Florence versus Los Angeles

by sheep on January 15, 2017 with 1 Comment

A private jet, a convertible and a romantic aubade

Chic to the max in a private jet to Florence, driving a convertible to Schindlers House, visiting Hollyhock House and a romantic aubade about Manhattan Beach…it’s all in one compi and vlog. Enjoy, relax and get involved!

Desiré

I was enjoying my well deserved vacation at home, until I got invited for a trip to Florence by private Jet!
Normally I love to stay at home during my vacation, because we are always living out of our suitcases, but you can't say 'No' to a luxurious Italian weekendtrip with Jet powered luxury.
To make it more luxurious the trip started in Paris. Le Marais is definitely my favourite neighbourhood and I had enough time to sit on an outside terrace sipping petit café and eating croissants.
This outside terrace was a wonderful place to watch people passing by and have a great view on street art and fashion boutiques. It felt like vacation already!

The flying time from Paris to Florence was short but very comfortable. The perks of flying on a private jet is something (most of the time) only the rich and famous enjoy. No security lines, cushy leather seats and more than enough legroom. After a smooth landing, I received my luggage and headed down the ramp. A taxi was waiting to take me to my hotel. I stayed in the Junior suite at the Cerretani Firenze hotel MGallery by Sofitel , in the heart of Florence. This hotel is absolutely beautiful and the interior design is modern, with a cool vibe and clean lines. For dinner I went around the corner, where there is a historic place that, after a extensive renovation opened its doors as a new concept-restaurant. Meaning that here you’ll find a place to eat, drink, buy flowers, shop design items for your house and listen to live music. We’re talking about La Ménagère.

The next morning I spent time exploring Florence. I started by mooching around the city and stumbled across the Palazzo Vecchio and Duomo di Firenze. The latter was a particularly impressive piece of architecture; grand in stature and very ornately designed. The Palazzo, like most in Florence was surrounded by colourful houses, restaurants and shops and filled with street entertainers and musicians, Later on I headed to the Ponte Vecchio and window-shopped through all the tourist places on the bridge. Unfortunately there wasn't enough time to admire the original "David" at the Academia Gallery, but I saw a copy of Michelangelo's "David" in marble, in front of the Palazzo Vecchio.

During the afternoon I had to visit the Roberto Cavalli café ! This café is located on the corner of via Tournabouni, Florence’s high fashion street, and via della Spada. They serve one of the best coffees in town with just a hint of chocolate. You can buy a box of chocolates in a designer leopard box, or Roberto Cavalli’s own wine.
I also recommend to eat at Il Santo Bevitore restaurant. They have a cool website as well!

I really enjoyed my little vacation in Florence.
Despite my luxury adventure, my return flight from Paris to Amsterdam was on an economy seat with my own airline. Back to reality!!!

Margré

During Desiré’s holiday I visited Los Angeles two times in one month. That’s why I combined these two trips in one compi.

The Schindler House, also known as the Kings Road House is a house in West Hollywood designed by architect Rudolf M. Schindler. The residence was meant to be a cooperative live/work space for two young families. The concrete walls and sliding glass panels made novel use of industrial materials, while the open floor plan integrated the external environment into the residence, setting a precedent for California architecture in particular.

I visited the house in the early afternoon when the light was perfect. The house was secluded behind a screen of tall bamboo shoots. The Kings Road House may be considered the first home ever built in the modernist style. They also exhibit some MAK Center art work because the house is owned by the MAK Center. I loved the silver rake that stood in a corner of one of the open spaces in the house.

Another architectual highlight is the Hollyhock House. Also situated in Hollywood. The Aline Barnsdall Hollyhock House is a building in the East Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, originally designed by Frank Lloyd Wright as a residence for oil heiress Aline Barnsdall, built in 1919–1921. I joined a small tour which I can recommend as a nice way to get information about the Hollyhock House project.

It is a pretty sad story because of the miscommunucation between the architect Frank Lloyd Wright and Aline Barnsdall. His strict way of thinking and building was not the way Aline Barnsdall wanted to live in the house. But all the colors, the arrangement of funiture and even the way he figured out where and how to live in the house were a kind of strait-jacket instead of a peacefull place to live in. But it is surrounded by the beautiful Hollywood Hills. I could very clearly see both the Hollywood sign and the Griffith Observatory from the property of the Hollyhock House. I found the house a little depressing inside with all the darkness, unlike the bright light and colors you can find outside the concrete building.

After all that culture I decided to explore a new eatery in Culver City, named The Cannibal. As you might expect, The Cannibal is meat-focused, although its name is actually a nod to Belgian cyclist Eddy Merckx, who was given the nickname during his heyday in the 1970s.

Cycling references in the decor pay homage to Merckx but also to owner Christian Pappanicholas and partner Cory Lane. Both are avid bikers, so it makes sense that they also offer a number of bike-friendly accommodations to fellow cyclists.

There’s a bicycle valet parking, and if cyclists dine at the Cannibal in their riding gear, they’ll get their second beer on the house. A gift known as a “kit” in the cycling world. I wasn’t wearing riding gear at that moment so I didn’t get a second glas of red wine for free ;-)! The food was delicious and the service was great. But I had to pay a lot of money for that. So prices are a bit overrated in my opinion, but a YES for sure to visit, specially for bikers!

My beloved Manhattan Beach is the place where I often end up at the end of my tour in Los Angeles. No matter what I did that day and no matter how far I had to drive for that. My love for this beach is huge and I always have to say goodbye to the place before I leave LA. You could call me a ‘romanticus foolicus' but I can't resist it's beauty and get tons of energy from it. This beach is inresistable...till the moon and back!

Los Angeles versus New York

by sheep on January 3, 2017 with 1 Comment

West Coast meets East Coast

This time DDTS traveled apart together: Desiré was on the west coast in Los Angeles and Margré on the east coast in New York City. How far can you go ;-)! Read about our adventures with one aspect in common: water!

Desiré

My short stay during the happy holidays in Los Angeles was amazing but exhausting!!. Of course after a long flight I was not very happy to wait in a long line at Target to buy my ' oh so important' whitening toothpaste.( Yes, in the Netherlands you can buy this as well, but I like the big size packs here). Luckily after a few hours the shopping list was completed. It was time to go to Manhattan Beach and watch the amazing sunset.The pier is decorated with beautiful Christmas lights during the holiday season. I walked around and had some dinner at Fushion Sushi.

The next morning I drove around and stopped at the beach near Palos Verdes. You have breath taking ocean views here from the red tile roofs of Palos Verdes all the way to Malibu. Palos Verdes is an affluent, picturesque city on the peninsula. It has a mix of smaller, older and huge, modern homes perched on the hilltops.
There are many trails to choose for hiking or just walking along the ocean. For golf enthusiasts, Trump golf course is also located here. This area is a nice respite from the LA daily grind.
I finished my breakfast at the beach surrounded by strollers, bikers, dog walkers, surf dudes and runners. What a lovely place to be!

Margré

This time I wanted to see New York City from another perspective. So I decided to take the East River Ferry from the Pier at East 34 street across the East River to Pier 11 near Wall Street. It was such a great trip.

Of course it's a normal way of travelling for the commuters in the Big Apple. But for me it was one big party. With a big smile on my face, feeling like the queen of the world, I watched the impressive skyline of New York City on the roof top deck of the ferry. All commuters were inside the ferry, instead of me, struggling with the strong wind! But the blue sky and the sun made it very pleasant to stay outside and I felt like I was on top of the world at that moment. Via Williamsburg I travelled to Pier 11 and had a great view of the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty and the skyline of Manhattan. Tickets you can buy at the machines near the Pier. This trip cost you only about four dollars. But real entertaining ;-)!

I jumped of the Ferry at Pier 11 and walked to Wall Street. Saw the Trump Building just after Donald Trump won the elections. Some tourists were staring at the building maybe not knowing that THE big Trump Tower is on fifth Avenue. 40 Wall Street, also known as the Trump Building, is a 71-story skyscraper. I had a glimpse of the Wall Street Stock Excange and walked into the Trinity Church for a peaceful moment.

I took the subway from Rector Street uptown till Rockefeller Center to see the big Christmas Tree. The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is a large Christmas tree placed annually in Rockefeller Center, in Midtown Manhattan. The tree is erected in mid November and lit during a public ceremony on the last day of November just at the time I landed in New York City. Approximately 50,000 multi-coloured LED lights adorn the Norwegian Spruce’s branches. But unforntunately during my visit at the middle of the day it was not as spectacular as I expected. It will be great during the evening and night when it is dark and all the colourfull lights are shining. Don’t forget to watch the Swarovski star on top, which made its debut at the top of the tree in 2004, weighs 550 pounds, spans nine-and-a-half feet in diameter and features 25,000 crystals.

A winter visit to Rockefeller Center wouldn’t be complete without enjoying one of the city's most celebrated traditions. Each winter, visitors lace up their skates and twirl away at The Rink at Rockefeller Center. Here you’ll find New Yorkers and visitors alike skating at the base of the iconic Christmas Tree in the heart of Rockefeller Center. I wandered around, didn’t skate but twirled away at Victoria’s Secret instead ;-).

Toronto Christmas Market, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Mercatto, Cluny Bistro and more

by sheep on December 22, 2016 with 2 Comments

We thought Thanksgiving would be on the same day in Toronto as in the United States. So we booked a table for two at Cluny Bistro in advance. It turns out that Black Friday is on the same date but Thanksgiving is not. Canada’s Thanksgiving is somewhere in October. So no celebration, no turkey, no cue lined up in front of Cluny. All shops were open on the normal opening hours. We had to adapt of course, so we spent some time at the Eaton Centre shopping mall ;-).

They had started the pre Black Friday discounts allready. We browsed around at Indigo for a long time. We both love bookstores! We had lunch at Mercatto, a restaurant in the Eaton Centre. It is such a nice place to hang out for a while during your shopping. The beautifully styled interior sports cool leather couches. It is a great setting for your desire for food, drinks and design. A hidden treasure between all the stores and ugly food courts.

We went to the Distillery District in the evening to have dinner at Cluny restaurant. We’ve been there before and in one of our compi’s of Toronto you will see and find all the information about it, so just click on THIS link ;-). When we arrived at the Distillery District we stepped into a Christmas setting, smack in the middle of Toronto Christmas Market. A lot of Christmas trees, decoration lights, Christmas songs, nice food and gift stalls gave us the real Christmas feeling. We had a delicious meal at Cluny and celebrated the good life.

The day after it was Black Friday! All shops opened around eight o’clock in the morning but it was not as hysterical as in the United States. We went to Yorkville first and spent some time in our favourite shop Anthropologie. They had a welcome Gluhwein-drink but unfortunately we couldn’t drink that because we had to work to Amsterdam later that day. The best part was wandering around town with all the Christmas excitement going on, having a nice dinner at Cluny and discovering Mercatto. The worst part was that we bought lots of items that weren’t on Black Friday sale at all… We were victims of our own taste ;-)!

Atlanta, the Lenox Square Mall, Sprinkles cupcake ATM and more colourful stuff in the Peach State

by sheep on December 12, 2016 with No Comments

How colourful it can be in Georgia, the Peach State: halloween and Indian Summer in Atlanta this time! A pumpkin decorating competition in our hotel and spiders, spiderwebs and wicked witches everywhere around. We had a short stay so we took a taxi to the Lennox Square Mall. We drove via Sandy Springs.

Sandy Springs is a suburban city in northern Fulton County in Georgia and part of the Atlanta metropolitan area north of Atlanta. While all the hustle and busle of Metro Atlanta’s attractions are only minutes away, Sandy Springs is surrounded by more than 950 acres of parks and natural areas. So you can experience the best of the modern South. Enjoy the big city one moment and the warm hospitality of the hundreds of independently-owned restaurants and shops the next.

Unfortunately we only had a couple of hours in Atlanta but next time we will absolutely explore Sandy Springs some more! But for now we could catch a glimpse of the big wooden houses with porches just like you see in American movies. They are surrounded by beautiful coloured trees in orange, red and yellow. A party for the eyes.

At the Lennox Square Mall we walked into a fantastically bright pink coloured Sprinkles cupcake ATM. Sprinkles is the world’s first cupcake ATM where you can catch freshly baked cupcakes and cookies 24/7! They have a catchy tune when you start your cupcake order: “I love Sprinkles!”. This song repeats and repeats itself again and again…so no worries…you will remember this song all day long ;-)!

The cupcake comes out in a small box, it’s like Christmas came early! Sprinkles engineer Vineet Chaplot is a smart man indeed. How nice it was to choose our favorite red velvet cupcake that came out of the wall in a lovely box with a lovely tune...We love Sprinkles ;-)!”.

After some shopping we ended our colourful day near the pool of our hotel and caught a beam of the late afternoon sun on our faces. It was a mix of different ambiances this day with a touch of red, orange, yellow and pink. Sandy Springs is something to keep in mind…next time we hope to visit and explore that suburban city!

Singapore, Gardens by the Bay, The White Rabbit, Altitude, Oxwell & Co and The Providore

by sheep on November 29, 2016 with No Comments

Every time we drive from the airport to our hotel in Singapore city, we see the amazingly beautiful skyline with cultivated trees and organicly formed buildings. We decided to make a trip to this wonder of nature: Gardens by the Bay. Gardens by the Bay is part of a strategy by the Singapore government to transform Singapore from a "Garden City" to a "City in a Garden". The stated aim is to raise the quality of life by enhancing greenery and flora in the city. It is a is a nature park spanning 101 hectares (250 acres) of reclaimed land in central Singapore, adjacent to the Marina Reservoir. The park consists of three waterfront gardens: Bay South Garden, Bay East Garden and Bay Central Garden. It was a little bit like an amusement park for us but still it's worth a visit. We had lunch in de Flower Dome at the Pollen bistro. After walking around for a couple of hours in the gardens we had a small snack on tiny stools around a tiny table at Satah At The Bay. We felt like two Snowy Whites who visited the dwarfs ;-).

In the evening we wanted to have dinner at The White Rabbit. The White Rabbit is a restaurant housed in the beautifully restored 1930s Ebenezer chapel. Inspired by Alice in Wonderland, The White Rabbit’s verdant surroundings and rich history takes guests into a world of whimsy and wonder, away from life in the concrete jungle. Beside that they have The Rabbit Hole. This is the chic outdoor bar of The White Rabbit that lets you unwind amid the lush greenery of Dempsey, complete with animal-themed topiary. But when we arrived at The White Rabbit a private party was going on. It was all about the Food Hero 2016 Finales and organized by the AFC network. We were not invited but we had a briljant sollution: party crashing! We got all drinks and food for free and joined the invited visitors on the red carpet where pictures were taken. How cool! When we left the party we received a goody bag with a nice notebook and a set of stainless steel measuring cups. Party crashing: the act of attending an invitation-only event when not invited…we can deal with that from now on ;-)! We had some 'attitude drinks’ afterwards at the Altitude bar. The entree was too expensive, the drinks were too expensive and the bartenders were very rude. To much attitude at the Altitude! Only the view was amazing.

The next morning we had breakfast at The Providore at the Mandarin Gallery. The pleasure of discovering, creating and sharing good food is what the Providore is all about. Good food in all its forms; wholesome, traditional, innovative, nurturing and nourishing. A nice philosophy. Be aware when you order breakfast, the portions are small. The staff is very kind and willing to help you and patiently explain the menu.

At Ann Siang Hill we explored Oxwell & Co. Oxwell & Co was conceived by a group of Brits pining for their local pub while embracing all things Singaporean. Here in this heritage three-storey shophouse, sitting in the heart of Singapores Chinatown, you will find a slice of British comfort from good old fashioned hospitality to food and cocktails. The Oxwell experience is made up of the 4000 sq ft space presenting each floor as a destination in its own right: the bar for refreshing tipples on the first floor the rustic yet elegant dining room on the second floor; and a private function room on the third floor that is reminiscent of a drawing room complete with eccentric British touches. The rooftop houses Oxwells own organic rooftop herb garden, used by the restaurant and bar for food and cocktails. To be ‘Oxwelled”, try there specialty: the signature home-made Gin & Tonic. That’s the real Oxwell Experience!

Buenos Aires, it’s all about murals, art, books and wining & dining with grandeur

by sheep on November 13, 2016 with No Comments

"Don't cry for me Argentina"...Evita Peron said those words when she gave her famous speech from the balcony of the 'Pink House' in the city of great grandeur: Buenos Aires! And a city it is. We saw a lot of highlights allready so we wanted to explore some new things. With Martin from buenosaires-vintage.com we drove an extended vintage 2cv to some of the famous mural paintings in Buenos Aires. Argentine muralist Alfredo Segatori likes to paint buildings featuring portraits of the people who have given him permission to paint them. It features portraits of real-life workers, neighbors, pets, and even the artist’s son, Teo, with the world in his hand. We recognized an owner of a small eating spot in one of the paintings on the wall. We verified this and it was exactly the same man who has been painted giantly on one of the walls. You could imagine that a selfie with this man was a must! The mural of Frida Kahlo in Palermo Hollywood is an artwork that measures 9 metres high by 7 metres wide and depicts Frida smoking a cigarette in a classic pose. The mural took the collective of three artists: Julián Campos Segovia, Jean Paul Jesses and Juan Carlos Campos. Frida's head is made from a wooden panel attached to the wall.

Named for the chic Buenos Aires street on which it’s located, Casa Cavia is a new concept boutique that brings together a somewhat unexpected combination of local tastemakers—a florist, a chef, a perfumer, and a bookseller—under one historic roof in a gracious 1927 home that has been thoughtfully updated. Great food and wines in a beautiful setting. Have lunch in the garden or inside if you prefer. And if you want you can buy a parfum or flowers afterwards in the tiny stores inside Casa Cavia.

Speaking about flowers, Floralis Generica is a beautiful metallic sculpture that popped up in Buenos Aires back in 2002. The amazing aluminum and stainless steel art piece was created by Argentine architect Eduardo Catalono. Measuring 20 meters high Floralis Generica is the city's first mobile sculpture and is controlled by a hydraulic system and photocells. Through hydraulic mechanics and a series of photocells, the 13-meter long petals were designed to open at 8am and close during the evening each day. It is located at Plaza de las Naciones Unidas.

We visited the Malba. The Latin American Art Museum of Buenos Aires is a museum located on Figueroa Alcorta Avenue, in the Palermo section of Buenos Aires. With an impressive permanent collection and a continuous stream of new and exciting temporary exhibitions. The temporary exhibition of Yoko Ono was the one that captured our imagination ;-)! The Buenos Aires Japanese Gardens are a public space administered by the non-profit Japanese Argentine Cultural Foundation in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and are one of the largest Japanese gardens of its type in the world outside Japan. At the end of the garden you will find restaurant Möoi to have lunch after visiting the gardens. Möoi is build under a train bridge, so during your lunch you can hear and feel a train above your head. Nice to check out!

El Ateneo Grand Splendid is one of the best known bookshops in Buenos Aires. The Guardian placed it as the second most beautiful bookshop in the world. Having retained its original frescoed ceilings, ornate theater boxes, elegant rounded balconies, detailed trimmings, and plush red stage curtains, the interior of the building remains as stunning today as when it was first envisioned by architects Peró and Torres Armengol. You can buy and read books or drink a coffee on stage, where the great grandeur of early ages still exists.

Just one more thing, because otherwise you will be overloaded with to much information in one compi: If you already visited hidden restaurant Florería Atlántico...please also visit his little sister Brasero Atlántico. Family matters ;-)!

Los Angeles, denied admission to the Late Late show and healing our wounds in the Grove

by sheep on October 30, 2016 with No Comments

Arrived late in the afternoon. We just did some small shopping across from our hotel and had some sushi before we went to bed, completely knocked out. The day after we started our 'normal routine' with a breakfast at Hermosa Beach. This time of the year it is bloody hot. So we preferred not to melt on the beach but to drive our air-conditioned car to West Hollywood. We did some shopping at the Crossroads vintage store on Santa Monica Boulevard and were excited about what was going to happen afterwards: We had tickets for the Late Late Show of James Corden next to the Grove! Broadway, television and film star James Corden takes over the reins of the Late Late-night franchise at CBS from fellow U.K. import Craig Ferguson. The British performer, whose previous hosting gigs include five years of The Brit Awards, puts his charm, warmth and creative instincts to use as he interviews celebrities and newsmakers, and hosts musical performances in his post "Late Show" time slot.

We changed our flip-flops to high heels and went to the CBS studios where the show took place. We were waiting in line and suddenly a guy came up to us and said: "Sorry girls, you can't join the show. It's a full house!". First we thought it was a joke but unfortunately he was serious. Denied admission...we changed our high heels to flip-flops again and walked back to the entrance. They ensured us that next time we will be in the show due to our new ticket status (previously denied) but still we were very dissapointed as you can imagine. We did some window shopping at Nordstrom to heal our wounds and touched every shoe we found to feel better after our terrible rejection...a woman's gotta do what a woman's gotta do...

Instead of watching the great Late Late Show of James Corden we watched the baby of Bridget Jones at the Pacific Theatres at the Grove... Mister Darcy instead of James Corden...just perfect, not ;-)!

Los Angeles, treated as vips at Warner Bros. Studios, diving into art at The Broad and more

by sheep on October 17, 2016 with No Comments

Due to a traffic jam, we arrived one and a half hour to late at the Warner Bros. Studios for joining the sitcom The Ranch with Ashton Kutcher. We had printed studio tickets with us but the lady at the gate was very strict: no entrance anymore despite our reservations. But Desiré is a fighter if she wants something badly. So she talked with the security men near the entrance of gate 2 where the sitcom took place. A miracle happened. One of the security men called Jennifer, the sergeant of the security department. AND WE WERE IN! They brought us with a special car and we felt treated like vips. We got entrance to the stage and it was great to be part of the epsiode 'Things Change' of The Ranch. The actors were very serieus and repeated some scenes again and again. In the middle of september we were emerged into the world of chrismas trees, snow and jingle bells. At the end we shook hands with Ashton Kutcher!!! For next time if we want to join the Ellen Degeneres show we can contact Jennifer...how wonderful is that!

The day after our adventure at the Warner Bros. Studios we bought some breakfast at Cafe Bonaparte at Hermosa Beach and ate our croissants, yoghurt and blue berries on the beach joined by a cappuchino. We spend some time at the beach and had lunch at Tin Roof. Tin Roof is a nice place opposite the Manhattan Village shopping mall. Later on we drove to downtown LA. We had tickets for the exposition of Cindy Sherman in the new museum The Broad. Anytime a new museum opens in Los Angeles, it's a big deal. The Broad, though, has been a monumental moment in recent LA history thanks to the museum's free admission, distinctive design and big-ticket collection. It's yet another landmark to prove to the world that LA is a city rich with cultural institutions. The contemporary art museum is the public home for Eli and Edythe Broad's collection of over 2,000 post-war works. Though only about 250 of those pieces of art will be on display at once, it's still a lot to take in. The construction of the building is beautiful and also a work of art!

We had a short visit at the Ace Hotel downtown LA afterwards. Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles originally built as the United Artists Building and later known as the Texaco Building is a 243 ft (74 m), 13-story high rise hotel and theater building located at 937 South Broadway downtown LA. It was the tallest building in the city for one year after its completion in 1927, and was the tallest privately owned structure in Los Angeles until 1956. Its style is Spanish Gothic, patterned after Segovia Cathedral in Segovia, Spain. On the rooftop you can also find a bar and pool. The time we were there it was packed with people. A good spot for hipsters.

Los Angeles...you suprised us again! Till soon...

New York, something old, something new, something borrowed & something blue

by sheep on October 3, 2016 with No Comments

New York...the city that never sleeps! We've already visited New York City many times but there is always something new to discover. And it doesn't always have to be a big discovery. One of these little suprises is the UO café. It's part of Urban Outfitters and is situated next to the shop. Beside all kinds of drinks you can make you own salad and choose from the most delicious ingredients, all healty and reasonably priced. We bought some lunch and before we walked to Central Park we had to deliver a letter for a friend of Margré at the citizenM.

CitizenM is a hotel chain based in the Netherlands. This contemporary, cool hotel is an 11-minute walk from the edge of Central Park. The lobby is a living room away from home. It has an upbeat designer feel, with terrific art work, books and objects of art. The design assumes intelligent, digitally-literate guests, for example, with open computer stations where guests check themselves in and out. So if you want to spend a couple of nights in the middle of Broadway: go on the internet and book a room in this hotel! Meanwhile Margré borrowed some clothes and dressed herself as an English Queen in the lobby of the hotel...a funny feature the hotel offers to promote two brand new venues in the United Kingdom.

We had our UO-lunch in Central Park enjoying a partly blue sky and a nice view of the skyline. The Park was established in 1857 on 778 acres and is the most visited urban park in the United States. It is also one of the most filmed locations in the world. At the time we were there a wedding took place. Such a good place to say: "Yes I do!"

We wandered around the city afterwards and found Paley Park, a hidden oasis in midtown, including a piece of the Berlin Wall. A waterfall, trees, and ivy covered walls transport visitors to a place away from the sights and sounds of the city. Before we had to go back to the Netherlands we picked up some delicious sushi at Roll & Katsu Kitchen on 32nd street near our hotel to be sure we had some healty food during the flight back to Amsterdam.

Bangkok, fruitless searching, pampered to the max and exploring a luxury food court

by sheep on September 23, 2016 with No Comments

What if you wanted to find a place and you couldn't find it? That was the thing with vintage shop/restaurant and bar Moose. We took a taxi for an hour but after some struggles we arrived at the place...but it didn't exist anymore. So never go to find Moose in the Sukhumvit area, because it is gone. We wandered around the streets in Sukhumvit to find a nice place to eat some Thai food afterwards...but unfortunately we saw only Japanese, Korean en Western restaurants. We took another taxi, a one hour drive back again and ended up in a tiny street food restaurant opposite of our hotel where we finally had a nice cold Singha beer and lovely Pad Thai. Traveling is searching, wandering and exploring. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

The next day we left the busy world far behind us by visiting the Oasis Spa in the heart of Sukhumvit in the middle of Bangkok. What a great place. Bangkok Oasis Spa is a dream place for those searching for a relaxing escape. The charming spa is dedicated to soothing sensations and blends gracious and gentle service with wonderful treatments. The healing ambience of its delicate decorations and stunning surroundings only adds to a truly exotic world of beauty, serenity and pleasure. We loved our one hour aromatherapy Hot Oil Massage. This massage perfectly combines the best of Western Swedish massage therapy and Eastern Thai massage techniques along with Aromatherapy. Make a reservation because this place is really popular. It is high end but worth the money!

Totally relaxed we got a free ride from the Oasis Spa to the luxury mall, the EM District, next to the Phrom Phong BTS Station on Bangkok’s Sukhumvit Road. It is an ambitious multi-billion baht retail project comprising three different luxury shopping malls. The District EM is worth a visit, no matter what! Because it includes the most luxury clean food court we've ever seen, the Quartier Foodhall! You have to buy special coins to pay for the food and you can choose from all kinds of Thai Food in separate booth's. Wander around all those choices of food and decide what to eat after having seen all those delicious kinds of food. The EM District is the latest business district and tourist destination of the three world-class projects: The Emporium, The EmQuartier and The EmSphere. We only took a glimpse of the EMQuartier project, but you can spend hours and hours exploring the three projects if you want.

After this luxury mall we had a short visit to the MBK mall to find a power bank, gadget girls as we are. On our way to the electronic gadgets we saw a nice wigg that Margré tried on. The staff of the shop was waiting patiently until they demanded after a short while that they needed the wigg for their mannequin doll.

Never a dull moment with DDTS ;-)!

Shanghai with a touch of Italy, America, France and China

by sheep on September 15, 2016 with 1 Comment

Fifty km away from Shanghai, you will find a village called Zhujiajiao. Zhujiajiao is like Venice in Italy. It is a village on the outskirts of Shanghai, located in the Qingpu District and was established about 1,700 years ago. The population of Zhujiajiao is about 60,000. We took a taxi to this town but there are bus services as well. It is said that to visit Zhujiajaio without seeing the bridges means that you have not really been to Zhujiajiao at all! The bridges are distinctive and old, built during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The old town is connected by 36 delicate spans in different shapes and styles, from wooden to stone to marble. And don't miss the Fangsheng Bridge. It is the longest, largest and tallest stone bridge. We took a short boat tour through the small canals. It's a tourist trap but still nice to experience. The village contains a lot of small shops and tiny restaurants. If possible, avoid the weekends and Chinese holidays because than the village will be fully packed with tourists.

The day after our visit to Zhujiajiao we went to the flagship store of Dragon Fly Therapeutic Retreats in the French Concession district in Shanghai. You can relax with high quality, affordable but luxurious massages. First we tried to have a massage at the Peninsula but that was too expensive. A good alternative is the Dragon Fly. It is absolutely worth a visit but be aware that it is not cheap. Their treatments are excellent! Next to this great spa we had lunch at Al's Diner after our treatments. Al's is not really a Chinese hotspot but based on an American diner. The setting is great. There's a couple of tables outside where you can sit, relax and enjoy the French Concession street life. We wandered around in the French Concession and visited hip artistic small shops with fashion, bags, books and jewelry. It is a nice mix of eastern and western influences.

San Francisco, a boat tour, sea lions, at the fireplace, a photo booth & more

by sheep on September 8, 2016 with No Comments

After a long flight from Amsterdam to San Francisco we went to the harbor at Fishermans Warf. At Pier 43 we joined a fishing boat of the Lovely Martha company. Lovely Martha belongs to the Rescino family and has been offering boat charters since long before the Golden Gate Bridge was even built. For fifteen dollars each you can join a small one hour boat tour. You can bring your own drinks and snacks if you want. The skyline of SanFran from the water is an absolute eye-catcher. Lovely Martha is favorite for sightseeing on the bay and to have a glimpse of the bottom side of the landmark Golden Gate Bridge! When you are under the bridge you may make a wish. It's like a (iron) mistletoe experience ;-)! The host of our trip was a 'famous' rapper who made some soundtracks for the new movie 'What are the chances'. He showed us on his mobile phone. And the end of the trip when you're back in the harbor you will see the big ship: SS Jeremiah O'Brien. This ship is one of two remaining fully functional Liberty ships and launched during World War II. Moored at Pier 45, Fisherman's Wharf, she is a premier San Francisco attraction.

After our boat trip we saw the famous stinky Sea Lions at Pier 39. We had dinner next to the fire place at Wipeout Bar & Grill, located at the entrance of Pier 39. Very cozy despite it being a tourist trap neighbourhood. The tuna bowl was delicious and highly recommended!

The day after we had a relaxing program. A nice photo booth experience in a small shop next to the Banana Republic flagship store on Grant Avenue was a good start of the day. We had lunch at the famous Boudin, the home of the San Francisco original sourdough bread. The flagship location of Boudin is at Fishermans Warf where you can see how bakers make bread with a recipe they've nurtured since 1849. However we had lunch at their downtown location. At the end of the afternoon we went to the cinema and watched the chick flick Bad Moms. Cold sea fog came into the downtown area and it was time to have a nap after another great trip to Frisco!

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