Dear Galavante Friends,

I hope you are enjoying spring, whether it is rediscovering your own home cities or traveling around the globe.  I love the spring; there always seems to be a renewal of a city and heightened energy in the air.

This April is a busy one for us at Galavante.  I am in London for most of the month doing our pre-Olympics coverage of the best the city has to offer, and getting the inside scoop on the Olympics.  I went to the Olympic Village and stadium on Monday.  Let’s just say they’ve come a long way, but there’s a long way to go.  I have full confidence that it will be spectacular when it’s complete.

London will have the red carpet rolled out for the Olympics, and also the Queen’s Jubilee this July.  In fact, there seems to be more excitement among Londoners about the Jubilee than the Olympics.  The monarchy is back; Kate and Will have done wonders for the profile of the royal family.   I missed the Duchess by just a few days at Blakes Hotel.  She tried to have a semblance of a normal life by having drinks with friends in their sexy, subterranean bar.  Expect to see a lot of interesting articles in the June to July timeframe on London and the English countryside.  Not only have I experienced 19 hotels, 43 restaurants, 16 bars and pubs, 3 private clubs and The Box, a category all in its own, but we’ve picked up a few locals on our team.

Prior to my trip, I hadn’t spent a lot of time in London.  I had the luxury of getting to know London quite well during my 3 1/2 weeks in the city, wandering down all the small streets and hitting the sites for at least 10 hours a day.  During my time there, I met new friends, joined a gym, found my local cleaners and became a regular at the Connaught Bar.  Anyone who says that London food is fish and chips hasn’t been there in a long time.  It’s one of the top culinary cities in the world, with unique dining experiences like Nopi and Viajante, which even New York would be challenged to rival.  I also checked out the Tate Modern, and in particular the Damien Hirst exhibit.  The exhibit repulsed, engaged, thrilled, provoked and entertained me.  It’s everything an art exhibit should do.  I forgot how much I loved art until I saw the exhibit; I hope that you have the chance to experience it yourself.

Alas, home to me is where my husband is.  London was home when he came over for a short visit over Easter, and now it’s New York where I’ll have a day before I head out again to California on Thursday.  I loved my time in London, and because of it, I can see visiting more frequently.  And if one day, my husband can swing it, maybe even live there for awhile.  But nothing beats New York; I’m so happy to be headed back to my lovely home city.

All the best,