Off to Oxford

So much to see in historic Oxford. Not just for academics and those who love architecture. Events which benefitted the entire world, like the discovery of penicillin.

 Oxford has a park and ride scheme, about £2.50 for the day, 16 hours, meaning you can't park overnight, cheaper than using a city car park, which is about £7, though you might risk hoping to find a street space.

Park and ride terminal building with toilets, which ran out of toilet paper at 11 a.m. but were fine at 4 p.m.

Not all buses go into the city centre. Some go back to London! We caught the 400 into Oxford. The route is not non-stop. Several stops into the city. Check your phone to find your most convenient stop.

Saturday 15 August 2026 the city was abuzz with people and busy cafés. Historic buildings of every era. Little nooky places in narrow pedestrian side streets selling souvenirs. 

Hop on hop off City Sightseeing bus Oxford. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Then huge impressive buildings with giant columns. The colleges with famous names.

-ends-

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Nandos - perfect for chicken and children

Four of us, three adults and a five year old child, went to Nandos for lunch. Nandos is a family favourite restaurant and a known quality. 

Chicken, corn and mashed potato and butter at Nandos, Stanmore. Photo by Angela Lansbury. copyright.

Parking in Stanmore

In Stanmore you can park outside if you are lucky. Other car parks are around the back, a public car park. 

Behind Sainsbury's we thought had public parking. It seemed to be mostly for customers. The criss- crossed markings on the spaces were reserved for local businesses, but only for Monday to Friday. 

Many Tables

Inside is a huge place with loads of tables. We had no need to book on a Saturday late lunch time July 25th 2026. We chose one of half a dozen alcoves with benches which suited mother and child, and granny with a big bag containing a pop-up reading book.

Children's Menu And Colouring

As soon as we arrived, we were given the family menus and children's menu. Also a jar of crayons and pages for children to colour. 

Pre-paying

The most active of our group went to order for us all from the counter. Pay in advance, like at the smaller fast food places with smaller menus. The advantage of pre-paying for the customer is that you can leave instantly when your car park reminder goes off on your phone. The driver can run off to collect the car, and then pull up outside to load up your passengers who don't need to walk back to the car park.

Holiday Inn Express Stevenage

 

Photos by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

We were not planning to go away for Christmas or New Year so we treated ourselves to a festive fine wine dinner at the Wine Society in Stevenage.

To avoid driving home to London, in the dark, after dining and drinking, we decided to stay overnight at a nearby hotel.

Holiday Inn Express

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express. 

Street Parking

We had to pay for parking in the machine outside in the street because we arrived before 8 pm, and then get up before eight to buy parking by the hour next morning.

Other visitors to the wine dinner also did not want to drive home late at night after drinking. One had a taxi taking the return journey from another city. Her driver went off to eat while she had her dinner.

Choice Of Hotels

Others stayed at the Holiday Inn, not the Holiday Inn Express.

Another hotel chain, Premier Inn Stevenage Central offered free parking. Though they were paying more for the room. Premier Inn has a second hotel further away called Premier Inn Stevenage North.

Price of Holiday Inn Express

Our hotel, just under 80 for two including two breakfasts. 

We got a better rate from booking.com because we are long time users of their service.

The Bedroom & Bathroom

We had twin beds. A pleasant little room.

The bedroom had a shower room with an ingenious door which closed over the toilet alcove so one person could use the toilet in visual privacy while the other used the shower or wash basin.

Toiletries available

The basin and shower had wall dispensers of Dove brand hand wash, body wash, and shampoo.

A sign said you could ask reception for various items. You can ask for toothbrush and paste, a comb, a teeny sewing kit, or other items. The face towel offered was not available.

No shower cap. However, the hairdryer dried my hair after my shower. Our room also had portable convector heater. With that and the hair dryer I was able to dry some washed under clothing.

Breakfast

Breakfast was a buffet with cereals, Muesli Alpen in sachets, Weetabix. Pots of porridge in pots like yogurt pots. Yogurt in a big bowl. 

On to cooked food. Scrambled egg, beans, sausage, bacon, cooked tomato, hash brown potato. 

To finish, coffee and something sweet.  A multi-dispensing coffee and hot chocolate machine.

Small chocolate muffins, and blueberry muffins.  Ok croissants, not as good as Tesco's, but OK. And the novelty of a pancake making machine producing small thick pancakes. 

They have high chairs for kids.

Heinz ketchup on the table.

So as not to have to rush breakfast, we paid for 3 hours parking in the morning. But If you are in a hurry to leave, with Express hotel you pay in advance, so you can drive off quickly in an hour if you are keen to leave early next morning.

I was encouraged to a sign near reception about joining their hotel loyalty scheme. I signed up for the group membership, too late to get a hotel discount, since we had already paid in advance, but we got the option of late checkout.

Useful Websites

https://www.ihg.com/holidayinnexpress/hotels/gb/en/stevenage/xvjuk/hoteldetail

https://www.laterooms.com/hotel-brands/holiday-inn-express/

https://www.booking.com/city/gb/stevenage.htm

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Izgara Turkish Restaurant Whetstone

 We like all the Izgara Restaurants. The one in Hatch End is large. The one in Edgware served a great meal. 

But the one in Whetstone was our choice for a change. It seemed elegantly decorated .

But a plus point. A bit quieter so easier to talk.

We didn't order starters. The restaurant gave us hot bread, yogurt dip and olives.

I ordered a reasonably priced Prosecco.

I recommend the red fruit cocktail.

Main courses

I ordered meat moussaka. Good meat, and at the bottom hidden slices of potatoes.

Others ordered: lamb; kebabs; spinach pasta.

In a long street full of restaurants.  We might return, here or try another nearby.

Desserts

Baclava

Excellent. Moist. More-ish.

Coconut cake.

Turkish coffee.

The bill came with Turkish delight.

We were given foil takeaway dishes and pretty paper small totes.

Update on parking tickets November 15 2025

A short time afterwards we received a parking ticket. A parking ticket saying we had failed to pay the fine which had now doubled. We had not received the first supposed letter. We went back to the parking area down an alley. The signs did not make it clear that after eight pm you must pay. We photographed the signs and have appealed.

If I get a parking ticket I don't go back to the restaurant. Even if I forget about the parking fine, or don't blame the restaurant, somehow my memory of the occasion has moved out the section of my brain in which I store memories of places I must visit again. I can walk to Izgara in Hatch End. That will be my first choice of their restaurants. 

A tour of South West France - Montpellier-Beziers-Perpignan-Carcassonne

To The Languedoc Region of France

Luton Airport

British and European chocolate. Cadbury. Lindt.

Luton airport books

Flight On Ryanair

Leaving London, Luton airport at a civilised time, mid afternoon.

We met a couple on the plane, Sandra and Mark, also an estate agent they knew..

Ryanair to Beziers-Agde airport. We paid extra for taking luggage aboard. That meant we had no extra allowance for a wheel on bag, just an underseat bag. I had a large black leather tote bag. I carrid my laptop separately in a pink padded bag. If challenged, I could have put it inside the tote bag.

Airport sign. Welcome  to the South of France, in English. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Day 1 (Sunday night in Montpellier, Campanile) 2024 Jan 7th

Beziers-Agde airport.

We arrived at 16.10, which was tea time, so Trevor stopped for a coffee before collecting the car to strart driving.

First Food Airport lemon tart

Lemon cake at the airport cafe. Top marks. A great start. A good memory. Sharp. tasty.

Europcar

A large car..

We took photos. no instructions from the rep.

CAMPANILE

1 First night at Campanile Hotel, Montpeller Jan 7th  2024 Sunday

Drove to the Campanile hotel on the ouskirts of Montpellier.

Welcome revolving door.

Breakfast at the Campanile, freshly pressed orange juice.

The hotel restaurant was closed on Sunday. Reception suggested two chain restaurants, one a pizza or burger, the other USA style. We had come to sample France so thought we would drive into Montpellier and find a French restaurant. However, it was hard to get past traffic jams and one way systems into the centre of Montpellier.

Restaurant - Buffalo Grill

So we took the advice of the hotel desk and went to the Buffalo Grill. Although this is American style, it is a French chain.

Buffalo Grill Restaurant - fun for families. Good avocado toast. 

The starter was avocado on toast, with other vegetables, very tasty, as well as vegetables and heathy.

The highlight was the starter, and the decor, of booths.

Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

The meat was a bit tough, chewy, but I had ordered well done. It was good enough. 

Children ran around in the first half of our meal, but they left later.

Day 2 Jan 8th 2024 Monday

Lemon cake 

Lemon cake which was had had at Beziers airport cafe appeared again at the Campanile hotel breakfast. Must be a local thing.

DAy 2 Monday

Montpellier By Day

Montpellier was much better by day, large impressive buildings of the university across a canal with watertop pedestrian paths.

RDC, Rez de Chaussee, ground floor in French. Sign by the lift of the Campanile hotel. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Campanile Hotel - Monday night the restaurant was open. First two courses, pizza, pasta. A bit ordinary but very filling. Waitress in jeans rather lowered the tone. 

eating in the hotel meant I could change into a dress, instead of going out in ski wear.

Set meal, budget friendly, filling, a bit mundane. pizza or, pasta, or burger for two euros more.

However, we finished on a high note.

Wonderfal violet ice cream. 

Day 1 Night in Campanile Hotel, Montpelier.

Helpful desk staff, Canadian.

Room had a Nespresso coffee maker. Toilet separate was miles from a washbasin, inconvenient.

DAY 2 Breakfast At The Campanile Hotel

Breakfast, chocolate brownies soft centre for breakfast and orangje juice machine.

Monday in and around Montpellier

Day 2  Night at Campanile Montpeller

Drove from Montpellier to Béziers

En Route

In the afternoon we visited D'Amile vineyard Mas D'Amile, vineyard,  I photographed her on her front doorwtep. She was known as the garagiste, making wine in a garage. Now  her premises are a bit bigger, and the vines, and her sitting in her rocking . She is a vinoble, has a vineyard and a winery.

Sète

We liked Sète, on a quaint river

Known as the Venice of Languedoc

Drove on the littoral, a finger of land running parallel to the coast through marsh land. The Grand hotel by the waterway was being rebuilt. It was like the Swiss riverside towns (the two with bridges) and jolly shops along the sides of canals or rivers.

Wishlist Landmarks In  Sète

Paul Valery Museum

This is the main attraction, in my opinion. Paul Valery, artist, and interesting quotations, on the lighthouse and other places.

My favourite of his quotations, is A poem is never finished, only abandoned. Wikiquote has so many in small print that I gave up and went to top ten Paul Very quotes in brainyqoute.com

https://www.francethisway.com/places/sete.php

The decorated chapel is an uphill hike. The msueum of modern art sounds interesting for a rainy day. The museum of modest (everyday rubbish objects) could be a diversion. 

...

Day 3 Tuesday Hotel first night at Hotel Des Poetes, Beziers

FRONTIGNAN Winderful wine shop

Had every kind of wine including some sweet wines for me. I bought one called Harmonie. The shop was full of amusements. All kinds of shapes of bottles. I bought a leaning bottle. I saw bottles with the shape of grapes, a guitar. A truck. Something for every kind of customer..

Agde Garden City

Agde had lots of elegant housing, a bit like Hampstead Garden Suburb. Extremely elegant. But we could not live there. Not shops nor activity. Curved buildings and trees. Modern. Lovely. But not lively.

Hotel Des Poetes, Beziers, was by the park with statues of local poets and Victor Hugo.

 Parking down the side road.

Warm welcome from staff, owner, helper Teresa, aand student M.

Evening meal at Le Chameau Ivre, meaning drunk camel. Wall of wines. choice of bar stools or tables.

Day 4 Beziers

Next day we visited the tourist office and discovered that the camel is the symbol of the city of Beziers because legend said somebody arrived by camel.

Morning we visited the hilltop cathedral, gave them our small change.

Afternoon

Visited Galeries Lafayette. No toilets. Bought a hat.

Down to the Polygone mall.

Open sided and drafty and rain coming in and puddles.

NO FREE TOILETS

 You had to pay for toilets with a jeton. You had to by the jeton with coins, which we no longer had because we had given our small change to the catheral. 

A cafe upstairs had no toilet 

They said, 'You have to go into the town centre for free toilets.' 

So we did - we left, very stressed.

Our evening meal was a much posher place, confusingly named Hotel Ambassador restaurant, no longer a hotel, hasn't been for several years, but retained the name. White table clothes, huge place. Lots of staff watching you and amuse guesles.  

Day 4 Wednesday

Pezanas

We drove to Pezanas. We visited new friends we had met on the Ryanair plane, Sandra and Mark. Gated propery. Their pool in open only in July and August and allows no recliners. They love cycling locally but you cannot leave a bike because increasingly tough robbers will cut chains with machine tools.

Lunch at Pezanas. Restaurant Bernie's, for the owner, not Bernard but Bernardette. 3 course meal reasonably priced.

Evening first night at Hotel des Poetes in Béziers.

We were cold but the owner carried up a heater, and brought a second chair folding, so we could both sit at the tiny table at our laptops.

Meal at 

Day 5 Thursday

Drove to Narbonne which has a ruined cathedral.

....

.......

First night at Dali hotel, Perpignan.

The best of our hotels was the Hotel Dali in Perpignan. Predictive text turned my text to hotel deli. Convenient underground parking was attached to the hotel. The huge breakfast included freshly squeezed juice from a machine containing oranges.

Free water with mint and lemon and ice dispenser was on reception.

Dali Hotel, Perpignan, France. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

 Was anything missing? Maybe more enthusiasm on check-in on busy Friday when we checked in, more friendliness and time to chat on the empty weekend when we checked out on Sunday. 

No lotion in bathrooms, no bathrobe but they did have white bathroom slippers. Our upgraded room (we chose to pay extra for more space) was a corner room which had double aspect windows. In summer it would be lovely. In winter possibly a bit colder.

Now for a Long rminder of the complete trip (cities and hotels dealt with individually in detail on other posts.)

Walked about 15 minutes to La Decouverte, pretty restaurant with pink lit tree in the middle.

Day 6 Friday Jan 12th 2024

Breakfast in hotel Dali, included freshly squeezed  orange juice machine, hazelnut coffee from another machines, smoked salmon, crispy bacon, plain bread, seed bread and currant bread, almond milk, almond tart, donuts, yogurt, prunes and assorted nuts, fresh fruit salad, local butter in small cracker shapes with foil covering, . 

Saint Canet had cofee on coast by sea

Along littoral with sea both sides, 

Saint Cyprien, 

Argeles - yacht harbour where we met the son of the agency which let houses.

stop w Stopped at a huge supermarket for a toilet and noticed the wine shop and shops outside the supermarket in the same building

Hyper  Argeles sur mer intermarche for a toilet

Collioure tiny cute bay with an agency called Paradise

Banyuls sur mer

Cave de L'Etoile (cellar of the star in French). Free tasting. No sweet wine, not in the fridge and he said it would take an hour to cool it.

Cave de L'Etoile. Photo by Angela Lansbury. copyright.

Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

. Had a private view of the cellar. Toilet.

In Perpignan walked up white steps to the old town with alleys, some filled with rubbish, to the restaurant Au Grain de Sel. No wine list. They brought out bottles of red then white wine and let us taste each. Wine by the glass six and a half euros, all the same price. 

Toilets had lovely soft toilet paper but as usual in this part of France no hand lotion. 

Pea soup free amuse bouche in small espresso coffee cups.

Starters

Trevor had truffle foam with an egg uolk hidden underneath. 

Main courses

Trevor had quail, white meat, perfectly cooked, same vegetables as mine.

Main course veal, perfectly soft and thick, sweet potato crisp, lots of vegetables which is unusual in France and many places nowadays. 

Dessert, lemon meringue with rosettes. Brittle base, sharp lemon, sugary soft meringue. (I would have preferred fruit added.) Very friendly staff. The one who spoke English was only 16 years old. The chef was shy but keen and happy to please.

Trevor had souffle. 

Night at the Dali Hotel in Perpgnan. 

Port Vendres, huge port as well as a marina to drive all around, admiring the amazing walls and the church facing the water.

Day 7 Saturday

Hotel Dali. Crispy bacon, scrambled egg so-so, more of the smoked salmon, yogurt, fruit, currant bread, hazelnut coffee. 

Delightful Decor

All the lights are different.

Looked at the free map on a tear off pad. Found an apparent hotel which is a free municial attraction in the old town opening 11-5, with indoor garden courtyard and frescoes up an inner staircase.

Free local newspaper in several sections on Saturday, 

In the afternoon we drove up into the mountains. Winding roads. 

Our purpose was to visit Katie Jones and see her winery.

katie Jones up a laddy by a stainless steel vat of wine. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Carcassone.

Hotel Le Donjon.  

The hotel does not do dinners. The toilet was outside the bedroom, but alongside.

 

Restaurant Le Table de la Bastide.

basement with curved roof.

Restaurant Le Table de la Bastide, Carcassonne, France. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Highlight of the meal was dessert, surprise lemon. The shell is wafer thin chocolate. Inside is a white mousse. At the base inside is a thin layer of green pistacchio. 

 If you can't manage stairs or you are claustrophobic, there are four table on the ground floor but I recommend the cellar room if you can get a table there.

Came back and photographed Carcassonne by night.

Carcassonne, France, by Night. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Sunday Jan 14 2024

Breakfast in the Hotel Le Donjon. Excellent, honey thin and thick. Excellent Danish pastry with apple in the middle. Perfect scrambled egg, good brown bread. 

The bthroom has wonderful aromatic minty soap in the dispenser, but no conditioner. I asked at the desk. None available.Hard boiled eggs. I learned the French, oeufs dure.

Walked around Carcassonne walls by daylight. 

Carcassone by day, walking alongside the walls on the inside. France. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Then walked past shops towards the cathedral in the centre.

Were offered truffle cream on bread at a truffle shop. 

Wanted to see inside the cathedral within the town walls, but it closed 11.45 other days and 10.45 on Sunday.

Popped into the top hotel, Cite hotel. It has a grand piano. And a restaurant.

Ring

Facing the cathedral is a souvenir shop with a huge number of inexpensive souviers including a lot of jewellery. I bought a ring for 4 Euros in the shape of a green enamal fish.

Carcassonne walls, approaching the gate from the city side car park. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Drove through Narbonne, not so imprseed the second time..

Motorway Toilet.

Free.

Return to London, Luton on Ryanair.

We had too many bags becuase of the wine and had to throw away leaflets and food.

Our flight left at 16.35, half past four in the afternoon. 

We found our friends Sandra and Mark again.

Organizing A Week's Trip

You could run a week long trip midweek to midwek, Wednesday, from Beziers. Or return earlier or later fom another airport. Many epople who live in France go to Barcelona airport, which is a two hour drive from this area and offers several flights a day to London as well as flights to Singapore and worldwide.

On the flight back we met up with our new friends Sandra and Mark who we met on the flight out. They said you can find flats to by incondos with pools at  sur plage, but there is nothing to do there in winter. 

Back in London I looked at a brochure I had been sent for Mayfield villages in Watford. Tey have an indoor heated pool,a restaurant, a shop, grounds looked after by staff, and activities such as bridge clubs. They help you with decluttering - sounds ominous, like they have no storage space and tiny rooms. My husband sayd he does not want to be with people who will go dolally, and only returied people. The age group is over 50. 

I tried searching for retirement villages in France.

Useful Websites

See my other posts.

Wikipedia Beziers

Sete

Sete

https://www.francethisway.com/places/sete.php

https://www.brainyquote.com/lists/authors/top-10-paul-valery-quotes

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The Old Fire House Restaurant & Gallery Beside Ely Cathedral, Cambridgeshire

 This place used to be in the Michelin guide, but have no fear. The prices are okay and the food is unpretentious but delightful and plentiful.

The Upstairs Gallery

One toilet is on the ground floor. Upstairs is a second toilet in a bathroom, a lounge where you can divert for tea, and a room with art  on display. The art is rather pricey, but so are the old masters and these are new masters and you can buy them.

We had a huge salad lunch and a fish pie with huge chunks of solid fish which I thought was chicken. We also had lots of bread. They wrapped up our leftovers which made another meal next day.

We were able to have lunch there, leave our car in their car park and go back for tea. You could also park outside if you can find a space. Elsewhere we found a one hour parking space, though a trip around the inside of the cathedral takes longer, especially if you go to see the exhibition which I shall describe in my next post.

The cheery old lady who served us had been there four decades. Because of Covid they no longer have the cakes on display. I don't know why they don't show photos. The Japanese have had menus with a photo of every dish in just about every restaurant for years.

I wondered whether the chocolate cake would be too sugary as well as a diet spoiler. So I opted for the carrot cake. It was delicious. The flavour was great. The texture was great. It was satisfyingly solid. It contained nuts and candied peel for an interesting taste and texture and added walnuts for more flavour and crispy crunch.

What is there to do in the area? The Tourist board has a map and calendar and loads of leaflets and the lady on the desk told us a whole history of Cromwell. You can visit the Cromwell museum, the Ely cathedral. We saw a stained glass exhibition. At certain times you can book a tower tour. They also run events for schoolchildren.

Old Fire House Restaurant, upstairs lounge for tea or coffee. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Parking

You can park outside if you can find a space. The restaurant has a free car park at the back. 

Useful Websites

The Old Fire House Restaurant

Cambridgeshire

http://www.theoldfireenginehouse.co.uk/

Delightful Duck and Desserts To Try At Met Su Yan Kosher Chinese Restaurant, Edgware

 

UK flag

I have had a celebratory meal at Chinese kosher restaurant Met Su Yan in Edgware, North west London, England, and take away food from the other branch. If you are interested in Chinese food, or kosher food, or a restaurant in North west London, or somewhere for a birthday or anniversary, here are two places to consider and the dishes you might enjoy.

Met Su Yan, according to the restaurant staff, means delicious in Chinese. The walls have three large pictures, two of Chinese buildings, a third shows Chinese writing. The seating is a combination of  banquettes and separate chairs. Tables can be pulled apart to create tables of four to comply with Covid-19 regulations. Hand sanatizer is at the entrance. Serving staff wear disposable masks.

I asked the manager if the two restaurants were related. He said they had started out as a partnership, but separated amicaably, with each partner taking over the restaurant nearest their home which cut down travelling. 

Hors D'Oevres (Starters)

My recent take away food at home came from the more central branch and started with the mixed hors d'oevres, which was delicious. Everybody enthused over the (lamb) ribs in sauce. (Why lamb? Pork is not kosher.)  

This good experience prompted us to make a booking at the Edgware branch. I had forgotten which dishes I liked.

I looked at the menu online in advance. I could then work out that I had previously liked the ribs. For my own benefit, I am noting here what I was keen on. Others liked the sesame toast, but my preference was for the lamb ribs. 

Pricewise, there are two set meals, for three courses or four including the Duck. I thought it made things simpler to choose the set meals. You still get a chance to have the duck, and choose rice or vegetables (one of us chose rice, the other vegetables), and portions are generous enough for us to share.

Birthdays

 I asked in advance what they do for a celebration. For a birthday or anniversary they bring out a candle on a dessert, not just a little blow out wax candle, but a dramatic flaming candle.

Duck

We were all familiar with what we in the UK call, 'Peking duck', served English style. Unlike China. I have been to what is supposed to be the best resaurant in Beijing for Peking Duck, served to the locals with just the skin, no meat. In Singapore, too, you must specify if you want your Peking Duck Western style or Chinese style. 

The way we like it is with ultra-thin white flat pancakes kept warm in a bamboo lidded steamer. Help yourself to a spreading of thick plum sauce (which looks like thickened soy sauce). On top add finely shredded spring onion. Then thin sticks of cucumber, like finger long chopstick thick piece of cucumber. Finally, shredded duck. 

Chicken

For my main course I chose chicken with cashew nuts. I had looked at the menu online the evening before. I saw Chicken 'Poh'. I was going to ask what Poh meant. Then I noticed the star which indicated spicy, so my decision was made, stick to the straightforward chicken dish. If I were ordering two portions at home, where it is easy to try out dishes with different cutlery wihtout the risk of somebody else dipping their fork or spoon in your plate, I would order one of each.

Desserts

Desserts were toffee banana, nothing like toffee which to me is soft. On the contrary, banana coated in solid, crunchy sugar glaze.

Met Su Yan Restaurant, London, England, chocolate dessert. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Chocolate Dessert Surprise

For me the best dessert was the chocolate bombe, which has melting chocolate in a solid-looking case.  In the restaurant it was served with white ice cream which was topped with a sprig of mint. If you want to reproduce this at home, search around the internet for the recipe. 

At home you could imitate a birthday or grand restaurant. I have seen a chocolate bombe served with the candle on top. You could serve this under a dome with music to anounce the entrance. You could do any varitation of that at home for a birthday or anniversary or religious holiday.

At the restaurant we had too much to eat. The restaurant packed up everything to do except white ice cream which would have accompanied the chocolate dessert.

If you are stuck at home anywhere in north or central London, you might like to hold a party at home using their take away service. Add your own candles on the dessert or cake, your own ice cream, birthday hats, badges and banners.

If you are not Jewish, but your guests include one or more Jewish visitors and you are wondering what you can safely serve them, a Jewish or kosher restaurant might solve your problem. Note that Jewish style food from a restaurant is not necessarily kosher. If you want kosher, this place fulfils the requirement.

Drinks

In October 2020 the choices included Champagne at 75 pounds sterling, red or white wine by the glass, a chablis at 28, an Israeli rose wine, at 22 a sweet Muscat at 18 pounds. There is a 12 per cent service charge when eating in. I ordered a bottled Cranberry juice at 3 pounds. 

Note that in a kosher restaurant you will not be served milk (not in ice cream nor in a coffee) after a meat meal. At home when serving to religious guests you might need to serve a non diary creamer or wait some hours to elapse. 

Up To Date Prices

When ordering from the menu or in the restaurant, check the online menu and enquire about the latest prices.

Parking

You cannot park outside because there is a double yellow line which means no parking any time. When we visited we could park at night for free in streets nearby. If you have a lady in high heeled shoes or it is raining, you could drop somebody nearer the entrance.

Useful Websites and information

www.metsuyan.co.uk

http://www.metsuyan.co.uk/MesuyanEdgwareTakeaway.pdf

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g1646063-d3981477-Reviews-Met_Su_Yan-Edgware_Greater_London_England.html

https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/social-media-and-email-updates/

Their business card says Glatt Kosher under the supervision of the Federation of Synagogues. We were unable to make a booking during the Jewish holiday of Sukkoth, so keep your eye on the Jewish holidays if you are planning an event or making a booking.

About the Author

Angela Lansbury is a travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. You can read other posts and blogs by Angela and link with her on LinekedIn and Facebook and Twitter and Instagram. Also speak to her at meeting of Toastmasters International, where she is a member of five clubs. Please share links  to your favourite posts with your friends and family.

Are you organizing or attending an event? Contest? Wedding? How to check the venue where you will meet - my disasters and lessons learned

One of the things which makes speaking on stage stressful is not knowing the venue. You have to find the building and the room.


At one speech contest in Cambridge, England, one of the contestants got lost and turned aback and went home half way. As Woody Allen famously said, half the battle is just turning up.

Date
Check the date. Email about next meeting are not clear. Add the day of the week, especially if your regular meetings are on Saturday but a big event is on a Sunday or vice versa. Also check for national holidays and other major events such as football matches which could cause traffic jams.


Directions
If  you are organizer of a national event, in some countries you can pay to install a sign to a hotel or conference centre at a junction. You can pay to change the road signs or add to them if you have a budge.

However, there's a lot you can do in advance to reduce the stress. Send a map to those attending. Phone to check they know the way. Organize lifts from the nearest station. Phone to check they are on the way. If they are lost, send somebody to meet them at the building entrance.  Gather your group at a nearby pub for lunch in advance.

Packing A Printer
The Singapore contestant who reached the international finals, Wiwiek, told us that she packed her own printer so she did not need to leave her hotel bedroom and go to the conference centre to print off revisions to her speech.

Food Timing
Tell the pub that you have to leave at a specific time and ask which food can be prepared in time. Order meals in advance. Arrange for one person to pay for everybody so they can walk off fast. Then arrange cars or pairs to walk together.

You might invest in some food to share, to perk up your spirits, give a rush of energy before you go on stage. Even keep your rival contestants happy.

When you win and they lose, or you win and they lose, you already have goodwill which makes it easier for everybody.


Buying Food
It helps to check the type of venue and plan what to do. If possible go to the venue well in advance. For example, a year before. Either attend a meeting there. Or just turn up to something else in the building, have a coffee, and food where you can get coffee or food in the building, find out about the parking, the walk from the station. Check with the organizers whether you need to bring your own sandwich and if you can eat in the building and what time the food outlet closes.

We had a meeting in a building with a college cafeteiria, a business school. However, the eating place closed before noon at the quiet weekend. Those who had bought a sandwich before the meeting had food, those of us who expected to buy fresh at lunch time were unable to do so.

I bought food the next time in advance It cost me the price of a sandwich. If I was given food it was a waste of time and money. it saved queuing later.



Toilets in Queensland Art Gallery. Photo by Kgbo.

Toilets
Also check the toilets. You might hope for a huge venue to have a huge toilet area. Not necessarily. You might have two toilet cubicles, one out of order and the other occupied by a mother and two children.Two toilets on your level for a meeting of 100 people with a ten minute break in which you want  to network. Toilets already occupied by a dance troupe changing clothes who broke up fifteen minutes before your meeting. Where are the toilets one level up or down?

On one occasion I was the judge at a contest. Doors were locked during speeches. i went for the food first.
The ladies toilet was along a corridor, down a flight of stairs and along a corridor. Nobody to ask.When I came back I was locked out of the contest.

Doors
I tried knocking but the door was behind the stage and nobody heard. What to do? Go home? My bag was inside.


I stood and waited. outside the air con in the heat. I had no choice.

Luckily after a few minutes somebody left and the door opened so I was able to sneak in. Nobody noticed or knew I was five minutes late back and had been locked out.

In some office buildings in Singapore you need a key to use the toilets. You go along a corridor, left, right left. Coming out there are two doors, left and right. it is easy to get lost. Then you need somebody to let you back into the office.

In the USA and UK the organizer of Toastmasters International always announces the location of the toilets. In Singapore this is rarely done.

Changing Venue For One to One Meetings
First you need to arrive on time. I had a meeting arranged and the other person wanted to change to another venue at McDonalds in a mall. I changed it back to the venue I know, another place, because the changed venue was an hour and a half away from me in both direction,s a fifteen minutes walk with my laptop, and the directions online were to a community centre and not the mall and I was afraid of being lost. We switched back to our usual venue.

Stand Up And Spotlights
When you speak on stage at a stand up comedy event you might be under a spotlight which makes eye contact or even opening your eyes difficult.

Arriving Early
So check the size and shape of the venue. Arrive early and rehearse on stage. Plan how to give your speech in a large hall and a small one. Then you will be sure that your audience can see you and hear you and appreciate the message you want to give them.

Sound Check
Have somebody stand at the back of the room and tell you if you can be heard. If you are organizing, get all the speakers to do a test.

Alternative Speech
Always have two speeches ready, one for a behind the lectern speech, another for a huge stage.

At very least arrive early and check the venue. Walk up and down miming your actions. If the venue limits actions, change the speech.


Small Or Large Stage?
This does not always work. You may be denied entry because 'the room is not ready' or 'nobody is allowed on the stage', 'please sit down', 'we need this place clear to set up the sound system' or even, 'we cannot allow one contestant an advantage over the others'.

An alternative is to check on line for the picture of the venue or ask to be sent one. If the organizers won't help, maybe somebody who attends a meeting has a photo. Maybe their Facebook page has a photo.

Weddings
At weddings you can assign one of the ushers to the car park with a welcome sign. The hotel or venue should have a sign in the hall with a direction arrow. Have signs at all exits, the back exit, the wheelchair ramp, the lifts - before your group goes upstairs to another wedding.

About the Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Blocked by bikes in Hanoi, Vietnam

Around the old quarter of Hanoi, capital of Vietnam, the pavements (which Americans call sidewalks) are blocked by bikes, motorbikes and scooters.Pedestrians are forced out into the roads where more bikes with their headlights blazing at night charge towards you, weave towards, back ut in front of you or do a u-turn to pick up a friend or paying passenger.



Photo by Angela Lansbury.

In the smarter areas with wider pavements there may be a gap between the bikes and the shops.



Bikes in Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Bikes on this corner blocking the way. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Travel information
For hotels
booking.com
Comparison site:
https://www.clicktripz.com/rates/search/index
For airlines
travelok.com
vietJetair.com (Comprehensive list of budget airlines in Wikivoyage.)
For transport
https://www.grab.com/vn/en/

Language
Duolingo.com 
(Remember to click on the sound symbol to hear how words are pronounced.) 

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.

Please share links to your favourite posts. I have several more on Hanoi, Halong Bay and Vietnam.

What To Expect When Invited To Funerals: A Christian Cremation or Liberal Jewish Funeral In London and more

A family travelled from Australia to London for their friend's funeral. It's snowing. Will we reach the funeral and get back? Are modern funerals like those in the old days?

My late father told me that when he was a teenager in the late 1930s in London, England, he organized the cars to the cemetery for his grandfather's funeral on a snowy day. The car got stuck in the snow and stopped. My father had to get out and push, standing with one foot on the running board, then turn the cranking handle. My father's uncle Gus, nicknamed the Joker, quipped, "Your Grandad doesn't want to go!"

The snow in the suburbs is worse than the warm centre of London. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Problem
Winter seems to be funeral time. Is it the cold killing everybody off? Or the cold days and short days, and dark depressing everybody?  I was invited to another funeral this week in 2018. Invited is not the right word, not etiquette. You are not invited. That's for weddings and celebrations. You are informed. It was modern. The message came by what's ap.

My lime green car is not the appropriate colour for a funeral. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

We can hardly see to drive. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Whose car will we travel in?

The mourners travel with the coffin in a cortege. Here are the funeral cars which went to a Christian cremation. Funeral cars look alike - unless you have a horse and carriage.

 Funeral Car In Black. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

What else did I find out I needed to know? Parking.

Parking
Parking - is it easy? The last two or three cemeteries I went to had big parking areas. But this week's was in the centre of London and very difficult parking. A good thing I went with somebody else.

Liberal Jewish Cemetery. Quite different to the Orthodox ones. Despite the theory that 'anything goes nowadays', most mourners wore black or dark colours. My plan to wear black to play it safe turned out to be correct.

Clothing Colours
Nothing worse than being the only person in bright pink at a funeral of over two hundred people all in black, when you are not even related. (That happened to me at a Catholic church in Southern England in 2017. I wasn't wearing bright pink, dusty rose, but it looked luminous like bright pink. I felt as inconspicuous as a flashing Belisha Beacon.)

Seats and No Seats
This month, Feb 2018, the funeral of a young man with cystic fibrosis, died in his late thirties, had over 200 people. His friends included those who had flown in from Australia. Latecomers did not get seats. I was standing inside. The last people to arrive, even worse off, were left outside, could not get in the door. They could not sit. They could not see nor hear the speeches.

There were three speeches by the mother, father and sister. No microphone, so those outside could not hear.

A Christian Cremation Funeral
In January I went to the cremation of a Christian neighbour, who had reputedly died (committed suicide?), after depression. The white coffin and pink flowers helped uplift the spirits. At the cremation, the coffin was left behind as we filed out, and curtains closed around the coffin.

Liberal Jewish Burial Funeral
For a Jewish burial in England, the coffin sits in the prayer hall while the eulogy (speech of praise) is read after the prayer. The Jewish minister was a woman.

The prayer books open back to front, because of the Hebrew, but the English is on the opposite page. You may have to share prayer books.

Reading Hebrew
If you want to learn the Hebrew alphabet you can do so on Duolingo Tinycards. You can also brush up on your Hebrew words and phrases and simple sentences with Duolingo.

Services seem to start, or continue with at least one paragraph about we are all dust, and live briefly as the grass.

Jewish Prayers
You might be interested in learning the Kaddish (prayer said at funerals, actually an affirmation of belief in and trust in God) in Hebrew or English or both. In the Liberal prayer book which was used, some of the paragraphs read were from the Song Of Songs. You can find the sources at the back of the prayer book (following the numbered pages. The back which looks like the front because the book goes backwards).

In the audience we had members of a Toastmasters International club, of all religions and none.

How To Get A Copy Of The Speech
You are not supposed to take photos or videos. I think that's a pity. Often the person reading the eulogy has a handwritten or typed copy of the speech. If you wish to read it, or send it to a relative of yours who could not attend, they might send it to you or give it to you. If there's only one copy and they don't want to part with it, you could take a photo of it with your smart phone to read later.

(At another cremation, of my ninety-year-old distant aunt, I emailed a copy to the speech to the lady who ran the care home. She had gone to the wrong cemetery by mistake.)

I made a mistake not taking an umbrella.

That person with the umbrella did the right thing. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

I was once told that Ashkenazi graves, for 'German' and also European people, have upright headstones, but graves for the Sephardi ('Spanish' -also Moroccan and Middle Eastern). This UK cemetery has both.

Wheeling The Coffin

At the Liberal Jewish funeral, the coffin, covered in dark cloth, was then wheeled out to the graveside, a long walk, with the coffin and the family at the front of the procession.

The oblong hole for the coffin was large and has wooden or other reinforcements to keep the walls upright. The cemetery attendants lower the coffin. Then they wheel off the bier, a bit like an empty hospital trolley, ready to collect the next coffin.

Spooky, seeing the black-coated men trundle off in the distance, without the coffin. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

At really big cemeteries the elderly and infirm can take an electric buggy a bit like a golf cart. Remember to wear closed shoes, not your high heels, in case your grave is at the end of the grassy field, especially if it is or was raining or snowing. In case it is raining or snowing, even if you travelled there by car, you might need an umbrella for the cemetery walk. Plus gloves and a warm hat and scarf.

The Practicalities

The coffin is wheeled to the graveside, where the removed earth is in a pile. At a Jewish cemetery, rabbi, the minister, is likely to say a few words in Hebrew. Then the rabbi may throw in a handful of earth, and the immediate family are the first to pick up a handful, or use a spade to throw in a lot.

No Flowers
At the Christian cremation, we had flowers on display. At a Jewish funeral generally no flowers.

A Romanian Eastern Orthodox Christian cemetery, full of colourful real or plastic flowers. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

No Hand Washing?
Traditionally, at a Jewish cemetery we would wash hands and say a prayer during the hand washing. You might think that it's healthy to wash your hands. But apparently, the prayer and ritual cleansing and re-starting life, symbolically is equally important, or more important, or the only important thing, depending who you ask. But this was Liberal Jewish. No hand-washing.

We debated whether everybody would go back into 'the chapel'. I was sure they would. You always do. Firstly, for a quick final prayer, secondly and/or to tell everybody they are all invited to tea wherever, and prayers later, at that address or another.

Then we drove off to the funeral tea. Nobody was organizing cars. I was now shunted to a different car, with different friends.

Mixed colour bread. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Funeral Tea - The Best
At a Jewish event, usually a kosher caterer. This event had a caterer who provided as far as I could see, no alcohol but several types of soft drinks.

Bagels with smoked salmon. What looked like aubergine wraps. Two people told me they were good. But I liked the smoked salmon half bagels, with either poppyseed or sesame seed.
I asked who did the catering. Somebody said Danieli.

Most unusual were the sandwiches in a mixture of breads including a bread which looked like a marble cake, with dark brown bread contrasting with white.

For 'dessert' skewers of fruit, giant red strawberries, yellow pineapple chunks, green fruit. While eating tea, yuou are likely to meet people from all over the world.

Esperanto on the grave, in Warsaw, Poland, of Zamenhof, who invented the international language. Photo by Adrian Grycuk in Wikipedia article on Zamenhof.

The Cemetery
If you linger in a cemetery, or go looking for your own family's graves, you will find Hebrew useful. If you don't have time to learn it, print out the Hebrew-English so you can read gravestones. It is enormously satisfying to read a word or two in a foreign language.

Many people nowadays are hunting for their ancestors' graves to help with their life history. Latin would be useful looking at Roman tombstones in museums. Esperanto for the grave of Zamenhof, the founder of the easy international language.

Useful Websites
Hebrew Alphabet
tinycards.duolingo.com - Hebrew
Hebrew Language
Duolingo.com - Hebrew

Kaddish
The kaddish is written in Aramaic, the language of the people, as well as some literature, at the time of the Romans and Jesus. Oddly enough, it focuses on god and eternity rather than the soul of the deceased. A bit like singing God Save the Queen at the end of a cinema performance in the old days, a solemn ending calling on the Almighty, trusting that your fragile brief life is part of the eternal good, and hoping that the Almighty will soon bring peace and life to all.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaddish (Multiple technical translations.)
https://www.shiva.com/learning-center/sitting-shiva/kaddish/ (A soothing modern translation.)

Find A Grave
findagrave.com 70 million memories.

Catering For Funeral And Other Events
Daniels Catering
Tel: 020 8455 5826 Mob: 07931 576779
cafdan@aol.com
www.danielsbakery.co.uk

http://www.kosher.org.uk/caterers

http://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/whats-difference-between-kosher-and.html

What To Say
To orthodox Jewish mourning family you say: "Wish you long life."
When saying goodbye to other guests and relatives you might say, "May we meet again - on happier occasions!"

More on funerals:
http://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/what-was-good-about-middlesex-stadium.html

http://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/frank-talk-about-jewish-funeral.html
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. See my other posts on funerals and learning languages. Please like, follow, and share links to your favourite posts.