Garden Beauties and a Life Update

You'll never guess where I'm writing this.  Well, actually you probably will.  I'm in Texas!  I was supposed to fly home on August 8th and stay for three weeks.  But as the birth of my first grand baby approached, the possibility of not being here for the birth took over my thoughts.  All signs point to this baby coming early and I had to get here.

Palm Royale Soma Bay Egypt

When we were planning our trip to Egypt we decided on the resort of Hurghada rather than the more popular Sharm el Sheikh.  The beach resort we selected was the Five Star Palm Royale Soma Bay, the home of Casanova. The reviews on TripAdvisor were overall pretty positive and I found them to also be pretty accurate. 

Afternoon Tea & Sightseeing with Thistle London

Last year I wrote about an amazing date night that Matt and I had here in London that included a stay at the Thistle Marble Arch.  It's a favorite London hotel and I particularly loved the complimentary lounge.   Nibbles and bubbles just for me?  Yes, please.  

This summer Thistle Hotels invited me to join them for again for a special treat. 

Victoria & Albert Museum

When I first got my new Nikon I decided to take it to the V& A Museum for a little practice run.  The V&A is one of the first museums that I visited in London and one of my favorites.  I also love that you can take photographs.

Casanova the Camel

I'm currently editing the photos from our week in Egypt.  It was one of our top three trips and I can't wait to tell you more.  

I'll start by introducing you to the handsome Casanova who resides at the Palm Royale Soma Bay in Hurghada.  This was our home base for our trip and it was a great choice.

A French Dinner Party - Le Garrick

About a month ago, my friends Charles and Dominika invited me to the southwest region of France for a dinner party.  A large group of us gathered around the family table as dish after dish of rustic, authentic French food was put before us.  Charles explained that we had his wonderful mother to thank for these flavors and combinations.   She's taught him everything he knows about French cuisine and that special French way of celebrating food and life. Each ingredient had a story, every dish more special than the last.  The wine flowed and the hours passed in that intimate and charming way than can only happen around a dinner table.