ENGLISH MUM

I’ve noticed that I’ve been a bit remiss with the cocktails of late.  And well, you know me, it’s not because I’ve not been DRINKING them, oh no, it’s just because I usually drink too many and then forget to take a photo! The perfect Bloody Mary This particular Bloody Mary (left) was served to my friend Laura and I at the Cassis American Brassierie in St Pete’s, Florida. It...

One of the best things about cruising is the sheer variety of activities offered by this sort of holiday.  As well as enjoying all the amenities a massive ship like the Liberty of the Seas has to offer (theatre shows, water-based fun like the FlowRider, ice spectaculars, fine dining, parades, a casino, climbing wall – I could go on), there is the added bonus of stopping off in different places (indeed,...

If you’re a food lover, eating and drinking are naturally a huge part of deciding where to go on holiday.  I, myself was persuaded into staying in a massive half board hotel in Gran Canaria (something I wouldn’t normally do) by my Dad’s stories of epic Torres wine and amazing seafood restaurants along the coast in Maspalomas. I wasn’t disappointed. On a Royal Caribbean holiday, the food...

So when I was in Jamaica on our Royal Caribbean cruise (I’m never going to tire of saying that), we spent a fabulous day riding horses around old plantation land and – amazingly – into the sea.  After we’d dismounted (walking, it must be said, a bit like we’d soiled ourselves), we were served amazing spicy Jamaican jerk chicken, with rice and beans.  Delicious. The real thing:...

The ladies chillin’ on deck with a cocktail As we got near Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale (in a massive coach which was laid on for all – wait for it – seven of us), we caught our first glimpses of the ship, rising up between cranes and tall buildings.  It’s MASSIVE.  We couldn’t quite believe we were going to be on there.  And there were all sorts of worries too: will we be...

I recently made a promise to myself that I would stop taking pictures of food in restaurants.  My husband hates it (especially when I slap his hand away from his plate) and I’ve lost count of the times my friends have sighed as I snap away at their plates, trying to get the best angle by practically sitting in their laps.  Annoying, much? But it’s SO hard.  I did, for example, break my rule for...

I had such a lovely flight to Gran Canaria.  It wasn’t particularly the plane (with Thomson now launching their new 787 Dreamliners – they start flights to Mexico and Florida in May next year – I wonder if this will free up some newer planes to replace the clunky old Boeing 757-200s that are still...

Back, then, from our wonderful weekend, we’ve had time to reflect upon Guernsey, and what it can offer the traveller – be they family, couple, group or solo. The first thing that struck us both, having enjoyed each other’s company, sans children, for the first time in a good few years, is that it’s a wonderful place for a weekend getaway.  But then, it’s good for everyone.  Before I explain why,...

If you’ve ever bought a copy of Jamie magazine, you’ll probably be familiar with editor, Andy Harris.  Already a fan, I was looking forward to receiving this book, not only because I love Andy’s work, but also as my own experiences of Moroccan food have been somewhat mixed: although I adored the tagines, fragrant pastries and couscous salads, I was less of a fan of the weirdly gelatinous calves’...

Sunvil are a lovely travel company who have over 40 years’ experience and an amazing amount of expertise on all aspects of the Greek islands. They’re passionate about their destinations: their people, their culture and, of course, their food, so they’ve decided to start posting a recipe every month on their website to celebrate the wonderful food of the area.  Baklava hails originally from...

After a restful night at the gorgeous retro Helmsley, we set off early towards the east and the Space Coast.  Arriving a little late, we had to nip in the back at our scheduled lunch with an astronaut.  If you’re visiting, don’t miss this amazing experience.  To be accurate, it’s not like an intimate lunch, it’s more a big, full restaurant, one person talking at the front kind of...

Today is a great day for my buddies at Gatwick Airport and the lovely Jamie Oliver.  Today sees the opening of Jamie’s brand new restaurant at the North Terminal, as well as a new Jamie’s Italian Bakery and a Union Jack’s Bar. The restaurant is a mahoosive version of Jamie’s other Italian restaurants, the largest at the airport, with really nice open (well, glass fronted) kitchens,...

Siam Park First stop on our journey around the biggest attractions in Tenerife was the beautiful Siam Park.  This Thai-inspired water park, situated at the south end of the island, was opened by Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand (yes, really) over two years ago and features every single sort of watery entertainment you can imagine: from the Tower of Power, which whooshes you down 28 meters of near...

Next stop on our whirlwind tour of Florida was Clearwater. Driving across the Frankland Bridge from Tampa, we were all struck dumb by the beautiful turquoise water, with the fabulous waterfront homes gleaming on the shores. Our first stop was Clearwater Marine Aquarium, home of ‘Winter’, the dolphin made famous by ‘Dolphin Tale’, the movie. The poor creature got caught in a crab line...

I have so much to tell you about our trip.  This means that it’s probably best to break it into several sections to prevent you falling asleep at your laptop and waking up with little keyboard-shaped indentations in your forehead. First stop, then, was the fabulous Virgin V Room at London Gatwick Airport.  I met up with a couple of my fellow travellers, Kash from Budget Traveller and Victoria, otherwise...

I’ve written before about the fact that as a nation we’re not massive turkey eaters. Christmas, yes, but the rest of the year? I’ll be honest, when I was given this challenge and popped to the shop, I was surprised to find packs of turkey breast there on the shelves – right next to the chicken. Have you ever seen them? Thought not. So anyhoo, the lovely chaps at Lean on Turkey, supporting...

Moving on from gunrunning and rude nightmares, then.  We finally made it onto the plane and were delighted to find that Thomson Holidays’ new pre-flight safety video was being shown.  If you haven’t seen it yet, check this out: Isn’t that just the cutest darned thing?  I love the little wiggle when pulling down on the life jacket toggle. This isn’t a sponsored post or anything, but...

So blimey, what a weekend!  I hardly know where to begin.  Brace yourself, this could be a bit of a big one (as the actress said to the bishop).  A little while ago, the Hubby and I were invited to Paris for the launch of Disney’s New Generation Festival.  Basically, Disney are introducing their newest generation of characters, from Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen from The Princess and The Frog,...

Okly dokly then.  Back to Disney, where day 3 dawned bright and sparkly and found us tootling off to the Disney Boardwalk to have al-fresco breakfast at Spoodles.  Rather lush Mediterranean fare can be found at this friendly establishment (hearing me chortling about hidden Mickeys, the staff very kindly presented me with my very own blue Mickey pin – I was choked, I can tell you).  We were presented...

So I thought rather than bore you to death with one big huge enormous Walt Disney World post, I’d break it down for you into more manageable bits (I’m good like that).  Today, then, is part one of the reason that I came back from Disney looking 6 months pregnant (no, don’t get excited, Mum).  I suppose a common preconception about visiting Disney (maybe even America in general) is that...