It is an odd place, Shetland. I had never heard of it until a good friend of ours informed Jared and me three years ago that he bought a holiday home here. He’s been making frequent trips to Shetland since the 70s, and been inviting us to visit and explore the islands. Continue reading “A Journey to Britain's Northernmost Isle (1st of 3 Parts)”
Imagine just for a moment drinking champagne with 24 karat edible gold flakes and eating cakes and dainty morsels decorated with tiny sparkling gold leaf. But before you raise your eyebrows, or feel disgusted with the idea of ingesting bits and pieces of the world’s third most precious metal, let me just say from the outset that gold is totally safe to eat. (Gold is inert, or inactive, it is not absorbed by the body but goes down the digestive track without any trouble, though too much consumption can cause constipation.) Lest you think that it may have costs us an arm and a leg; no, it didn’t. It was my friend’s birthday and instead of allowing me to treat her for the special occasion, she didn’t let me, and would never let me. Ever. Thank you Adiben. And no, she didn’t miss her monthly mortgage just so we could enjoy gold tea. It did cost her only an hour of sweat, or rather stress, at work. 🙂 Continue reading “24 Karat Gold Afternoon Tea”
As mentioned here I learned baking and cake decorating techniques without going to a culinary school, and I have included here some of the kid’s celebratory cakes I’ve made in the last two-three years. Continue reading “Novelty Cakes (2nd of 2 Parts)”
This rare and massive book is full of captivating old photographs of European royal families (mostly in ball gowns dripping in diamonds and other precious stones) during the Victorian and Edwardian era leading up to the outbreak of the First World War. Many of the featured dynasties were abolished, or forced to abdicate after the war. Continue reading “The Last Courts of Europe”
While most tourist are familiar with some of the city’s more famous locations such as Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, London has also some smaller and less visited parks and gardens. One of them is Holland Park in Kensington, the largest park in the borough and contained within the park is my all-time favourite Japanese Gardens. Aptly named ‘Kyoto Garden’ and ‘Fukushima Memorial Garden’ — both were presented by the Japanese people to commemorate the long friendship between Japan and Great Britain. Continue reading “My Favourite Garden in London”
London is a city full of unexpected surprises. Every time I am out, doing an errand or simply traipsing around the park, I always come across something peculiar. The group of ladies having a ‘Hen Party’ — Bridal Shower to Americans (featured image) at Hyde Park Corner is a classic example of this. I find this a bit odd because it is an event that’s usually done in private, but evidently not for some Londoners.
Continue reading “Thrills and Frills of Living in London”