UK Trip

Our very own CasaSugar uploaded this picture of a three-tiered confection to our Savory Sights group in the YumSugar Community.

During my recent trip to London, I attended the Taste of London 2010 restaurant festival in Regents Park. Naturally, one of my favorite tents to visit was luxury Parisian patisserie Ladurée. Of course I did sample the world's best macarons there, but I was also absolutely smitten with this dropdead gorgeous three-tiered cake. From the delicate scalloped icing and gold beads to the disc-like petals and perfectly pink palette, it was almost too pretty to eat . . . almost.

Do you have an image of something delicious that you recently made or enjoyed? Upload it!

Our very own CasaSugar uploaded this picture of right-out-of-the-fryer French fries to the Savory Sights group in the YumSugar Community. Do you have an image of something delicious that you recently made or enjoyed? Upload it!

During my recent trip to London, I had a wonderful lunch at 101 Pimlico Road in Belgravia. I ordered the grilled flank steak with fries and an absolutely mouthwatering béarnaise sauce. Paired with an Italian red, it was one of most delectable meals of my trip! I love how the frites were served in their petite frying basket. I noticed that style of plating at a few other restaurants in London . . . perhaps it's a growing trend?

During my wonderful weeklong trip to London and Suffolk hosted by the team from Visit London, I toured the fashionable Belgravia district, one of London's most charming and prestigious neighborhoods. Among other neighboring high streets, quaint Elizabeth Street is lined with small brick buildings with ground floor boutiques and residential apartments above. While the storefronts each exhibit their own sense of style with perfectly curated paint colors and sophisticated signage, the top floor exteriors are for the most part simple.

So I couldn't help but be smitten with one resident who spelled out the word "love" in topiaries from the window boxes on their balcony. The romantic touch of greenery is both subtle and eye-catching — quite akin to the sleepy neighborhood that carries the covetable red carpet looks of Jenny Packham, the show-stopping hats of acclaimed milliner Philip Treacy, and the to-die-for gems of Erickson Beamon.

One of the stops on my wonderful trip to the UK hosted by Visit London and Visit Britain was the charming English coastal village of Southwold. Perhaps as famous and synonymous with the resort town as San Francisco's storied Painted Ladies is Southwold's strand of multicolored beach huts that trims the sand. Originally built as bathing/changing huts for Victorian ladies who wouldn't dare bare their skin, today the 300-some shacks, which stretch across the shore, are used to store beach essentials like towels, shovels, snorkeling gear, etc. Moreover, they're a place to just be and enjoy the sun, the shade, and the breeze.

But even measuring in around only six-foot square, the view of the North Sea will cost you. Ramshackled castles in the sand have been known to sell for upwards of £40,000 ($59,000) — and a record-breaking £100,000 ($148,000) — and on the low end, the huts butt up against the £10,000 ($15,000) mark. The purchase won't get you more than four walls and a roof, though. According to town regulations, beach hut owners cannot stay the night in these vibrant shacks, so they don't quite act as second homes. Some, but not all, have running water and electricity, allowing shrewd residents to set up a hot plate to cook up some swim break fare.

It's rare that Southwold's beach huts come on the market as many are tied to the deeds of local homes or owned by local bed and breakfasts. If you decide to make a visit to Southwold — which you should! — some hotels will rent you the huts for $150-$300/week, depending on the season. But, you'd better book in advance! Take a look at my photos and tell me what you think. Would you buy one?

For most of us, the purpose of installing roller blinds lies in keeping out light and offering privacy. But during my wonderful trip to London and Suffolk last week with Visit London, I came across one building that took the simple shades to a whole new level. From my cozy booth at the delightful Italian restaurant Carluccio's in Covent Garden, I couldn't help but be captivated (and blinded) by the neon pink blinds of a building across the street. Contrasting sharply with the building's white stucco exterior, the window treatments make a bold, playful, in-your-face statement that interacts with passersby while fending off their prying eyes. Are you too timid for this trick?