Although the odds on tourists meeting up with royalty while visiting London, UK for a few days are slim, just knowing that they’re are there … real, live princesses, princes, Lords and Ladies, and even a Queen! … can cast a spell of magic over the city for any little girl.

• Dressing up: The Victoria and Albert Museum

Where better to begin a London visit with a little girl than the Victoria and Albert Museum, the V&A to locals, on Cromwell Road in South Kensington where princess kit from Christening Gowns to Wedding Dresses can be seen and studied for future dream material?

The V&A’s permanent collection highlights fashion from the 1600s through today, and offers up the ever-vital accessories – jewels, gloves, belts and bags — that are de rigueur. Special exhibits offer even more, like one opening in May of 2008 on wedding dresses that will include the one worn by Princess Diana when she walked down the aisle of St. Paul’s.

If toys and such are more of a draw than royal clothing, the V&A also has their Museum of Childhood that includes the fabulous doll collection with more than 8,000 representatives of a little girl’s best friend from over the ages.

From the dolls, you can move to doll houses, as the V&A has the largest public collection in Britain. The Nuremberg House, build in 1673, is considered one of the Victoria & Albert’s most valuable treasures and is a sight to behold.

Many of the doll houses once belonged to real princesses, so today’s girls can let their imaginations wander down the same tiny hallways royal children’s did more than 100 years ago.

• If wishes were horses: The Royal Mews

Believe it or not … and if you were or have a little girl you know this already … there is no shortage of little girls that would gladly give up all dreams of “Princess-hood” if they thought they could get a horse out of the deal.

Yes, girls and horses go together like horse-and-carriage, and you can spend a good part of a wonderful day taking a look at both at the Royal Mews.

Just around the corner from Buckingham Palace’s front door, the Mews house the Queen’s horses and the carriages they pull. It is a working stable and an official department of the Royal Household, so a dynamic place in action, as well as an education in equines and royal protocol.

Not only fragrantly horsy, the grand is also on display with the Gold State Coach used during the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and other horse-draw conveyances and motor cars used in affairs of state, coronations and royal weddings.

The horses themselves are all beautiful specimens of animal flesh, the best of the best of the British breeds of horses. The Cleveland Bays and Windsor greys are not always on view, as they do travel and are sometimes rested outside of London, so asking and booking in advance are both good idea.

Bookings and inquiries can be made by phoning: (+44) (0)20 7766 7302.

• Let’s fly!: Kensington Gardens and Peter Pan

Children can take only so much standing around and absorbing, even when what they are absorbing is as wonderful as princess dresses and horses, so when it’s time to get the wiggles out with some outdoor wiggle removal you might be happy to take your little girl in hand and head for Kensington Gardens where she can not only run around, but perhaps even fly!

Not only are the gardens in the same neighborhood as Kensington Palace, a princess residence when Diana was Princess of Wales and home to others holding the titles for hundreds of years, it is also near the place Peter Pan first eavesdropped on Wendy Darling as she told his story to her brothers.

Pixie dust may still blow through Kensington Gardens near the statue of Peter Pan, and little girls will forever feel the urge to take that perpetual boy to heart, then fly off for a while to Neverland.

You can download the eBook “Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens” by JM Barrie at to add to the magic of the place. There is no charge for the download.

• Glitz, glamor and more princess stuff: Madam Tussauds

Recharged and ready for more, your little girl might be hankering for something a little more hip, a bit more trendy, more “today”, than all this history … princess history or not … she’s been steeping in.

If that’s the case, it’s time to head for Madam Tussauds. There will be princesses there, too … or replicas of princesses … but you are also likely to encounter Spice Girls, supermodels and movie stars.

If there’s a bit of the ghoul in your girl, and she’s over the age of twelve years, The Chamber Live might be enough to turn a few princess dreams to monster nightmares, and there’s no shortage of the grim and grimy if you are looking forward to experiencing some gooseflesh and feel a trip to London just can’t be complete without at least one case of the willies.

You can book ahead on line at the following link:

• Kitting out your Princess: Harrods (Where else?)

By now, you and your little girl have experienced princesses from their baby clothes to their wedding dresses to their horses and neighborhoods, you have seen them in wax and the wax on the vehicles that carted them around.

What can be left?

Only catering to your very own princess and making sure she leaves London prepared for princessing in her own right.

Where better to do this than Harrods? After all, when the going gets tired and whiny, the tired and whiny go shopping!

No few princesses head to Knightsbridge to do their shopping when they are tired and whiny, and they have been doing so since the store opened in 1849 with the thought of treating every customer like royalty, and all royalty as customers, with only the best of the very best.

Harrods is, of course, much more than shopping, and from the Egyptian Hall (ground floor) to the the Pet Shop (second floor) to designer clothing in tiny sizes for fashionable little girls (on four), there’s enough under this one huge roof to keep a girl occupied for days on end.

Breaks and sustenance can be had in the myriad restaurants available, or by grazing the Food Halls … the chocolates and pastries are fit for an after-dinner castle of princess proportions … and there are lovely places for sitting and resting, and after a few days of London with little girls, Mom and Dad will need the time to figure out how much is left in the Princess Fund.

Picture of Pink Diamond sculpture, Victoria and Albert Museum, originally posted by clagnut

Not that all advances are. Unwanted, that is. There have been times when I’ve found myself in foreign cities with romance on my mind, but most often if I’m looking to blow off steam between flights and meetings I’d rather not have to be fending off clumsy passes from strangers in the process.

So, where does a girl go when room service … again … just won’t do; when she is looking for a party, but not a partner? Some head for the cinema in hopes of vicarious thrills while others lurk in dark corners of hotel bars hoping to find someone unthreatening, yet amusing, to pass the time with.

Catching a movie can fill an evening, but if I have an itch to boogie the night away with no worries over misunderstood intentions or disappointed longings I head for a walk on the Gay Side.

Sydney Gay Nightlife

Gay Sydney is a great place for a straight Sheila to let her hair down, and Oxford Street – the Surry Hills, Darlinghurst and Paddington areas – offers many venues in a easily navigable area. From Gilligans in the Oxford Hotel (134 Oxford St.) to the Rainbow Room (77 Oxford St.) and Stonewall (175 Oxford St.) right down the road, you can find cold beer and hot music, and plenty of pretty people who won’t mind sharing the dance floor with you.

Sightseeing around Sydney and Bondi Beach

If you have a hankering for “look but don’t touch” beautiful bodies of the male gender, a day trip to nearby Bondi Beach offers an eyeful. Around “Lady Bay” you can get more than a glimpse of beautiful naked men … they call them “Barbies” down under, although most make Ken look like a scrawny wimp … from the sidewalk, so no bare venturing of your own is required, not that anyone would notice.

These pretty boys are there to see and be seen, so gawk away, Girls. You’re not the intended audience, but an appreciation for the bronze and brawny will not be unwelcome.

The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras

Of course, if your stay in Sydney happens to coincide with the city’s version of Mardi Gras, you are guaranteed a fabulous time. It’s a massive party in one of the friendliest, most welcoming atmospheres imaginable.

The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has been taking place in some form since it started out in 1978 as a protest march for gay pride. People of all sexual persuasions come from all over the world to join this citywide party celebrating diversity and tolerance.

Yes, women finding themselves on their own in strange towns can carouse at will, let their hair down and paint the town red, then go home happily de-stressed and without company … or guilt … especially if the town is Sydney.

Warm, friendly, and without a care for your tastes or preferences, gay Sydney is just the place for a straight Sheila traveling alone to shake off the bored blues and party the night away.

Photo of the Sydney Opera House originally posted by jimmyharris.

An international metropolis hustling and bustling with high-powered business types, serious-minded government officials, fashion-conscious shoppers and the masses of humanity drawn to such a frenetic world hardly seems like a playground for little boys, but London is exactly that.

Youngsters of the male persuasion from two to twenty can be kept happily steeped in the stuff of boy dreams for days on end with little more than a Tube ticket and the occasional entrance fee.

• The London Zoo

Although a young man might choose to begin a London adventure on a more gruesome note, parents may decide that the London Zoo is a reasonable starting point. Boys will be especially impressed with the Bearded Pigs, and Mom and Dad will be sure to notice similarities between their charges and the chimpanzees!

• The Natural History Museum

An interesting follow-up to the Zoo, one providing just the right touch of the morbidly fascinating to grab a little boy’s attention and hold it for hours, is the Natural History Museum.

Have your cameras ready to capture the look on your son’s face as he first gets an eye-full of dinosaur in all its boney glory. It is a moment he will never forget, and one that may color his perception of the sciences for the rest of his life.
(What do you want to be when you grow up, little boy? … I want to be a paleontologist!)

• The Horse Guards Parade

Introducing people as interesting London sights may not sound like a great idea to boys, but people on horses? Well, that’s okay.

The Horse Guards Parade, a daily duty of the Queen’s Life Guards, is pomp and ceremony and spit and polish, and every little boy’s dream of cool. These guys have swords! And the ring of horses’ hooves on pavement, along with the heady aroma of horse, drives straight into the heart of kids full of dreams of fighting dragons and rescuing princesses.

Throw in a little history … and the history of England certainly offers enough in the way of blood and gore to grab the interest of any boy … and you have managed to educate and entertain at the same time.

• Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens

Because boys will be boys, no matter how thrilling hours of standing around and absorbing the impact of dinosaur bones and uniformed and mounted soldiers can be, some amount of running around must be done.

Heading over to the Serpentine, the lake whose bridge divides Hyde Park from Kensington Gardens, will provide the perfect venue for letting off steam while adults enjoy some peace and quiet and pay respects at the Holocaust Memorial and the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain.

• The Tower of London

If some sadness over recent history brings a cloud over the day, the bloody horrors of ancient England might be just the ticket to brighten a boy’s mood, and where else to get the full dose of that than the Tower of London?

From posing on the very spot that saw Ann Boleyn separated from her head, to measuring up against suits of armor, to learning the legend of the royal rooks, to plotting just how they surely would have managed an escape, the Tower offers an endless path through a boy’s imagination that will keep them thinking and understanding history for years to come. And all this while the adults take to counting the facets in the Royal Jewels and letting their own imaginations run wild.

Yes, London may be a city of global importance in finance, culture and government, but it is also a heck of a lot of fun for little boys.

Photo of the British Royal Guard originally posted by Jon’s pics

New York means different things to different people … and at different times of the day … and while some are seeing a teeming metropolis at the center of the world of business and fashion and diplomatic relations, others view the city as much the same as a vast and open African savanna: when hunger strikes, food is everywhere and one needs only to turn ever so slightly this way or that to stumble upon the tastiest morsels without ever having to wander in from the great outdoors.

Street food is synonymous with The Big Apple and a person can easily graze their way from South Street Seaport to Riverside Park, from Wall Street to Harlem and from East Side to West Side without having to put one foot from whatever chosen trajectory; it’s everywhere, on almost every corner and offering not only a bounty, but also an array beyond the imagination, and the vocabulary, of many out-of-towners.

• Hot dogs

The ubiquitous hot dog is, of course, immediately recognizable to all but the most sheltered of foreign tourists (Possibly only those coming from Mars?), and they are collectively some of the best available on the planet. Each is offered up “with or without”– onions that is — and do-it-yourself condiments insure every one is destined to please even the individual palate that would choose ketchup over mustard and pass on the pickle relish.

You don’t have to wander far along any street in Manhattan to meet a hot dog vendor, but if you are a purist insisting that your dog-in-a-bun come grilled, not boiled, you can head for the corner of 49th and 6th Avenue in Midtown and find the cart marked “Hot Dog King“. A buck and a quarter will get you just that, and you can add sauerkraut if that is to your taste.

If it’s more an upscale version of dog you are hungering for, head over to Bleeker Street Park and seek out Dogmatic Dogs, the home of the “gourmet sausage system” that serves up Violet Hill Farm-grown meats in the shape of franks tastefully placed within the confines of Pain D’Avignon baguettes that have been toasted from the inside. Go for the usual if you like, but consideration of the truffle and gruyere cheese combo is recommended.

When wurst is best, Hallo Berlin (54th Street near 5th Avenue) has much more than the usual hot dog, and the sausages can come with a whole plate of accompanying dishes: fried potatoes, red cabbage and ‘kraut, plus gourmet versions of toppings and sauces.

• Snacks

If it’s less of a meal and more of a casual nosh you hanker for, try grabbing a pretzel or a knish on the fly. The extra carbs will have the blocks flying under your feet as you power-walk your way around town, and since both are available just about everywhere and tidy enough to munch on the move, you will need no slowing down on your way to the next food stop.

Pizza by the slice is another quick option for no-pause street eating (streating?), and choice is the name of the game with this, too. Not offered from carts, but rather most usually out the front window of a pizzeria, it still qualifies, and topping decisions are not to be made lightly when one slice of pie requires a two-handed heft that will keep you busy for at least two full blocks.

If you are serious about finding just the right pizza in Manhattan, there is a Web page with a map that can guide you to some of the best spots for a slice o’ pie in the city.

• Ethnic food

Pizza was New York’s first ethnic street food, but taste treats from all over the world are now easily available in all neighborhoods.

Does fare from the Middle East get your mouth watering? Head for Sammy’s Halal. Sammy has three carts Downtown all serving some of the best chicken-and-rice in town. He keeps his sauce recipes secret, but you will recognize a bit of garlic, some cilantro, lemon, yogurt and a hot pepper or two.

How about the Far East? Huan Ji Rice Noodles (Grand St. at Bowery) can set you up with more than just the rice noodles of the title. Try the curried fish balls with a packet of sticky rice for a pick-me-up that won’t let you down.

A taste of the West Indies might conjure up thoughts of waving palms and shifting sands even all the way from The Jamaican Dutchy cart at 51st and 7th Avenue when you are handed a plate of spicy jerk chicken or goat curry with a side of fried plantains.

The Taco Truck is the essence of truth in advertising, serving up tacos from a truck parked at the corner of 96th and Broadway on the Upper West Side, and the Tamale Lady further uptown on 109th does, indeed, sell tamales.

One rule of thumb to consider as you stroll and graze the New York City veldt as a tourist is to follow the herding instinct; where you see a long queue of locals waiting patiently … well, patiently for New Yorkers, that is … for their turn to order from one cart and not another, understand that they are there because the street food coming from there is the best on the block. Maybe even the best in the area.

And don’t worry too much about the calorie content while munching Manhattan; you are sure to walk off as many of those energy units as you can possibly put on, even if all you do is march from one cart to another.

Enjoy!

Bournemouth, Dorset… Just the name offers up a pleasant ring of Olde England that conjures images of Victorian greenery, of delightful adventures — perhaps in search of the mouth of the Bourne as it pours into the Channel — of families and amusement centers and fish & chips and sandy beaches. Yes, as a seaside town on the southern coast of England, Bournemouth draws visitors all summer long, and as ice cream vendors ply their trade near the famous pier and bands play until late in the evenings in the Pleasure Gardens, people from all over Europe enjoy the long days and entertainment-filled nights.

But as lovely as Bournemouth is in summer, it is winter that brings out its very best. Those sandy beaches are packed wall-to-wall … or groyne-to-groyne, as the case actually is … the summer long with sun seekers, but once winter rears its chilly head and begins to blow in from the Russian Steppes those same seven miles of shore are wide open to anyone with a yearning to walk, or run, and a thought to quietly ponder life’s wonders and the beauty of nature.

Peaceful Contemplation in Bournemouth’s Central Gardens

Frosty mornings are perfect for strolling Bournemouth’s Central Gardens. The azalea and rhododendron profusion, not always in bloom but impressive in leaf no matter, give the eye a comforting wander and feet take comfortably to the groomed paths and tiny bridges. Willows and chestnut trees share space with man-made structures built to please, some from the days when Queen Victoria ruled the Empire, and scampering squirrels keep a visitor company, and amused.

Windswept and blustery, the cliffs above the coast give dramatic views out to sea and bring to mind a hundred stories from the days before traffic plied the town’s roundabouts. Romantic tales of lost love, of tragic women waiting for their men to return from sea, come to mind, inspiring no little passion in today’s visitors.

Warming stops at pubs

And what’s better after a chilly walk than a pop into a pub? There are many in Bournemouth, and in most you’ll find a fire in the grate, a hot cup of tea, or a pint of the publican’s best if you prefer. With fewer visitors in winter months, the bar is in easy reach, the wait shorter, and the barkeep more willing and able to give some local scoop on “must dos” off the normal
tourist trail.

The Moon in the Square Pub is handy to beach strollers, and the Hog’s Head in the near village of Westbourne is a worthy destination for those who choose to explore the neighborhoods at the far end of the Central Gardens. Both serve hearty, warming meals in addition to liquid fare and are worthy destinations in their own right.

Raising the temperature in nightclubs

With many institutions of higher learning based in the town, Bournemouth retains an international flavor all year round, and where some smaller cities in England go quiet after dark in the months dark comes early, this one continues to hop to a party beat no matter what the time of year.

Very near the Town Center, the Empire Club on Holdenhurst Road and Club 176, just around the corner, are popular nightclubs. Offering something for visitors young and not so young and serving a range of musical tastes, dancing the night away is another great way to keep the chill from the bones over a cold Bournemouth winter.

Bournemouth in summer is lovely, no doubt, but a winter break there will build memories that will warm the heart for years to come.

Find a place to stay in Bournemouth

Photo originally posted by cgt