From Scotland … With Love ...

Do you remember that scene in the movie, "The Queen," when Queen Elizabeth's (played beautifully by Helen Mirren) Range Rover broke down and she was sitting on the rocks waiting for someone to come. As she sat there, she turned to see the most glorious stag on the hillside, staring majestically at Her Majesty.

Helen Mirren, "The Queen"
Photo Courtesy of Zu Guide

For a moment, the two - woman and wild beast - were locked in powerful gazing embrace, when The Queen heard a stalking party in the distance. She whispered 'shoo' to the animal and turned away to see where the stalkers were, and when she turned back, the stag had disappeared as if he had never been there at all. It was one of the most emotional, foreshadowing moments in the movie, and an experience that many of us may likely never have.

But, in Scotland, you never know.  I was lucky enough to encounter a majestic stag on my very first trip to Scotland about a decade ago. It happened so fast that there are no photos except for the vivid memory etched in my mind. But first, how did I end up in Scotland? It had never really been on my radar …

Monarch Country ...

Ardverikie House played Glenbogle
on Monarch of the Glen.
Photo Courtesy of Laura Franz.

As a fan of the now-ended BBC program "Monarch of the Glen," I became enchanted by the beauty of the Scottish countryside. I already had planned an elaborate four-week adventure to London and the surrounding counties after an absence of quite a few years.

At the last minute, I decided to add four days in Scotland to visit 'Monarch Country.' When I changed my airline ticket to accommodate this, the agent told me that I would never regret adding these few days in this magical place. She was so right …

Now, those who read this blog, know I'm a big city girl, and while both Edinburgh (correctly pronounced as Edin-borough not Edin-burg) and Glasgow (correctly pronounced Glazz-go not Glass-gow) are amazingly beautiful cities - I skipped my urban hiking in favor of the Cairngorm Mountains of the Scottish Highlands, where most of The Monarch of the Glen was filmed. The entire Cairngorm area is a National Park, and in fact, the views are so breathtaking that they could turn me into a country hiker.

View of the Cairngorms
from Aviemore
Photo Courtesy of Cairngorm Images

Staying at a wonderful B&B just outside of Aviemore, I was treated quite royally, as I was the only guest in the house - it was December after all - and no matter where I went on my four days, I was often greeted in the same manner by shopkeepers and restaurateurs. The train service was my taxi, as I explored the many towns up and down the road from Aviemore.

My hosts at the B&B were delightful - he manufactured dentures and his wife was a Cordon Bleu chef who made traditional Scottish fare something extraordinary! Yes, I had haggis and I never knew that it could be so divine - but we'll save that for a food post!! Just know that some of the best food I've ever had while traveling was in Scotland! As well, I'm not a big fan of blended Scotch, however, my host gave me the most wonderful lesson in drinking Single Malt Scotch (SMS) and I have been a SMS fan ever since - what a treat!

Now, The Stag …

The first day I arrived in Scotland after traveling on a Caledonian sleeper overnight from London, it had turned frosty and wet following a weekend of 70+ degree balmy sunshine. As my hosts prepared my evening meal, they asked a long-time friend, Danny, who was visiting them to take me on a drive around the area. It was grey and overcast with a light drizzle and that same kind of fog that rolls along the ground that you'll see in London and my hometown, New Orleans. To say it looked like a scene out of a movie is an understatement.

Scotland's Red Deer
Photo Courtesy
Tamshee's Photography

The road was twisty and the views spectacular as we climbed higher up the mountain. As we came around a curve, there he was … a 12 point buck standing majestically in the middle of the road, the fog dancing around his legs like fairy dust.

He stood there staring us down - by now we had come to a complete stop - Danny and I were both so awe-struck we could barely talk. In the field to our left, sat an entire mob of deer, perhaps 100 or more -- all watching the big buck, who was obviously the 'leader of the pack.' Danny explained in a soft voice, that as it becomes colder, the stags and deer begin to come down from the higher elevations, and so it's possible to see some spectacular wildlife right in front of you, as we were witnessing at this moment.

The buck continued to stare us down. We stayed put. To our right was another open field only it was surrounded by what looked like a 10 foot fence.  We saw the buck look over at the open field and then back to the mob - he dipped his head once and then in a flash he turned and began to head straight for the fence. Almost from what seemed like a dead stop, he was up and over the fence in less than a breath. To our left, the entire mob, rose up in unison and proceeded to follow him. We sat there stunned - it was an amazing sight and so quiet - and an experience I remember as clearly as if it happened moments ago! (Yes, I have goosebumps just thinking of it again!)

I didn't see anything else quite so miraculous as this during the rest of my stay - but the one thing I can tell you is that if you have the chance to visit Scotland - whether to see its beautiful cities, to hike in the Highlands, to drive the byways of its quaint villages or to skip around its glorious islands - don't miss the opportunity. It has become one of my favorite places on earth and that's saying a lot for a girl who does most of her hiking in big cities!!

Glasgow from Queen's Park
Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia

Scotland is Magical …

As it so happens, my friend and colleague at Freedom Tours, Jennie Alwell spent seven glorious days this past Fall exploring amazing Scotland and got to experience a bit of her own Scottish magic. She is leading a tour there later this Spring - Scotland: A Magical Discovery.

Jennie will take you to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and The Highlands along with the most delightful Blue Badge guide she could find - yes, he's a charmer!!

Here's your chance to see a stag of your own, and if not, I promise you that you'll have no regrets - it is one of the most magical places you'll ever visit.

Thanksgiving Abroad!

For the past decade or so, I've celebrated Thanksgiving somewhere else in the world on more than a few occasions - Paris, London and Sydney.  Thankfully, there are large American populations in all these cities so it's not difficult to find a traditional meal and some camaraderie.

Although I'm home in Chicago this Thanksgiving, celebrating the holiday elsewhere has always lead me to beautiful spaces and places.  In 2010, my friend and colleague Rachel Piercey and I celebrated in Paris.  It was the coldest winter on record in Paris for more than 80 years and so being inside this day was especially important.

The Musee D'Orsay became our Thanksgiving home of choice and we spent almost the entire day there strolling through the various halls within the museum viewing collections of sculpture, paintings, photography, graphics, objets d'art and architecture.

We dined in the historic Restaurant, located on the first floor of what was once the Hotel D'Orsay, first opened in 1900.  It was incorporated into the museum when it was converted from railroad station to cultural icon in 1986. The building has a fascinating history - you can read about it here.

We were lucky enough to have a table right on the windows, where we could look out over the grounds surrounding the museum and across the Seine to the Place de la Concorde.  The day began quite overcast and yet we were treated to a golden view as we settled in to enjoy our very non-traditional Thanksgiving meal!

Today, I can hardly remember what we ate, and yet, there was room for dessert and so on this day of celebration and giving thanks, we indulged!!

OMG!! What a treat and decidedly not what one might expect to close out a Thanksgiving meal with - but scrumptious nonetheless!!

As you might expect, this was probably one of my most favorite Thanksgiving celebrations. I've had them in London and Sydney, and while I always manage to find fabulous food when I travel, it is this Thanksgiving in Paris that has etched its way in to my heart and soul.

It was a week where we celebrated Thanksgiving twice with nontraditional meals. Earlier in the week, we visited Jim Haynes at his Sunday night salon and celebrated Thanksgiving with a home cooked meal that was Spanish in origin.  It was a night of making good friends and finding others celebrating the holiday in an international setting - much like the first settlers who gave us this holiday. For them, America was an international setting and they were far from home!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone - wherever you are in the world - be thankful and enjoy!!!

PS: Here's David Lebovitz' wonderful Cranberry Sauce with Red Wine & Figs recipe.

On The Road … to London … Vicariously

It's a different 'on the road' story than usual.  I'm in downtown Alexandria, LA visiting with the team at Freedom Tours LLC this week, catching up on all the latest happenings.  While I've not been jet-setting around as usual this fall, they have been winging off to some of my favorite places and so I'm living vicariously through them as a way to connect my travel stories with their current experiences.

Today, we're going to London to enjoy some incredible food. Incredible food? In London? But, of course. Most folks think pub food - but think continental, think cutting edge, think nouveau cuisine - think back to the early to mid-90s and that's when you'll find the food scene changing in London.

Now, when people go to London, they find every imaginable world cuisine there is and Michelin stars abound. You've seen Gordon Ramsay's various TV shows and probably know his many restaurants so you know how much the London food scene has changed. It all began back in the early 90s, when chefs from the Continent began to invade London - many because they couldn't find places to cook, to dream, to experiment - France and Italy had long been the places turning out haute cuisine and young cutting-edge chefs. Market saturation drove many young chefs across the English Channel to London and beyond. Those of us who love London, and those who live in England and across Great Britain, have benefitted greatly as a result.

Scottish Lobster at
The Greenhouse
Photo Courtesy of
The Greenhouse Website

I remember my very first meal in London.  Having heard the stories of British food being bland and awful, I was not looking forward to this first meal. Growing up in a food family in New Orleans ensured that I would be highly critical. I lowered my expectation and proceeded to The Greenhouse in Mayfair for a late lunch with friends. OMG! What a treat - a beautiful vegetable tart, savory with a lovely custardy texture, followed by the most tender, melt in your mouth - and tasty - beef in a puff pastry and a dark chocolate mousse to die for … it was as good as anything I'd eaten in New Orleans's finest restaurants. A pleasant surprise and I raised my expectations for food options in London.

This new tradition of modern, contemporary cuisine continues today throughout London, and I'm happy to report that after 20 years of eating around the city, my expectations have always been met!! I've enjoyed wonderful meals in some of the best food in places you would never expect - like the Cellarium Cafe in Westminster Abbey or St. Martin in the Fields' Cafe in the Crypt, where I've enjoyed many a dinner before an evening of Jazz or a classical concert. I've stumbled into restaurants by simply following the aromas while passing by - Kazan on Wilton Road not far from Victoria Station - is one of those that I've gone back to a number of times because the food is fresh and amazing and the service is top-notch. For chocoholics - their Chocolate Pyramids are a trip to heaven!

Dim Sum at the Mango Tree
Photo Courtesy of Harrods Website

What makes the London food scene so fabulous is that you can find good food anywhere in the city these days and much of it is in places like Harrods, the Whole Foods on Kensington High Street and places that are easily accessible as you move through the city. I love the fact that most of the food is simple, yet layered with flavor to entice and surprise at every turn.

My travel colleague, Brenda White from Freedom Tours LLC has a completely different perspective. She recently returned from 10 days in London, walking the city from top to bottom, while enjoying a variety of foods - both traditional and modern. Enjoy her blogpost, 'On Holiday, As They Say!' and experience another side of 'foodie London' for yourself!

Wouldn't It Be Loverly ...

It seems that I write about Paris most of the time when I post. But, it was London that first won my traveler's heart. Just before I turned eight, I was treated to my first trip to Chicago with my Aunt Rose, my godmother and a kindergarden teacher, with whom I always traveled during my childhood. She above all is most responsible for my love of and passion for travel.

Photo Courtesy Paramount/CBS

It was on this trip that London became alive for me as I sat in a darkened theater in Chicago's Loop and watched, 'My Fair Lady' - a wide-eyed child on her first travel adventure. A year later, my idol, Audrey Hepburn, created Eliza Doolittle on the screen, and I would fall in love once again with the glamour, pomp and circumstance of London. 

It would be more than 30 years later that my own feet would walk the lanes and boroughs brought to life for me by Eliza Doolittle. Now, there is never a time that I visit London that doesn't include what is my personal 'My Fair Lady' stroll through London Town. During my 2001 London trip, I was fortunate enough to catch an exquisite revival of 'My Fair Lady' with Jonathan Pryce as Higgins and Martine McCutcheon as Eliza, and it once again cemented my love for this most enchanting city.

We forget how often movies and television inspire our deepest feelings and evoke a spirit of adventure in all of us. How many times have we seen a film or program and wondered what it might be like to live in another time period, a foreign city or a completely different life? 

Travel, like movies, gives us a glimpse into another world, and often, let's us have a taste of the past, the present and the future all at the same time.

Traveling to the Movies ...

So are you ready to take a trip of a lifetime to the movies? 

Are you ready to walk in the footsteps of 'Downton Abbey's' Lady Mary Crawley or Lord Grantham at

Highclere Castle, Newbury

Highclere Castle in Newbury? Or stroll though the Versailles-like gardens of Boughton House, Northamptonshire, which represented its French counterpart in Les Miserables? Perhaps you'd prefer to follow 'Alice In Wonderland's' White Rabbit or revel in the wizardry of 'Harry Potter' at Christ Church, Oxford? 

Does the sleuth in you cry out for the clues so craftily laid out by Agatha Christie or deduced by Sherlock Holmes at Hatfield House, Hatfield? Or shall you look through Hatfield House in search of Colin Firth ready to make 'The King's Speech'? 

And if these are not enough to remind you how film and video help to create our world, step back in time to watch the investitures of kings and queens at Buckingham Palace - think 'Young Victoria', the first British monarch to reign from this magnificent palace. Watch the British monarchy break with Rome at Westminster Abbey - think 'Anne of A Thousand Days' or 'A

Boughton House, Northamptonshire

Man for All Seasons'. And finally, these same historical characters and many others were imprisoned and executed in various ways at the Tower of London.

Yes, London and the countryside that surrounds this magnificent city has long been the 'set' for some of the greatest films and television series of the past century. And, while you can enjoy some of these places on your own, there's nothing like having a knowledgeable British guide to lead you on a behind the scenes tour of all these real life movie 'sets' on England: A Tour of British Movie Production Sites, hosted by Freedom Tours LLC.

As many of you know, in addition to my consulting and coaching business, I work as a travel architect with my 'travel partner in crime' - Annie Collins at Freedom Tours now based in Alexandria, Louisiana.    By doing this, I am able to indulge my own passion for travel, while sharing my travel experience with others to help fan the flame of their wanderlust. 

I am thrilled to see this new travel adventure that has been added to the roster of hand-tailored travel adventures FT is offering. I've been lucky enough to spend so much time in the last almost 20 years in and around London and Scotland. 

Cairngorms, near Aviemore Scotland

There's nothing like the English countryside in the summer and Scotland is breathtaking anytime of the year. Scotland had never been on my radar until I became a big fan of the BBC series, 'Monarch of the Glen'. On one of my trips to London, I took four days and visited 'Monarch country' in the heart of the Cairngorms mountain range. Those four days are among my most memorable in all my years of travel - but that's another post. 

I love movies because they have taken me places that I'm not always able to go. But, even more important, they have encouraged me to explore my independent travel spirit in ways that I might not have imagined on my own. 

I hope that some of you will think about joining FT on what promises to be a delightful jaunt through the English countryside with some of your favorite movie characters, and maybe, even me as your FT guide. Wouldn't it be loverly??

Seeing Red ...

Red is always a hot fashion color no matter where you are in the world, and depending on which culture you're enjoying, red also has many meanings and provides a great deal of symbolism. But, the red I'm talking about can only be seen in just a few places in the world - mostly Europe and South America. Yes, I am talking about the beautiful and gentle red clay tennis courts that dot major cities on these two continents and for about an eight week period become the stage for a different kind of gladiator.

If you're heading to Europe, and you happen to be a huge tennis fan like me, then you already know where all the great tournaments are. But for those who are not die-hard fans and want to see a bit of sport as they wander across the European continent - taking in a pro tennis tournament right now might be one of the highlights of your trip.

Roger Federer at French Open 2009
Courtesy of guardian.co.uk

The Spring Clay Court season is just underway for both the men's and the women's tour beginning this week in Monte Carlo and culminating at the end of May with the French Open in Paris. In between, you can see tournaments in Rome, Madrid, Valencia, Bucharest, Nice, Munich, Barcelona and Dusseldorf; women's tournaments are also held in Brussels, Stuttgart and Strasbourg. For dates and locations, click on the drop down menus on the home page of the ATP World Tour website.

In many cases, you can pick up tickets at the gate, especially for the smaller city tournaments. But, if you want to visit The French Open or the Masters 1000 tournaments in Rome, Madrid and Monte Carlo, buy your tickets online beforehand. Monte Carlo is going on this week with three of the 'Big 4" in play this week - Djokovic, Nadal and Murray.  My favorite, Roger Federer won't rejoin his colleagues until Madrid, starting the first week in May.

If you're lucky enough to be there during the French Open, you will likely only be able to get general admission tickets but there's plenty to see the first week and though the middle weekend. Oh, and did I mention that besides great tennis, the French Open offers some of the most delicious 'stadium food' in the world? Be sure to get a burger and frites - you'll never feel the same way about a good ol' burger and fries again.

Take advantage of this while you can, as in June the players move to grass courts for a very short season that ends with Wimbledon. You can also see a grass court tournament in the US - at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, RI, which begins on Wednesday, July 8th, following The Championships. From this point on, the players will be in the US for our hard court season that culminates with the US Open in late August/early September.  I'll be enjoying the 'Big 4' in Cincinnati as usual.

There you have it - enjoy Spring and be sure to see some red, while you're at it!

PS: There are plenty of public and private club clay courts throughout Europe available for play - why not check out the red clay up close? Just remember to slide!

For Those Without Facebook Access ...

In this world so filled with technology, it's hard to imagine that some folks aren't on Facebook, but yes it's true not everyone is there. So for those folks who have tried to view the posts I did on FB, here's a repeat.

From Saturday, 20 October 2012

There's nothing like finding a brief respite in Paris when it's been raining all day long.  The skies have been cloudy and grey today, but after braving the crowd of rue Cler and rue du Bac, I wandered over to my favorite place in Paris for a spot of lunch and some peace: the garden of the Musee' Rodin, not far from the apartment I'm staying in this trip.

Musee' Rodin Gardens

Even in the rain - the gardens are beautiful, and to sit in the cafe, enjoy some warm fresh made soup and salad and gaze across the gardens - to me it is heaven on earth. Once I've done this - Paris at last begins to feel like home to me.

Strolling through the gardens after a pleasant meal and taking time to think like Le Penseur (The Thinker) and view some of Rodin's most exquisite sculptures that dot the garden - there's just nothing else like it. The next time you are in Paris - for just one Euro, you can enjoy this amazing escape from the hustle-bustle that is often Paris!

Walking down
rue St. Dominique, 7e

From Facebook, 20 October 2012

Here's the view down my street as I walk toward the apartment from the Musee' Rodin - you can see what a grey and rainy day it is - but La Tour Eiffel is managing just fine!  Me, too!

What The Well-Dressed Woman Is Wearing In Paris ...

Just about anything. As is common knowledge, Parisian/French women seem to have that "je ne sais quoi" when it comes to dressing. Even their most casual, stay-at-home outfit looks like they just stepped off the runway at Paris Fashion Week. In Paris, one must try hard to out-do the chic, one-of-a-kind look that most French women are able to produce with just a this and a that.

On one of my daily excursions around the city, I was walking down the rue St Honore and was stopped in my tracks by a woman walking towards me. No, she was not some tall, sleek fashion-model type, and not stunningly beautiful, but her outfit was so perfectly eclectic and stylish that it was clear that she knew exactly what to wear to enhance her natural beauty.

With medium auburn hair, straight as a board, she wore mustard-colored pants, pleated at the waist to float over her ample waist and hips, but very narrow at the ankle - giving her a stunning V-shape. She capped these off with a one inch blood red leather belt.

A beautiful loose fitting cream-colored silk shirt combined with a jacket that matched the red belt to a tee framed her upper body. This, of course, was set off by a scarf in matching colors with a bit of black thrown in to enhance the brightness of the colors. She carried a gorgeous black handbag with matching black leather gloves and wore tortoise shell sunglasses, almost the same shade as her hair.

But, the 'piece de resistance' of the entire outfit were her shoes - and these are what made me almost stumble over my own feet staring - her shoes were a shade of muted kelly green, slender pointed toes and a small kitten heel. WOW! So unexpected - but what a look and it suited her so perfectly. Now, mind you, this woman was pretty hefty with serious hips and probably no more than about 5' 5" tall but together the whole outfit looked like a page from Vogue.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to capture a photo of this woman - it all happened in the blink of an eye as two people pass on the street - but her image stuck with me and reminded me how easy it is to add that 'signature' item to make a plain outfit into something spectacular, literally in the blink of an eye.

On the street ...
Photo from
 Style Snooper Dan blog

Now, what is everyone else wearing in Paris? Dare I say it -- skinny jean/pants/tights. It doesn't matter whether you're young, old, tall, short, skinny or have Marilyn Monroe hips (yes, I do these days!) - the skinny pant-look, coupled with boots of any height and any level of heel are it. I saw this in London, too, but no one puts it together quite like the French.

They are so clever, that they have even created a boot sock for calf-high boots that has a little bow at the top with streamers that spill over the top of the boot, adding a playful touch to the whole look. I saw these mostly on 20-somethings but who thinks of these things besides the French???

For those days, when boots aren't a necessity, you'll see ballet flats and heeled pumps of any height, platform or not, round or pointy toes - it's your choice.

They top the skinny pants off with just about any length or type of shirt/top -- from sweaters to tunics, and silk peasant shirts and of course, the ubiquitous scarf, tied dramatically with such flare that even Picasso would be impressed. Finally, they're completing the whole outfit off with divine coats in wool or leather, solids and prints -- usually a three-quarter or bracelet cuff length, and if the weather calls for it, gloves and hats.

In Le Marais

Now, while I'm talking fashion - be on the lookout for The Kooples. Yes, it's about couples/duo/deux, which is a predominant theme in Paris, as noted in one of my earlier posts.

The Kooples are everywhere throughout the city, and they're landing in the US shortly, if they're not already here. This trendy store offers the latest looks and pictures everything in 'couples' settings.

What I also found refreshing in my window-shopping and city strolling is that much of the clothing in Paris and London is still made from real materials - silk, wool, cotton, linen, leather, etc.  While you can certainly find plenty of man-made fabric fashions in Paris and London, it was nice to see beautiful, well-made clothes constructed in fabrics that for most Americans are only memories from their childhoods. The prices run the gamut from top to bottom but it's not impossible to find something reasonably price to add to your wardrobe.

So there you have it - if you're headed to Paris or pretty much anywhere in the UK or Continental Europe, you now know exactly what to wear to be right in step and in style as a well-dressed woman of the world. If skinny pants are not your thing - let me make a final suggestion - bring lots of beautiful, colorful scarves and wear black everywhere! A bientot!