Caffe Life

Yes, it's a chain, but a chain with the most amazing daily-baked sweets and frothiest cappuccino. From Dubai to Dublin, don't expect anything less than full-fat milk and freshly-ground coffee beans from the family-run roaster in Piacenza at Carluccio's.

What gives this caffe its street cred? The prices are reasonable, the food is fabulous, and Antonio Carluccio, OBE, founded it after managing, then owning, celebrity favorite Neal Street Restaurant {where Naked Chef Jamie Oliver began his professional career as pastry chef.}

Buon appetito

Upper Class

Arrived at 7:30 a.m. after an Ambien-induced slumber & too-early wake-up from Bob the steward (Bob thought I'd ordered breakfast but I hadn't, thinking the additional 90 minutes of sleep would be nice. Sigh.)  No matter, can I just say how much I adore the full-flat beds on Virgin Atlantic?

After breezing through customs @ Heathrow, a fabulous cabbie named Nick drove west to Isle of Dogs, my home away from home thru year-end. (Love those spacious, clean London dial-a-cabs!) After a quick unpack (and successful destruction of 2 converters), I headed out to Canary Wharf (surprisingly populated for a financial district Saturday). My first find was The Parlour, a beautiful-beyond-words gastro-pub which, I am certain, will become my 'local'. Dave the bartender, who told me to shout for him whenever bar was crowded and I needed a pint (he's going to regret that), let me in before opening to take snaps.

Odds are you'll find me there tomorrow morning buried behind the Sunday Times, tucking into a plate of Boiled Eggs & Buttered Toast Fingers. Then I'm headed here, for some new power cords.

Cheers.

Holly Goes Expat

It's official -- I'm heading to London for 8 - 10 months. Mostly this...

But also this...