Travel

We arrived at Dulles airport on Virgin Atlantic's new Airbus 380. It was Friday, late afternoon, and we had less than 48 hours to see Washington DC.  Our hotel, The Liaison Capitol, was welcoming, the rooms a good size and the staff helpful – the service was great all weekend. The hotel is located right by the Capitol Building so our first excursion was to see that renowned centre of political intrigue by night. It was beautifully lit and imposing and we could see stretched before us the Mall, which is where we were heading on Saturday to walk all 21/2 miles of it.

Victoria Eggs creates playful contemporary Homeware, Gifts and Clothing, made in the UK, that celebrate a love for all things British. Her bold and eye-catching designs are printed on premium quality Tea Towels, Aprons, Oven Mitts, Fine Bone China Mugs, Canvas Shopper Bags, T-Shirts and Screen Prints.
Where did you grow up and what was your childhood like?

Kicking Horse: A resort that lives up to its name.
No helicopters are needed to ski over 30,000 vertical feet a day by any social skier whose nerves hold firm.  as he or she will enjoy of the most challenging skiing they will probably ever experience.  There are some 85 ‘chutes’ in Kicking Horse, I would use the more appropriate word ‘drops’ for most runs.  Most of these runs are largely accessed by a single summit gondola lift, a shorter chair ‘Stairway to Heaven’ opens up further breathtaking runs, lift queues are rare.  

Bentley presented their new fragrance for men, Azure, at the Langham Hotel London last night. It was a great evening and I was feeling pretty dapper, having just been groomed by the celebrated and charming Brent Pankhurst. Pankhursts is the most refined barber in London, providing iconic 60's British luxury and style.

Despite the Air of Positivity at Davos, European Consumer Confidence Takes a Dip, with 73% Not Seeing the Economic Outlook Improving in 2014, Says New AlixPartners Survey
Consumers on both sides of the Atlantic plan to reduce spending as trust in governments to remedy economic woes ebbs to 10% of surveyed.

Montana – the big sky country – is arguably one of the most scenic US states.  Full of friendly people and over-run with a fascinating variety of wildlife.  The State presents  a wonderful opportunity to hunt US style.
 
Hunting in the US, or stalking as one would say in Scotland, is very similar in a lot of ways, but whereas in Scotland one can shoot as many stags as one’s pocket and the landowner permits, in the United States the law says one beast only.
 

“Have you cruised before?” Four words, one question on a constant loop inside the mind, even now we’ve been back in the UK long enough to celebrate Christmas and New Year, and recover from both.
For two first time shipmates the answer was simple enough, ensuring the constant repetition never became too painful. “No”, we would respond, and then wait, either for genuinely useful advice or another verbal love letter about how this is the finest thing to happen to international travel since the birth of international travel.

La Rosiere
Variety is the spice of life and an invitation to ski at La Rosiere, a French resort that had never featured on my radar, was irresistible. Lots of familiar names around: Mont Blanc, Monte Rosa, Aosta Valley, and in sight across the valley: Val d’Isere so there were obviously good prospects.

Whistler sets a standard that many other ski resorts have to match; right up there with Aspen and some European resorts but for very different reasons. The main concern for many is the flight; eleven hours but you do not lose skiing time as it is overnight and you are chasing the sun outbound.  Passing through Vancouver airport is quick and the transfer is less than two hours to Whistler, the roads are good and it’s worth keeping awake for the stunning scenery.  

As ever, in the wake of 12 months passing we’re left with little to do other than reflect on what’s been, and look to the future. The latter of the two appealing more given the rather generous UK Box Office release schedule cinemagoers are now faced with.