One of the best things about having a friend in town is that it gives you an excuse to act like a tourist in your own city. Thanks to the arrival of our friend from London, we decided to rent bikes (try Bike and Roll) from Battery Park and cycle all the way up to Central Park. If you stick to the path along the West Side highway, it's nice and flat and sans traffic - although we did encounter 700 fund-raising walkers who clogged up the path. We also stopped in at the Natural History Museum to check out the butterfly exhibit, where I snapped this picture. It was hot and humid (note to self- do this next time on a cold winter day, not an equally humid summer afternoon).The adults loved it even though it seemed that most kids think butterflies are creepy. The taxidermied elephants and monkeys were a bigger hit for our family though.

On New Year's Day, I went for a walk along the High Line in New York City. It was nice and quiet, while everyone else was working through their hang over. The views of the city were incredible, not to mention getting a peek at the Standard Hotel (although some of the guests need to realise that yes, pedestrians can see everything that is going on). I also came across this snow sculpture which I liked along with remnants of a rockin' New Year's Eve on the sidewalk.

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It is nearly the end of autumn and I didn't have a ­chance to drive up to New England to see the leaves change, so I did the next best thing- I went to Central Park last weekend. It was a gorgeously crisp, sunny day and although the leaves on the trees looked amazing, there were plenty on the ground for some good old fashioned leaf crunching (although you always have to stomp carefully because of the stealth dog poop)­.

Here are a few pictures from the day - and hopefully next year I'll make it a bit further north than 96th street.

We're back from a long, relaxing stay in the Turks and Caicos where we checked out a few hotels, sampled the native conch (a bit dense and ­chewy...best version we had was a conch ceviche at the Amanyara) and worked on our tans with the help of some old-school, Hawaiian Tropic SPF 4 lotion (I know, I know, it's bad). This photo is one of my favorites from the trip. It is a shot of a quiet stretch of Grace Bay beach. There are no umbrellas in the sand, no noisy jet skis and no hawkers on the beach. Pure heaven!­­­

Right now I’m reading the novel Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. While it’s a pain to lug around (it’s a hefty 944 pages and I’m only on page 423) it’s completely gripping. On one hand it’s a tale of redemption, of an escaped convict who turns his life around while living in the slums of Bombay. But on another level, Shantaram is also a fine piece of travel writing. While the story is fictional, it is based on Roberts’ actual experiences in India. His lengthy description of the Indian head nod (in all its nuances and variations), as well as his account of trying to get onto a crowded train, had me laughing out loud and thinking, “That is so true.” When it comes to describing the heart of India, Roberts has done what few travel writers can achieve- he really got it.

When we were recently in Monterey, the weather was more London-like than California, so we headed to the Monterey Aquarium. My favourite parts? Definitely the otters (they're so cute!) and the massive tank which is home to dozens of tuna and a white shark as well as a bizarre, prehistoric looking sunfish. I was hoping for a glimpse of a massive great white shark to get me sufficiently freaked out before I went swimming in Miami but the shark was on the small size. The jellyfish tanks were also impressive, and I love this photo of them.

On Bank Holiday Monday, I decided to play tourist and booked tickets to see the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace. But since our entry wasn't until 3pm, we needed to eat beforehand- so I made a reservation at Inn the Park. This restaurant is definitely worth a stop. The design is clean and contemporary, and its located right in the middle of St. James Park so you can just about see the top of the London Eye peeking over the trees. There was a BBQ happening somewhere (we could smell the smoke) but we opted for the summer menu, and tucked into grilled trout and corn fed chicken, all washed down by a crisp glass of Prosecco. Desserts were a big hit but I needed help translating the names (ie Knickerbocker Glory = a sundae). 

When I was in New York last month, I checked out the new Greek and Roman galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which were stunning. Here is a detail of what I believe is a sarcophagus. And don't let that steep entrance fee put you off visiting the Museum. Its only a suggestion- you can actually pay whatever you want. But do try to give what you can.

When we managed to tear ourselves away from the beach near Estepona in Spain, we stopped in the town of Ronda en route to Granada. So what makes Ronda special? For a start, the city is divided in two by a massive gorge. A "new" bridge was built in the 18th century to connect the two areas. Ronda is also home to modern bullfighting, and we checked out the local bullring (but didn't see any bulls or matadors. Fights are only held in September). Legendary Rondeño bullfighter Pedro Romero created modern bullfighting when he broke away from the prevailing Jerez school of horseback bullfighting in the 18th century, and created a style of bullfighting where matadors stood their ground against the bull on foot. Romero was immortalised in a portrait by Goya (and often alluded to by Hemingway in The Sun Also Rises, one of my favourite novels). I would love to come back in September, when Ronda hosts the Goyesque Fair, where matadors are dressed in traditional 18th century costumes.
 

And before I start getting hate mail from fans of Leder Chic, here is a lovely photo of sand dunes just outside of Swakopmund...