Notting Hill Gone Hollywood

by Iva Skoch on

Thanks to Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, the entire world now knows where Notting Hill is. Not so sure it is that great for Notting Hill…

During my recent trip to London, I went to Notting Hill and could not believe the number of tourists and shops that cater to them. The truth is that nowadays, Hugh would not be able to casually stroll on Portobello Road contemplating his love life because he could simply not make his way through the wall of tourists.

Notting Hill is still one of London’s most fun, hip, colorful neighborhood although its cost is pushing the eclectic types out. Here is a virtual tour. Try to avoid going over the weekend, no matter what the guide books tell you. Sure, the weekend Portobello Road market is nice, but unless you enjoy pre-Christmas shopping crowds, you won’t enjoy this either.

Hitler Artwork for Sale

by Neil Woodburn on

In 1907 and again in 1908, an aspiring Austrian artist was rejected by the Academy of Art in Vienna. Had he actually been accepted, he probably would not have ventured down the road of politics, become chancellor of Germany, start World War II, initiate the Holocaust, alter the course of history and change the face Europe.

Unfortunately, Adolph Hitler simply wasn’t a good enough artist to be accepted by the Academy and the world was forever changed.

As is often the case with notoriety, Hitler’s alternate career path had the expected effect upon his artwork: it greatly increased its value. A small cache of recently discovered, poorly painted landscapes and sketches will be put up for auction in England later this month and are expected to bring approximately $6000 each.

If you happen to be in Cornwall, England, be sure to stop by and put in a bid. “Hey, isn’t that a Hitler!” will be the perfect icebreaker for the next party you throw.

Brick Lane: Best Indian Food Outside of Bangladesh

by Iva Skoch on

Contrary to popular belief, not all food in London is bad. Indian food is, in fact, excellent. The best way to sample it is to head over to Brick Lane, a street in the East Side of London, just steps away from Liverpool Street or Aldgate East tube stops.

Brick Lane (also known as Banglatown) is actually the center of the Bangladeshi community, nonetheless, this is where people go to satisfy their Indian food craving. It is one of the few things in London which won’t make you go broke in two hours. You can get a meal here for 5 GBP.

I come here every time I am in London and I try a different place every time. I went again this past Saturday night and was not disappointed. Remember that some of the restaurants have no liquor license, so you have to bring your own booze. Make sure to try the sweet, coconut nan. It complements the super-spicy vindaloo (or “vindy”) dishes very nicely.

London Airports Still Slow

by Iva Skoch on

Beware that London airport security is still very tight.

I was flying back from a weekend trip in London today and waited in line–or should I say “queue”–for almost 2 hours. (In a situation like this, one really appreciates the ability of the British to form lines and wait patiently). Flying into London was fine, but any flights from London are closely monitored.

In terms of the current security measures in the UK, people are now allowed to bring on one carry-on, but a very small one (e.g. one woman’s purse, computer bag or small backpack), definitely not the typical wheeled carry-on suitcase. I learned the hard way – they sent me back from security back to check-in, which meant…another line.

I saw a women cry because she really wanted to bring all her cosmetics on board, but the security personnel were less than understanding. They confiscated her perfume, her lipstick, her lip gloss and her hair gel. Which made me realize that this regulation could mean a lot more uglier, smellier, bad-hairdo women roaming around airports.

Thank goodness for those Duty Free shops! Now that travelers can’t really bring on board anything they buy there, at least they can use their make up samples for free. Too bad they don’t do the same with liquor.

This is the Life Contest

by Erik Olsen on

We mentioned a while back a pretty cool contest by the makers of Chivas Regal Scotch Whisky wherein they offered several lucky souls $100,000 and the opportunity to travel the world. The winners would globetrot and then send back their notes, photos and such on the various places they felt were the best in the world. The idea was to find “the best that life has to offer”. One assumes each leg of the journey involved quaffing Chivas…not that there’s anything wrong with that.

According to the listing at the time, said adventurers “must be curious, intelligent, with strong writing skills and a sense of the world around them”. If that doesn’t describe a gadling reader, I don’t know what does.

Well, the winners appear to be two people named Bill and Dana, and they offer their thoughts on these best places at the site here. So what are their findings? Well, here’s a sample to make you extra-special jealous: