La Porta Magica and the Lion King

Well, with only one week to go before I get on the plane (eeeeee!), I’ve spent the day planning and making bookings for the UK leg of the trip.

I got the Rome city guide that I ordered on Book Depository this morning, and am have already filled it with a tonne of “Visit” post-its! One place that really tickled my fancy is La Porta Magica (or, the Magic Door). The story (according to the Lonely Planet guide) goes that the occult-loving owner of the village sponsored the work of an alchemist seeking the philosopher’s stone, but that one day the alchemist vanished, leaving behind only his papers. The village owner couldn’t find anyone who understood the alchemist’s notes, and so inscribed them onto a wall, in the hope that, one day, someone would unlock the code. Apart from being an excellent story, being able to see the wall, still standing, is pretty amazing! It looks quite impressive:

 

Today I also booked my train ticket from London to Leeds, and, after much deliberation, have booked in to see the Lion King musical on my last night in London! It was a tough decision – especially with the Phantom of the Opera, Chicago and the Mousetrap all sounding amazing – but Amanda, a friend from Perth, convinced me that the Lion King was the way to go (mostly because the elaborate staging might not be possible in Aus). I almost went to see it in Tokyo but ran out of time, so I’m really looking forward to it! I’m loving the UK system of pre-booking your program as well, so everything is organised when you get to the theatre (it was like that booking tickets to the Royal Ballet too).

I did a practice pack today as well, and am way under the weight limit (success!). This is getting really exciting!

7 days to go!

Dreaming of Paris

15 days to go.

Hummingbird Bakery

Ok, so my plan for day one in London has got to be visiting the Hummingbird Bakery (amazingly it’s close to where I’m staying!). I expect that sugary delights are the best way to fight the cold and jetlag. If not, I’m still going anyway!

http://hummingbirdbakery.com/

As an aside, I picked Dad up from the airport this evening and had one of those moments when you realise that yes, I’m actually going away! Next time I visit will be to hop on a plane! Very exciting!

20 days to go.

Laudrée

Paris Plans

I am beginning to think more about what I want to do in each of the cities that I am going to visit, and today a memory from Japan has inspired a plan for Paris.

On one of my visits to Ginza, I decided to go into the exclusive Laudrée cafe and try their famous macaroons. The store window is on the corner of a major intersection, and towards the end of my trip I figured I could justify it. I went up, and was told by a rather snobby lady that unless I had a reservation, I would need to join the huge line of locals waiting to buy from the take-away menu. Needless to say, I was quite put off, gave up, and ended up eating a Starbucks macaroon instead the next time that I had a craving for one.

But… I’m going to Paris, which is where Laudrée is based, and I think this time I will stick to my guns, especially after devouring the amazing menu on their website: http://www.laduree.fr/index_en.htm

So this post is more of a “note-to-self” so I don’t forget to go when I have the chance!

35 days to go.