been remiss about going back. But the nice thing about living in London is that you don’t have to travel to India to get a taste of Indian culture. This is particularly true of the cuisine. Last week I was invited to dinner at La Porte des Indes restaurant near London’s Marble Arch. I was excited to try food from a part of India that I hadn’t been to: the former French colonies.

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Since moving to London, I have spent most of my evenings eating at restaurants. This is partly because I love food, but mostly because I can’t cook. Left to my own devices, my diet consists mainly of scrambled eggs, spaghetti, and grilled cheese sandwiches. Last week my worlds collided when I was invited to make pizza at Assaggetti restaurant in London’s Piccadilly Circus area. Would having to cook my own (surely terrible) pizza ruin my dining out experience?

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I could live in London for the rest of my life and still never see all there is to see. The same goes for England. And the UK. Living here has given me the opportunity to see a lot of the country on day trips, and I have had the luxury of taking my time. But most Americans only have two weeks of vacation each year and need to pack all of their sightseeing into one short trip. In sympathy, I took a day trip to Leeds Castle, Dover, Canterbury, and Greenwich on Saturday.

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One of the things I love about London is that it is one of the most diverse cities in the world. Walk down the street in Soho and every person you pass will be speaking a different language. Try do decide on a restaurant, and you will have options for cuisine from all over the globe. Choose a festival or holiday from another country, and you can easily celebrate it without leaving Westminster. A good example of this is Chinese New Year in London.

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Brighton isn’t the most popular winter travel destination. Nobody sunbathes on the beach in England when temperatures are near freezing. But when VisitBrighton invited me on a press trip to the city in January, I accepted. I was curious to see how the experience would compare to my last trip to Brighton, which took place in much warmer weather.

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There’s nothing I like more than starting a week with a good meal. Since I am the world’s worst cook, I generally leave the food to the experts. Yesterday was no exception. I was invited to have lunch at The Grill at The Dorchester, a London restaurant in the famous luxury hotel on Park Lane that I had heard would more than fit the bill.

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I haven’t traveled much this month. With the exception of short trips to Belfast and the New Forest, I have stayed in London for all of January. Given that I’m usually on the move, cabin fever set in last week. Then I got invited to spend a night at The Capital Hotel in Knightsbridge, and I welcomed the opportunity to staycation in London.

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It’s winter in England. Time to curl up by the fire, take country walks in tweeds and wellies, and enjoy comfort food in cozy dining rooms. While these things can (sort of) be done in London, it is much easier to do them in the countryside. When I got invited to have lunch at The Pig restaurant in the New Forest this week, it seemed like the perfect place for winter pursuits.

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