Back in London for some New Zealand editing! I am also back at The Athenaeum ... one of my London homes. The hotel has recently unveiled its "living wall" ... one of a kind in London ... and it's very pretty during the day and at night.

Yep - good day - reading, writing and arithmetics (where did "they" get the three "Rs" from that?) ...

I LOVE London!

Song of the Day: I Won't Let The Sun Go Down On Me - Nik Kershaw
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqqXMXpyAkE

Weather: OK


the living wall by day

the living wall by night

up the road - they made sweet, sweet music

a pup-friendly hotel! yay!

dinner with gaz

my PR chick - julia

Not much to report today ... except ... the new trailer for the new series is up on - www.insideluxurytravel.com

AND today sees the launch of the new British Airways London City to JFK route ... and we filmed the "maiden" visit over the last weekend to produce this - www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/business/article6852125.ece

All good ... all good!

Song of the Day: Come Fly With Me - Frank Sinatra
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Euci0_BBmNE

Weather: Autumnal

A318 ....

I have found that the time I get most work done is between the hours of 1 and 4 a.m. This is not great as it means I am currently sleeping all morning and as it's getting darker earlier, I am living in a wierd & "dark place". By the time my body is back in synch, I will be heading Stateside for the next show.

Anyway I am achieving! We have Chicago, New York, Oman and Thailand left to film this year and in March 2010, I am off again for a new series! Yay! Much to prepare, much to decide on and much excitement!

Song of the Day: Madness - (they call it) Madness
www.youtube.com/watch?v=l49tDwFSdbo

Weather: Chilly

Have done so much ... yet it feels so little ...

Did watch the glorious Ghosbusters HD-boxed set when I woke up too early this morning!

Who you gonna call ...?

Song of the Day: Ray Parker Junior - Ghostbusters
www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4uxIo4t7xM

Weather: Lovely


i'm afraid of no ghost ...

Thank goodness it's a Saturday. Sleep, wake, sleep, wake, sleep, wake, sleep, wake ...

Have unpacked everything ... and it's been the first time I can look at the memories. Baseball caps, flat caps, sweaters, pencils - ALL with a logo ... I am slowly filling my house up with this stuff! Does anyone have any constructive ideas to what I should do with it all?

I have a lot Tivo'd ... 38 episodes of The Simpsons and Frasier! That should get me through the night!

One of my best friend's - Tim - has been racing farm tractors! He even won a medal ... tractor racing - now that's something I would like to try ...

Song of the Day: Fallen for You - Sheila Nicholls
www.youtube.com/watch?v=31epnYBOMWA

Weather: Bright

my next filming location - the glorious Chicago!

It was a long, long, long night but finally I arrived back in London ... late, cold, hungry but content ... why you may ask ... well it's because the Air New Zealand cabin staff provide the best service of any airline in the world.

Now home. Bliss ...

Song of the Day: Mr Sandman - The Chordettes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odcJ-vS22rI

Weather: Fresh & bright

a fine trevallon ...

Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened - Dr. Seuss
I am sitting up at the airline lounge at LAX waiting for my ride home. I have that very odd/strange/queasy feeling. I am excited to get home and see my family BUT it also means the end of another wonderful adventure - New Zealand ... Canada & the States. But it's not the places I will miss, it's the people along the way. Victoria in Queenstown, Joanna in Auckland, Jennifer in LA, Gena from Santa Barbara, Wendy, Lucky & Shadow from Sonora - to name a few ... the full list is actually quite long!

Last night was a blast. Jenn from the Beverly Wilshire & Gena from The Biltmore in Santa Barbara decided to show me LA ... we started off at the hotel bar - BLVD - for drinks - and a wee pack of cocker spaniels stopped by for a cuddle - which was fabulous! Then we headed down to Hollywood and Street. This new restaurant basically features "street" food from around the world - panni puri, skewers, Croatian pasties, noodles etc etc. It was quite good ...

Then we went to "My House" - this hip-hop happenin' nightclub ... where the music was ear-bleedingly loud, drinks expensive, the clothing minimal, the queues horrendous (no fear - we were red carpeted) and the all people were beautiful. We had loads of fun ... and Baby-G and J-C were - as ever - perfect companions. I also now know what BFF is ... and other interesting colloquialisms!

Home quite late. Very sad farewells this morning ...

I am back in the US in early October to film in Chicago.

SO - today, packed and here I am ... in 12 hours time, I will be having my ears washed by Gemima! Yay!

Song of the Day: The Heat is On - Glenn Frey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYIUhi-Ybi4

Weather: Beautiful


my towelling robes!
cocker spaniel puptastic
dinner

jenn & gena

j-c & baby g

with Mr Brick (the bouncer)

my ride home

!!

I am rather hot ... meaning that I am sizzling ... erm ... I mean sunburnt.

The weather here in LA is glorious at the moment - and knowing what England has to offer makes me feel rather lucky.

Early out and an unexpected but lovely walk through Beverly Hills. Saw & nodded "hello" with three A-listers in the space of a mile! Is LA just one big film set or what?! Popped into a couple of stores ... did some shopping ... with the exchange rate the way it is, it's good to shop! Also found an awesome art gallery - the Galerie Michael - on North Rodeo drive. The "curator" Lynn Marks took me on a personal tour of it. There are ORIGINAL works from Dali, Pucasso, Lautrec .. the list goes on. All the works are for sale ... some prices are hefty but the works are priceless!

Afternoon in the sun ... with a quick visit to friends at The Montage hotel up the road.

Also I got to see my old dear friend - Lea Journo - who has the most famous hair salon in LA. Her clients are - how can we put it - rich & famous ... and today I met someone who I believe is not only rich & famous but is certainly pretty. I was very pleased to see Lea - she is just gorgeous...

Tonight I party with two of the loveliest ladies in California! Whoo-hoo!

Song of the Day: Gregory Abbott - Shake You Down
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIn8i16VeF4

Weather: Burn baby burn!

early morning view from 1001

the world's greatest hairdresser - lea journo

with katie cassidy (melrose place?)

view of pool ... with sonora STILL on my mind

A great day in Los Angeles doing nothing!

Song of the Day: I Think I'm Alone Now - Tiffany
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=826PTEuHKhE

Weather: HOT!


Suite 1001 verandah

sunset over the city

beverly hills varun

with wolfgang puck & chef dude - ari

Greetings from my favourite hotel room in the world. I am at the Beverly Wilshire (Four Seasons) in the suite which Warren Beatty lived in for nearly a decade!

Today has been a roller-coaster of emotions. I got up early and packed - preparing to leave Sonora. From nowhere Lucky & Shadow turned up on my deck and insisted on ear-licks, tummy tickles and general puppy-love. They knew I was leaving, Shadow is very old & wonky now ... I fear that this is the last time I may see this lovely pup - and that makes me feel very sad indeed.

I left the island with a very heavy heart. Of all the travelling I have done, there are very few places that have made me feel so at peace. Sonora just does it for me. It could be the staff ... it could be the location ... it could be nature ... or it could be the whole lovely package.

Vancouver Airport was a shambles. It took around 2.5 hours to get to my plane ... after a scrum through security and customs & immigration. No time for a cigar browse at Duty Free ... no time to buy a bottle of water ... just rush, rush, push, push ... awful.

The Air Canada flight was quite forgettable. Arrived at LAX and was driven up to the BW where my lovely friend Jennifer was there awaiting for me ...

I have a few days here ... meetings and sunbathing. Saying that, I can't wait to get home ...

Song of the Day: Hotel California - The Eagles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxxPLW1LuQE

Weather: Lookin' Good

shadow - love
lucky - love
view from the heli
vancouver from the heli
next stop
the legendary BW welcome ...

Today I took the day off. Actually, I did a bit of writing and took some photos (see below). The weather was gorgeous ... stunning ... so it was a great day to enjoy Sonora the way it should be.

I leave here tomorrow for Los Angeles ... which is exciting as I will get to see dear friends ... but I will be sad because this island has & will hold such fabulous memories - other than those of Lucky & Shadow!

The staff here is so young but so eager to please ... and so friendly. It's refreshing and enjoyable.

I do not know when I will be back here but I will dream of the Sonora Island animals, staff, Eagle Rock and Gin & Tonics - which are rather large and yummy - for a long time!

Sonora Island Resort IS one of my Top 3 places in the world.

Song of the Day: In Dreams - Roy Orbison
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbxsmcT7GOk

Weather: Puuurrrrrfect!


my home
the REAL reasons i came back to sonora - lucky & shadow

in the spa pool

my lounge at eagle rock

my study

first nation's art

bedroom

It's "International Speak Like a Pirate Day" ... so "shiver me timbers" and "down the gang-plank" to you all ...

The boys should be very pleased that they are not filming here today ... one minute the sun is shining, the next it's heaving down with rain! When I mean heaving, I mean SUPER heaving! I can imagine Tim looking very distressed as he sits in the rain waiting for a grizzly to appear!

Up at 0600 ... and an early breakfast with old friends ... Brittany et al.

With top guide Aaron, we headed out on the water and after 40 minutes we arrived at Homalco ... home to the grizzly bear. Last time I was here at Sonora, I saw the black bear ... so it was fabulous to see the grizzly.

The bears come up to the rivers and fish for salmon with their paws and walk off to munch. The bear hibernates all winter and during spring, summer and autumn (fall) they just eat and procreate. On the way home, we popped into visit some seals and stinky sea-lions.

When we filmed here, the rivers were much calmer - now they are much faster and rapids/whirlpools pop up everywhere. It's a fabulous sight. I have NO intention to white water raft or sledging while I am here.

I am doing a lot of relaxing - reading, watching the ocean ebb & flow, eating and drinking ... heaven ...

Tomorrow morning - early - I am star-gazing. I have a telescope on my deck ...

Song of the Day: The Bare Necessities - Jungle Book
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcglnY_xGfc

Weather: Cocktail

stellar sea-lions - loud & smelly
whoo-hoo!

the bear company

grizzzzzzzly
close-up

there's a hairy bear ... ! ha

First Nation's Art

sonora from the ocean

my home on sonora

I have just had a 30 hour day!

So - this morning, I checked out of the lovely Mollies. Another sad farewell to Joanna and her lovely staff.

Another reason why I love Air New Zealand ... at the lounge at Auckland airport, you can receive complimentary massages! I had not one .. but two! The flight was painless. The service was - as usual - unpretentious and genuine. I left Auckland at 8 pm ... and arrived at Vancouver at 2 pm ... same day! Most bizarre ... but actually quite positive.

It is just a 5 minute drive from the airport to the helicopter terminal ... and suddenly I was on my way to the Sonora Island Resort. 45 minutes later, I arrived and was checked into Eagle Rock where I stayed last time I was here - filming.

I am so incredibly honoured to be back here ... it IS undoubtedly in my top three locations in the world.

Tonight I am sitting in front of the television with pizza and a G&T - can life get any better?

New Zealand really did it for me. It was hard work ... the toughest we have had to film this year. I LOVED the South Island ... it's my kind of place: beautiful vistas, hotels and people!

I do need sleep. I have had a lovely massage but tomorrow it's early morning black bear watching!

Song of the Day: Addicted to Love - Robert Palmer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0U5JfGYx4c

Weather: Clear at 35,000 feet!


welcome
my "cab" from vancouver to sonora

NZ84 from the sky (hmmm ... i need photography lessons!)

sonora from the sky (ditto with lessons!)

pizza ...yummy yummy!