Saturday, 29 October 2016
Wednesday, 26 October 2016
Sunday, 23 October 2016
DoubleTree by Hilton, Hawthorne Blvd, Torrance, California
A big boxy building overlooking the busy Hawthorne Boulevard, the Torrance DoubleTree franchise is a typical soulless mid-market hotel. If you have a room at the front, you will have to put up with the extraordinarily noisy air conditioning units. Although they seem to quieten down as the night progresses, there can still be a steady hum from the nearby highway. You probably won't spend much time on your compact balcony. Still, the en-suite rooms themselves are quite comfortable and fairly plush, if predictably decorated in browns and beiges. It is a lengthy walk down to the ocean front (more than two miles), but the hotel is on several bus routes and there are coffee shops and restaurants within walking distance. And you get free cookies when you check in. 6/10
Wednesday, 19 October 2016
Hotel Plasky, Avenue Eugène Plasky, Brussels
Some of the quiet and comfortable rooms on the sixth floor of Hotel Plasky have fine views over the north side of Brussels. In one room, the basic and clinical en-suite bathroom even has its own balcony overlooking the suburbs below.
Charles Buls Fountain, Rue du Marché aux Herbes, Brussels
Lycée Emile Jacqmain, Rue Béliard, Brussels
Edificio - Bibliothèque Solvay, Parc Léopold, Brussels
The stunning interior of this 114-year old building is something of a shock after the fairly restrained stone exterior. Reopened in 1994, after extensive and painstaking restoration work, the centrepiece is a magnificent lecture hall lined with wood panelling, leather bound books, lead-paned windows and intricate wrought iron work, and sheltered by a soaring arched ceiling. Built as the Institute of Sociology and bathed in natural light, the Edificio - Bibliothèque Solvay is a sublime work of art in its own right.
Wednesday, 5 October 2016
South Dock, Canary Wharf, south London
Tuesday, 4 October 2016
The Prospect of Whitby, Wapping Wall, East London
A historic riverside tavern, the Prospect of Whitby has a stone floor dating from the original inn built in 1520. Rebuilt in the early nineteenth century after a fire, today's hostelry retains its period charm despite some garish touches in the downstairs bar. Decorated in a nautical theme and with black and white prints of twentieth century celebrities, the upstairs rooms are particularly atmospheric and have far-reaching views across the Thames.
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