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Mar 2009
BB-Seen!
Thankfully, I was on hand to violently attack some dough for the camera.
Click HERE for the finished piece (forward to 2:10 if you can’t be bothered to watch all of it).
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Wedgwood's Good
30/03/09 07:28 Filed in: England
Like a child with no appreciation for the contents of Grandma’s cupboards (unless there are cookies in there), I was not particularly enthused about learning the back story of bone china.
But real live kids were there on a school field trip, and - shock of shocks - they seemed to be having fun. Yes, FUN - in a museum dedicated to plates and teapots!!! Had I gone mad, or were these batty English children completely drunk on tea?
Also, there’s a cafeteria that serves a Victoria Sponge Cake which, frankly, would win over anyone.
...and nothing but tripe in the food court.
The Onion (a MOST reliable news source) reports that Prague’s Franz Kafka International Airport is the most alienating airport in the world. Love this.
Prague's Franz Kafka International Named World's Most Alienating Airport
Testosteroamin'
By Reb Stevenson
You know The Girlfriend Getaway, it goes something like this: shopping, pedicures, male bashing, tapas.
Yet we rarely hear about the masculine equivalent unless it’s a beer-fuelled pilgrimage to a sporting event. And while awakening to find a reeking buddy spooning you in a Motel 6 queen bed might be construed as “bonding,” there are classier routes to solidifying friendships between dudes.
Call it testosteroaming – the art of vacationing with platonic male friends.
Tesco! Jacket Potatoes! Sheep! Ahh...
19/03/09 14:49 Filed in: England | Sleeping Around
Yes, I am back on British soil and - though suffering from “attack of the jet lag” - thoroughly loving it. Our first stop was Southport, a seaside town in the North, where we checked out the chic new Vincent Hotel.
But the piece de resistance is a contraption called the “power plate” we found in the gym (see photo, left). You stand on it, yank on some straps and it vibrates your body to the point where you expect your brain to liquefy. Not recommended.
But these guys, they don’t move an inch: a permanent sculpture exhibition called “Another Place” at Crosby Beach near Liverpool consists of 100 cast iron figures seemingly wandering like zombies into the sea. Yes, you read that right: ONE HUNDRED CRAZY STATUE MEN.
Artist Antony Gormley carefully arranged them across a 300 metre stretch of beach. Their foundations go 30 metres deep, which is handy since the tide ebbs and flows, submerging them completely at times.
Gormley modeled the figures after his own body, which is a brave admission because the nipples look like hockey pucks. I’m not a fan of modern art, but I must say that the scope and originality of this installation was amazing.
The jet lag made for a hard night’s day. So, naturally, we ended up at the new Beatles-themed Hard Day’s Night Hotel. Surprisingly restrained for a place that could so easily have gone overboard (think the interior of The Yellow Submarine), this hotel is a four-star, classy homage to the Fab Four. The Lennon Suite complete with its own white piano, is the star of the show.The McCartney Suite is more like a backup dancer.
In a decorating move that’s both English and edgy, dozens of teacups dangle from the ceiling in the restaurant.
Artist Antony Gormley carefully arranged them across a 300 metre stretch of beach. Their foundations go 30 metres deep, which is handy since the tide ebbs and flows, submerging them completely at times.
The jet lag made for a hard night’s day. So, naturally, we ended up at the new Beatles-themed Hard Day’s Night Hotel. Surprisingly restrained for a place that could so easily have gone overboard (think the interior of The Yellow Submarine), this hotel is a four-star, classy homage to the Fab Four. The Lennon Suite complete with its own white piano, is the star of the show.The McCartney Suite is more like a backup dancer.
Pillow Fight!
15/03/09 09:22 Filed in: Gear
BY REB STEVENSON
What's the most frustrating thing about plane travel? It's not the delays. It's not passengers who don't wipe the basin as a courtesy. And it's not that awful chicken wrap that appears on all of Air Canada's flights nowadays.
It's the sleep. Or, more accurately, the lack thereof. Ever since my very first flight (a red eye), I've envied those gifted sleepers who doze off during the safety demonstration and wake up refreshed upon touchdown.
My attempts to do the same end up in whiplash and embarrassing drool art on my T-shirt. So I embarked on a quest to find the best travel pillow, testing each of them on a real flight. Here are the results.
Description: It's the classic horseshoe travel pillow that everyone defaults to at the airport.
Cost: $19.85 U.S. at www.magellans.com
Pros: Cheap. Snuggly fabric. Inflatable so you can easily store it in your carry-on.
Cons: Unnatural angle means a big pain in the neck.
Verdict: You're really lucky if the horseshoe works for you.
Description: A pillow that looks like a cervical collar.
Cost: $27.85 U.S. from www.magellans.com
Pros: Prevents your head from bobbing in any direction. Deflates and stows in a pocket-sized pouch.
Cons: You appear to have suffered through a terrible accident.
Verdict: Surprisingly effective.
Description: A 2-in-1 blanket and pillow. When the blanket comes out, the case becomes a cover for the inflatable pillow.
Cost: $28 at Chapters or online at www.lugtravel.com
Pros: Ultra soft. Blanket makes airline-issued covers look like rags.
Cons: Pillow is a simple square and offers none of the neck-cradling you crave.
Verdict: Might suffice for a nap-on-the-go if you can prostrate yourself somewhere (ie: the airport, if not the aisle of the plane itself).
Description: A small foam device that wedges between your neck and the seat.
Cost: $19.85 U.S. at www.magellans.com
Pros: Handy clip fastens the pillow to your bag.
Cons: It's awkward and stiff, and everybody asks why you're bringing a free weight on the plane.
Verdict: Dumb dumbbell.
Description: A long, vertical pillow that tethers to the seatback and seatbelt.
Cost: $29.99 at www.travelrest.net
Pros: Innovative design provides support for your head at a natural angle. Deflates and rolls up into a small scroll.
Cons: Switching sides is a big ordeal.
Verdict: Easier to sink into than the other options.
And the winner is ...
Komfort Kollar, because it eliminates the dreaded forward head-bob. Also, if worn in the waiting lounge and accompanied by self-pitying moans, you may score priority boarding.
Will That Be Sadistic Stories with Your Stay?
13/03/09 17:37 Filed in: Scotland
BY REB STEVENSON
The discussion is of blood, murder and general gore.
And David Sinclair, assistant manager at Borthwick Castle in Scotland, is defending his ancestors.
"It was just second nature to them," he shrugs.
For eight years he has been dispensing some of the most macabre hotel lore you'll ever hear, so I keep my distance. Located in North Middleton, about 20 minutes south of Edinburgh, Borthwick Castle is an unpretentious boutique hotel that catapults you into another era: a time of raucous banquets, lords and ladies and barbaric extracurricular activities.
READ ON HERE.
Hollywood Landing
08/03/09 18:57 Filed in: USA
While in Los Angeles, I thought I’d stroll from my base in West Hollywood up to to Hollywood proper.
First of all, let it be noted that the word “pedestrian” is more likely to be a new model of SUV than a term applied to human beings in motion.
Yeah...only idiots still use feet. I discovered that on my two hour pilgrimage (objects on map are further than they appear) across bumpy, barren sidewalks, encountering only a terrifying trio of Chihuahuas.
Once I got up to Hollywood Boulevard, however, hordes of tourists were swarming, spending, shutterbugging - the usual. And, relieved to be back with the pack, I joined them.
Here are some highlights:
Upon Oscar Eve, a maintenance woman whispers to her colleague: "You can't mention Michaelangelo's David around him. He goes berserk with jealousy."
Jack Nicholson, you’ve still got it, you ladies’ man.
This “Venkman” novelty T-shirt is as hideous as Bill Murray’s pockmarks. But, like Murray himself, somehow it manages to win my affection anyway.
Marilyn Monroe’s star: practically a doormat for a crappy McDonald’s. How’s that for a combo?
Paws and Take a Deep Breath
06/03/09 09:27 Filed in: Gear
$34.95 US at www.yogapaws.com
From my weekly travel gear column in