Yes, I have disappeared. But I am doing well as you can probably tell ;-) And I will come back with an update once one of you guesses where I was when I took the above pics.
Happy New Year!
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;-)
Having not brought enough Barbies for the Burning Man Bar-B-Que, I had to content myself with power bars and other goodies to survive the harsh desert environment.
I couldn't resist stocking up on some "LARA bars", especially since they have a Lara signature on the back side and described on the packaging as "A magical harmony of fruits, nuts and spices". What a disaster that was! I think I'll stick with the other goodies next time ;)
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
Some more pics from Burning Man, as promised... I called Protective Services about the child abuse depicted below ;)
The full photo album is here. Enjoy!
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
I finally started recovering from my second Burning Man trip to Nevada's Black Rock Desert. I particularly enjoyed the "Barbie Death Camp", a concentration camp for Barbie Dolls, and participated in the Barbie genocide. More pics to come. Enjoy!
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
terrorist conspiracy aiming to give air travelers bad breath?
No toothpaste allowed in carry-on luggage? Do they really expect the bi-coastals among us to tolerate a five hour flight without brushing our teeth?
What has the world come to when I am forced to smuggle toothpaste onto a plane? Here's my how-to guide... Enjoy!
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
You start seeing "Aircraft Odor Eliminator" spray bottles in business class lavatories. I recently took this picture on a transatlantic flight using my Treo.
It's a pity the label came out blurry. You would have enjoyed reading the explicit description of the types of odors that can be "eliminated", including urine, vomit and feces in the "cabin, lavatories and cargo".
I wonder what this says about the current quality of business class meals...
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
You thought I went to a meditation retreat to rest my body and spirit... Well, you were wrong!
Stay tuned!
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
While in São Paulo, I had the chance to visit Daslu, one of the most decadent department stores on the planet. And that's without taking into account the helipad on the roof... Don't own a helicopter yet? Don't worry! "Regular" folks simply have their driver drop them off at the 5-star hotel-like entrance where welcoming staff open the car door before accompanying you into the store.
There is no storefront of course. That would be pointless since pedestrians are not allowed to pass through the gate (!!!)
At Daslu the ground floor is filled with the usual boring boutiques you'll find anywhere in the world these days (Gucci, LV and the like.) Big deal. It's the upstairs that makes it unique. You will find hip Brazilian designers and highly personalized service (I had a friendly and knowledgeable woman exclusively focused on me, patiently following me around with a cart for hours.)
Daslu is not for the shy ones: there are no fitting rooms once you walk up the stairs :-) I admit I was immediately attracted to that concept, probably because I am a closeted exhibitionist... Besides, no men are allowed upstairs and I found myself getting undressed in the middle of the store among several gorgeous Brazilian women who were also stripping down to their thongs. No way capturing that on film for the blog without getting thrown in a Brazilian jail. Sorry! :-)
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
Daslu
Avenida Chedid Jafet 131, São Paulo, Brazil
Tel: +55 (11) 3841-4000
Continuing on the recent theme of funny and odd pictures, I wanted to share a flyer I was given several months ago in Mykonos in front of Space, a South Beach-style, all white night club attracting scantily dressed young women, brown eyed wannabe playboys and drunk Italian tourists.
Maybe I should use the dollar bill at the corner store to see if anyone notices... But then again, that could get me in trouble in this day and age!
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
Jet Set Blog is a member of the travel blog network at Blogads, a group of the best independent travel blogs on the web. Check out some of this week’s headlines from other travel blogs in the network:
The views from Brooklyn's tallest building (NewYorkology)
Giving Alms to the Monks in Luang Prabang, Laos (Travel Blogs)
Travel Tales: Berlin in the 1980s (Shortcut)
Episode 41 - Marrakesh, Morocco (Amateur Traveler Podcast)
Please click on the image and be patient. The video should take several seconds to load.
I shot the above video after an amazing lunch at Terraco Italia, an italian restaurant in São Paulo's tallest building (160m)
Next time you're on a business trip there, make sure to sample their lunch buffet. You'll discover breathtaking, 360 degree views of São Paulo's skyline and impeccable service.
I admit I fell in love with the city. It's quite a bit larger than New York, with 21 million residents, incredible restaurants, vibrant nightlife, beautiful people, cutting edge fashion and five star service without the attitude. Hmm, maybe I should move there :-) But more on São Paulo next week! Stay tuned!
Terraco Italia
Av. Ipiranga 344
41st floor
São Paulo
Tel: 11 3257-6566
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
On a recent two hour flight from São Paulo to the Bahia coast, I had the pleasure of flying TAM, a Brazilian carrier with a quasi-monopoly on the domestic market. To my surprise, every seat on the Airbus A320 had a PriceWaterhouseCoopers ad attached to it, and every tray table had a sticker advertizing Constellation, Volkswagen's heavy truck line (how many people drive these things anyway?)
I wonder how long before US carriers start forcing similar ads down our throats... What's next? Google ads popping up during annoying Jennifer Aniston airplane movies? On the other hand, Google ads would be slightly more exciting...
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
I filmed the above video several weeks ago in Lake Tahoe, CA near the Squaw Creek Resort. The dogs got incredibly excited when the ride was about to begin. They are a mix of Alaskan and Siberian huskies with other breeds. It is a fun and romantic ride, as long as you don't mind the occasional dog fart :)
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
I've been on a retreat in a remote location of the southern hemisphere with minimal internet or cell coverage. It's been wonderful, although tomorrow I am heading to a vibrant city for what's sure to be a decadent experience.
I leave you with a handful of pictures from the little paradise of the last couple of weeks. I have a lot more material to share, including video, but as you can imagine, I have better things to do :)
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
I was recently in Northern California spending a few relaxing days with my lover at the Squaw Creek Resort in Squaw Valley (note to the blog's European readers: this is one of the most famous ski areas in the US and was the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics)
Keeping in line with the recent theme of funny hotel notes, I scanned a page from the resort's in-room dining menu where they notify their guests that ordering a cold fruit and cheese tray will require 24 hours of preparation time. Don't worry though! If you are in a real hurry I guess you could opt for the mixed nuts or potato chips that require a mere 2 hours of preparation time.
Funny thing is Squaw Creek's outdoor hot tub and pool attendant was quite fast at night. He started circling around the tub like a vulture a full 45mn before the scheduled nightly shut down. And just in case we didn't get the message, he threw a plastic cover on the snow while we were enjoying our champagne. Oh well! We decided to roll on the snow and warm up in the bedroom instead ;)
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
Ok, I admit it. I am generally biased in favor of small properties with a tasteful, contemporary design.
So on a recent visit to Barcelona, a city that's quickly becoming a personal favorite, I decided to skip the 500 room, Ritz-Carlton owned, Hotel Arts. Or the brand new, 5-star Hesperia Tower where I attended a business lunch. Hesperia has an impressive lobby but is located next to what looks like a bunch of low income housing projects, is not within walking distance to anything of interest and has dull views despite its 107 meter height. And why on earth did they decide to install those ridiculous touch-screen software widgets controlling the elevators? (apparently walking to just any elevator is not good enough) Oh well, at least they are not running Windows, and you don't need to accept any end user license agreements before using the elevator.
I decided to explore the much smaller, and a lot more hip, Hotel Omm. My room was spacious and bright, with beautiful lighting and free wifi. Sure there were design and service glitches. Like the fact the bathroom sink & tub were on opposite sides of the room from the toilet and bidet. And the simple pasta dish I requested never made it to my room (someone must have been hungrier than me). But I forgive them. Mostly because the restaurant Moo downstairs was exceptionally decadent the following night, even without the chef's culinary recreation of perfumes (my lover and I had a desert inspired by Christian Dior's Poison.)
I was also impressed by some other details and decor at Moo. For example, every table had a unique modernist sculpture. We happened to be rather appropriately seated on a table with a sculpture of a naked female form ;) And every dish in our five course meal came on a different, brilliantly designed plate, with art deco-like interpretations of the restaurant's logo. Supposedly there are about 40 unique designs and they are all from different artists.
The rooftop area seems like it would be a happening place during the summer, and features a beautiful bar and a tiny pool facing the lunar landscape of Gaudi's Casa Milà roof. I am sure to go back. Probably during Sonar in June.
I attached on my travel album some pictures I took of Gaudi's Casa Batlló, a couple of blocks from the hotel.
Feel free to share your favorite Barcelona spots by leaving a comment below.
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
Hotel Omm
Rossello 265
08008 Barcelona
Tel: +34 (934) 454-000
Fax: +34 (934) 454-004
I came back to the States a couple of days ago after a wonderful and particularly decadent NYE in Paris. The NYE details shall remain secret for now, but I woke up early in the afternoon on New Year's day and headed with my lover to Cafe de Flore for some of their amazing hot chocolate, freshly squeezed orange juice and a Croque Madame... We walked along La Seine on what was a cool and cloudy day before heading back to London. We finished the night with a romantic dinner at the OXO Tower Restaurant on the South Bank while savoring the view of St Paul's Cathedral through a glass of champagne...
Trully a wonderful way to start the New Year! Even the rain stopped :) I uploaded some additional pictures on my Travel album.
Cafe de Flore
172 Bld St Germain
Paris
Tel: +33 1 45 48 55 26
OXO Tower Wharf
Barge House St
South Bank
London
Tel: +44 20 7803 3888
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
Tower 23: a young, hip hotel in San Diego
I admit my expectations were not that high. We are talking about San Diego after all :) But in all honesty, I was impressed. Besides, Miami was out of the question as a choice for a quick getaway since the hurricane season lasted longer than usual this year.
Tower 23 is a simple, elegant and happening hotel with a clean, minimalistic design right by the beach. I stayed at their "Surf Pad" room during a relaxing recent visit to Southern California.
I will be uploading some pictures in the next couple of days, until then enjoy the 52sec video!
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
Many readers emailed me to ask the exact location of the wildlife preserve I mentioned in my previous post Lara Goes Safari. The location is called Safari West and consists of 400 acres of land in the heart of California's wine country.
Visitors are taken on a 2 1/2 hour tour by knowledgeable rangers on an authentic safari vehicle surrounded by antelopes, zebras and close to 400 other exotic mammals and birds (mostly from Africa). For the more adventurous types among you, the property offers overnight lodging in "luxury tent cabins". I spent the night in one of them and was quite impressed. The tent was almost the size (and height) of a typical hotel room, had hardwood floors, heated blankets and was equipped with a private bathroom and a primitive but functional shower. Make no mistake though, it's still a tent, but that's precisely why it's fun! Nighttime is very quiet and you wake up in the morning with a view of nearby giraffes (make sure to ask for a tent with a clear view of the giraffes)
If you are planning for a one-night romantic getaway, I would advice you to go during the week (or off-season) for more privacy, particularly during the night ;)
Safari west is located near Santa Rosa, CA about an hour and a half north of San Francisco. Nearest (large) commercial airport would be SFO, but you can land private planes in nearby Novato (Gnoss Field can accommodate jets) and Sonoma County airport.
Link to my Safari video Podcast file
Safari West Wildlife Preserve and Tent Camp
3115 Porter Creek Rd
Santa Rosa, CA
Tel: +1 (707) 579-2551
www.safariwest.com
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
I have been traveling a fair amount recently but managed to find the time to edit some video footage from a recent Safari trip to a private California wildlife preserve. More on this later!
Until then, enjoy the video...
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
When I am somewhat quiet here, it usually means I'm up to something :) But I will share some exciting new adventures with you on the week of the 21st, and launch a new hotel photo album next week.
Meanwhile, Jet Set Blog joined the travel blog network at Blogads, a group of some of the best independent travel blogs on the web. Check out some of this week's headlines from other travel blogs on the network:
How to Fall in Love with the Biggest City in the World in Just Two Weeks (Travel Blogs)
Central Park - Fall Foilage (A Guy in New York)
SportVue MC2 Head-mounted Display (Treknologies)
Bratwurst cart at 54th and 5th wins Vendy (NewYorkology)
Have a wonderful weekend!
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
I promised several weeks ago I would upload some pictures from various 2005 trips starting from Amsterdam, London and Mykonos.
The pictures were taken at Amsterdam's Supperclub, The Dylan, Notting Hill Carnival in London, and the streets of Mykonos. You'll also read about The Dylan, that happens to be my favorite Amsterdam hotel, in an upcoming interview. Shhhh!
Stay tuned!
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
Ok, it wasn't really a thousand dollar sandwich but it was one of the most expensive lunches I ever had. And it was not because of my choice of food. Turns out the method of transportation had a lot to do with it. Let me explain...
A British friend surprised me with a visit to San Francisco earlier this month for a romantic getaway. Since he is an experienced pilot, I agreed to fly with him on a spectacular tour of the northern California coast, followed by an afternoon snack at Pebble Beach. On what promised to be an exceptionally clear morning, we boarded a Columbia 400, a sleek, light and fast small aircraft waiting for us at the Gnoss Field airport in Novato, about 45 minutes north of San Francisco. I sat on the co-pilot's seat, placed Bose's noise-canceling aviation headset over my ears and buckled-up as we performed a last minute aircraft check. Believe it or not, for once, I was actually doing what I was told :)
The cockpit looked an awful lot like Microsoft's Flight Simulator game. In fact, most of the instruments were entirely digital and the readings, including gyroscope, map and GPS data, appeared on liquid crystal displays. Weather data were also automatically downloaded through a satellite link. 
We took off and headed west, towards Point Reyes where we were treated to a panoramic view of the Pacific coast line. We flew over the St Andreas fault, responsible for the devastating 1906 earthquake in San Francisco, before heading south towards the Golden Gate Bridge (photo). After receiving permission from the SFO air traffic control, we decreased our altitude, circled over Alcatraz (photo), and flew over the Bay Bridge. It was fascinating to see the construction progress on the new span of the bridge connecting Oakland to Yerba Buena. The critics were right btw, it looks quite ugly, especially from the sky...
We continued south over the city and crossed over the hills towards California’s scenic Highway 1 on our way to the Monterey peninsula. We flew past Carmel along the magnificent Big Sur coastline where we observed several elephant seals lounging on rocks. I hope we didn’t disturb them :) They looked fairly young and small in size. This made sense since they are usually the first to come to shore around this time of year. After encountering some fog, we turned back, flew over Post Ranch Inn ("America's most romantic resort" that I've yet to visit!) and landed safely at the Monterey airport. The runway was quite large since Monterey is also serviced by commercial flights.
We refueled at Monterey's Million Air FBO, a beautiful and well-run facility servicing private jets and aircraft. The facility, part of a network of 28 franchises, looked much like an upscale hotel lobby and was even equipped with Wi-Fi for free internet access. A friendly receptionist, who recognized my friend from a previous flight on a much larger Citation jet, arranged for a complimentary "crew" car, a Jaguar sitting on the parking lot.
After some sightseeing along the famous 17 mile drive, we headed to the Lodge at Pebble Beach. We had a nice lunch at Stillwater Bar & Grill while enjoying the beautiful view of the golf course and the ocean (photo). Fortunately, I remembered to snap a couple of pictures for the blog!
A few hours later we took off again and enjoyed an unforgettable sunset over the Pacific with some scattered clouds on the horizon. Unfortunately I did not observe a green flash :(
Making one last tour of the San Francisco skyline, this time by night, we flew over the 997 ft Sutro Tower, and the pyramid-shaped Transamerica building, before landing at San Carlos airport, a short distance to the south. Finally, a limo took us to the Ritz in Half Moon Bay for a slightly different kind of relaxation and pleasure ;)
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
Watch the 10 second video I took with my Treo over Big Sur:
Most of you guessed right when I posted the pelican photo the other day. I left Mykonos with some wonderful memories before heading to Santorini, London and Amsterdam. I will publish some of the island pics (like the one of me on the left) on a photo album next week. Have a wonderful weekend!I was surprised the other day by the lack of basic knowledge (and ethics) demonstrated by the cabbies in Amsterdam. I was staying at The Dylan, my usual Amsterdam hangout.
The cab driver at Amsterdam's Shiphol airport was simply clueless about the hotel's location. He wasn't even pretending to be clueless since the meter was not running yet. He asked around other cabbies, in Turkish if I am not mistaken, and they had no idea either. We are not talking about a huge city here. You could actually walk to most places in Amsterdam! How hard can it be?
Apparently, quite hard for some people. Later that night we had a similar problem going to a trendy, and rather popular, restaurant. We almost lost our reservation because the cab first took us to the wrong place, then started driving around in circles although I had already pointed to him the location on a map.
On our way back to the hotel, we were told by some locals to only use TCA cabs (Taxi Centrale Amsterdam). They are easily recognizable because of the TCA logo on the rear of their roof light. TCA has more professional drivers, they know their way around, have better cars and are less likely to screw you.
In London, there is an actual exam to become a cab driver. It's called "The Knowledge" and takes 2-4 years to prepare for. The exam requires "detailed knowledge of 25,000 streets within a six mile radius of Charing Cross coupled with a more general knowledge of the major arterial routes throughout the rest of London". Plus memorization of buildings and landmarks! Apparently all this memorization changes the brain's circuitry as evidenced by functional MRI tests, but don't quote me on this...
Care to share your favorite (or nightmare) cab stories from around the world?
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
You better have some fish ready! Well, this was not really my doorstep, but I did get to pet the giant bird before taking this picture during my recent visit to the Greek islands. Anyone willing to guess the location? There is only one island with the pelican as its mascot...
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
The following entry is by Jet Set Blog contributor Fiona during our recent trip to the Greek islands. Enjoy! And make sure to click on the photo, especially if you are a motorcycle enthusiast ;) - Lara
Lara, having been raised in Europe, was eager to rent a scooter to travel around the island. She's asked me to describe to you our trusty vehicle as I took particular delight in poking fun at its readily apparent shortcomings.
The rental place our concierge directed us to looked like a reliable chain like Hertz or Avis. But they refused our American driver licenses, saying we needed an international motorcycle license. Does such a thing even exist? They sent us on further down the road where we came to a similar establishment with a more local flavor: shack with sign in Greek announced moped rentals (the yard full of scooters gave it away anyhow). We rented one from this place with little trouble.
I, the American raised to wear my seatbelt as if it were a fashion accessory, insisted on helmets for the both of us. Lara was mortified, as she didn’t want us looking like the tourists we were. The helmets they gave us actually felt like lightly padded (and quite unfashionable) hats…so much for safety.
As soon as we set off puttering along on our shiny red scooter, I wondered to myself why we were going so slowly. Lara leaned over my shoulder and commented that the motor seemed to have the horsepower of an electric razor. I glanced down and saw the odometer registered around 66,000 km: a first indication of "thrills" to come. I also noticed the body casing was cracked in some places and had been repaired with plastic twist ties.
My hands seemed to melt into the handgrips, and my palms got a good coating of rubber each time I let go. The sideview mirror was floppy: you’d put it into the right position and as soon as you started to move, it would flop down facing the ground. At times (and not only when going up steep hills) we thought we could be moving faster on foot. I suppose the light coming from the front when we rode it at night could be classified as a headlight, but it looked more like a flashlight with dying batteries had been haphazardly strapped onto the front. As for the handbrakes, Lara coined the encouraging phrase: “squeeze and pray.”
Despite its rickety condition, we grew to love our dear scooter (especially when it wouldn’t start and we had to recruit some beautiful Greek or Italian guys to help us out). And we both loved driving it. Every time we were heading off there was the inevitable decision to be made: a sly smile from one of us replied by a furrowed brow from the other usually gave us our answer, but sometimes we…uh…engaged in more vociferous discussions. But I’ll leave it at this: Lara ended up riding bitch most of the time ;)
Contributed by Fiona - JetSetBlog.com
Yes, the silhouette in the pic is me... I was swimming naked while enjoying a beautiful sunset in a small secluded beach in the Mediterranean. Any guesses as to where I am?
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
I apologize for the absence. Between my regular career, my companionship activities and this blog, time is becoming an endangered species…
August promises to be exciting as I'll split my time between New York, London, Vienna and Croatia or the Greek islands. My friend Anne Marie, the now retired Educated Escort, suggested we meet in Paris for a few days. We want to visit Hammam Pacha, the Turkish Baths for women in Saint-Denis (sorry guys!)
Make sure to click on the link for pictures and articles on the French press. It looks fun! As a side note, unlike the magazine photos, the women are all naked there…
If any of you are planning trips to the above cities or countries this summer, please leave me a comment and share some of your travel secrets. Who knows, we may even bump into each other :)
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
Four cities in four days? I must be losing my mind... No wonder I haven't kept up with the blog. And the experiences were rather unique so I can't really talk about them in detail. Having met for the first time ever some porn stars in LA, I flew to an undisclosed location to meet with foreign investors about a venture I am involved in. I then joined a female friend for another decadent evening before returning to reality. Only I am not quite here yet.
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure (TM) ;)
The following entry is from guest Jet Set Blog contributor Sigmund Fuller.
I have been travelling further than usual. In the last six months I went around the world three times, and around Asia a few more. The around the world itineraries were:
1. Asia / Dubai, UAE / Barcelona, Spain / Jalisco, Mexico / Asia
2. Asia / Paris, France / Oslo, Norway / London, UK / Vancouver, CA / Asia
3. Asia / Moscow, Russia / Montreal, Canada / New York, USA / Asia
I also did several tours of north Asia and southeast Asia. I visited Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and the Maldives. More on those trips later.
Some people have asked me for some opinions on travel. Basically, I'm a fan of teleportation. Airplanes suck. Private jets are much better than commercial flight (in large part due to the lack of airport queuing), but the logistics of managing them is a pain, and I am entrepreneurial enough that the price premium bothers me. A lot.
Outsourcing private aircraft logistics, or using fractional shares sounds good in principle, but my several active lawsuits in those areas show that not everything always goes smoothly.
First-class travel is actually improving in many ways, but I have to say that service in the first class cabin doesn't seem as good now as it used to. Perhaps I am jaded. But recently I have tried most all the top-rated airlines' first class long-haul cabins: Singapore, Cathay Pacific, British Air, Air France, Emirates without a big impression left on me.
Um, cancel that. There were two things that were impressive.
Continue reading "Sigmund Fuller: 'Round the World 60 Days " »
Some of you might already be familiar with the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance that brings together some of the world's finest cars of historic value. They are showcased and raced around California's Monterey peninsula every August.
A reader emailed me about Iceland recently. I admit I’ve always been intrigued and not just because of the women… The Vikings obviously had good taste :)
A while back I promised I would share some of my US-London travel preferences. I don’t always stay in London, but tend to use it as a hub for other destinations in Europe.
Here’s a partial list (the Jet Set Blog is independent and is not sponsored by any of the services mentioned on this post):
Airlines these days are trying to outdo each other in a competitive race to the bottom. What started as cutting corners in catered food & beverages, continued to aircraft maintenance budget cuts (they don't tell you that naturally), to lower aircraft fuel reserves, and the list goes on.
US readers may already be familiar with the quiet and beautiful
Mendocino coast. There is something magical about it, particularly when
you consider that it is within a three hour drive from San Francisco.
The coast alternates between dramatic cliffs, streams and pristine
beaches (but don't even think about swimming, the water is absolutely
freezing!) It is not unusual to observe seals lounging on the sand in
some areas.
One of the great things about the Mendocino coast is that there is virtually no cell coverage. You can truly escape. No beeps, polyphonic ring tones or BlackBerry vibrations. As far as accommodations go, one place is worth special mention: the Heritage House Inn. The place is small and intimate with several small cottages spread over the property (no phones or TVs either!). It also has a good restaurant with a great wine selection.
Some of the suites have an ocean-view
jacuzzi. The tiny seaside town of Mendocino
is nearby and offers what appears to be like a trip to another era. One
thing to keep in mind is it gets cold at night, even during the summer,
but hey, that's one more reason to hug your SO all night and use the
fireplace!
Would you like to share your romantic getaway? Send me an email or post a comment!
Heritage House Inn
5200 North Highway One
Little River, CA 95456
Toll Free: 800-235-5885
Imported comments from my old livejournal blog (please email me if you want to add a comment):
From: (Anonymous)
Date: November 15th, 2004 - 09:42 pm
another wonderful close to SF area
Is pretty much all of western Marin- heading up the coast just outside of Mill Valley on the way to Stinson Beach is Mountain Inn- a great close by getaway with wonderful atmosphere and views. Onto Muir Beach is The Pelican Inn- informal pub like place, a nice spot for lunch, or make a side trip to the signless town of Bolinas (make a left at the colorful mailbox just past the lagoon on the left) heading north past Muir Beach and Stinson beach and on towards Pt Reyes is the town of Inverness with a wonderful restaurant and Inn called Mankas- a very unique restored '20s hunting lodge- most if not all of the food comes from within 20 miles of the restaurant. Try the Sean Thackery wines which sometimes are not on the list but usually available- the "Orion" blend is my favorite. Inland from here about 15 miles is Rancho Nicasio- a great rustic watering hole/ music venue, back along the coast and farther north you have Hod Island Oyster farm, a great place for a picnic, then onto the town of Tomales with a great bakery/ cafe, or Dillon Beach to the west.
From: (Anonymous)
Date: November 6th, 2004 - 09:26 pm
hotel in Dublin
Hi Lara
Just came back from a trip to Dublin where I stayed in a lovely hotel called Morrison (www.morrisonhotel.ie), the penthouse is great has a great view and the restaurant Halo is wonderful. Loved the design and the decoration of the hotel. As I understand you like nice hotels I thought I should share this one with you, unless you already know it.
A bientôt
Val
From: Jet Set Lara;
Date: November 8th, 2004 - 08:49 am
Re: hotel in Dublin
Hi Val,
Thanks for the tip. The Morrison looks wonderful, especially the penthouse. I haven't been to Ireland yet, although it's on my list of places to visit. The hotel web site has a link to a calendar of major local events in Dublin.
Lara
This must be one of the most spectacular, not well-known theater locations out there, but unfortunately the 2004 season is over. It was recommended to me by a friend who used to live in the UK. It's called the Minack theater and is located 10mn by car from Land's End.
Imported comments from my old livejournal blog:
From: ![[info]](http://stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
kinkymissx Date: October 24th, 2004 - 07:33 pm
I have been to this cliff-top amphitheatre and it is indeed a wonderful theatrical setting though one is often distracted from the drama on stage to the drama of gazing out to sea.
PS. Do check the weather forecast.
It was an unforgettable experience, but I have to admit it's good to be
back to the comfort of the city:) You can imagine how much time I spent
relaxing in my bathtub when I arrived home. Probably wasted tons of
water as well. And it never felt so good before...
(photo I took: art car in front of the temple/memorial by artist David Best; click to magnify)
Desert panorama:
One great thing about being in the middle of the remote Black Rock
desert was supposed to be the total isolation from outside information
noise and interaction with the outside world. No cell phone carrier has
signal here. But then I found out someone had a satellite uplink
connection and, as a true information junkie, I managed to borrow a
laptop (through a bribe - cold booze always works here) and compose
this message.
Although I haven't finished my stay here yet, I feel I've already inhaled about 90% of the dust of a lifetime at the beautiful but extreme "Playa". It is an ancient, dried lake bed covered in a fine greenish powder as far as your eyes can see. That is when you can see, because you confront windstorms, dust storms and "white-outs" on a routine basis. That and temperatures of extreme heat during the day combined with chilly nights. Still, there is something magical about this place, a futuristic dream, or a taste of another planet. There is not a single plant on the horizon. All life here is entirely imported by us humans, uniquely for the duration of the Burning Man event, transforming this dead lakebed into a real-life version of Mad Max with the festive atmosphere of the Rio Carnival.
And lots of ephemeral, interactive art, in a climate of radical self-expression. I am heading out to experience the climax of the event, the burn of the Man.
I will post more pictures when I return to civilization:)
No, I am not a masochist, but a girlfriend of mine is twisting my arm to join her at the Burning Man
festival in the Nevada desert. For those who are not familiar with
Burning Man, it happens once a year at Black Rock desert, a 400 square
mile (!!!) flat, dead, dusty and completely inhospitable Martian-like
terrain in the middle of nowhere. You can imagine my enthusiasm when I
was first told about it...
The popularity of Burning Man has grown from a few hundred people celebrating on a San Francisco beach in the late 80's to over 30,000 people today in the Nevada desert. This year, it looks like I might become one of the 30,000 crazy participants. I'll make sure to take pictures if I go! The aerial picture was taken by Steve Fritz.
I am about to board a plane to NYC after a rather hedonistic weekend
here in Athens. There is a side to the Olympics you won't see on NBC,
and that's the courting and flirting games between athletes,
volunteers, IOC staff, network employees and diplomats/visiting
executives.
Imagine over 10,000 healthy young athletes with great bodies all residing together at the Olympic Village. Most of them are in their early to mid-twenties, and over 55% of them are male with an "Olympic" sex drive.
So I got to experience some of the classic Olympic pick-up lines:
Athletes: "I am on the US/German/etc swimming team and I am exploring Athens nightlife to celebrate my medal, would you like to come dancing with us at XYZ venue tonight?"
Network staff: "I am covering the Olympics for Italian/French/whatever TV, would you like to come to a reception tomorrow honoring our medalists at XYZ hotel?"
IOC staff: "Would you like tickets to the closing ceremony? We'll also have an afterparty on the rooftop of xyz building"
Diplomats: "Would you like an invite to our embassy's reception this Tuesday?"
Visiting Business Executives: "There is a yacht party on the Saronico gulf this weekend, and I have a few invites from Citicorp/Coca Cola/whatever, would you like to join us?"
Now that I know the secret Olympic handshakes maybe I should go solo to the Torino winter games. Or join a couple of girlfriends. What do you think? :)
Believe it or not, the student I photographed the other day outside the Olympic Stadium before the opening ceremony discovered through a friend of his that I posted his picture here. He emailed me and left a comment on the blog entry. Turns out he managed to attend the ceremony after a wealthy individual gave him a FREE 950 Euro ticket!
Either this blog is becoming more popular than I or
