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Category Archives: London

London Old Fashions – Woodford Reserve

19 Jan


For some peculiar reason Old Fashions made with Canadien Maple Syrup and Woodford Reserve are in vogue in London. This is the second time in a week that a restaurant had them featured on the menu.  I wonder if Woodford representatives are on patrol here?  I am not complaining as both times I have had the drink it has been perfect.  Even though it is obviously a sweet drink, and definitely out of my normal barel-comfort-zone, I enjoyed them.  A boozy desert. 

Tonight I had my drink in the Copa restaurant across the street from the beautiful St Paul’s Cathedral. I nice eerie sky over the magnificent dome. 

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Posted by on January 19, 2017 in London

 

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Renoir – Moulin Huet Bay, Guernsey (1883)

18 Jan


Last week I was able to visit the National Gallery in London.  I do this as often as possible after a day in the office.  Frequently I make my rounds visiting the work Turner, Van Gogh, Piccasso and Seurat.  This particular visit I noticed Moulin Huet Bay, Guernsey by Renoir that was painted in 1883.  I thought that colors were amazing, the simple brush strokes conveyed so much feeling of the beach. His ability to make the sky, the sea mist and the water seem as one and also distinctly separate forced me to stare (a bit too long).  The way that the rock outcroppings are painted with tropical colors and an almost Gauguin-esque feel surprised me that it was in fact Renoir.

It has been studied and identified that the rocks have been identified as ‘Les Tas de Pois d’Amont’ on the left, while those on the right are probably ‘La Surtaut’ (Cradle Rock) which appear in Guernsey.  

Visit this painting via the Nation Gallery website

 
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Posted by on January 18, 2017 in Art, London

 

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First Proper Pint in Awhile

26 Jun


It nice to be back in London on a cold wet windy blustery gloomy summer evening. The sunscreen business must be awful, but I am sure the parka industry is booming.  

I am enjoying a nice pint of Samuel Smith’s Organic Lager at the Rising Sun pub which sits across from St. Bartholomew The Great Church (from the 12th century) 

 
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Posted by on June 26, 2016 in Around the globe, Beer, London

 

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Relaxing with Vincent (and a nice Pinot)

13 Jul


Somehow it got to be 7:27 PM in London.  As the oddly still-too-light-out sky starts to get darker, I have yet again decided to relax in The Heron Club and have at least one 250ml glass of 2012 Escale Pinot Nior.  So far on this 10 day trip, it has been the defacto wine for me to drink while I read an Taschen published art book. Tonight’s read is on Van Gogh and I am amazed that this book had 700+ pages of his works and most have a story or two behind them.  Every time I pick up a book published by them I am pleased by the quality and comprehensiveness.   Read the rest of this entry »

 
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Posted by on July 13, 2015 in London, Wine

 

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A Proper Pint at Artillery Arms – London

12 Jul


I just finished up a unplanned mission of life importance for my nephew (see photographic and video proof below).  I am now gathering the spoils of victory at the ArtilleryArtillery Arms pub which happens to be across the street from Bunhill Fields Burial and Gardens (wiki, official).   My mission was simple,  see if Wiliam Blake, who is buried here, approves of my nephew Barry’s boobie tattoo of his poem quote “Without Contraries/ is no progression” from Blake’s Marriage of Heaven and Hell.  Read the rest of this entry »

 
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Posted by on July 12, 2015 in London

 

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Escala 2012 Pinot Noir at The Heron

11 Jul

  
After a long week I decided to chill out at the lounge at The Heron and ordered a 2012 French Escala Pinot Noir. I enjoyed it very much, despite being seemingly impossible to find a worthwhile link on the web about it.  I found the description on the lounges wine list to be fair –  it said that I should expect “elegant, fruity, with silky tannin structure “. Ummm.  Yep. ?  I think.  I was actually so tired that all of this could have been true, but I would have missed it.  I do remember that it was pleasant and thinking that I will order this again.  And since I am a pain in the butt with wine …  I have to believe in hindsight that their words were a bullseye.  …  Maybe I need to go back and try again.  Cheers

 
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Posted by on July 11, 2015 in London, Wine

 

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The Heron Club with Woodford Reserve

07 Jul


My day started in Tampa, flew to Dallas for a connection on to London.  Worked a full day and now I sit in a private lounge, in a private residence of corporate apartments.  The Heron , both the building and the club, are of superior quality and refinement.  My apartment is controlled via a spaceshipe-like control panel which is a little too advanced when all you want to do is turn on the lights 🙂 Read the rest of this entry »

 
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Posted by on July 7, 2015 in London

 

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A pint at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese

06 Jun

 
When you sit at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese in London you realize that your definition of “old” may be too young.  Stating that it had been rebuilt  in 1667 makes you wonder how truly proud they are of the improvements made.  Usually I drink a pint of a traditional British bitter, but today I decided to drink a cold lager with my German communal tablemates,  Cheers and Prost!  This pub serves the full line of Samuel Smith ales – sadly it seems that the traditional British bitter ales are not the most popular (even with locally based clientele), as most people I observed chose the much colder organic lager.  I am not sure if that is a statement about the taste or the temperature.  I any event, sitting at one of the two tables next to the charcoal burning fireplace is always fun and provides for a time machine experience. 

 
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Posted by on June 6, 2015 in London

 

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