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  • London Food and Pubs: From Borough Market to Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese

    London Food and Pubs: From Borough Market to Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese

    Between visits and now living here, London has given me plenty to eat and drink. Here’s a round-up of the London food, pub and theatre posts on the blog, with links to each one.

    Historic pubs

    • Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese on Fleet Street was rebuilt shortly after the Great Fire of 1666 and has dark, wood-panelled rooms that have barely changed since. Samuel Johnson and Charles Dickens are among the names linked to it.

    Markets and food halls

    British classics

    • A full English breakfast, with bacon, sausage, eggs, black pudding, beans, mushrooms and tomato.
    • Smith’s, a seafood restaurant whose sign promises it’s “Famous for Fish”.

    Restaurants

    • Manteca in Shoreditch, an Italian restaurant known for fresh pasta and its nose-to-tail approach to meat. Book ahead.

    A night in the West End

    Dinner and a show is one of the best London evenings out:

    Getting in and out

    Tips

    • An Oyster card or contactless bank card works on the tube, buses and most trains, with daily fare caps.
    • Many pubs stop serving food earlier than the bar closes, so check kitchen hours if you’re planning dinner.
    • Popular restaurants and West End shows book up, especially at weekends, so reserve ahead.

    Day trip from London: the Harry Potter Studio Tour

    If you have a spare day, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour at Leavesden, near Watford, is an easy trip out of London. Photos of the sets, the Great Hall, Diagon Alley and the giant Hogwarts model are in my post on the Harry Potter Studio Tour.

    #London #LondonEats #LondonPubs #BoroughMarket #FortnumAndMason #WestEnd #BritishFood

  • Seattle Game Day Guide: Mariners, Seahawks and Kraken

    Seattle Game Day Guide: Mariners, Seahawks and Kraken

    Seattle is a great sports town, and I’ve posted from a lot of games over the years. This guide brings them together by team and venue, with a few practical tips for getting to each stadium.

    Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park

    T-Mobile Park (originally Safeco Field) has been the Mariners’ home since 1999. Its retractable roof keeps the rain off but leaves the sides open, so it still feels like an outdoor ballpark.

    The big one: ALDS Game 3 against the Houston Astros on October 15, 2022, the first postseason game in Seattle since 2001, which went 18 innings before Houston won 1–0.

    Other Mariners games I’ve posted:

    Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field

    Lumen Field is known as one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL, thanks to its roof design and the famous 12s.

    Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena

    The Kraken joined the NHL in 2021 and play at Climate Pledge Arena at Seattle Center, rebuilt under the historic roof of the old KeyArena next to the Space Needle.

    Getting there

    • T-Mobile Park and Lumen Field sit side by side in SoDo, just south of Pioneer Square. Link light rail (Stadium and International District/Chinatown stations) and the Sounder train are the easiest options on game days.
    • For Climate Pledge Arena, the Seattle Center Monorail from Westlake Center downtown drops you right next to the arena.
    • Parking near the stadiums fills up and gets expensive on game days, so public transit is usually the way to go.
    • Pioneer Square and the International District have plenty of bars and restaurants for before or after the game.

    #Seattle #Mariners #Seahawks #SeattleKraken #TMobilePark #LumenField #ClimatePledgeArena #GameDay

  • Pike Place Market and Seattle Waterfront Eats

    Pike Place Market and Seattle Waterfront Eats

    Pike Place Market and the waterfront below it are where most visitors to Seattle end up eating, and with good reason: there’s a lot of great seafood packed into a few blocks. Here are the market and waterfront meals I’ve posted, with links to each one.

    Inside Pike Place Market

    • Pike Place Chowder: famous for its award-winning chowders. Get a sampler to try several. The original location is tucked into Post Alley, and the lunchtime line moves quickly.
    • Athenian Seafood Restaurant: in the market since 1909 and famous for its appearance in Sleepless in Seattle, with windows over Elliott Bay.
    • Lowell’s: one of the market’s longest-running restaurants, with three floors of seating and big views of the bay and the ferries. Ask for an upper-floor window table.

    On the waterfront

    • Ivar’s Acres of Clams on Pier 54: the flagship of the local seafood chain founded by Ivar Haglund in 1938, with a walk-up fish bar outside.
    • Ivar’s fish and chips: a Seattle classic. Eat it by the water, and watch out for the seagulls.
    • The Alaskan at the Crab Pot on Pier 57: a seafood feast poured straight onto the table, eaten with mallets and bibs, next to the Seattle Great Wheel.

    Tips

    • The market is busiest from late morning to mid-afternoon, especially at weekends, so go early if you want to browse comfortably.
    • The Market Hillclimb and the elevators connect the market to the waterfront below.
    • Many market restaurants close earlier than you’d expect, so check hours if you’re planning dinner.

    #Seattle #PikePlaceMarket #SeattleEats #SeattleWaterfront #Chowder #Seafood #PNW

  • Where to Eat in the French Quarter: Oysters, Beignets and Fried Chicken

    Where to Eat in the French Quarter: Oysters, Beignets and Fried Chicken

    I’ve been to New Orleans twice, in July 2022 and April 2024, and both trips were mostly about eating. This guide collects every New Orleans meal I’ve posted, with links to the photos, so you can plan your own food crawl through the French Quarter and beyond.

    Acme Oyster House

    If there’s one stop I’d make every trip, it’s Acme. It’s been serving oysters on Iberville Street, just off Bourbon Street, since 1910, and the chargrilled oysters, topped with garlic butter and cheese and cooked over a flame, are the thing to order.

    More seafood in the Quarter

    Fried chicken at Willie Mae’s

    Willie Mae’s Scotch House in the Tremé neighbourhood is famous for its fried chicken and won a James Beard America’s Classics award in 2005. It’s a short ride from the French Quarter, and going early helps avoid the queue.

    Beignets and brunch

    Beyond the food

    The Steamboat Natchez is an authentic steam-powered sternwheeler that cruises the Mississippi from the Toulouse Street Wharf. Listen for its steam calliope before departures.

    Tips

    • Many of the best-known spots don’t take reservations, so expect lines at peak times and go early or mid-afternoon.
    • Summer is hot and humid, so plan indoor meals for the middle of the day.
    • Most of the French Quarter is walkable, but you’ll want a ride for Tremé and other neighbourhoods at night.

    #NewOrleans #NOLAEats #FrenchQuarter #Oysters #Beignets #WillieMaes #AcmeOysterHouse

  • Disney Bars and Tiki Lounges: Oga’s Cantina, Trader Sam’s and More

    Disney Bars and Tiki Lounges: Oga’s Cantina, Trader Sam’s and More

    Some of my favourite stops on Disney trips aren’t rides at all, they’re the themed bars. Here’s a round-up of the Disney bars and tiki lounges I’ve posted from over the years, at both Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California, with links to each visit.

    Oga’s Cantina (Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge)

    Oga’s Cantina is the bar of Black Spire Outpost on the planet Batuu, with DJ R-3X spinning tunes and a menu of colourful Star Wars-themed cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks. There’s a version in both Galaxy’s Edge lands.

    Tip: reservations are strongly recommended at both parks and open in advance through the Disney apps.

    Trader Sam’s

    Trader Sam’s is Disney’s tiki bar, famous for collectible tiki mugs and the little in-room shows that go off when certain drinks are ordered.

    Tip: both are small and fill up fast in the evenings, so arrive around opening time for the best chance of a seat. The Polynesian also has an outdoor area, Tiki Terrace.

    Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar (Disney Springs)

    Named after Indiana Jones’s pilot, this Disney Springs bar is decorated as an aircraft hangar full of adventure props and film references, with a waterfront patio. No park ticket needed.

    Nomad Lounge (Animal Kingdom)

    A relaxed bar on Discovery Island with small plates and a terrace overlooking the river, and one of the few places in Animal Kingdom to sit down for a drink.

    Morimoto Asia (Disney Springs)

    Not strictly a bar, but the cocktails at Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto’s pan-Asian restaurant in Disney Springs are worth a stop on their own.

    Tips for Disney bars

    • Disney Springs and the resort hotel bars don’t need a park ticket, which makes them good for an evening off from the parks.
    • Menus and mugs change regularly, so check the current menu in the Disney app before you go.
    • Most of these bars also have good non-alcoholic options.

    #DisneyDrinks #OgasCantina #TraderSams #TikiBar #WaltDisneyWorld #Disneyland #DisneyBars

  • Las Vegas Buffets: Bacchanal, Wynn and More From My Trips

    Las Vegas Buffets: Bacchanal, Wynn and More From My Trips

    Buffets are one of the great Las Vegas traditions, and over the years I’ve posted photos from a lot of them. This page gathers them all in one place, with links to each visit, plus a few tips if you’re planning a buffet meal on the Strip.

    Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace

    Bacchanal is the one I keep going back to. It’s one of the largest buffets in Las Vegas, with hundreds of dishes across stations for seafood, carved meats, Asian, Italian, Mexican and American comfort food, and a huge dessert section. The crab legs and the seafood station are a big draw.

    Tip: Bacchanal is one of the pricier buffets on the Strip and can have long lines at peak times, so book a time slot ahead if you can.

    The Buffet at Wynn

    The Buffet at Wynn Las Vegas is set in a bright, flower-filled dining room at the north end of the Strip. It’s known for the quality of its food and an excellent dessert selection, and it’s a good choice if you want something a bit more polished.

    MGM Grand Buffet

    A classic Strip breakfast buffet from a 2019 trip, back when the MGM Grand still ran one. Many Las Vegas buffets changed or closed after 2020, so check what’s currently open before you plan around a specific one.

    Not a buffet, but worth it

    If you need a break from all-you-can-eat, these are some other Vegas meals I’ve posted:

    Tips for a Las Vegas buffet

    • Go at off-peak times (mid-afternoon or early dinner) to avoid the longest lines.
    • Prices usually jump at weekends and for dinner, so weekday lunch or brunch is often the best value.
    • Walk the whole buffet before you fill a plate, so you can save room for the stations you most want.
    • Prices, hours and reservation rules change often, so check each buffet’s official page before you go.

    #LasVegas #VegasBuffet #Bacchanal #Wynn #CaesarsPalace #VegasEats #Buffet

  • Casa Marina, Sosúa – Dominican Republic

    Casa Marina, Sosúa – Dominican Republic

    Five nights at Casa Marina, an all-inclusive resort in Sosúa on the north coast of the Dominican Republic, from June 30 to July 5, 2026. Sosúa sits on a sheltered bay a short drive from Puerto Plata, and the resort spreads along the waterfront with pools, palm trees, restaurants with sea views and a rocky stretch of coast that is perfect for watching the sunset.

    Casa Marina sign and water feature at the resort in Sosúa, Dominican Republic

    Getting there

    The trip started on June 30 with a long travel day. By the next morning the view had changed from an aircraft wing to palm trees and turquoise water.

    View of the aircraft wing through the plane window on the flight out

    The resort

    Casa Marina is built around its pools, with palm-lined decks, a palapa-roofed bar and loungers spread out between the gardens and the sea. The photos below show the room, the pools and the grounds over the first few days.

    Hotel room at Casa Marina in Sosúa
    Swimming pool lined with palm trees at Casa Marina, Sosúa
    Pool and palapa-roofed bar at Casa Marina, Sosúa
    Pool overlooking the sea at Casa Marina, Sosúa
    Palm trees and pool under a blue sky at Casa Marina, Sosúa

    The beach and the coast

    The resort sits right on the water. There is a sandy beach with blue umbrellas on the bay, and a rugged, rocky shoreline where the Caribbean comes in in every shade of blue and green. A lot of the trip was spent simply looking at the water, from a lounger, from the rocks or through the restaurant windows.

    Beach with blue umbrellas on the bay at Sosúa
    Turquoise Caribbean water off the rocky coast at Sosúa
    Rocky cliffs and clear blue water along the coast at Sosúa
    Rocky shoreline meeting the Caribbean at Sosúa
    View across the bay and beach at Sosúa
    Sea view through the restaurant windows at Casa Marina
    Relaxing on a beach lounger facing the sea at Sosúa

    Food and drink

    Being all-inclusive, the food never stopped: big breakfasts with bacon, pastries and fresh fruit, a lunch buffet that included sushi, and sit-down dinners with dishes like seafood ceviche and plated desserts.

    Breakfast plate with bacon and pastries at Casa Marina
    Breakfast of pastries and fresh fruit at Casa Marina
    Sushi and dishes laid out on the lunch buffet at Casa Marina
    Seafood ceviche with lime served at dinner
    Dessert served in a glass at dinner
    Plated dessert at dinner at Casa Marina
    Dinner on the last night at Casa Marina

    Resort cats

    Casa Marina also has at least one friendly resident cat, who was happy to stretch out on the pool deck for a photo.

    One of the resort cats relaxing by the pool at Casa Marina

    Sunsets

    The evenings brought some spectacular sunsets over the water, from the rocks on the first night and from the restaurant on the last.

    Sunset over the sea from the rocks at Sosúa
    Sunset over the beach seen from the restaurant at Casa Marina

    #Sosua #DominicanRepublic #CasaMarina #AllInclusive #Caribbean #PuertoPlata #BeachVacation #Travel

  • Croatia: Mlini, Dubrovnik and Koločep

    Croatia: Mlini, Dubrovnik and Koločep

    Five days on the southern Dalmatian coast in June 2026, based in Mlini – a small seaside village in Župa dubrovačka, a short drive south-east of Dubrovnik. The plan was simple: clear water, long sunsets, plenty of seafood, an evening looking down on Dubrovnik’s Old Town, and a boat day out to the island of Koločep.

    Mlini: pebble beaches and clear water

    Mlini sits on a quiet bay with pebble beaches and water so clear you can see every rock on the bottom. Mornings were for swimming and wandering the coast path; the hillside villages and calm bay made it an easy, relaxed base away from the crowds in the city.

    Calm bay and hillside village on the Dubrovnik Riviera near Mlini
    Pebble beach and clear turquoise water near Mlini
    Crystal-clear water over white rocks on the Adriatic coast

    Adriatic sunsets

    Evenings in Mlini were all about the sky. The sun drops behind the islands and the whole bay turns gold, then pink, then a deep Adriatic blue.

    Sunset over the Adriatic with an island on the horizon, seen from Mlini
    Sunset over calm water with an island silhouette near Mlini
    Evening sky and still sea after sunset near Mlini

    What we ate

    Seafood was the highlight: pasta with mussels, a big grilled seafood platter with flatbread and red pepper dip, crispy fried seafood with salad – plus a thin-crust pizza night for good measure.

    Seafood pasta with mussels
    Grilled seafood platter with flatbread and a red pepper dip
    Thin-crust pizza at dinner
    Fried seafood with a rocket salad at dinner

    Dubrovnik from above

    One evening we headed up into the hills above Dubrovnik for the view. In daylight you can see the coastline and the islands stretching out to the horizon; after sunset the walled Old Town lights up below like a model.

    View of the Dubrovnik coastline and islands from the hills above the city
    Adriatic coast and islands seen from high above Dubrovnik in the evening
    Sunset over the islands off Dubrovnik
    Dubrovnik Old Town lit up at night, seen from above
    Night view over the lights of Dubrovnik and the Adriatic

    Boat day to Koločep

    Koločep is one of the Elaphiti Islands, a short boat ride from Dubrovnik. The highlight was its sea cave, where sunlight coming in under the water turns the whole pool an unreal glowing turquoise.

    Boats in the harbour on a sunny afternoon near Dubrovnik
    Blue Adriatic sea and the Elaphiti Islands from the water
    Turquoise water inside a sea cave on Koločep island
    Light glowing through the water of the Koločep sea cave

    Last evening in Mlini

    We finished the trip back on the beach in Mlini, watching one more sunset over the bay.

    Beach at sunset on the last evening in Mlini

    Tips if you go: Mlini makes a calmer, cheaper base than staying inside Dubrovnik, with buses and water taxis into the city. Bring water shoes for the pebble beaches, and save an evening for the view over the Old Town after dark.

    #Croatia #Dubrovnik #Mlini #Kolocep #ElaphitiIslands #Adriatic #Dalmatia #CroatiaTravel #Seafood #SeaCave #Sunset #TravelPhotography

  • Harry Potter Studio Tour in Leavesden, near Watford

    Harry Potter Studio Tour in Leavesden, near Watford

    On Saturday, January 24, 2026, we spent an afternoon at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter, at Leavesden Studios just outside Watford. It’s where the films were made, and the tour walks you through the real sets, costumes, props and creature effects – finishing with an enormous scale model of Hogwarts.

    Arriving: a dragon overhead

    The welcome hall sets the tone straight away, with a huge dragon hanging from the ceiling. Not far in you’ll also find one of the most famous small spaces in film: the cupboard under the stairs.

    Dragon hanging above the entrance hall at the Harry Potter Studio Tour
    The cupboard under the stairs set

    The Great Hall

    The tour starts in the Great Hall itself, with its long tables set with plates and goblets, house costumes on display and the stone walls you remember from the films. Further on, the portrait-lined staircases are just as detailed up close.

    Long tables laid with plates in the Great Hall set
    School robe costumes on display in the Great Hall
    Staircase set lined with framed portraits

    Inside Hogwarts

    Set after set recreates the castle’s rooms: the dormitory with its red-curtained four-poster beds, the corridors leading to the headmaster’s office, Dumbledore’s office itself, and the Potions classroom with its shelves of jars and cauldrons.

    Four-poster beds with red curtains in the boys' dormitory set
    Stone arches and walls of portraits leading into the headmaster's office set
    Dumbledore's office set with its desk and bookshelves
    Potions classroom set with cauldrons and shelves of jars

    The Burrow, the Ministry and the Forbidden Forest

    Beyond the castle there’s the Weasleys’ cosy, cluttered kitchen at the Burrow, a towering stone monument from the Ministry of Magic, and a dark, misty Forbidden Forest where Hagrid’s costume stands waiting with his lantern.

    The Weasley family kitchen set at the Burrow
    Carved stone monument from the Ministry of Magic set
    Hagrid's costume with lantern in the Forbidden Forest area

    Greenhouses and the creature workshop

    The Herbology greenhouse glows at night, with student figures in earmuffs repotting mandrakes. Nearby, the creature workshop shows off the animatronics and models used on screen – dragon heads, toothy beasts and a lifelike hippogriff.

    Herbology greenhouse set lit up at night
    Mandrake plants and student figures with earmuffs in the greenhouse
    Spiked dragon head model in the creature workshop
    Creature model with an open mouth full of teeth in the creature workshop
    Hippogriff model resting beside pumpkins

    Gringotts and Diagon Alley

    The Gringotts bank set is a highlight: goblins at their counters, a gleaming marble banking hall and a vault overflowing with gold. Then it’s out onto Diagon Alley, where every shop window is packed with tiny details.

    Goblin figure at a counter in the Gringotts bank set
    Marble banking hall with rows of counters at Gringotts
    Bank vault piled high with gold treasure
    Shop window full of curiosities on the Diagon Alley set
    Bright red shopfront window on Diagon Alley

    The Hogwarts castle model

    The tour saves the best for last. After a white card model of the castle used during design, you walk around the giant, intricately detailed model of Hogwarts used for exterior shots in the films. The lighting slowly shifts from day to night, so it’s worth going round more than once.

    White card model of the Hogwarts castle
    The giant Hogwarts castle model in daytime lighting
    Towers and courtyards of the Hogwarts castle model up close
    The Hogwarts castle model under blue night-time lighting

    Tips if you go: tickets are sold for timed entry slots, so book ahead – especially for weekends. Allow at least three to four hours to see everything. If you’re coming by train, a shuttle bus runs from Watford Junction station to the studios. Making a weekend of it? See my London food and pubs guide for where to eat and drink in the city.

    #HarryPotter #WBStudioTour #MakingOfHarryPotter #Leavesden #Watford #Hogwarts #DiagonAlley #Gringotts #London #UKDaysOut #FilmSets #TravelPhotography

  • High Noon

    High Noon

    A night out in London’s West End to see High Noon, the stage adaptation of the classic Western, at the Harold Pinter Theatre on Panton Street, just off Leicester Square.

    The Harold Pinter Theatre opened in 1881 as the Royal Comedy Theatre and took its current name in 2011 in honour of the playwright. The photos show the theatre lit up at night with the show’s signage out front.

    If you’re planning a visit, the theatre is a short walk from Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square tube stations, which makes it easy to pair with dinner in Soho or Covent Garden.

    The Harold Pinter Theatre

    #London #WestEnd #Theatre #HighNoon #HaroldPinterTheatre #LondonTheatre