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January is all about time at house working — which implies February is about getting again into it once more! This month, I headed out to London and Paris, plus a little bit aspect journey to the spa city of Mariánské Lázně within the Czech Republic.

Let’s have a look!

Locations Visited

• Prague and Mariánské Lázně, Czech Republic
• London, England
• Paris, France

Highlights

A return to journey exhibits in London. This 12 months I made a decision to attend IMM UK for the primary time — a velocity networking occasion for journey media professionals and journey manufacturers. I was a daily at IMM USA in New York annually, so figured it could be good to attempt the UK model.

Full honesty — whereas I made some good connections on the occasion, I wouldn’t prioritize this one as a content material creator. I discovered the London model to be rather more conventional media-oriented than the IMM occasions in New York and Berlin; I acquired startlingly few appointments and a whole lot of the individuals there had no clue about blogs or social media. In 2024.

The occasion was proper throughout the road from Westminster Abbey (which I visited for the primary time since I used to be a youngster!) with views of Huge Ben, the London Eye, and the Shard, which was good.

And Charlie and I had a good time for these 4 days in London. We had a belated Christmas brunch together with his household at a pub; we had nice meals at Hunan (18-course Chinese language!) and Dishoom (superior Indian); we noticed Arsenal’s girls’s crew play Manchester United at Emirates Stadium (SO AWESOME that girls’s sports activities are taking off a lot within the UK!).

And I lastly acquired to introduce Charlie to my buddy Chris, whom longtime readers will keep in mind as one among my all-time favourite journey buddies from my Southeast Asia backpacking days. And guess what…THEY WENT TO THE SAME HIGH SCHOOL. Who knew?!

A beautiful few days in Paris. I booked myself two days in Paris and it rained torrentially almost the complete time, however I did get to do a bunch of recent issues: I visited the Musée des Arts Forains, a magical fantasia of a museum filled with old-timey carnival points of interest; I visited the Rothko exhibition on the Fondation Louis Vuitton within the Bois de Boulogne; I had the last word ham sandwich at Caractère de Cochon; I had a spa day at O’Kari, a women-only hammam within the 2nd.

I additionally acquired to spend time with my Parisian buds Roobens and Anubha, and I had a wonderful meal on the Ashkenazi restaurant Boubalé — extremely really useful, particularly in the event you love wildly embellished eating places!

Oh, and I did a bunch of trend reconnaissance in each London and Paris, making an attempt on my beloved European manufacturers that don’t have shops in Prague. Suppose Moynat, Fauré le Web page, The Kooples, Soeur, Polène. I ended up shopping for a Sézane Chlo shirt in navy and an Isabel Marant Lecce belt in black.

A beautiful introduction to Mariánské Lázně. This is without doubt one of the UNESCO World Heritage-Listed Nice Spa Cities of Europe, and Charlie and I went for an in a single day proper after I acquired again from Paris.

Actually, we didn’t get to discover it to the fullest as a result of I went from “feeling a bit off” to “coughing violently and never sleeping a wink all evening” inside about 18 hours, so we left early. However what we did get to expertise — the beautiful city, the resort’s non-public spa, and a few good eating places — was great!

I believe Karlovy Differ is the higher spa city to go to as a traveler, however Mariánské Lázně is rather more low-key and native (that means Czech and German, because it’s near the border), in addition to cheaper. We will probably be again for positive.

Good Czech enjoyable. Charlie and I celebrated Valentine’s Day at Yamato, our favourite Japanese restaurant in Prague; we lastly tried out the buzzy pizza place Da Pietro; and we did a staycation at Buddha Bar one evening.

Challenges

I acquired sick. One of many individuals with whom I met at IMM UK was coughing and sniffling in all places, and naturally not carrying a masks — which led to me getting sicker than I’ve been in years. Sicker than I used to be throughout Covid.

Simply put on a masks in the event you’re sick. Please. Don’t go to a networking occasion and cough into individuals’s faces all day.

We have been so pleased with our resort…till actuality set in. Charlie and I keep in numerous components of London on our visits, so this time we selected a spot handy to my occasion: an apartment-style resort close to Mansion Home station, in a neighborhood known as Metropolis of London.

It appeared superb at first. We even acquired upgraded to a one-bedroom house, which may be the most important room I’ve ever stayed in London. We went to mattress round midnight.

After which at 5:00 AM…the trains started. Sure, this resort was actually proper on a prepare line, and we heard and felt each single prepare. It was like we have been sleeping within the station. Did earplugs assist? No, they didn’t!

And that wasn’t all! A Thai restaurant subsequent door had an emergency and began doing extraordinarily loud development from 10 PM till midnight, and we saved telling the entrance desk, and so they saved saying, “There’s nothing we are able to do, it’s one other constructing.”

Um…there’s something you are able to do. The equal of calling 311 in New York is looking the native council in London. We confirmed them how one can do it. They nonetheless wouldn’t do it. COME ON.

New Posts of the Month

Let’s simply run ’em down:

E book Membership This Month

Our subsequent e-book membership will happen on Sunday, April 7, at 1:00 PM Japanese Time.Sure, I do know that’s a very long time from now, and I apologize for that — I actually have a dedication each Sunday till then (besides Easter Sunday, which I’m not touching).

We will probably be studying Nervous Situations by Zimbabwean creator Tsitsi Dangarembga.

“The groundbreaking first novel in Tsitsi Dangarembga’s award-winning trilogy, Nervous Situations, gained the Commonwealth Writers Prize and has been ‘hailed as one of many twentieth century’s most vital works of African literature’ (The New York Occasions).

Twenty years earlier than Zimbabwe would win independence and ended white minority rule, thirteen-year-old Tambudzai Sigauke embarks on her schooling. On her shoulders relaxation the financial hopes of her dad and mom, siblings, and prolonged household, and inside her burns the need for independence.

She yearns to be freed from the constraints of her rural village and thinks she’s discovered her manner out when her rich uncle gives to sponsor her education. However she quickly learns that the schooling she receives at his mission faculty comes with a worth.”

You possibly can enroll right here. Hope to see you there!

What I Watched This Month

Properly, I completed watching For All Mankind and I’m now ready with bated breath for them to announce the fifth season, already! Which supposedly takes place in 2012!

I’m making an attempt to work my manner by means of the Oscar motion pictures within the lead-up to the awards ceremony, and I particularly beloved American Fiction, The Holdovers, and Anatomy of a Fall. I at all times love motion pictures which are about “actual” individuals and their lives and relationships, not something tremendous extraordinary or supernatural, and these all match that invoice.

Except for that — I didn’t actually learn or take heed to something this month (!), so hopefully extra on these subsequent month.

Coming Up in March 2024

As I write this put up, I’m on the prepare from Prague to Berlin (and griping in regards to the lack of first rate sign as quickly as you go Dresden). I’m off to attend ITB Berlin, the most important journey commerce present on the earth, and IMM Germany, a day of velocity networking.

Later within the month, I’m heading to Italy! First I’m going to Florence, the town the place I studied overseas 20 years in the past this 12 months (YIKES!!!). For years I’ve been that means to return to Florence and do much more analysis and pictures so I can write some first rate guides.

That is lastly the fitting time, thanks partially to it being the quietest time of 12 months (the one bearable time of 12 months if you wish to go to plenty of museums, to be sincere). I’ll even be dropping into just a few Tuscan cities — Pisa, Lucca, and Siena, all of which I’ve visited earlier than, and San Gimignano for the primary time ever!

After that, I take the prepare all the way down to Rome, the place I’ll be assembly Charlie to rejoice his birthday. We’ve some BIG plans in Rome, together with one exercise so thrilling I don’t need to write about it till it occurs.

I’ve not been in Rome since 2006. Sure, 2006. Pre-blog. I’ve acquired a whole lot of catching as much as do, and I’ve a loooong checklist of issues to do, pictures to take, and particularly PASTAS TO EAT!

Lastly, I must work in my new vacation spot within the Czech Republic for March. With not a whole lot of time to spare this month, it’s going to in all probability be a day journey. I believe it’d lastly be time to go to the focus camp, Terezín. A troublesome however crucial go to.

What are your plans for March? Share away!

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