Pre-trip Update

5/3/15
Four days to go until departure, and we're studying books, materials, and camera manuals frantically, beginning the packing process, and tying up our loose ends here at home and in SF.  This is partially a "test posting", as I've signed up to receive these blog updates in one of my email accounts and want to see how that works.

If you'd like to get emailed when I make updates to this blog, it's a few (easy) step process:
1)  Enter your email in the field at the very bottom of this page
2)  Click to receive the verification email
3)  Open that email and click the appropriate button to verify your address and desire for these updates.

Then you can enjoy following along from place to place as we progress on this extraordinary journey.

Otherwise, you'll have to remember to check back regularly to see what I've posted.

I also wanted to mention that the darker text in my entries are hyperlinks that will take you to the relevant websites that contain more information and/or videos etc. pertinent to the subject matter discussed.  For example, I've included links to the National Geographic page with the description and itinerary for our trip, Wikipedia pages for our tour guide, etc., as well as links to You Tube videos of his documentary films, etc.  Great resources worth a look indeed!

Stay tuned for the upcoming journey itself, and the resulting photos, stories, and information...  ;-)

London's Frolic

5/14/15
London was a fun time gathering with some good British friends, as we settled in to prepare for the exciting journey ahead.  Paul and Liz came down from up in Yorkshire on Saturday for the great times to begin. Although we hadn't seen each other in a few years, we picked up right where we had left off and it was like old times.  We gathered in our hotel lobby to get things started, and then set out on foot.

We walked to an Indian restaurant that was vegan friendly to accommodate their dietary choices.  It didn't open until noon, so we attempted to find a pub to kill the 20 minute wait; but alas, the two we ran across didn't open until noon either.  So we bumbled a bit, stood on a corner, then pounced on the place when they opened the door at 11:59.  It was good enough, but not worth a link or recommendation.  One can find as good or better a curry in London pretty easily.  

From there, we walked Jack to the Apollo Theater where he caught Kristen Scott Thomas in a performance of "The Audience", which he enjoyed (at least the parts where he could understand the accents).  Meanwhile, Liz, Paul and I walked SoHo to see the new developments.  They alarmed me a bit with mention of Denmark Street being torn down.  As it turned out, the demolition was one block away, so the famous block of music stores was spared (for now).  I popped into a few of the specialized music stores, plucked a guitar or two, and admired the wall of Les Pauls at the Gibson shop.  We had a pint at a pub that was formerly the Marquis Club, a vintage venue where the likes of the Rolling Stones played way back in the early sixties.  From there, we were meant to get on the Tube at Tottenham Court Road, as my feet were aching, and I was dying for a rest back at the hotel.  But it was right in the demolition zone and closed through next December!  

Consequently, our circuitous walk led us up Wardour Street, where we learned the old Intrepid Fox is GONE!  Another lost institution, and an old favorite as well.  It therefore only provided mild salvation when we found a place called Snowflake that serves what they call "luxury gelato": http://www.snowflakegelato.co.uk  

It was the vegan flavors seen through the window that enticed us in.  Although I went for a traditional stracciatella (chocolate chip), they both ate dark chocolate ginger flavor, which they loved:

And that night was our big, highly anticipated outing to the belly dancing show at Maroush Restaurant only a couple blocks from the hotel.  It started with a woman singing, kind of like karaoke, but she was a professional singer.  She really engaged the audience, and loved to pass the microphone to people.  When she discovered that I could sing, as well as improvise, I became a go-to favorite of hers, as you can see (excellent photo courtesy of Liz):

Then the second set was the big event: belly dancers!!!  Evidently there is a bust requirement for this job.  They were fun, engaging, and had great moves.  Jack gets awfully close:

Whew!  What a night!  We were STUFFED by the time we had: a crudite platter with hummus, about six appetizers, and three entrees, plus dessert.  But it was SO loud, it was like eating dinner on the dance floor of a thumping nightclub.  All had headaches by the time we walked out.  It was an experience, and a sight to behold, but for us, once should suffice:  http://www.maroush.com/restaurants-london

The next day, we wanted to cruise along the Thames River through London.  When we went to leave the hotel, we were warned about the V.E. (Victory in Europe) Day celebrations blocking streets downtown.  So we opted to take the Tube down there and cruise back.  Once we got to Greenwich Market area, we scoped out the boat situation, turned to hit the famous market, and promptly got a call from our pal Gizz telling us he was heading into town (from Peterborough), and that we were too far south for his convenience.  So we walked through a rinky-dink little local crafts market, and got right on the boat back towards the London Eye (ferris wheel).  Here we are cruising the Thames:

It's so funny, when I was a kid, a friend used to watch The Benny Hill Show (which I didn't quite get), and during the theme, the word Thames came on the screen, and I always thought it rhymed with James.  Little did I know... (it actually rhymes with gems, in case you didn't know)

When we got to the London Eye, Gizz was already there, but we had to find each other in the crowd, which took considerable time, as it was majorly thick down there at tourist central.  All were starved by that point, so we went to a lunch counter.  Liz and Paul ordered the only veg friendly dish they offered, and it was not available!  But we did sit in the sun for a while, with a beer etc., since Gizz only had an hour to spend with us.  It was great of him to come all the way down to see us with so little window of opportunity.  So we made the most and had a nice visit:

Time was short, and we all headed for the Tube, but before parting ways as we split onto our respective Underground lines, we got a quick final selfie:

On the way back to our hotel, the Yorkies were so starved, they got a banana and a couple nectarines at a sidewalk fruit stand, and we headed back to freshen up for dinner.

We settled on Italian as a good option for all, and the concierge recommended a good spot a few blocks from the hotel called Il Calcio.  http://ilcalcio.co.uk

As close a walk as it should have been, I walked right by the street it was on THREE TIMES, much to the frustration of our starving friends (sorry, gang).  When we finally got there, we all loved our dinner, especially the bruschetta, the Castelveltrano olives (a new introduction for Paul), and the pasta dishes.  This is out front afterwards, stuffed and happy (at last):

And back at the hotel, we enjoyed a night cap, at which I introduced Paul to my favorite scotch Lagavulin.  He was't familiar with the single malts, and may never go back to blended!

Monday was our day to part ways with our friends from the north, as work beckoned, as well as the cats.  But not without a final lunch.  A simple Google search turned up a veg friendly place a block from King's Cross, their train station.  And we can all highly recommend Foodilic, if anyone finds themselves in that neighborhood:  http://www.foodilic.com

We had a little time for shopping and roaming the area before the train departure, so we hit a "Vegan Boutique" that was a paradise for them (all vegan food, snacks, and clothing):

And after a final pint in the train station, we said our goodbyes and sent them back on up north.

That afternoon, we visited the National Geographic desk at the Four Seasons to register with our group, pick up our welcome packets with name badges, etc., and get the final app for our iPads with the lectures and in-flight entertainment.

The next post will encompass our final day in London, our welcome dinner with the group, and our departure from the U.K. by private jet.  So stay tuned...   ;-)

Further London report & take-off

5/15/15
On Monday night, we met up with a friend from Rancho Mirage (Palm Springs) who happened to be in London on the same dates as us.  We had dinner at Le Caprice (click here to visit the restaurant), and I can highly recommend it!

Tuesday was moving day, so we packed it in; and with bitter sweet farewells to our charming staff at the Radisson Blu Portman Square, caught one of those cute, boxy looking London cabs and headed over to the Four Seasons Park Lane (click here to visit the hotel).  What an elegant place that is.  Although I must say that for my personal taste, I prefer a more down-to-earth staff rather than all of that bowing and scraping they do at the ultra fancy hotels.  However, some of the amenities and room appointments are plush, and it was located walking distance from the famous Harrod's Department Store (click here to visit the store).  So while Jack paid a visit to the National Portrait Gallery (click here to visit the gallery), I took a stroll to and through Harrod's.  First stop was the food halls for a bowl of soup at the Bentley's counter.  It was delicious, but a little heavy on the booze flavor for my taste.  But y'all know me; definitely not a boozer!  The funniest part about Harrod's is how they call everything "luxury": luxury linens, luxury sportswear, luxury ice cream (okay, that one is an exaggeration).  But I did have a $20 sundae (seriously, zoom in on the menu); and must confess, it is not the best ice cream (so spoiled in SF!):

Then I went to the luxury mens department and was immediately approached with the old British, "Are you being served".  I was in fact looking for something in particular, and they couldn't have been more helpful scouring the inventory for a plethora of versions of the mid-layer I was after.  I settled on a Hugo Boss snap-front sweater with ample pockets in dark blue.  In the process, I also found an Armani bright blue, light weight rain jacket that folds into its own pocket.  Nice piece.  Stay tuned for pics of these new wardrobe items in various locations along our journey...

Back at the Four Seasons, I reunited with Jack for the welcome reception and dinner with our group.  They put on a nice cocktail party with delicious passed hors d'oeuvres.  We met, mixed, and mingled until the ballroom was opened and we took a seat with new friends Mame and Dan from Wisconsin.  I also sat next to Bill and Elaine Bugg from Virginia and learned all about what he did in his career as an actuary.  Very interesting indeed.  The highlight, though, was an introduction by the man who inspired our participation in this trip: Spencer Wells:

Later in the evening, before dessert was served, I noticed him chatting with Greg Anderson (click here for his (minimalist) Wikipedia page), and jumped at my chance to introduce myself.  I shared that he was the sole reason for my booking this trip and he asked if I was a geneticist.  lol  After brief introductions, I revealed that I had prepared some CDs, paperwork, and had a book for him, with he seemed interested to receive when they were presented, which was reassuring.  But, alas, it was time to rest for the long journey ahead the following day.

After a lavish buffet breakfast with the group back in the ballroom, we boarded coaches headed for Stanstead airport, where we "enjoyed" a VIP waiting lobby and security checkpoint on our way directly to the tarmac, where our private jet awaited:

Turns out it was literally the Rolls Royce of jet airplanes:

On board, the captain and co-captain greeted us personally:

And our wonderful Hungarian tour manager Eszter made the announcements:

And it turns out we keep our flight crew the entire trip.  Boy are they wonderful.  Best flight crew I've ever experienced.  The "boys" are campy as all get out, and the girls are pretty, sweet, and couldn't be more accommodating (pics later perhaps; we've got 'em for over three weeks and six or so flights):

And believe it or not, on this flight we all get our own pair of Bose noise canceling headphones to use for the duration and take home when it's over:

So that set us off on our way to Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia.  This is now our last night here.  We board the plane again tomorrow heading for Samarkand, Uzbekistan, where I plan to blog our three day experience in this enchanting and historic land.  Stay tuned...   ;-)