London, England - Elysee Greek Restaurant

A few Saturdays ago we got all the girls and all the guys together and decided to reserve a big long banquet table at Elysee, one of London’s oldest Greek restaurants in Fitzrovia. By day, Elysee is a respected dining establishment with authentic food, whereas by night the food is still top-notch, you can count on the addition of entertainment in the form of multiple singers, belly dancers, a live band (with bouzoukis of course) and a good dose of old-fashioned Greek plate throwing. Oh yeah and this party doesn’t stop until 3:30am six nights a week!

People literally come by the droves and the dining room is always jam packed. Once the music starts you can't help but dance in your seat ...

The singers and the belly dancers really get the party atmosphere going ... 

The menu features all the traditional Greek dishes you would expect and the food was delicious. We started with grilled halloumi cheese, stuffed vine leaves with lamb and parsley, tzatziki with dill, houmous with cumin and Greek pita breads, spanakopita, and those are just the ones I remember, we had a feast! I was so busy having fun I forgot to take pictures of what we ate, but did grab these:

Then for the main event, the plate smashing! This got a little more wild than I expected. We threw ourselves right in the middle of the mix and I was literally dodging pieces of flying porcelain as if they were shrapnel. 

All the broken pieces get swept under the band's stage and the night just carries on ... 

The dining room was packed .. 

A picture of our table, though most people seem to have gone for a wander ...

After dinner we moved the party upstairs to celebrate the birthday of one of the owners ...

A smashed plate chandelier, of course ...

Bellies full, we toasted, we danced, we laughed and chit chatted the night away until it was a new day...

Us brunettes stick together ... 

If you find yourself in London and want great Greek cuisine in a festive and entertaining atmosphere, you really ought to get your party hat on and head to Elysee. 

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London, England - Florence + The Machine at the O2 Arena

Last night I went to the O2 Arena to see one of my favorite singers, Florence + The Machine. The O2 is the second largest arena in the UK and is an entertainment complex that also includes a music club, cinema, exhibition space, piazzas, bars and restaurants and is located on the Greenwich peninsula. 

Florence + The Machine, who were just nominated yesterday for two Grammy Awards, is headed up by British born lead singer Florence Welch, whose voice, both haunting and ethereal, just seeps inside you. 

Her on-stage performance reminded me of a witch dressed in black floating back and forth as if buoyant and never touching the ground; a woman, at times, completely possessed and then trapped in mid-exorcism. The song lyrics are so deep you could drown in them. The show was other-worldly. 

“I want my music to sound like throwing yourself out of a tree, or off a tall building, or as if you’re being sucked down into the ocean and you can’t breathe,” says Florence Welch. “It’s something overwhelming and all-encompassing that fills you up, and you’re either going to explode with it, or you’re just going to disappear.”

If you are not familiar with Florence + The Machine get yourself on iTunes now and prepare to be transported.

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Bermuda - Dreaming of Pink Sand Beaches and Rum Swizzles

Coco Reef 

Dinner: Coral Beach Club

Church at St. George's

Tucker's Point

Coral Beach Club

View from Coral Beach Club

Shops of Front Street

Elbow Beach

Elbow Beach Club

Elbow Beach

Dinner on Longtail Terrace at Coral Beach Club

Stopping traffic (not really, but we thought it was amusing) on Front Street
Dress: Roberto Cavalli. Bag: Prada. Shoes: Chanel.

Last month I was invited by the Bermuda Department of Tourism to a fun-filled reception and sit-down dinner at Altitude 360 on the 29th floor of the Millbank Tower here in London. Dark and Stormy cocktails in hand, we listened to a steel drum band while overlooking The London Eye, The Houses of Parliament and the River Thames. 

Just a mere two hour flight from Boston, I've been to Bermuda four times and am always amazed that a place so tropical, lush and paradisiacal can be situated that close to New England. I can't recommend this island highly enough. 

While the above photos are from my previous trips, it just so happens that at the end of the dinner I was the grand prize winner of a six night stay in Bermuda! I'm hoping to go in May this year and will share it all with you. 

My favorite goodie bag item: Horton's Bermuda Black Rum Cake

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Lake Como, Italy - A Pictorial

On Saturday I flew to the northern Italian town of Lake Como for the day. It was a rather ambitious day trip: 1.5 hours each way by plane from London to Milan and then an hour drive from the airport to Como. But, I am working on a very, very special project and all will be revealed to you in the new year! Since it was all work and no play (sadly I never even laid eyes on the lake), here are some of my favorite pictures I took of Lake Como when the town was in full bloom on my last summertime visit. 

I did, however, have time to stop for a quick beer and pizza lunch break at La Vecia Hostaria. There's nothing better than a hot, thin crust pizza in Italy: delicious!!

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