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rachelblogsstuff · 6 years ago

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Musical adventure to London

I’ve always loved London. Since I was younger, until now where that love grows each time I travel down. The first trip down to London was one of the best experiences along with the time I went down for a second time. Thinking back, it hasn’t been that long since I first went down. But then again, it will be 4 times I've been to london by the end of this year.

The first trip was with a friend to go and see Carrie Hope Fletcher’s first solo concert in Cadogan Hall. And the second was a trip to get a visa to work at an American summer camp over the summer. Both memorable trips. But my latest trip down to London has took the ball.

A few weeks ago I traveled down to London with my friend Amy. We planned on going down due to both our loves for musicals and London. We got our trains and hotel booked along with two musicals we were going to see. And the best thing that happened was when we got to London.

When we got into Euston station, we began another mini journey to get to Kingston. This is where our hotel for the few days was. It was beautifully sunny two of the days we were there but It did get cloudy when we went our wonder after dropping our stuff off at the hotel.

Kingston has recently been the go to place for me when I book hotels. And when I say that, it was only my second time staying in the area which both times included a Travelodge. Outside of the hotel there was this massive art piece that I thought was quite cool. A line of red phone boxes were tipped over like domino. And obviously I had to take a picture of it.

From there we travelled back into London waterloo to go be tourists for a little bit. We spent the rest of that evening walking along the river where we seen the London bridge. We were even lucky to catch it opening up to let a boat through (Not exactly sure if that is a rare sight or not but it was still lovely to see it happen). We stayed in that area until it got dark where we seen the bridge open up for the second time letting that exact same boat through again before we started our wonder back to the station to get back to Kingston for the night.

The second day was where the excitement began. Both musicals that we booked were in this one day. Eugenius in the matinee show at the other palace. Then the Heathers evening show in the Haymarket Royal Theatre.

We got to the Other Palace in time to get drinks before the show began. They had... Slushies. Slushies? In a theatre? You can tell this was a new one to me considering I only expected normal drinks like the average soft drink or alcoholic drink. But as I could tell it was going to be an amazing day, I got a slushie and I loved it. Also, can I just mention how beautiful the building is?? Like its such a nice building (I loved the architect of the building. It was just so damn nice).

The show itself was amazing! Our seats were a few rows from the stage, bang centre of the row which let us see the full show with no difficulties at all. As you can probably tell, this was the first time I had been to the other palace. And the theatre was beautiful, there was fairy lights hanging around the theatre and the stage was such a nice size. I hadn’t been to a theatre like this one before to be quite honest. And I’m so glad I got the chance to watch the show there. The cast were amazing! I had never had much expectations since I didn’t want to look into it so I could just be surprised by my own expectations. Which I was. I honestly loved every single moment in that theatre. The set, the music, the cast. So much talent and work went into this show and it’s payed off because at the end of the show everyone joins in with the wonderful fist pumping to Go Eugenius.

Fun fact: I seen a girl stand up to start dancing along at the end of the show and this lead me to standing up too. I looked around to see nobody else standing up so I very awkwardly slid back onto my still folded up seat only for everyone to then start standing up to dance along. This was probably one of the most awkward things in my life ahaha

But at the end of that show I came out so incredibly happy to have went to see it. The cast came out to go for they're lunch and Scott was nice enough to stop and have a chat with people so we went and said hi to him before he headed off.

We stayed in the other palace after the show so we could devour food since we hadn't ate that day. (Bad, yes but at least we managed to get food before show number 2). We got pizza, nachos and best of all... Eugenius themed cocktails! and I need to say thank you to the lovely bar staff for making these wonderful drinks.

From the Other Palace, we went straight to the Royal Haymarket where we were to go see Heathers the musical. I had been waiting months for this day to come and honestly I was so excited for this show. Because I had went to work in America over the summer, I missed the chance to see heathers at the other palace during its run there. Nobody knew my happiness when I had seen heathers was due to come back for another more longer run in London so I said to Amy and we booked the tickets.

Another small thing that needed to be done at the theatre was a mini photoshoot outside before we went in. Yes it was a bit windy and I look a tad of a mess but looking back at this day makes me extremely happy so I'm going to share this picture...

Now, I have been to my fair share of concerts, and musicals ect. But the seats we had for Eugenius and Heathers that day had taken the cake for best seats. We got into the theatre where I collected the tickets, got some merchandise then headed to our seats. We must have been about 4-5 rows from the stage and it was one of the best views in a theatre like that in London I have ever had. The lights all went down and the show began and it was Beautiful! Pun intended. The set was amazing, I never thought it would be as good a set as it was. The band were amazing, the cast were incredible! Ive seen quite a few shows carrie has been in and oh my god, her voice. The whole cast is so talented I was blown away with how good the show was.

After the show we stood outside the front of the theatre as there was a line waiting for the cast to come out. I do enjoy stage door but at the same time I don't expect to meet any certain member of the cast as it is after all, they're decision if they want to come out and spend time with a lot of the audience that came to see the show. If they want to go home and not meet anyone then I totally get that. They've done they're job and to be quite honest I would rather go home after work too (Even though my job at the moment is totally not relatable to theatre) Ive seen how other people can get quite annoyed but it is literally you're own fault for deciding to stand and waiting. But anyway, a few of the ensemble cast members came out which was amazing. They were so genuinely lovely and it was nice to have a little chat with them.

After we met the cast members that came out, we ended up wondering along to a bridge that gave us a really nice view of the London wheel. We had spent a few hours wondering around, grabbing some food before realising the underground did not intact run 24/7 which lead to us walking to waterloo station from Piccadilly. The time we got to the station we had indeed missed the last train... By half an hour, which left us stranded for just a little bit as we managed to get an uber back to the hotel. Thank the lord for uber, otherwise we would have been stuck in central London the whole night. We got back to the hotel room and basically crashed after such an amazing musical filled day.

The next day was when we decided to go back to see Heathers for a second time. We booked tickets and went into Piccadilly for a bit. We went to the Theatre Cafe, Such a wonderful musical filled place that I do recommend. The hot chocolate is a personal favourite there due to my love for hot chocolate. I also enjoyed my trip to the bathroom there- If you like selfies and theatre then please do go into the bathroom.

Afterwards, we decided to go a stop to Leicester Square for a little bit. We must have sat there for a good hour or so just watching the world pass by. Plus it was a nice way to just chill before round 2 of heathers! After almost getting hit by a ton of low flying birds, we left our view infront of the fountain and went back towards the Royal Haymarket theatre.

When we got to the theatre, the oddest thing happened that was no expected... Carrie Hope Fletcher... walked past us. She walked past with Becky and I stood like a starstruck idiot. I think I was just a bit shocked at first to be honest since I did not expect that to happen. They walked past and I didn't want to interrupt them since they looked like they were in a big conversation so I never said anything. We ended up walking back towards a burger place we had passed earlier and went in for some pre theatre food but when we sat down Carrie, Becky and the Heathers director was there too and I must say, we freaked out slightly again but no worries, we stayed somewhat chill. They got takeaway so left but I need to say my food was good! Even though I only got sweet potato fries. I was deeply craving them after seeing them on the menu earlier that day.

After some food, we headed back to the theatre but we still had some time to kill so we went next door and I got a Heathers themed cocktail. It was honestly one of the best cocktails I have ever had.

Afterwards it was time to then head to the theatre for our seats. We got the tickets and went up a floor to see the show and we had an amazing view. We could see everything from our seats which was nice especially how we had booked tickets extremely last minute. Once again, the cast had outdone themselves. The show was brilliant! Only one thing went slightly wrong during the show but the cast made it work anyway like pro’s! Both trips to heathers, we made a few friends which was quite nice. I always enjoy talking to others at shows as everyones always so nice. After the show, we waited at the front of the theatre where some of the cast came out again then we decided to go back to the hotel to make sure a repeat of the previous night didn't happen again. Didn't really fancy getting stuck in central London for the night. But anyway we made it back and went for a lovely sleep.

The last and final day. The only part of this day I didn’t like was that it meant I had to go back home.

I got up and packed then went into Piccadilly again to get some Polaroid’s of the theatre. I really love Polaroid’s as you can probably tell. They just look so nice plus I love how it just instantly prints your picture (Whole point of the polaroid yes, but still!). Heres a little picture of a few of them. I will soon be creating a polaroid wall in my room so these will make a nice addition since I love things that just take me back to a memory. Especially happy places and days.

I took polaroids of the front of the theatre before I ended up talking to two girls who I joined in walking round to stage door. I just wanted to see what stage door was like at the theatre considering I hadn't been to the one at this theatre before I headed back to the hotel to collect my stuff for check out. But just before I left, Carrie turned up which completely made my day. I got to say hi and how I loved watching the shows the last two nights I had seen then she signed my ticket that I kept from the first night. I always get nervous or “starstruck” a bit when it comes to actors, musicians and youtubers ect, then again I am an awkward person. An introvert is probably along the right words. But anyway I asked If i could get a hug because she has genuinely inspired me for years.

So yeah, that kind of made my day. And to top it off, It made this whole trip one of the best memories. After we met her, we went back to the hotel and got our stuff then back into piccadilly to have one last sit down in the Theatre Cafe. I must say, I don't think ill ever not enjoy the theatre cafe. Its just such a lovely musical place to go. The staff are really nice, the cafe itself is insanely cool- including the bathroom mirror they have- and its just a great environment to be in.

Last of all we travelled to Euston for our train back. Was quite a sad thing to be leaving but I know I will defiantly be coming back down soon enough.

And there you go. That was probably an extremely long first blog post of my trip to London. I really hope you enjoyed it and if you did please press that follow button to keep updated. If you like blog posts, musicals ect then please give this post a like so I can see who liked it!

Anyway, Thanks for reading!

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yolandadsims · 8 years ago

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A WELLNESS RETREAT AT CORINTHIA LONDON…

London is arguably one of the world’s greatest cities, but living and working here, Londoners can become blind to its rare brilliance. Precious gems like Trafalgar Square, Parliament, The London Eye, The Mall (etc), are casually tarred with the ‘tourist’ brush, and avoided for fear of disrupting ‘the daily mission’. It’s a superfast-paced city in which to work and live… but it doesn’t have to be that way! In what is the first ever staycation Active Escape review to feature on FitnessOnToast.com, I recently spent 3 cosy days inside the walls of the palatial Corinthia Hotel London investigating something genuinely innovative; the Brain Power Experience. It’s been designed in conjunction with the hotel’s Neuroscientist in Residence, and was totally transformative for me! It worked, and conclusively proved the hypothesis that you can enjoy an exceptional and differentiated wellness break whilst at home in this frenetic city, emerging revived and fired up! Click more to see what your own restorative well-being program could involve…

We shot this astounding view from the terraces of The Corinthia Hotel London, which opened in mid-2011 after a c.£300m renovation to shed its former Ministry of Defense clothes. For the past 3 months, the hotel has hosted Dr. Tara Swart PhD (neuroscientist, medical doctor and Senior Lecturer at MIT) as director of its Neuroscientist in Residence program. In my intrepid travels, I’ve not encountered any hotel group enlisting such a specialist, but at once I understand why they’ve done it. It’s a brave, avant-garde step for the hospitality industry, and whilst the press releases speak of ‘boosting brain power’, I can attest to it having meaningfully enhanced my sense of wellbeing, my tranquility, my body’s energy and my mental focus after just a 2-night stay.

This is partly thanks to the program, but also the property itself. This hotel basically bisects Trafalgar Square and Embankment – both frantically stressful parts of the City – but you wouldn’t know that you’re within 500 miles of the nearest ‘Nelson’s Column’! The Corinthia is a tranquil bolt hole right under your very nose, commanding what is perhaps London’s most majestic view over the River Thames, thanks to its inimitable location. The hotel is both low-key and high-end; familiar faces pepper the guest roster, as the hotel has become somewhat of an unofficial default for movie premiers and press junket interviews.

The clean lines of the décor throughout indicates an uncompromising approach to the finish, which is incredibly well invested, instilling the sense that you’re on solid, reassuringly opulent foundations. That sensation culminates in the centerpiece Crystal Moon Lounge; a spacious, triple-height atrium at the heart of the hotel, with a show-stopping chandelier composed of 1001 Baccarat crystal spheres, arranged in a sphere…

I was here to undertake a customized edit of the Brain Power Residential Package, which is a program is designed by Dr. Tara Swart PhD to promote optimal i) Sleep, ii) Nutrition, iii) Hydration and iv) Exercise; these are all the crucial pillars of a healthy lifestyle on which my blog majors, so it connected with me from the outset. The ‘extra mile’ is the way the hotel has neatly packaged up these components with their luxurious deft and created something which beautifully walks the line between lavish indulgence and health-retreat. To my mind, for £618, you’re investing in your well-being, benefitting from the academic depth of PhD-level research, and pressing the ‘restart’ button to emerge invigorated.

So let’s tackle these 4 elements (nutrition, hydration, sleep and exercise) one by one, to see how the Corinthia has paid homage to this credo.

1) NUTRITION

The theory is that since our brains make use of >25% of everything we eat, dietary input is linked to cerebral output.

It’s reassuring to see plenty of nuts, seeds, oily fish, avocado, quinoa, and grains, as this is essentially my favored diet (which features heavily in my book Fit In 3), which has been rubber-stamped by one of the leading scientific minds in her field.

The dedicated Brain Power Menu has been curated as a collaboration between Dr. Swart and the Corinthia’s Executive Chef Adriano Cavagnini to use ingredients which can help to optimize mental function. Here is the quinoa porridge dish from the breakfast menu (along with some delicious examples of the non-Brain Power offering)…

For the lunch/dinner menu, pictured below, I sampled every dish that my pescatarian credentials permitted, and was broadly struck by the excellence of execution. Often, where health-driven conceptual menus are involved, a dish might sound great on paper but seriously underwhelm on the plate – not at all the case here, with precision translation from the page, imaginatively brought to life. What’s on offer?

Starter: Beetroot & Kale Salad, Carrots, Quinoa, Parmesan Crisps and Raspberry dressing… delicious!

Starter: Organic Salmon with Green Mango Carpaccio, Blueberries, Toasted Almonds and Lemon Compote. This is a standout show-stopper. Exceptional depth of flavor.

Starter: Carrot with Turmeric Cream, Barley, Flax Seeds and Black Olives

Main: Green Tea Veal Fillet Paillard with Spinach, Puy Lentils, Cocoa and Black Pepper Sauce

Main: Roasted Squash with Wild Rice, Steamed Asparagus, and Red Pepper Oil

Dessert: Mango and Chia Seed Pudding with Yoghurt, Fresh Mango, and Raspberries

Dessert: Avocado Chiffon Cake with Manjari Chocolate Mousse and Cherries

Dessert: Coconut Tapioca with Papaya and Lemon Balm

2) HYDRATION

Optimal hydration is the single most underappreciated wellbeing tip I offer to personal training clients, and is something I’ve written about on my blog time and again. Water is the one and only liquid that fills you up, beautifies, can prove unexpectedly satisfying, and boasts a guilt-free 0 calories. Beyond the skin-deep though, it delivers oxygen to the muscles so that they can perform when you’re training, keeps the joints supple, restores energy levels, quashes hunger pangs, purifies the blood, helps the kidneys do their filtration job, and even takes the nutrients in your food on a journey through your digestive system! It is the very eau de vie, or aquavit (our Swedish equivalent!). I aim for 2 liters of bottled water a day, sipped at regular intervals, to stay topped up throughout!

Dr Swart’s work draws upon research into the body’s water balance, and the brain’s sensitivity to it. She concludes that even a minor 1-3% change in hydration levels can impair physical, motor and cognitive performance, so the program she’s designed focuses on optimal hydration.

For a little more fun, there are also Mocktails – non-alcoholic cocktails served up in their dramatic bar spaces by accredited mixologists: The Serotonin Sling (pictured below, with blackberry garnish) includes blackberries, blueberries, date syrup, coconut water and almond milk. Also, the Mox-ytocin includes Green Tea, Date Syrup, Mint Leaf, Lemon Juice and blackberries.

3) SLEEP

‘Survival of the most rested’ is how I like to think of it! Sleep is the ultimate repair workshop, where musculoskeletal renovation happens, immune health is replenished and mental alertness is restored. The ‘right amount’ of sleep will differ from person to person, but being stuck in the catch-22 of feeling perennially tired is not what I consider to be ‘wellbeing’. I’ve always believed 7 hours a night to be the minimum, and I like to give myself every chance for a quality night’s rest. Ensure the room isn’t too hot or cold, that there isn’t too much ambient light pollution, avoid screens for an hour before bed, resist caffeine after 13:00 that day, take a warm bath before sleep, and use lavender scent to lightly perfume the pillow.

Dr Swart’s view is that 7-9 hours of good quality sleep each night is essential to allow the brain’s waste-clearance system to go to work. A disruption in that process, she concludes, can impair IQ by 5-8% the following day, and an interrupted red-eye flight can devastate the IQ the following day!

To that end, the Corinthia rooms include excellent touches which I found perfect for the cause. Blackout blinds, snuggly bed socks, mattresses which regulate body temperature, a specially designed lavender pillow spray, as well as fluffy towels and heated floors in the bathrooms. These touches make a huge difference and enabled me to enjoy some seriously restorative sleep.

4) TRAINING AND SPA

Spending a day at a spa is not simply a hedonistic indulgence for the wanton pleasure-seeker; it has legitimate therapeutic effects which can make all the difference to a burned-out, run-down Londoner. The mood can be lifted by endorphin, dopamine and serotonin release, and it can promote regeneration and healing, muscular relaxation as well as invigorating & energizing, and expunging toxins in your body through the cycles of sweating and re-hydration. Plus it’s likely to make you sleep like a baby later that night!

Espa Life is the Corinthia’s in-house mega-spa set over 3,300 square meters and 4 floors. Cavernous, yet always intimate, it’s an impossibly relaxing experience, blending Chanel-inspired monochrome aesthetics with a suite of spa innovations, from hot-stone ‘anatomical loungers’ to effervescent ‘vitality pools’ and regenerative ‘sleep pods’, to a glass sauna with no perceptible walls, sleek lines and fibre-optics. This is the best spa I’ve visited in this country.

Scent is a big factor too; energizing citrus and tranquil lavender is piped throughout the various rooms via the air conditioning ducts.

I was fortunate enough to have enjoyed two exceptional treatments from Angel, the Spa Treatment manager. He is magical, and professionally accredited in a wide range of both scientific and holistic therapies. He administered the most exquisite sports massage I have ever received (and I am quite picky, being trained myself!), as well as leading me through a transportive, mindful session of Yoga Nidra, in which my mind achieved a transcendent state of conscious relaxation; I am somewhat of a cynic regarding many things ‘spiritual’ and prefer empirical evidence, but I was amazed at the effect from this fascinating practice on my body! I have never felt sensations like it, and implore you to try it for yourself, with an open mind or otherwise!

I also had a training session with the in-house PT team at the vast gym, which is bigger and better equipped than many commercial gyms in London. As it happens, there’s going to be a total refit of the gym, swapping out the current machines for an all-new lineup of Technogym’s top-end gear; that’s excellent news, as I can personally vouch for this kit, having visited their Italian factory & HQ a few years back, and been overwhelmed by the artistry involved in it! In the meantime, I made full use of the evaluative practices on-site to ascertain as much data as possible, and help work on my form with professional supervision – always a priority for me!

So two days later, after not really stepping foot outside of the hotel (other than onto the entrancing terrace of the Royal Suite during a little tour of the upper floors!), I exited the hotel with new vitality in my step. The hotel is world-class and has a unique aesthetic and feel, which in itself, will help you to revitalize. It’s difficult to say whether I “boosted my brain power” but during the stay, anecdotally, I had some extremely productive and clear thoughts about how I wanted to tackle the coming few months, and started mapping things out with clarity and lucidity. It’s not possible to say it was purely thanks to the Serotonin Sling, but I’m sure there was some causality there…

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I WAS WEARING:

Jacket: Theory SS17 Skirt: Theory SS17 Top: Theory SS17 Top Bag: MCM Catherine Drawstring Velvet Heels: Zara current season

Sportswear: Monreal London SS17

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To clarify, I have received no compensation for this review, but was not charged for my stay at the hotel. I accepted the proposal to stay there as I have visited on a paid basis in the past, and was proud to recommend it to others.

The post A WELLNESS RETREAT AT CORINTHIA LONDON… appeared first on Fitness on Toast.

from Health And Fitness Updates http://fitnessontoast.com/2017/02/14/fitness-retreat-healthy-holiday-review-corinthia-hotel-london-luxury/

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muscledemandsrespect · 8 years ago