Raj Gill2013-05-25T17:56:24-04:00Raj Gillhttp://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/index.php?author=raj-gillCopyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc.HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Raj GillGood old fashioned elbow grease.Premium Travel in... Palma, Majorcatag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.28109402013-03-05T10:24:01-05:002013-05-05T05:12:01-04:00Raj Gillhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/raj-gill/
So Christmas 2012, we decided to take off for a week before the inevitable! And this would save all the trouble of picking presents for hubby and the children, the holiday would be their present.
We managed to pick up fairly reasonably priced flights to Palma, and our woman on the ground Dominique, helped put together a fabulous itinerary which would keep the adults and the children happy.
Our accommodation for the first part of our holiday was at the Portixol Hotel. Portixol is located approximately 15mins drive from the airport. Perfect!
As it's not peak season, and the majority of hotels in Majorca are closed for refurbishment and renovations, we got lucky with Portixol.
Upon arrival into reception the first person we encountered was a lovely young English girl! From the airport to the hotel the children had been brushing up on their Spanish! Despite this they were relieved that they didn't have to try it out immediately.
We checked into the Porthouse Suite. It stands alone from the main hotel building, off the small alleyway. Ground floor is a lounge area with wardrobes and a shower room just off to the side, and a small terrace area, which looks out onto the bay. You go up a spiral stone staircase and then reach the first floor. The staff had opened out the sofa bed and made it up, and there was also a double bed. Which meant we could all sleep on the same level, as safety is paramount when we travel with the children this suited us all fine. The wardrobe space, which is enormous, led onto a very spacious bathroom, with a corner tub and rain shower situated in a wet room.
Up another set of stairs and we were onto the terrace level, where much to the children's delight they discovered an outdoor jacuzzi! Great views from the top terrace; we couldn't wait to get in and test it out.
Portixol is located right in the port as the name suggests, in less than ten minutes in a taxi, or a forty five minute walk, you can be in the heart of Palma city.
First day at Portixol we did exactly that. It was a beautiful walk, along the promenade with great views of the beach and the ocean. We made it to the city in just a little under an hour, and took in as many of the numerous tourist sites that Palma has to offer.
Too tired to walk back we hopped into a taxi. Absolutely famished after our jaunt around town we made a fast track to the Portixol restaurant.
We had passed the restaurant at lunch time and it had been mobbed, mostly with locals, as it was off season, this showed the sign of a good restaurant.
In the evening it was less busy, just a few of the hotel guests made it down to dinner. So we more or less had the run of the place.
The chef sent out a Scrambled egg with asparagus amuse bouche. Perfect start to a lovely dinner. For starters we had Tiger Prawn Tempura, and Grilled mini scallops on the shell for the four of us to share. The Prawns came with a lovely spicy dip and disappeared from the plate before you could say eat! The mini scallops came cooked on the shell and tasted so fresh you could almost taste the sea. This is a favourite dish of ours, and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
For the mains Karam (age 9) and Jeevan (age 7) both opted for the chicken breast which came with salad and French fries. It made a nice change from burger and chips! The portion was a good size, but they had seen the dessert menu and refused to finish off the fries, as they wanted to keep room for what sounded as if it would be divine the Chocolate nemesis with honey and vanilla ice cream. And who could blame them, we were all looking forward to it.
J.snr had the Portixol hamburger with bacon & cheese and a side of French fries. The burger was a good healthy size and even he had trouble finishing off his fries, not because he had his eye on the dessert menu though.
For my main I had the Sea bass, with green pea and lemon grass puree. Again I had my eye on the desserts and didn't order any side dishes.
Finally time for our eagerly anticipated dessert, the Chocolate nemesis; and it didn't disappoint. It was delicious, came with ice cream to contrast with the richness of the chocolate, too yummy for words.
To round off the night we raced back to the Porthouse suite and made hasty tracks to the third floor and dived into the hot-tub, we could hardly believe that here we were chilling in an outdoor tub mid-December. Bliss!
Breakfast at the Portixol is typical of most hotels. They have a cold buffet, with cheeses, hams etc, and also a good selection of breads. You can also order cooked breakfasts from the menu.
The children opted for cereals and bread with cheese. J.snr and I both ordered cooked breakfasts. I had eggs sunny side up with a side of grilled tomatoes, with toast. J.snr had the full works cooked breakfast. Too stuffed to move, we felt like having a quick siesta! But no time for that Dominique had arranged for us to visit The Aquarium. It was quite a distance from the hotel, so much to the children's relief, we had reception organise a taxi to take us there. Upon arrival, it was great to see that there weren't any queues; this is the great benefit of visiting during off peak season.
The Aquarium is great fun, as there are many parts of it that are interactive. We have been dragged around many aquariums in our time, yet we all managed to enjoy this one. J.snr and J.jnr got involved in all the interactive activities, feeding the fish, putting their hands in and feeling the various skins etc of the fish. Luckily I was designated chief photographer and didn't have to feel the slimy fish! Karam did her best to join in, but was also pretty disgusted by the slime! The boys being boys, really enjoyed it.
The majority of the Aquarium is housed indoors, and there is also an outdoor area, where they have a great mini-sized replica of an Amazon jungle, which was very scenic. The Aquarium was opened in 2007, and is located 500 meters from the sea. It has fifty five aquariums containing 5 million litres of salt water, more than 8,000 different specimens of around 700 different species found in the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
The enormous fish tank is definitely the highlight of our visit to the Aquarium. It is 33 metres long, 25 metres wide and 8.5 metres deep. The "Big Blue", is the deepest shark tank in Europe and holds 3.5 million litres of salt water. Amongst the 200 species of marine life there are four different types of shark - Blacktip Reef Shark, Smooth Hound, Sand Tiger Shark, and the Sandbar Shark. Be warned though for some reason there is a pretty bad smell in this area, and as much as poor Jeevan tried to watch as the sharks were being feed, he just couldn't stand the smell. Despite this one minor disappointment, overall we have to say that this is probably the most impressive Aquarium we have had the good fortune to visit.
Quick lunch in town, and a taxi back to the hotel for more chilling in the hot-tub.
We spent four wonderful nights at the Portixol Hotel, we were sad to leave. The staff are superb and really took great care of us and the children. It's a very child friendly hotel and we are very much looking forward to going back. It's a great location as it is not right in the tourist district, which means you can enjoy a fairly unpopulated beach, but if you take a ten minute taxi ride you can be in the heart of Palma.
Top tip: the hotel offers bikes for guests to utilise, and have a great selection of dvds if you are staying in.
Low Season: Sunday-Wednesday - 330€ and Thursday-Saturday - 380€
Mid Season: 410€
High Season: 450€
Rates are per night for 2 people (breakfast & taxes incl.)
Palma Aquarium - for a family of four to visit it costs 78€
Portixol Pool in the sunset ]]>Dining Out in Red Leaf, Glasgowtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.27104202013-03-01T15:39:08-05:002013-05-01T05:12:01-04:00Raj Gillhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/raj-gill/
We decide to go to an adult only zone, not a child in sight, we head out to the Casino, one place we are guaranteed a great night out. Alea casino is situated in the Glasgow Quay; the great thing about this place is that parking is plentiful and free.
The Casino's restaurant is Red Leaf, and the head chef is Jamie Walker. He has previously worked in the Dorchester Hotel, Mosimann's in London and at Cameron House Hotel. With such fine former employers we are anticipating great things from Jamie.
This particular restaurant has four menus, Dine out for £10, Dine out for £20, Group Menu, and Dessert & Coffee menu, curiously there seems to be no A La Carte menu.
The cuisine is Scottish and seasonal. Jamie and his team put together dishes using the freshest local produce. The restaurant is located in a casino, yet is far away enough from the action so as not to be disturbed by the gamblers.
It's quite a scenic setting, with floor to ceiling windows giving the most splendid views of the Clyde and of Glasgow's many famous landmarks. You can also pop out to the private balcony to get a closer look, weather permitting of course. The restaurant is quite busy, with many young couples dining prior to trying their luck at the casino. Booking ahead especially at the weekend is definitely advisable.
Our night starts off extremely well for me. Upon arrival at the casino I get id-ed! Anything good that happens after this is a bonus!
For starters we both ordered the Potted salmon with crab and North Atlantic prawns, served on fennel coleslaw, topped with a leaf salad, and served in a caper vinaigrette (£3 supplement). Neither of us had ever had fennel coleslaw before, so were intrigued to sample it. We weren't disappointed it offset the seafood perfectly. Our good start was getting better.
J.snr opted for the Parmesan and seed mustard crusted haddock fillet with onion mash, spring onions, cherry tomato butter sauce (£5 supplement), it was a very colourful dish. Other than that, not really adventurous for a chef of Jamie's calibre.
I had the Pan seared fillet of sea bass with spring onion crushed potatoes, garden peas and pancetta veloute (£5 supplement). The portion was very big! Lots of lovely sea bass, and the freshest garden peas.
For dessert we shared a Sticky toffee pudding which was served warm with butterscotch sauce, vanilla dairy ice cream and a scoop of cream. The ice cream came in a cute little brandy snap basket.
It would be nice to see Jamie getting a bit more creative with the dishes. We expected a lot more given his history of working in some of the best restaurants in the UK. We would like to see more of his personal stamp on these amazing Scottish ingredients and produce he has at his fingertips to experiment with.
Overall it is great value for money, if we had gone in not knowing about Jamie's working history, we would not have had such high expectations.
Top tip: the portions of the dishes are very generous, pace yourself!
Red Leaf Interior ]]>Review: Sleeping Beauty, Kings Theatre, Glasgowtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.27015072013-02-26T07:36:43-05:002013-04-28T05:12:01-04:00Raj Gillhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/raj-gill/
Matthew Bourne's reputation precedes him. He is one of the most talented Choreographers in the business, he is known as the UK's most popular and successful Choreographer/Director. He is the creator of the world's longest running ballet production, a five-time Olivier Award winner, and the only British Director to have won the Best Direction of a Musical and Best Choreography. So it's clear to see why we were so excited.
Sleeping Beauty sees the Choreographer return to the music of Tchaikovsky to complete the trio of the composer's ballet masterworks that started in 1992 with Nutcracker and, most famously, in 1995, with the international hit Swan Lake.
Matthew Bourne's new scenario introduces several characters not seen in Petipa's famous Ballet or Grimm's fairy tale. The Royal Family is headed by King Benedict and Queen Eleanor. Princess Aurora's romantic interest is not a Prince, but the royal gamekeeper, Leo. Representing the central forces of good and evil are Count Lilac ("the King of the Fairies") and the Dark Fairy Carabosse. In another innovation, Bourne has created the character of Caradoc, the sinister but charming son of Carabosse. Princess Aurora's Fairy Godparents are named Ardor, Hiberna, Autumnus, Feral and Tantrum.
Perrault's timeless fairy tale, about a young girl cursed to sleep for one hundred years, was turned into a legendary ballet by Tchaikovsky and choreographer, Marius Petipa, in 1890. Bourne takes this date as his starting point, setting the Christening of Aurora, the story's heroine, in the year of the ballet's first performance; the height of the Fin-de-Siecle period when fairies, vampires and decadent opulence fed the gothic imagination. As Aurora grows into a young woman, we move forwards in time to the more rigid, uptight Edwardian era; a mythical golden age of long Summer afternoons, croquet on the lawn and new dance crazes. Years later, awakening from her century long slumber, Aurora finds herself in the modern day; a world more mysterious and wonderful than any Fairy story.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the fabulous costumes created by the Tony and Olivier award-winning designer Lez Brotherston. Poor Lez had quite a task on his hands. He had to create costumes that would work for the late Victorian period through the Edwardian era, to the present day. And he did it very well, the costumes for each era are outstanding and a definite star of the show is the costume design. In each and every scene the costumes convey a great deal, very reflective of what is happening in each scene. Lez has a great understanding and a fabulous grasp of what it is that Matthew is hoping to communicate in each scene. And this is a clear indication of the genius that is Lez Brotherston, presented with such a great challenge he managed to rise to the occasion. And this was down to his extensive knowledge of historical costumes and clothing.
The most outstanding scene costume-wise definitely has to be identified as the red and black scene. It was boldly confrontational, confident, sensual and quite dangerous. Very evocative and deeply moving. This was ninety five percent communicated not only through the dance, but also through the costume.
We were surprised to find that the performance didn't take itself too seriously there were many comical elements. And without doubt the opening scene was the most comical, throughout the show, the baby steals the show.
Matthew Bourne's haunting new scenario is a gothic tale for all ages; the traditional tale of good vs. evil and rebirth is turned upside-down, creating a supernatural love story, across the decades, that even the passage of time itself cannot hinder.
]]>Premium Travel in... Montpellier, Francetag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.27156522013-02-19T12:21:55-05:002013-04-21T05:12:02-04:00Raj Gillhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/raj-gill/
Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven very distinct official neighbourhoods. The majority of the buildings of the historic centre of Montpellier (the Ecusson) have medieval roots and have been modified between the 16th and the 18th century. We headed out to the Place de la Comedie, which along with the Opera Comedie was built in 1888. The Place de la Comedie is the main hub of the city. And by early evening the Square was swarming with people of all ages. Some use it as a meeting point, others chose to hang out there. It was a beautiful evening and we decided to pitch up at one of the cafes on the square and people watch.
Day Two
Today we had the opportunity to take a short guided tour of Montpellier and to meet a very prominent young violin maker, in his workshop. Yann Poulain spent his childhood in Brittany and he learned to play the violin from his grandfather, who was a violinist in an orchestra. He graduated from school and got his baccalaureate in 1997. In order to learn violin making, he obtained a City & Guilds of cabinet making in one year. He then trained for a further three years at the Newark School of Violin Making.
In 2005, he created his workshop in Montpellier where he makes his own instruments. His work has been presented in famous exhibitions such as Musicora in Paris, Mondomusica in Cremona, and RNCM Cello Festival in Manchester just to name a few. Inspired by the cremonese masters of the golden period, he wants his work to be free, genuine without restraint.
Yann very kindly talked us through exactly what it takes to make a violin. It is a very slow and long process, and you have to have a great deal of patience and attention to detail in order to succeed. He was a fascinating young man, and it was wonderful to see someone so young working away at such an ancient craft.
Suitably inspired, we headed out to lunch, before our journey to our next location, Sete.
We arrived in Sete early afternoon, and checked into the Hotel de Paris. The hotel is very centrally located and has great views. Each room in the hotel has been built like a unique piece of art with its own identity. It's a very modern, trendy boutique hotel.
Sete has all the attractions of a town-centre port. Sete owes its foundation in 1666 to three characters, Paul Riquet, Louis XIV and the Chevalier de Clerville. The former wanted an opening into the Mediterranean for the Canal du Middi, the King desired an export port for Languedoc products, while the latter identified the Cape of Sete as the most appropriate spot. And so the port was born. The St Louis breakwater built to protect the entrance to the old port has accommodated boats ever since. It was also in 1666, on St Louis' Day, that the first jousting tournaments took place, a tradition now deeply embedded in local culture.
Built on the flanks of Mont St Clair, wedged between the Thau Lagoon, the sea and the canals, Sete is one of the largest ports on the Mediterranean. It is also a cosmopolitan city, in which its foreign communities, mostly Italians, contribute to its picturesque atmosphere.
Sete is also well known for being an artists' town, occupying a position midway between tradition and the avant-garde. And as such there are numerous galleries dotted around the town.
We decided to visit the contemporary art centre of Sete, to discover the Dock Sud painter's gallery with exhibitions of Montpellier and Sete painters as well as Chinese painters. And we chose to visit the Miam, an international museum of the "arts modesties". The museum was created by the painter Herve Di Rosas, a native of Sete, in celebration of the glory of present-day objects.
For dinner we headed out to the Quai 17 restaurant which is situated in the Grand Hotel. Again we were surrounded by paintings by local artists.
Suitably stuffed, we retired back to the Hotel Paris for a good night's sleep.
Day three
No visit to Sete is complete without making a trip out to Mont Saint-Clair, from where you will see the most extraordinary panoramic views of Sete and Marseillan towns and their fishing harbours.
All too soon it was time for us to make tracks and head back home.
www.sunfrance.com
Place de la Comedie
Musee Fabre
Sete ]]>Dining out in The Italian Bistro, Glasgowtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.27006372013-02-18T12:58:57-05:002013-04-20T05:12:01-04:00Raj Gillhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/raj-gill/
So we hit the west end. We have driven past The Italian Bistro many times, but just never had the time to pop in. So today we have decided to give it a test run. The building a former station house was designed by Sir J.J.Burnet and was subjected to numerous arson attacks while it was closed. It then re-opened as Bar Stazione. In January 2009 business partners Iain McMaster and Andy Hull set up The Partners Restaurant (Group). They acquired the old station house and transformed it into a bustling Italian bistro and event venue. The restaurant changed hands again in June 2012, when Nasreen Aksi purchased it, marking her first venture outwith Asian cuisine and into Italian cuisine and corporate and social functions. She invested in an extensive makeover to freshen the space and lend it a distinctly welcoming, contemporary feel.
The menu here is just the best. It's impossible to decide what to have, because we want everything! This is a rare occurrence as I can be quite fussy. To complicate matters further you have a choice of three different menus, the market menu, lunch menu and the A La Carte Menu, which offers an extensive selection of Italian classics and wonderful modern international cuisine including prime steaks, Scottish seafood and seasonal game.
Head Chef, Stevie Caputa sources all the produce locally and the chefs prepare everything fresh on a daily basis, from the breads to the ice-creams.
For starters we ordered Pan seared king prawns with chilli and garlic served on a salad of hot things (£7.95), Grilled stuffed field mushrooms stuffed with pancetta, herbs and parmesan (£5.95), Light lobster & langoustine bisque with scallops and king prawns (£9.50), and a portion of garlic bread (£3.50) for all of us to share.
Everything was delicious, the prawns were a great size, and we were intrigued to see what the salad of hot things would be and we weren't disappointed. It consisted of julienne of carrot, mouli (white radish), red, yellow and green pepper, cucumber and red and green chillies, pre-seeded and sliced finely, all dressed with hot sweet chilli sauce finished with orange segments, sliced mint and sliced basil, topped off with rocket. Definitely our favourite starter. The bisque was a bit too creamy for our taste but we all also enjoyed the mushrooms.
For his main, J.snr ordered Seared salmon fillet with herb crust, crushed new potatoes with parmesan - seasonal greens and a creamy lobster sauce (£15.95). The Salmon was perfectly cooked and was a reasonably sized portion. Sticking with my seafood theme, I had the Pan seared king prawns and king scallops with chilli and garlic served with warm salad of sauté potatoes (£18.95), this dish also comes with chorizo and black pudding but I opted not to have them. The potatoes were a little over-cooked but other than that this was another excellent dish.
Karam had the ten inch margarita pizza topped with salami, and Jeevan had the ten inch margarita topped with chicken (three courses from the children's menu £5.95). J.snr had to help them polish it off as the ten incher was a little on the big size for children. Not that he minded, it meant he also got to sample the pizza. The children's menu is great value for money.
For dessert I had Tiramisu (£5.95), which is a traditional Italian sweet dish, it is espresso soaked sponge fingers with amaretto and tia maria, layered with mascarpone cream topped with luscious chocolate shavings. The dessert is served in a cup and saucer, cute to look at, but tricky to eat, there's a little too much cream and it meant that things got more than a little messy!
Karam and Jeevan both ordered the warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream from the children's menu. Jeevan thoroughly enjoyed his, and for the first time ever a dessert defeated Karam, she had trouble finishing it off.
There's a great atmosphere in the bistro, with quite a few diners popping in from the hospital next door. It's very family friendly, and there is a good number of waiting staff, to ensure your needs are taken care of.
We are already looking forward to our next visit to sample the wonderful dishes from such an extensive menu. It would take quite a few visits in order for us to try all our favourites, I can see this restaurant becoming a firm family favourite.
http://italianbistroglasgow.co.uk/
Exterior Italian Bistro
Pork dish
Interior ]]>Dining Out in Misa, Majorcatag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.27019082013-02-18T07:42:46-05:002013-04-20T05:12:01-04:00Raj Gillhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/raj-gill/
Marc Fosh is British born and bred; he came to the island over two decades ago, and is certainly making his mark in the island's restaurant trade. He currently owns three restaurants on the island Simply Fosh, a casual restaurant housed in the Refectori of the 17th century Hotel Convent de la Missio in the old town of Palma. Tasca de Blanquerna, a very informal restaurant, serving up the best in regional Spanish cuisine. And of course Misa which takes informal dining to new heights and as we were dining with young children we decided Misa would best suit our needs.
The actual Braseria is situated on the lower ground of a hotel, and also has seating area in the courtyard of the hotel. The atmosphere is lively and the restaurant has a modern-rustic feel to it.
We were greeted into the restaurant by Jaime Caceres the restaurant Director, and front of house man, he made it a very memorable visit. For starters we went with Jaime's recommendation of Langoustine raviolis which are served in a light fennel and anise sauce (13€). J.snr went for the "Moules mariniere", mussels which were served with cream, garlic and parsley (11.50€). I am not a great fan of ravioli, but this was exceptional. The dish is prepared fresh on the premises and the sauce was the perfect accompaniment to the cute little raviolis, which looked too good to eat. Be warned though this is a very filling dish. Both the starters were very big portions, which we shared with the children.
Our mains were presented to us, by the man himself, Marc Fosh. We were super excited to meet him, it was completely unexpected, as we had heard from Jaime that Marc had just returned from a holiday to India. Surely the man would be jetlagged, but no, a true trooper he was back at work.
J.snr opted for Spiced Lamb Tagine, which was served with seasonal vegetables and couscous with coriander yoghurt (22€). For a man who enjoys a spicy dish, he was impressed with the level of spice, and trust me this quite a feat, satisfying his spicy craving.
I had fish of the day with clam-chive risotto and a smoked paprika aioli (price varies daily, depending on the type of fish). This was cooked traditional Mallorcan style with a modern twist. The clam-chive risotto offset the fish perfectly.
The children shared the House Speciality, Misa's classic roasted farmhouse chicken (17.50€) with a side order of fried potatoes "de Luxe" (3.30€). Jaime claimed they would never be able to finish this dish alone, and they would need help from Papa. He was shocked and stunned when he returned to the table and discovered the children had wiped the dish clean, and all that was left was a pile of bones. The children claimed this was the best, most satisfying meal they had had, since arriving on the island.
Despite being too stuffed to breathe, Jaime insisted we try the desserts. At Jaime's recommendation I had the Apple & almond tart with a cinnamon ice cream (7.50€). This dish takes twenty minutes to prepare so be ready to wait a while. But it's worth it, so fresh and filling, I even let J.snr try it! The children opted for good old vanilla ice cream to finish off their meal.
The restaurant has a great atmosphere, reminiscent of a busy London bistro. The sound of chatter and laughter is the background music! The diners are young and old alike, the day we visited the place was full of locals. Despite the fact that there were no other children dining, the staff made the children feel right at home.
www.misabraseria.com
Misa interior
Misa's House Special, Classic Roasted Farmhouse Chicken ]]>Premium Travel in Puigpunyent, Majorcatag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.26971452013-02-15T15:48:54-05:002013-04-17T05:12:01-04:00Raj Gillhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/raj-gill/
The drive from Palma to Gran Son took approx thirty minutes. We arrived in the small village of Puigpunyent from where we spied the very distinctive pink exterior of this Five Star Mallorcan Finca. The driver took the winding road that leads to the top of the hill to the hotel, which is located in a hidden valley surrounded by the majestic Sierra Tramuntana Mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.The entrance to the hotel is very grand; it's all high ceilings and towering doorways.
We were greeted by the vivacious Eduardo who whisked our luggage off, and directed us to the bar for a welcome drink. It's hard to believe that this was once someone's home, the place is enormous, far too big for one man and his family! You could fit an entire village in here.
The bar is very reminiscent of some of the traditional private member bars you find in New York. We were offered the Hotel's very own label bubbly, Son Net, which went down a treat, whilst the children enjoyed hot chocolate, and we were entertained by Ignacio (the bartender) who kept the children very amused.
Once we had finished our drinks we went back to reception in search of Eduardo, we were greeted with the very good news that we had been upgraded to the Presidential Suite. Again the joys of visiting during off peak, has its benefits.
Eduardo took us upstairs to the first floor. The grandeur of the suite is noticeable in the impressive entry way, the wood carvings on the ceiling and the medieval weaponry displayed inside the room. He showed us into a very spacious sitting room, which led onto the grand bedroom, in which there was not one but two queen sized four poster beds. This meant there would be no arguing over who got to sleep where!
The main bedroom led off to the bathroom, which included a Jacuzzi and a shower in which you could probably fit about fifteen people! Out to the balcony and the most stunning views of the hotel's sprawling gardens, the medieval village of Puigpunyent and the little church which also belongs to the Hotel and of course the magnificent Tramuntana Mountains.
Ten minutes later and there was a knock at the door, Eduardo showed up with a complimentary bottle of bubbly for us to enjoy at our leisure and some fruit for the children. We were beginning to like Eduardo more and more by the minute!
Gran Son Net is owned by the successful American resort developer David Stein. He originally purchased the property when it was a virtual ruin and spent six years restoring the buildings, gardens, orchards and olive groves. As the family grew, it was decided that the beauty of Son Net and its private collection that includes works of Hockney, Stella, Cristo, Longo, Estes and Chagall, should be shared with more than just family and friends. They decided to convert their home into a hotel. They began trading in 1998. Since then they have won many prestigious awards, and Royal Family members and heads of State have come to visit. As have the icons from the world of literature, music, fashion and sport. But Eduardo is far too discreet to name drop, and this is what attracts these people with high profiles, the discretion and exclusivity of the place. Although we did discover as it is common knowledge, that when the King of Spain was a guest at the hotel he had stayed in the Presidential suite. With this knowledge we turned in, and had a great night's sleep.
Breakfast at the hotel is served in the lovely restaurant, Oleum. There is a standard cold buffet of hams, cheeses etc, and there is a good variety of cereals (but be warned if you don't get down early enough the cereals tend to finish). There is also a selection of excellent breads which are baked on the premises, and they are lovely and warm, fresh out of the oven. If you prefer a cooked breakfast you can order it from the menu.
After breakfast we took a taxi to the Riding Academy, to allow the children to engage in some horse riding. The Academy is managed by Heike Rigbers. The horses were beautiful; the stables house many thoroughbreds. Heike is a fabulous instructor. This wasn't their first time riding, but they can still be termed as beginners. Heike was incredibly patient, and chose a very gentle horse for the children to take turns riding. Karam and Jeevan voted this the best part of their holiday so far.
Taxi back to Puigpunyent and we stopped off at the village for a long leisurely lunch. Back to the hotel, and we spent the rest of the day chilling on the balcony enjoying the stunning views of the Mountains. It wasn't quite sunbathing or swimming weather, so unfortunately we weren't able to sample the fabulous outdoor pool.
In the evening we opted to have dinner in the hotel. It wasn't too busy, given that it was off peak, and we more or less had the run of the place, which was great because it meant that the staff were very attentive.
The Oleum Restaurant is stylish and intimate. It features a centrepiece period olive oil press that dates back to the 17th century; it's not in complete working order but can still be used. And that's where the name Oleum comes from it is Latin for olive oil - considered to be the liquid gold of the Mediterranean.
The restaurant serves traditional Mallorcan fare, and there is absolutely nothing pretentious about it. Great food, in healthy portions, which was a relief as J.snr abhors cuisine which amounts to two lettuce leaves with a singular lone prawn as the centrepiece. The Chef Sergio Olmedo's menu has a great selection of innovative Mallorcan dishes cooked using modern techniques and locally sourced seasonal vegetables. Dishes range from courgettes stuffed with shellfish; warm salad; lamb fillet with walnut to beef entrecote with truffle risotto.
The beauty of Gran Son Net for us, was that the staff took great care of us, and really made us feel at home, especially the children, they made a great effort with them. The suites are all very spacious and beautifully laid out, we had a wee nosy around the ones that were unoccupied, despite being in the Presidential suite, we found ourselves having room envy!
Because we visited in December we were unable to make use of the fabulous pools, or to sit in the famous cabanas. Which means we will just have to revisit in the summer! The biggest bonus of visiting off season is that you get great rates, and the hotel isn't overpopulated, which means you get a lot more privacy and the staff have more time to pay greater attention to your needs. Our only complaint which was so minor we didn't even mention it was that the lighting in the bedroom is minimum and quite poor. Other than that we couldn't find a single, solitary fault.
We stayed at the hotel for three nights. And an excellent way to spend an afternoon is with a hot chocolate chilling in front of the Grand Fireplace, located next to the bar. Gran Son Net is fabulous for an escape from all the pressures and stress of modern day life.
All too soon it was time for us to leave. Palma Airport is approx thirty minutes from the Hotel and a taxi costs around 45€.
Top tip: Make sure you have a good nosy round the hotel, as the works of art on display are quite exquisite.
Low Season: 205€ B & B, based on two people sharing
Net Easter Package: 22/3/13 to 8/4/13 B & B based on two people sharing 235€
The Stunning views from the hotel ]]>Dining Out in Bo'vine, Glasgowtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.24802952013-01-15T13:12:48-05:002013-03-17T05:12:01-04:00Raj Gillhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/raj-gill/
Bo'vine is situated at the top of Byres Road, and is the Hilton West End's main restaurant. Next door is the trendy Bo Bar, nice place to go for a few drinks on a Saturday night. Like I say the kids were with us, so we avoided all urges of having a few cocktails and went straight to the restaurant. Bo'vine is a very stylish, modern restaurant, not at all like some of the stuffy old hotel restaurants that we've come across. 'Bo' is Gaelic for cow, bovine, a noun, is an animal of the cattle group which also includes buffaloes and bisons.
Everything on the menu was either reared here, harvested here or is fresh from the shores of Scotland. They offer a very reasonable priced Market Menu, £14.50 for two courses, or £17.95 for three courses. Or you can stick to the a la carte menu, which we chose to do, and they also provide a children's menu, created by child nutrition expert Annabel Karmel. All the children's meals are very nutritious, and include classics such as pizza and burgers as well; two courses from this menu are £5.75.
We were lucky and managed to bag one of the sumptuous banquettes. The other diners were mostly couples dining alone or with other couples, there weren't any other children in the restaurant. And despite the fact that we were there at 6pm it started to fill up pretty fast. Great atmosphere in the restaurant, and its far away enough from the main hub of the West End, so you avoid the usual Saturday night drunks. It's a lovely location for a family meal. Karam (age nine) and Jeevan (age seven) were well chuffed that they were dining out at a grown up restaurant in the West End on a Saturday night.
For his starter J.snr chose the Bo'vine Prawn Cocktail (£8), an old classic with a new twist. The cocktail contained brown shrimp, crayfish, langoustine, bloody Mary jelly and came with an avocado sorbet. Poor J didn't get a look in as Jeevan scoffed most of it, claiming it was scrumptious!
I ordered the crottin goats cheese tart tatin (£6), which came with pickled cherries, fennel and orange salad. I opted for the salad without the orange. The pickled cherries were a lovely touch, and added a great flavour to the dish.
Karam had the west coast scallops (£7.50) from the a la carte menu as there were no starters on the children's menu. The scallops were served with smoked Ayrshire pork belly, a carrot and parmesan puree and pickled walnuts. I didn't think they would enjoy the pork belly, but it disappeared off the plate faster than you can say pork! The pickled walnuts complimented the scallops perfectly.
Jeevan ordered off menu, he asked for garlic bread. It was a lovely black olive ciabatta smothered in fresh garlic butter, he thought it was yummy, and wanted it for his main and for dessert!
For mains J.snr chose the chargrilled rib-eye, 9oz, in mushroom sauce and for his side dish creamed potatoes (£23). The steak is Perthshire Aberdeen Angus beef. Bo'vine lived up to its reputation for having fabulous meat. J thoroughly enjoyed his main meal so much he didn't have room for dessert.
I had the red mullet, which is served in a clam, red pepper and maize chowder with an anchovy beignet (£15). The dish was a bit too creamy for my tastes. Red mullet isn't particularly my favourite fish, but I was pleasantly surprised, it was cooked well and was a good sized portion.
Jeevan and Karam both opted for the kid's burger, replacing the beef with chicken. The chicken burger was served with delicious tomato chutney and chunky chips. Karam's verdict "very tasty", Jeevan's verdict "it was nice and filling."
Dessert time, I had the dark chocolate tart (£6), which was served with a black olive sorbet and caramelised white chocolate powder. I was very curious to try the sorbet, and it didn't disappoint, it was very tasty, and complimented the dark chocolate tart perfectly.
Karam chose the ice cream sundae (£6), which was a mini feast of ice cream, chocolate sauce and profiteroles. Jeevan had the hot chocolate pudding, which had a very gooey yummy melting sauce in the middle and came with vanilla ice cream. Jeevan's verdict "brilliant", Karam's verdict "I lurve these profiteroles." J.snr finished the meal with just a cappuccino (£3).
A three course meal in Bo'vine for a family of four costs approx £80-£90. The children thoroughly enjoyed their Saturday night out, in a grown up restaurant, and so did their mummy and daddy!
Top tip: Bo'vine isn't your standard hotel restaurant fare; there isn't a club sandwich or a curly fry in sight! Instead you are presented with an excellent a la carte menu in a sophisticated, modern setting.
Bright, modern interior tastefully decorated with the wonderful bovine art
Well-presented Steak dish
Sumptuous Banquettes ]]>Dining Out in Restaurante Caballito de Mar, Palma de Mallorcatag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.23236682012-12-18T13:27:49-05:002013-02-17T05:12:01-05:00Raj Gillhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/raj-gill/
After quite a trek through the old city we had worked up a great appetite and were looking forward to a long leisurely satisfying lunch.
The restaurant has dining al fresco or you can dine indoors on the ground floor or if you are looking for something more intimate I would recommend dining upstairs.
We visit in early December and the restaurant is tastefully decked out in Christmas decorations.
As soon as you enter the restaurant on the right there are two very large tanks. One of which is home to lobster, very much alive and enjoying a swim, with very little knowledge of the fact that they will soon be somebody's lunch! And the other tank is full of a variety of fish that was caught earlier this morning.
We chose to dine al fresco; well we are in Majorca after all. Even though this is not peak season, the restaurant is quite busy and most of the tables outside are already occupied. Inside there is a table of twelve, a family celebration, having a rare old time! They tell us that this is their local restaurant and they come here as often as they can. Always sign of a good restaurant when you find locals eating there and not just the regular fare of tourists.In fact we are more than likely the only tourists dining here today as it is off season.
Caballito de Mar has a great reputation and we were very much looking forward to sampling the specialities that earned this wonderful reputation.
Being situated right on the Mediterranean, it's no surprise that there is a strong emphasis on fresh seafood at Caballito de Mar.
For starters the children and I all ordered the Tempura of vegetables and king prawns. The portion size was enormous, we would have been better off ordering two to share. The prawn tempura was lovely, the vegetable tempura not so much to our liking. The tempura came with three different dipping sauces our favourite was the chilli one. Karam didn't enjoy any of the tempura, bad choice for her, and Jeevan felt there was too much batter and that it was too greasy. Needless to say the children weren't too impressed. J.snr opted for the Carpaccio of Majorcan red prawns with baby leaves, parmesan crisp, sesame perfume and wasabi. His plate was wiped clean within minutes; he thoroughly enjoyed it, and helped us finish off the remainder of our tempura, although even he struggled with the vegetable tempura.
For mains, Tomas suggested the house speciality, John Dory served with fried onion rings. He presented the fish prior to cooking it to us at our table. Not such a smart move, Karam refused to eat anything that would look at her! So poor Tomas had to instruct the chef to remove the fish head.
Once cooked the fish was returned minus the head to our table! It was quite an elaborate dish. The fish was served on a silver platter swamped under a mountain of fried onion rings.
Tomas proceeded to plate up, first serving the children with generous portions of fish and onion rings and then us. In all honesty a family of ten would have had trouble eating that amount of onion rings! The fish was delicious; it was cooked to perfection and was a hearty portion.
Despite being stuffed Tomas insisted that we try the speciality dessert. Homemade apple tart served with vanilla ice cream. It takes twenty minutes to bake, but it is well worth the wait! The children of course couldn't wait that long, so Karam ordered Creme Caramel and Jeevan opted for good old plain vanilla ice cream, normally served with strawberries, but there were none left so the substitute was pineapple chunks. Our apple tart arrived in due course. Again another healthy portion, which was lucky as J.snr and I were sharing.
Overall we had a great experience at Caballito de Mar. My advice to them would be to introduce a children's menu. Other than that it's a great family friendly restaurant. The waiting staff made the children feel very welcome. One of the waiters even let Jeevan handle the lobster, to begin with he was quite timid, but he soon got the hang of it. He even took it to the outside eating area to give his daddy a scare.
The restaurant has a fabulous location, a little off the beaten track of other tourists; it is a great wee find. Situated next to a beautiful cathedral with stunning views of the sea, it is ideally located.
www.caballitodemar.info
Dining al fresco
Tempura of Vegetables & King Prawns with Dips
]]>Premium Travel in...Edinburgh, Scotlandtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.22700702012-12-11T11:07:20-05:002013-02-10T05:12:02-05:00Raj Gillhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/raj-gill/
For this visit to Edinburgh we chose to stay at the Rutland Hotel. Located at the end of Princes Street it's perfectly located for a girly weekend. We booked into the Rutland Hotel for their special Chamomile package. The package includes a visit to the Chamomile Sanctuary for a treatment. Poor Dal (big sis) drew the short straw, and I got lucky and scored the treatment.
We arrived at Edinburgh Waverly station, instead of making the ten minute walk to the hotel on foot, we opted to take a cab, even though we were only there for two nights somehow (maybe because even now after a lifetime of travelling I still don't know how to pack!) we ended up with more luggage than one can possibly need for two nights.
It probably took longer in the taxi than it would have taken to walk! Thanks to all the roadworks going on in Princes Street. We arrived at the Hotel late afternoon, check in was swift, which was great. We were shown to our room, Room one, a room which is also suitable for wheelchair bound people.
The Rutland is a boutique hotel and has twelve rooms. Our room had the latest in-room technology, with impressive high-speed internet. The best thing about it without doubt was that it came equipped with GHD hair straighteners, perfect for a girly weekend! Majority of hotels all have hairdryers, this was a first! Dal was also impressed with the complimentary home baked muffins.
Shortly after checking in, we decided to head out for dinner. Edinburgh at night is beautiful. There's so much to take in, and it has an abundance of restaurants to choose from for dinner. We went for a lovely dinner then hit George Street visited a couple of bars, and headed back to the hotel for a good night's sleep.
Day Two
The breakfast at the Rutland is served at the Kyloe restaurant. The service from the staff is outstanding, and you have breakfast whilst taking in the stunning views of the Castle. I ordered eggs sunny side up with spring onions and tomatoes on brown toast. Dal ordered eggs Benedict. My food was too yummy for words, it hit the spot and was a lovely combination. Dal's Eggs Benedict were cooked to perfection and the portion was very generous. We took our coffees back to the room, so we could get ready for the day ahead.
I had a one hour treatment booked at the Chamomile Sanctuary. Which is a couple of minutes walk from the hotel, and is located in Alva Street. I was advised to arrive fifteen minutes prior to the treatment to have a consultation with the therapist. At the end of the consultation I was given a robe and slippers and invited to wait in the relaxation room.
I had chosen a well being treatment, called Intensive Muscle Release. It's basically a deeply restorative treatment specifically designed for tight, stressed and aching muscles. This had my name written all over it! As I spend the majority of my working day at the laptop, my neck, shoulders and back are constantly aching, thanks to my dreadful posture. The therapist, Jenny used Swedish and cross muscle fibre massage techniques. And really got stuck into my problem areas, instantly releasing the pain and tension.
The treatment room was very cosy and once the massage was finished I didn't want to leave! Luckily there was an hour to spare before her next client, so instead of the usual five minutes, I had a whole fifteen minutes to chill.
Before I knew it, it was time to head back to the hotel. I found Dal cosied up in bed, listening to music and tapping away on the ipad, whilst Myra the head housekeeper made her a cup of tea! She had only popped into the room to enquire about housekeeping! This is typical of the hospitality of the hotel! After our lovely cuppas we headed out for a day of hitting the sights and shops of Edinburgh. As per usual no visit to Edinburgh is complete for me until I have visited Calton Hill, my happy place in Edinburgh. This was Dal's first introduction to Calton Hill, and she was suitably impressed.
After that we stopped by Harvey Nichols, Louis Vuitton, a must on an Edinburgh trip, then went further afield to the Royal Mile, and popped into some of the tourist shops. We stopped by House of Cashmere, where I picked up a gorgeous pair of Hunters, good to know nobody else in Glasgow would have them, as these were an exclusive buy for this particular shop.
For lunch we stopped off in a lovely little brasserie off the Royal Mile. Laden down with our shopping we headed back to the hotel to get ready for our evening meal. Dinner tonight was booked at the hotel's Kyloe restaurant, we had heard many great things about the restaurant so were really looking forward to dining there. Kyloe is Edinburgh's first gourmet steak restaurant and as such has a great reputation.
Ready for dinner, we headed to the restaurant. Again it has to be said the staff at the restaurant are great, they really know their stuff, and don't disappoint. For starters I ordered the lobster tempura which came with an amazing dip. It was very simple, soy sauce with chopped spring onions and chopped red chilli, but it was perfect for dipping the lobster. Dal went for the soup of the day, which was a very generous portion and came with some lovely warm homemade bread. For the main I had the fish option, the portion was a little on the small side, so I would advise that you also order some side dishes. Once we saw the size of the mains we ordered Roasted root vegetables and were happy that we didn't have to wait too long for them to arrive at our table.
For her main Dal ordered the Loch Etive Mussels. They are served steamed with a white wine sauce. One kilo of mussels, a very generous large portion.
To finish we ordered a selection of British Artisan cheeses, which came with oatcakes, celery, grapes, a shallot chutney and some quince jelly. Far too much for two people, suitably stuffed we were grateful we didn't have far to go. Nightcap at the bar, and we went up to our room to hit the hay.
The only downside of our stay at the Rutland was the bathroom in our suite. Like I said Room one is also equipped for wheelchair bound people, therefore the bathroom has all the facilities they require. It is open plan, there is no door that separates the shower from the toilet area, just half a wall that provides a partition. The negative aspect of this is that every time you shower, the water goes into the toilet area, and seeps out of the door onto the carpet of the bedroom. Also the sink is so tiny its very difficult to wash your hands, let alone brush your teeth. But luckily these are all issues that the management are addressing and they have a big refurbishment planned for early next year. We are very much looking forward to returning to see the changes they have made.
The upside is that The Rutland Hotel is perfectly located, also the staff are fantastic and we could not have asked for better hospitality.
www.therutlandhotel.com
Kyloe Restaurant interior
Bedroom ]]>Premium Travel in...Clerkenwell, Londontag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.22502932012-12-10T06:54:02-05:002013-02-09T05:12:01-05:00Raj Gillhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/raj-gill/
Clerkenwell dates back to at least the 12th Century when the area was named after the Clerk's Well. The discovery of various springs led to the establishment of monasteries during the medieval period, which were later dissolved under Henry VIII in 1539. The combination of the Great Fire in 1666 and the industrialisation process swelled Clerkenwell's population as artisans, craftsman and numerous prisons were built in and around Clerkenwell. The eventual changes in manufacturing technology forced many companies either into bankruptcy or out of the area. For years, the Victorian and Edwardian warehouses were deserted and disused.
Today Clerkenwell is one of the Capital's fastest growing areas among young professionals. Loft living, art spaces and even one of Europe's biggest night clubs has opened in the area.
In the last few years, the real-estate potential of these unconventional spaces close to the City was realised and renovation began in earnest. Today, Clerkenwell, in a word, is boomtown. Tradition and modernity are one with the Smithfield meat marketers starting up business as clubbers make their way home from the various night spots.
So we pitched up at The Rookery for the night. The Rookery is on the outskirts of the "square mile" just a short distance from St. Paul's and the Bank of England. The Rookery hotel takes its name from the colloquial terms - stews or rookeries - given to this part of London in days past- rough, unlawful streets long gone which attracted all manner of villains including, reputedly, Charles Dickens's immortal rascal, Fagin. With it's antique emporium at the heart of Clerkenwells' resurgence, The Rookery is centrally located in the heart of Clerkenwell. And its style is very much reflective of this period.
It was quite late when we checked in, there was one staff member on reception and the check in process was swift, which suited us just fine as we were desperate to hit the hay, after a long day running around London.
Our room was on the ground floor; the receptionist helped us with our luggage and showed us to our room. The room was perfect if I was sharing with my husband, tonight I was sharing with my sister! The room was far too romantic to be sharing with big sis. There was a lovely huge antique bed, and a great lounge area for relaxing. Fortunately the bathroom was completely separated from the bedroom, as Dal is prone to taking late night showers, whereas I am more interested in hitting the sack the minute I enter the room. Our room was on the ground floor; the only negative thing about it was that whoever was in the room above was walking around half the night in very noisy high heels. After tolerating it for approx thirty minutes we called reception to make them aware of the situation, five minutes later and it was taken care of.
Breakfast at the Rookery is brought to the room, which is great. The sizes of the portions are extremely generous! So make sure you are hungry. For breakfast I ordered cereal followed by bacon filled ciabatta rolls. The bacon was scrumptious, grilled to perfection. Dal ordered the granola over which she poured strawberry yoghurt. She had also ordered a croissant, instead of bringing just one croissant, there was a whole basket of pastries which were still warm, and too hard to resist.
Despite the fact that the Rookery is located in the heart of Clerkenwell, it's a lovely little quiet retreat. The staff are very good at responding to every requirement.
The only downside for me was that there is a cat! She practically lives at reception, not very good for someone like me, who is allergic to cats.
Before we knew it, it was time to leave. At reception we ordered a taxi, and parked our luggage at Left Luggage, to collect later on whilst we went to town to shop until we dropped.
Bedroom
Lounge area ]]>Premium Travel in...Jura, Scotlandtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.22457442012-12-06T09:46:22-05:002013-02-05T05:12:01-05:00Raj Gillhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/raj-gill/
So when the opportunity presented itself to leave the suburbs and head out to the island of Jura, I was out of here on the next flight!
One of the defining characteristics of the island and its community is the rich tapestry of myths, legends and superstitions, which range from the rumours of witches and prophecies to the numerous stories and sightings of ghosts on the island. Perfect for Halloween night!
We travelled from Glasgow International to Islay; it's a forty minute flight. Upon arrival at the smallest airport I have ever been to, we were met by Alex our bus driver for the next couple of days. We drove through Islay for approximately thirty minutes to reach the port from where we were to get the ferry across to Jura. It's a short crossing, and we were there in no time.
As the ferry pulls in to the bay you have a clear view of the Jura distillery which is housed in a white wash building, and there are several houses, the Jura pub and a local Spar all dotted along the landscape. Jura is home to approx 192 people, they are outnumbered by the 5000 deer that populate the island.
First stop the Jura Lodge to drop off our luggage and to freshen up. The Lodge is part of the distillery, and is housed over to the side of it. The first floor has four double bedrooms, and the second floor has an open plan kitchen with lounge area, and a private lounge off to the side.
Rumour has it that one of the bedrooms is haunted; poor Chris drew the short straw and ended up in the haunted room! But the views from his window more than compensated, they were stunning. I drew the short straw and ended up in one of the rooms that overlooked the distillery carpark!
Freshened up and ready to go, we headed out to the Distillery. The Jura Distillery is steeped in years of history. The Campbell's of Jura built the distillery around 1810. It's the island's main source of income. In the early 1900s the distillery was dismantled and fell into ruin. Around 1950 the people of Jura decide to resurrect it. The distillery re-opened in 1963 and provides employment for over a quarter of the island's inhabitants.
We had a fascinating tour of the Distillery; we were shown around by the manager Willie, who told us many little personal anecdotes to illustrate the story of the Distillery. We had a brief tasting session of the produce. Willie very patiently explained the different varieties of whisky they produce at Jura and taught us how to drink whisky using the right method. Apparently, you should always use a whisky glass, if it's a twelve year old whisky you should hold it in your mouth for approximately twelve seconds, and then swallow, it means that you won't feel the burn down your throat that you would normally feel if you just gulp it down straight.
Then it was time to go and meet our captain for the day Nicol, for our trip to Corryvreckan whirlpool. Also called the Strait of Corryvreckan, it is a narrow strait between the islands of Jura and Scarba. It is the third largest whirlpool in the world, and is on the northern side of the gulf, surrounding a pyramid shaped basalt pinnacle that rises from depths of 70m to 29m at its rounded top.
To be honest we didn't really know what to expect. The boat journey round the island resulted in us seeing some amazing views. But what we weren't ready for was the spectacular sight of the whirlpool. It is truly astounding, and difficult to describe, it has to be seen to be believed.
After our speedboat trip out to the whirlpool, we returned to the Lodge. The stand alone bath in my bedroom was so inviting, I decided to have a long soak before dinner. Jura pub supplied and served the food, and Ian told the ghost stories. Ian is a professional story teller and had been drafted in especially for us. Before things got too spooky I chickened out and hit the hay.
The only drawback of staying at a big old house like this is that you can hear everything. If someone opens or closes door, or goes up or down the stairs. With more sound proofing this would be the perfect hideaway.
Day Two
Today Alex came to collect us to take us on a bus tour of the island. There's a tiny little museum upstairs from the main church. It's very interesting and showcases images of the island from the turn of the century. Jura's many historical sites include the Iron Age Forts, several ancient burial grounds and standing stones.
It is a walker's paradise and the Paps of Jura are the main destination for many walkers. The Paps are three distinctive mountains that can be found on the southern half of the island. The highest of the three is Beinn an Oir, the Mountain of Gold (2576 ft). Beinn Shiantaidh, the Sacred Mountain is 2477ft, and the third Beinn a' Chaolais, the Mountain of the Sound is the smallest at 2407ft. There are no fixed routes to climb the Paps. The simplest route of ascent starts from Craighouse. The hills were the subject of William McTaggart's 1902 masterpiece The Paps of Jura, which is now displayed in Kelvingrove Art Gallery.
It's a fabulous quiet retreat, with impressive views. Jura is quite inspirational, and attracts a great deal of creative and artistic people. George Orwell wrote the novel 1984 on the island, whilst he lived in a cottage in Barnhill. Jura is also featured in the plot of Ian Rankin's novel A Question of Blood. The setting of Jura is very inspirational.
The trip to Jura was a trip of firsts. First time to Jura, first visit to the Corryrveckan whirlpool, first time I have ever seen cows on the beach! And the first time we had to stop our vehicle to allow a stag to cross the road.
We will definitely re-visit Jura, next time it will be in the summer, to enjoy the superb secluded beaches and to take a walk out on the Paps.
www.jurawhisky.com
Alex Dunnachie for bus tours. www.juraislandtours.com
Jura Bay
Jura Lodge
Jura Distillery Manager Willie Cochrane ]]>Off to the Flix...The Imaxtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.22189772012-12-05T10:45:15-05:002013-02-04T05:12:01-05:00Raj Gillhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/raj-gill/
So what is the difference between Imax and a regular cinema? Well for starters the Imax has a much larger screen and louder audio.
The major difference between Imax and regular cinema is the size of the screen. It is much larger than the screen you will find in a regular cinema. It not only has a big screen it also has big speakers.
Imax is an abbreviation for Image Maximum. It is a motion picture film format and a set of cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. It has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems.
The movie we had chosen to watch at the Imax was The Dark Knight Rises, it was filmed using the Imax process. For this type of film, I would thoroughly recommend that you see it at the Imax. Nolan's commitment to making a film using the Imax process has done wonders for Batman. It's the perfect combination. The shooting of the cityscapes and fight scenes in 70mm adds an extra dimension, which you just don't get in regular cinema. The movie features 72 minutes of Imax footage, currently the most any studio film has used. The rest of the movie is presented in 35 millimetres, a more rectangular look.
The Imax screen showcases the exaggerated vertical scale of Gotham's skyscrapers, it is a powerful visual effect and worth the extra expense. The screens are also almost twice the brightness of regular screens. The other major difference is the seating. The Imax seating is arranged so that even in the back row you get something like 70% of the big screen effect.
Overall the Imax offers the exact same things but on a different scale.
The location of our Imax cinema in Glasgow is far more pleasant than the city centre cinemas, easier for parking as well. As we were leaving the Imax, we had a stunning view of the Clyde with a few boats bobbing around on the horizon. If we had visited our usual cinema it would have been out to a concrete jungle.
Top tip: Get to the Imax early, as its first come first served, in terms of seating.
Glasgow Science Centre, where the Imax is housed ]]>Premium Travel in...Bermondsey, Londontag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.22307272012-12-04T14:36:13-05:002013-02-03T05:12:01-05:00Raj Gillhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/raj-gill/
So on a recent trip, we took a chance drove past W1 and headed south east and decided to stay in Bermondsey. Yes that's right, Bermondsey, it's come a long way since I last visited in the nineties. Bermondsey is now a thriving, trendy and up and coming neighbourhood. It's got an impressive restaurant, bar and club scene, some fab art galleries, design studios and very stylish boutique shops. It's a stone's throw from the City, and Tower Bridge is a fifteen minute walk.
We were staying at The Bermondsey Square Hotel. You may recognise the name; it was recently featured in a Channel Four reality programme.
You have to be very brave and very confident of your product if you are willing to allow the cameras in behind the scenes. And that's exactly what Bermondsey Square Hotel allowed Channel Four to do.
They brought in the highest ranking people to head the teams. Gordon Ramsay vs Mary Portas.
Gordon Ramsay was drafted in to run the restaurant; Mary Portas took charge of the accommodation. Gok Wan ran the bar and events. Phil Spencer was drafted is as Maitre D' and Dr Christian Jessen ran the gym. Kim Woodburn (of Kim & Aggie) was in charge of housekeeping, Kirstie Allsopp positioned as concierge and Katie Piper ran the spa.
The challenge was to make as much money for employment charities as possible, and to get the trainees into full-time employment by the end of the week. The experiment was an astounding success, every member of staff left their week at the hotel with at least one job offer. Two of the employees were offered jobs by Gordon and Mary. The winner of the challenge was Mary Portas.
After having featured so successfully in a Channel Four reality programme, we were really looking forward to visiting the hotel. And it didn't disappoint. We arrived to check in, late in the evening. There were two staff members on reception. They talked us through the usual, breakfast service times, complimentary wifi in the hotel etc. Tired from our hectic day out in London, we decided to bypass their offer of having a drink at the bar, and headed up to our room.
The room was quite compact, a little on the small side for two people sharing. It was clean, well presented and functional. It had a work space, Apple Tv, and tea and coffee facilities.
Next morning, for breakfast we headed down to Gregg's Bar and Grill, named after celebrity TV chef, Gregg Wallace. I ordered Eggs Florentine, it was a big healthy portion, and delicious. Dal opted for the Veggie Breakfast, again a generous dish of free range eggs, grilled tomatoes, grilled mushrooms, baked beans and toast. The staff were very attentive, polite and provided an excellent service.
All too soon it was time for checking out.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Bermondsey Square Hotel, the staff were fabulous and the service was fantastic. Like I said it takes confidence to allow a camera crew into your business, and the staff here have every right to feel that confident.
We will definitely be back, next time we are in London.
www.bermondseysquarehotel.co.uk
Exterior view of Bermondsey Square Hotel ]]>Dining Out In...Corinthian, Glasgowtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.22109832012-11-30T10:42:29-05:002013-01-30T05:12:01-05:00Raj Gillhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/raj-gill/
It's changed a great deal since then, well it was eleven years ago! Corinthian's new look is a big departure from its previous traditional image. These days it is modern and bright, gone is the lovely big fire place and the wee nooks and crannies in which we used to canoodle, replaced by big bright open spaces.
At a cost of a rumoured £10million for the refurb, it's clear to see how every penny of the money was spent. Corinthian is now home to five floors of dining, drinking, dancing and gaming and is open 24/7. It's very glitzy and glam. On a Friday night out you are bound to run into wannabe wags and footballers galore.
The interior is every bit as grand as the exterior. It is beautiful with stucco work and a glass domed ceiling. We dined in the main area of Corinthian, the Tellers Bar and Brassiere. We managed to snag a cosy wee booth. The kitchen offers the freshest, locally sourced produce that is cooked to order. Whilst we mull over the menu we gorge on olives, in my opinion the best olives in town.
For the starter I had Tiger Prawn Tempura with mango salsa. The tempura is fried to perfection, just on the right side of crispy and the mango salsa is a lovely tangy dip. J.snr chose the Oak Smoked Salmon, he felt the portion was a little on the small side, but it made sense when his main arrived as that was a big healthy portion.
For the mains I had Sea bream with fine noodles, pak choi, soy and ginger. The food was delicious the only disappointment was that I asked for extra ginger, but didn't get it. J.snr opted for the Steak burger with chips accompanied by Asian coleslaw. A hearty traditional dish with the Asian coleslaw which adds a slight twist.
For dessert I had the Tiramisu which came with cappuccino cream. The tiramisu was fluffy and light, absolutely heavenly. J.snr had the Strawberry cheesecake, again opting for a classic, and it didn't disappoint.
The staff are very young, and don't seem to be that knowledgeable. Which is a shame because the management team are brilliant, and do a tremendous job of making you feel right at home. They need to instil that same sense of hospitality and knowledge in their young team.
If we hadn't pre-booked our cinema tickets we would have stuck around to enjoy the fabulous atmosphere of Friday night at Corinthian. But alas we had a date with Bond, and I was quite anxious to see the gorgeous Daniel Craig in his third performance as Bond in Skyfall.
Perfect end to a perfect evening, great date night, we vowed to try and sneak out more often without the children in tow.
Exterior of Corinthian
Interior of Corinthian, the Tellers Bar & Brasserie
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