Festival Sud de France: bringing Setois joie de vivre to London

Published on Yahoo Lifestyle UK & Ireland on 22nd August 2013:

When we think of the South of France, we immediately picture the shimmering blue of the Côte d’Azur. Its perfect coastline and gastronomic offerings are certainly hard to forget.

But while the French Riviera throws up some tasty treats, don’t forget to look west towards the Étang de Thau. There, protruding on the coast, is the commune of Sète, a place that’s nourished by the Étang (lagoon) on one side and the Mediterranean sea on the other.

What Sète has to offer

In Sète, life is slow. There are plenty of Parisiens who move to the area in search of a certain joie de vivre – sunny days by the beach combined with good food and great wines.

Read more at Yahoo!

Uppity eating: 10 London eateries with bird’s-eye views

Published on CNN on 4th June 2013:

The opening of the first restaurant in the Shard, the tallest building in the European Union as of early this year, has upped the ante in the London altitude dining stakes.

One company, Dinner in the Sky, takes the concept to perhaps its ultimate conclusion: guests are strapped into their seats around a table and hoisted 100 feet into the air by crane.

There chefs prepare a meal for them in situ from a central kitchen area.

But you needn’t risk spilling your aperitif onto gawkers below to enjoy elevated eating in the British capital. There are plenty of more comfortable indoor options.

Beginning with the Oblix at the Shard, we take the measure of 10 of the best — and most thrilling — uppity eateries in London.

Read more at CNN

Margaret Thatcher museum: Good way to spend $23 million?

Published on CNN on 16th April 2013:

Love or hate her, Margaret Thatcher, who recently passed away at the age of 87, certainly draws a crowd.

One of her legacies, a pressure group she set up in 1991, hopes she’ll continue to do so well after her death.

Conservative Way Forward has unveiled plans for a Margaret Thatcher library and museum that will feature her signature blue Aquascutum suits and handbags, as well as a number of donated and loaned items.

Read more at CNN

London’s dash to ‘toilet restaurants’

Published on CNN on 15th April 2013:

Also published on CNN Espanol on 24th April 2013

When the first toilet-themed restaurant, Modern Toilet, opened in Taipei in 2004, public reaction was mixed.

Was it weird, funny or just plain unsavory?

Whatever the answer, the concept’s popularity quickly became obvious — the chain now has successful franchises across Asia.

London, however, has put a new spin on the business.

Read more at CNN

Olympic love continues with new London exhibit

Published on CNN on 9th April 2013:

Which event from the London Summer Olympic Games resonates most powerfully in your memory:

The Queen’s appearance in the Danny Boyle-produced opening extravaganza?

Usain Bolt’s record dash in the Olympic 100 meters?

Brunei, Qatar and Saudi Arabia including female athletes on their teams for the first time?

The baffling, cycloptic visages of Olympic and Paralympic mascots Wenlock and Mandeville?

Whatever your memories of last summer’s Games, you may find them in the Museum of London’s new exhibition, “Opening the Olympics.”

Read more at CNN