I am feeling a wee feeble this evening. It could be due to the fact that I have supped a huge amount of whisky (in the name of work, of course) or all these large meals are finally catching up with me OR I am swimming every day!

Anyway - up early to find that it was raining - HEAVILY! Yuk ...

Room review first ... then we headed off to Alness (around 30 minutes away) to Dalmore - home of a wonderful whisky distillery. I drove ...

Dalmore was founded in 1839 by the Matheson family. It was bought by the Mackenzie clan in 1886 and now is part of the UB drinks giant. I met with Ian Mackay - the distillery manager - who expertly took me round Dalmore - explaining the process. I was in HEAVEN but we had to drive back to Dornoch to taste two whiskies ... the King Alexander III and the 40 year old (£1250 a bottle) ... I LOVE WHISKY so drank rather a lot! The PR for Dalmore - Jill Inglis - was on hand to ensure that I didn't polish off the 40 year old in one go ...! I did try!

On the 15th April, Dalmore sold a single bottle of the 1962 for a whopping £32,000! HUGE!

Dinner was a rather tasty and healthy barbecue!

Busy day tomorrow too!

Song of the Day: Cry Me a River - Justin Timberlake
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Mu8MrCR5pQ

Weather: I give up!

Jimmy being all arty!
The flag flies ...!

Ian Mackay ... in a barrel store ... I am a happy puppy!
Yum!
The 40 year old AND the King Alexander III

Jill tries to take the 40 year old off me! Nay!

The resident gorgeous pup - AC

The eye of the storm!

Hot water bottles! It's cold in Scotland you know!

It's coming up to 9 pm and it's just so bright. These looooong Scottish summer nights.

I am looking out of my 1st floor window onto 5,000 acres of this Dornoch estate; lochs, golf course ... hills ... low clouds and lovely calm evening skies ...

So - the weather was dismal but not atrocious. That is now expected tomorrow.

The boys arrived here at 3 pm ... by then I had played golf, smoked a storming cigar (Zino "Chubby"), been for a long walk and hugged many people ... mostly in the cold drizzle. My golf was not half bad! I impressed myself to be honest!

I also had a wonderful spa treatment called Mohom - where I was pounded by a "steamed indigo herbal poultice" and then massaged into a very serene state! Nice ...

Tomorrow WILL be a fun day! I feeeeel it! There's whisky involved!

Song of the Day: C'est la vie - Robbie Neville
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGtf9QfITQw

Weather: Rainy ... windy ... sunny ... still ... chilly & warm - schizophrenic


Just down the road at St Andrews, the Open is being played! One of the golfers doing ok is Colin Montgomerie who gave me a huge tip on my golf swing last year - stop looking at the girls and look at the ball! It has helped my game no end! Ha!

It's 10 pm ... I left my home just before 4 am this morning ... and drove 636 miles ... to Scotland ... where I am now.

I am pooped and in need of sleep.

I arrived at around 3 pm ... had a swim ... and have just had supper.

I will now go to lseep (sic) and tomorrow will be a bright and bushy day...

Two thoughts:
1) The word "food" when uttered by a Scotswoman in a Scots accent is one of the sexiest words EVER
2) On the way up here, all the motorways has signs that warned "Don't take drugs and drive" ... but didn't follow with "Take drugs and fly" ...

Sleep.

Song of the Day: Why Does It Always Rain on Me - Travis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nwh3FmpZ7kg

Weather: Terrible, terrible, terrible ... worryingly terrible


The view through my windscreen from Carlisle to Inverness
I love crossing bridges!
My bed ... with companion!

It's been a miserable day ... rain, rain, rain and more rain ... it has been warm though. That's just annoying ... warm ... but rainy. Cold & rain ok ... warmth deserves sunshine.

The cats have been asleep all day, the sheep have been asleep all day ... and Moo ... well, she has spent the day trying to convince me that she was last fed in the Summer of 2001.

So - tomorrow I get up at 4 am and drive 631 miles to the Highlands of Scotland. I am VERY excited ... except the weather forecast looks dire ... hey ho ...

Expect little, if anything tomorrow ...!

Song of the Day: Scottish Rain - The Silencers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNuQ-x30aNY

Weather: Ugh

summer rain

My office is an embarrassing mess.

The boys are driving up to Scotland for Thursday evening to start filming on Friday. I am going up on Wednesday so I can get a round of golf in on the Thursday! I have selected the perfect cigar ... and the whisky for the hip-flask has been carefully chosen! The only thing that will be missing sadly is Golfing Gemima ... the days when she used to potter round 18-holes are long gone.

Anyway, my office, well the floor anyway - is covered in paperwork, golf balls, clothes, anti-mosquito potions, shoes and is that a mouse? ... no, a memory fob ...! I need a cleaner ...

Ah - Barcelona clips - they are up on the website from today BUT:

Hotel Arts: http://www.insideluxurytravel.com/videoplayer.php?flv=eu_barc_ho_hotelarts

Gran Hotel La Florida: http://www.insideluxurytravel.com/videoplayer.php?flv=eu_barc_ho_laflorida

Luxury Shoes with Norman Vilalta: http://www.insideluxurytravel.com/videoplayer.php?flv=eu_barc_ft_shoes

Driving at Circuit De Catalunya: http://www.insideluxurytravel.com/videoplayer.php?flv=eu_barc_ft_catalunyacircuit

Song of the Day: Do Something - Macy Gray
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OHPY3MyUlI

Weather: Sunny intervals ..


where I would like to be this weekend ... well, maybe ... I maybe somewhere better!

So here in England both the BBC AND ITV are showing the World Cup Soccer/Football/Kickball Finals ... why? And both in hi-definition too ... why?

Anyway, I have been watching The Simpsons instead ... the episode in which the Amish rebuild Barts treehouse. When I was in NYC recently, I had dinner at Ye Waverly Inn (Graydon Carter - editor of Vanity Fair - is a co-owner). I munched on Amish chicken ... I was wondering, what does that mean? Well several seconds of research later I have discovered that the chicken was humble, well-behaved, renounced the Devil AND didn't have a moustache! It DID taste good though ...

So, in the past 48 hours, while trying to pack for one trip or another, I watched two post-apocalyptic movies - the Book of Eli and the Road. Both were VERY, VERY, VERY depressing ... if we ever get bombed by Martians I want out immediately. The idea of living in a world full of Vigo Mortensens or Denzel Washingtons ... fills me with dread.

Another big week ahead!

Song of the Day: Every Day Hurts - Sad Cafe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LNOhZI72AY

Weather: Sunny!

my kind of Martians!

Today I received a postcard from a friend who is holidaying in Tahiti. It pleased me no end ... not only that she was on holiday BUT she sent me a postcard!

I send 35 postcards from each destination I visit ... and it's time (1/2 way through the series) to purge/unpurge and add/subtract names & faces from my list.

So from Scotland ... next week ...

Not much to report today except that I took a few swings with my golf clubs and I still am unable to hit in a straight line! Next week I am playing on my favourite course of ALL time ... I am excited but also worried that - as I am playing like a gimp - that I may look awful ...

Hey ho ... will just have to look the part! Ha!

Song of the Day: Eye of the Tiger - Survivor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cf45I1ZI__w

Weather: Sunny spells


i canna wait!

I, sadly, don't get a huge time to read books. However, for the past two nights I have been transfixed by a book I picked up in Prague. Called "I Served The King of England" by Bohumil Hrabal, it tells the tale of a busboy who eventually ends up owning his own hotel. It's a great tale and the object of the book is slightly ... mad. There's laughter, tears ... & sex ... I have not read such a good book for so, so long ...

Another hot, dusty, sunny day ... I do feel change in the air.

I really hope it doesn't rain in Scotland next week. Also I hope ALL midges die .. I hate the pesky brutes. I will be taking bottles of DEET and Avon Skin-so-soft with me!

Ah - the weekend! There's nothing better than a weekend ...

Song of the Day: Sweet Disposition - Temper Trap
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxKjOOR9sPU

Weather: Ahhhh .. divine!


my big screen hero - hrundi v bakshi (v = varun, of course)

What a lovely day ...

So up early and breakfast at the Soho Sanctum - a hotel I know nothing about in Central London ... with the lovely people from California Tourism. As we are planning 2011, it's good to know what is out there and what's up for filming. As it happens I am in California this year ... for some cooking and some fun too! Yay!

Another meeting - this time about Malaysia ....

Then to Davidoff for a birthday cigar celebration with Edward Sahakian ... who had spent the morning in the zoo with grandaughter! Lucky chap!

So - I am on my way home thinking of pooches and I met this lovely lady - Lee - from Sydney who is having to retire her guide dog at the end of the month. His name is Bo and he's 10 ... I have this rather strange feeling that there will soon be a new member of the family!

Song of the Circle: Warm Wet (Earlicks) Circles - Marillion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GD3jr7-5yg

Weather: Sunny & Hot!

I need to learn the art of how to use a focus .. PLEASE HELP! I took 4 photos of the Post Office Tower and missed every time.
Maddy Morgan - California Tourism boss person ...
With Eddie and birthday boy Edward
Bo ...

After six months of trying, I have finally got Google to remove my home address, telephone number and Streetview from the system. I didn't really care that it was up there BUT I did care that no permission was sought to put up private details on the internet.

I believe that in the next couple of days the new clips (from Barcelona) will be on the website.

Oli (the editor) tells me that the Prague show is looking good ... especially the "beer bath" feature ... which was great fun.

Not much to report today ... have been preparing for a VERY long day tomorrow.

BTW if you get a chance to see the Family Guy episode which is a parody of the "Empire Strikes Back" ... do! I watched it today and cried with laughter ......

Song of the Day: Many Rivers to Cross - Jimmy Cliff
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkMzuXlKQv8

Weather: Cool ... and not sunny :(

So today Moo got the all clear which is why it was such a wonderful (sunny) day!

She strolled into the vets and out of the vets in five minutes with a new lease of life. I nearly cried ...!

We film in Scotland next week and I have started all my research. Phew! I am so excited to be there. I am going to drive AND take my golf clubs with me ... I love my job sometimes!

Oh - Leica part 2: http://blog.leica-camera.com/just-for-fun/viva-varun-in-nyc/

What fun that trip was ...

Right, an early night, have so much to do tomorrow.

What a great day!!!!!!!!!!

Song of the Day: Dream Baby - Roy Orbison + friends ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNymGv5MktY

Weather: Moo
ruff?

tummy tickle fest (please)

to show off how good the close-ups on my Leica are! (oh and her nose is damn cute)

Greetings from Soho, where I have been scripting and helping with the first edit of the Prague show. Oli is on top form ... and we have also had two "interns" in as well - Tash & Sarah - who did some research for me.

I am suffering NO jet-lag! It must have been the flight (thank you Virgin) or I am so tired that nothing has hit .... yet!

OK - Leica - where have I been? http://blog.leica-camera.com/

Also - please do me a favour and act on this:

Twitter: Help @AICR & follow @Leica_Camera! Every follower=€.50 donation. 10K followers by July 9=extra €1,000 donation!#Leica4AICR

It's for a great cause!

Song of the Day: Volare - Dean Martin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgeI0NeOjhI

Weather: Sunny & hot,hot,hot

vintage car driving in Praha
Oli NOT happy with me drinking beer in the bath
whooompf!
Tash & Sarah

Greetings from home!!

I have slept for the 20 of the past 24 hours! Will explain why later.

The flight home was just 6 hours ... and I flew Virgin from Newark! What an airport ... no queues, no stress, no trouble ... it was an incredible experience compared to the hellish, stressful, woeful excuse of an airport - JFK that is ...

So after getting back to the Four Seasons rather late/early ... had breakfast with lovely Gloria and the hotel General Manager, Christoph Schmidinger. As a rather pleasant treat he let me look around the Presidential Suite ... a 360 degree affair ... on the 52nd floor of the hotel! AWESOME!
After that - with Amanda (the Style Bible goddess) - I went shopping! Everything was on sale ... it was a heavenly morning in FAO Schwarz, Tod's, Bloomies ... and more.

I had lunch at the wonderful Fives at The Peninsula Hotel with my dear friend Tricia Rosentreter (hotel PR) ... and then hit the shopping streets yet again!

Amanda and I had mani & pedis, Joomba juices (?) and Bananas ...

Sadly, Amanda and I parted ways and I hooked up with my darling NYC-friende Catey.

We started with drink at the Salon de Ning at The Peninsula ... an outside space with stunning views! It was cocktail heaven ...

Then pizza at Serafina ... the best pizzeria in the Upper East!

Dessert + moscato was with top chef, Craig Hopson at Le Cirque.

Then - awesome fun - 3 hours of ping-pong (table tennis) at Spin - which is owned by Susan Sarandon. Loud music, whisky, ping-pong and much merriment.

After my 4th heart-attack we headed to Bar & Books for a cigar and more whisky until it was finally time (4 am) for a sad farewell to Catey AND New York.

What a past few days it has been. Possibly the best I have ever had in this much-frequented city! I think I averaged 3 hours sleep in 4 nights! Ha! Still some life left in this old dawg ...

Editing this week! Back to earth with a bump ....

Song of the Day: Weather with You - Crowded House
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIb6I8gtgtw

Weather: AWESOME & SUNNY!

Stylebible.com supremo Amanda
Four Seasons GM Christoph Schmidinger on the 52nd floor balcony!
The view
With my body double at FAO Schwarz

Catey "Spins" me round!

OK - a day later than originally planned but I am on my way home finally!

I have had a wonderful few days & nights in NYC ... and as I have not been filming, I have actually appreciated my surroundings!

Highlights: Heli-trip around Manhattan, dinner boat trip, MOMA, Four Seasons, FourSquare, Ye Waverly Inn, Virgin Atlantic, stunning weather, Robert Graham ... and new friends!

Farewell Big Apple ... hello London!

Song of the Day: New York, New York - Queen/Freddie Mercury
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt10-aczf_U&NR=1

Weather: Sunny :)

Jasper Johns - American Flag 1940's (note only 48 stars)
Juliet ... me ... Amanda ... James ... Katie ... Maxine ... James

Greetings from the 34th floor of the Four Seasons hotel in New York!

It's a loooong time since I have stayed here ... and ... I am pleased to be back. It "smells" like home. The views are stunning - Central Park, 5th Avenue, The Plaza ...

Song of the Day: New York State of Mind - Billy Joel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZh8YjbDiVk

Weather: Happy & Hot & Sunny!

with Leslie (PR), Gloria (Director of Sales & Marketing) and ... at the Four Seasons, NYC

my view!

art in the hotel - this piece -

Early show taping!

I am unsure who these people are though!

That "Plaza" look

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm :)

Ah! SO tired - but so happy! Had a wonderful meal at Ye Waverly Inn ... one of the top restaurants in NYC. Great wine, cuisine and company ... odd service though ...

Last night we went on a cruise around the harbour - taking in the sunset, the NYC skyline, Statue of Liberty plus so much more. Les Bateaux is an excellent way of seeing Manhattan from the water ...

Today, up very early and check-out of The Royalton and straight into the Four Seasons on 58th ...

We met for lunch at MOMA (the excellent "Modern" restaurant) and before we were given a whistle-stop tour of the museum ... with wanders around some works by Rothko, Picasso and Warhol. Sensational!

Song of the Day: Waking Down Madison - Kirsty Maccoll http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2libcz21E0

Weather: Warm & Sunny!

Me, James, Maxine, Katie, James, Amanda, Juliet

fancy car at MOMA