Category: Travel

  • Et adieu Montreal

    And so another flying visit comes to an end. The beauty of my job is that I get to go to amazing places, like Montreal, but the curse is that is is generally a flying visit with just enough time to arrive, work and leave. Thank god for jetlag which means we get a bit…

  • Winter colours in Canada

    Winter is coming. In fact, I think winter has landed for most of us. Back home in London the coats and scarves are out and the leaves are falling. I appreciate the “fall” season; I love an excuse for a scarf and I like strolling across frosty ground or kicking leaves. But in the UK…

  • Coffee at Crew Collectif & Cafe, Montreal

    They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but I am not sure if a picture or words will do justice to the Crew Collectif & Cafe in Montreal. Housed in an old bank building, the coffee shop is part of a bigger operation which presents itself as a home for Montreal’s creative and…

  • Bienvenue a Montreal

    I am back on the road with work – this time that road has taken me (and a fair few others in the duty free industry) out to Montreal in Canada. We touched down late last night to the encouraging news from the captain that it was -5 degrees outside. It put the “freezing” 7…

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    The day we did Bake Off

    The Great British Bake Off has the nation gripped once more. It turns out that even if you change the channel and some of the presenters the formula still works. If you think about it, that is a bit ironic for a cooking show since often if you change a few ingredients the end result…

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    Working the Riviera

    Welcome to the Riviera. This week I have been mostly mooching around the Cannes waterfront. Unfortunately this was not a pleasure cruise and the amount of the waterfront I’ve seen is very limited. Every year the duty free industry descends on Cannes for it’s biggest show. This was my first trip to the exhibition. I…

  • Going on a Quest with The Macallan

    Today I went on a quest, courtesy of those lovely folks at Edrington GTR. The new The Macallan Quest range was unveiled with a special event here in Cannes. In-keeping with the adventurous spirit of the new releases the event took us on a journey of our own – of sorts. We arrived at a…

  • Strolling at Polesden Lacey

    Originally written for Great for Groups Once the home of an Edwardian hostess who entertained everyone from royalty to celebrities, the National Trust’s Polesden Lacey is now a haven of peace and beauty just a stone’s throw from London Nestled in the green rolling Surrey countryside, just outside the M25, Polesden Lacey is the perfect…

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    Sunday tea in Surrey

    Is there anything better than a cup of tea and cake? Particularly on a cold day after a walk through the countryside. Ok, I have to be honest, on this occasion S and I skipped the walk in favour of taking the motor out. In our defence it wasn’t so much a damp July day…

  • Brunch at The Cereal Killer Cafe, Brick Lane

    “Every day, once a day, give yourself a present.” Those words from Twin Peaks hero FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper, a coffee hero of mine, are very pertinent; be sure to take time for yourself. So with that in mind, I took Friday off to head up-town with my better half. Our destination? Brick Lane.…