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fangirlika · 1 year

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Pasta and Phone Calls

MASTERLIST

pairing: Lando Norris x female!reader

summary: after your date with Lando he calls you to tell you all about the cute girl he just went on a date with.

warnings: FLUFF, typos probably

a/n: this came to my mind after I saw a TikTok about something similar but I didn’t save it and now I can’t find it :/ hope you like it!

“Text me when you get home”, Lando whispered against your lips with a smirk plastered on his face.

It was a chilly Tuesday evening in September and your boyfriend Lando was in London this week before he would fly to Singapore for the next race. You haven’t been dating for a long time, only a few months and you couldn’t deny that his schedule made it really hard for you two to spend time together.

Nevertheless, Lando has been proving that he will do everything in his power to make time for you between racing and his projects with Quadrant. And for the time where he was away, he tried to make it better with phone calls and little gifts he left for you in your apartment.

All in all, you were happy. Incredibly so. And for tonight Lando had asked you out to a local Italian restaurant you two had been to for one of your first dates. It wasn’t anything special in itself but it holds a lot of nostalgia and the pasta there is really enjoyable.

You really appreciated the time you spent with him tonight lost in conversation about nothing at all but eventually the waiter came to your table and informed you that the restaurant would soon close.

That led you back into Lando's car and he drove you back to your apartment. All the gentlemen he wants to be for you, he got out of the car first to open the door for you.

“My lady”, he gestured for you to step out of the car, eliciting a smile and a slight shake of your head from you.

You grabbed your purse from the passenger seat and turned to Lando who swiftly closed the door of the car before leaning in to you. “Text me when you get home”, Lando whispered against your lips with a smirk plastered on his face before he pecked your lips.

You only let out a light chuckle before saying: “We’re literally standing right in front of my entrance door, Lando.” His smirk didn’t falter at that and instead he simply shrugged his shoulders. “I know but I’ve heard that girls like it when guys tell them that.”

“You’re a menace, Norris”, you simply responded before pecking his lips once more and turning to make your way over to your entrance door.

“Goodnight, Y/n”, he said and you said your goodbye and gave him a shy wave of your hand before looking for your keys in your purse.

When you entered your apartment and turned the lights in the hallway on you immediately pulled your phone out to text Lando.

got into my apartment safely, goodnight xx

It only took a couple of minutes until you saw the screen of your phone light up and Lando's contact appeared on the screen.

You furrowed your brows slightly at that. Was he already home? Did something happen on the way back?

You quickly accepted the call. “Lando?”

“Hey y/n”, he answered and due to the lack of engine or traffic noise in the background you assumed that he was already home or at least not in the middle of the road driving. “You’re never gonna believe this”.

You frowned at that but he was entirely calm so you didn’t think anything really bad had happened to him. With your phone on speaker you sat down on your couch and pulled the blanket over your legs for comfort.

“So I went out with this cute girl, right?”

You knew he couldn’t see it but you raised your eyebrows at that. “This cute girl?”, you repeated, your confusion visible in your voice.

Lando hummed in agreement. “Yeah, we went out for dinner together, this small Italian place near Hyde Park. It’s really nothing special but the last time we went there she really liked the spaghetti they served”, he told you.

Small Italian place? Your small Italian place? He isn’t seriously telling you about another girl he took out for a date there, is he?

“Even though she is terrible at eating spaghetti without getting sauce everywhere”, he added and lightly laughed while explaining. “You would think that when even I am capable to use a fork for eating spaghetti it couldn’t be that hard but apparently it is.”

Now it began to make sense to you. You loved pasta with all your being but when it comes to twirling spaghetti around your fork without it falling off the moment you want to put it in your mouth, you were a hopeless case - much to Lando's amusement.

“I beg to differ, it really is some sort of witchcraft and I don’t understand why it is apparently culturally unacceptable to just cut it instead”, you hugged out and Lando only laughed at that.

“That’s exactly what she said as well, but anyways, I thought it was actually quite cute”, he confessed.

“You did?”, you asked shyly.

“I did”, he repeated. “I think she’s very cute in general, see she has this habit of falling into a minute- long ramble about everything and nothing at the same time but no matter how many confusing stories she starts telling you at the same time, you can’t keep yourself from listening to every word she says.”

If your cheeks weren’t turning red before they sure as hell were turning cherry red now.

“I love her voice, I’m glad I get to hear it almost every day”, he says. “It’s what I’m looking forward to after a long day of racing or meetings actually.”

“I bet she likes talking to you just as much as you do”, you whispered.

“I hope she does”, he hummed and you heard a car door open in the background. He was probably still sat in the car when he called you and only now got out. “She’s also very pretty.”

Now you were simply smiling like an idiot on your couch. Lando has complimented you numerous times but he never straight out told you you were pretty.

“You think?”

“Mhm, very much so. I just think she doesn’t really realize it”, he added the last part quietly but you picked it up nonetheless. “I would love to go out with her again”, he then said and your eyes opened wide in surprise. The entire situation was so absurd but it was Lando, it was typically him in every sense.

“Then maybe you should ask her out again.”

He smiled at that, you were sure. “Yeah, I think I will.”

—————

ahhhh okay i again wrote this in one go and I kinda hate it kinda love it? Idk I hope you like it. First time writing for Lando, think I’ll stick to Charles mostly but I thought this was more fitting for Lando idk why tbh.

Also, I am soo uncreative when it comes to titles for my writing??? I apologize ugh

Anyways, I hope you have a great day and please give me feedback <3

#f1 #formula 1 #formula 1 imagine #lando norris #lando norris x y/n #lando norris x you #lando norris x reader #lando norris imagine #lando norris fluff

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snowblossomreads · 10 months

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Day 7: (Stormy Reunion) Persona Non Grata

Pairing: Sinclair Bryant x Fem!Reader

Summary: In where [Y/n] attends a business holiday party with Sinclair and eventually run into someone from Sinclair's past when they are leaving.

Tag(s)/Warning(s): mentions of alcohol, mentions of cheating and incest (🤢), hurt, comfort, kissing, swearing

Word Count: 3.8K

A/N: I'm back with a story of everyone's sweet human puppy! I love him so much and I wish Alan played more characters of this nature as it showed a different side of him.😣 Ugh ugh I can go on and on about Sinclair but I won't....well not in the notes LOL enjoy the story though!

Food, drinks, and chatter flowed in abundance at the holiday dinner party that both Sinclair and [Y/n] were in attendance for at a high end restaurant near Hyde Park that she had never knew existed.

It wasn't very surprising that she hadn't known it was there, considering a meal in this place probably cost as much as her heating bill in the winter time. She wouldn't have even dared stepped in the restaurant back then fearing that she would be thrown out on the bases that she looked well...out of place.

Yet somehow she was here and it was most definitely because she was on the arms of the kindest, handsomest and most perfect man she had ever met. He was honestly a star in a room dominated mostly by dull businessmen who he worked with. So it was understandable that she found herself glued at Sinclair's side as he took her around to all his colleagues proudly announcing that she was his girlfriend and how wonderful she was.

He was like a little puppy who had found their favourite person with their favourite toy in hand and just wanted everyone to know how happy he was. She was sure the light makeup she had put on would melt away with how hot her face had become by all the praise and adoration he had thrown her way.

It was wonderful, and life was wonderful she mused as she listened to Sinclair chatting loudly and animatedly to some coworkers who listened with a varying amount of interest. His cheeks were flushed a bit red from the few drinks he had and it made him all the more chatty with folks which seemed to be an almost impossible thing.

"You know next year me and [Y/n]...hiccup…are thinking about buying a villa in the French countryside," he bragged to the group who all made a various noises of interest at what he said. "We can stay visit during the winter and …hiccup… then rent it out during the summer I think it would be a fine investment!"

"Oh no Sinclair means, he's, thinking about buying a villa in the French countryside," [Y/n] interrupted nudging him in the side causing him to let out an exaggerated 'ow' before he was nudging her back playfully. She let out a little laugh and patted his shoulder before continuing. "[Y/n] is just a helpless bystander who watches him buy pretty trinkets and then watch him wonder where he's going to fit the bloody thing when it gets to him. It's madness in the house sometimes I swear!"

The group seemed to get a good laugh out of that and even Sinclair chuckled at her, looking over to her with shining eyes that radiated cheerfulness.

She honestly didn't care how he spent his money, it was his to spend but she did like to poke fun at some of the things he would buy. Especially his vintage cars. He loved vintage cars but her? She didn't get the point if he wasn't going to drive them. They were pretty though and he did love pretty things so that is probably where that had come from.

"Well I haven't heard her protest about it yet so I think she's onboard with it to, so you're all invited to the villa when we get it settled!"

There was a chorus of 'brilliant!' and 'alright!' that sounded from the group at the invitation that was extended and she couldn't help but to shake her head with a smile.

Conversation carried on for a bit longer before [Y/n]'s eyes began to start to droop as her feet ached a bit from the heels she had been wearing. They were comfy for the first few hours but she was beginning to want to just take them off and go bare footed which was probably frowned upon in such an establishment. And thus her mission of getting Sinclair on board with going home started.

"Sinclair!" she called out once she had found him after returning from a quick trip to the loo.

He was surprisingly not cornering a coworker to talk their ear off but he unsurprisingly was lurking around the dessert table that had been set up for the party poking around at some of the leftovers.

"[Y/n]!" He replied enthusiastically before shoving the rest of the dessert he was holding in his mouth as she approached.

She couldn't help the laughter that belted out from her when she saw him do that, thoroughly amused at the lack of decorum he had sometimes when it came to eating.

"Sorry to put damper on things love but I'm a bit knackered from all this fun we're having," she said trying to sound lighthearted even though she just wanted to crawl in bed. "Mind if we leave soon? I think some of your buddies are also looking a bit worn out."

Taking a look around they both noticed that things had calmed down a bit and some of the guests had cleared off probably also getting ready to leave while others chatted with one or two other people.

The party was winding down and she would also like to be doing the same having been busy all day earlier and now only feeling the effects of everything.

"Oh you're right it is getting late isn't it! I don't even see Michael, you know the one I told you about that is always hanging around trying to learn everything he can about what's going on with the business? Great chap to be with!" Sinclair chirped as he looked around and saw the same thing she was seeing. "Okay then well I guess we better be off! Let's make another round to say bye to everyone I'm sure they would like to see you one more time before we left."

Doing just that, they went around to the remaining people still hanging out saying goodbye to them and wishing them a goodnight. [Y/n] had also received quite a few compliments from people as they all seemed genuinely pleased to have met her even having one of the older men, who was apparently an executive board member that Sinclair had told her was a bit of a mentor to him say,

"You've sure found a brilliant woman Sinclair absolutely lovely girl you are dear!" The older man boasted loudly with an equally loud belly laugh. "Make sure he brings you to the New Year's party that I'm hosting! My Margaret would love to meet you, she never got on with the other one never had the chance to really but oh well!"

Sinclair could only grin and look at [Y/n] who also mirrored his expression though she felt a slight nagging in her brain when the man had said 'the other one'. She was well aware of Sinclair's ex who had barely ever visited the office or attended any parties that his company had thrown.

While she also had to admit she didn't quite care for them, [Y/n] did understand it was important to show support and it was the reason she had let him drag her to the event.

Telling him ‘thank you’ and reassuring him that they would indeed attend, the couple went up to the front of the restaurant where Sinclair turned to her and happily chirped,

"Wait here darling I'll go get the car! No sense in both of us freezing out there."

What a gentleman.

"Okay don't keep me waiting though," she teased as she went to kiss him, still tasting the faint traces of sweetness from the dessert he had nicked when she had saw him.

Amber eyes lit up as he gave her a nod before he exited the building which allowed a bit of cold air to come in before it stopped when the door closed fully. Taking a seat nearby, [Y/n] listened to the soft chatter and clatter of the stragglers in the restaurant. Two of Sinclair's coworkers passed by her as they exited the building, both saying good night to her once more as the exited leaving her sitting and waiting.

A few minutes became ten when [Y/n] looked at the watch on her wrist and she began to wonder where he had run off to considering they hadn't parked but a two or three minute walk from the place. Not only that, the drowsiness she felt was growing and she was sure the place was closing soon.

'I guess I should go find my wandering puppy.'

She mused making herself giggle which was a sign that she needed to go lay down soon as delirium maybe setting in. Perhaps the cold air would wake her up some.

So making an executive decision, [Y/n] got up, wrapped her coat tightly around her body and exited the restaurant in search of Sinclair. The chilly English air and the light breeze that was blowing in her direction definitely did its job in waking her up as she made way to the street they had parked on.

And just as she had thought, it only took a about three minutes (not that she was counting) to spot the car and her missing partner who was not in said car.

Instead Sinclair's back was facing her when she saw him, and it looked like he was talking to someone who she couldn't make out from her position. Though when she got closer, she could clearly make out a woman's voice which caught her attention.

"Sinclair I've missed you! Please we can start over can't we? Haven't you missed me my love? You've must have all alone out here come on we can go to my place."

[Y/n] watched as a hand with painted nails wrapped around Sinclair's forearm like a leech and it was enough for to stomp her way up to them ready to pry him away from whoever was trying to sink their claws into him.

"Sinclair there you are!" [Y/n] loudly exclaimed with the most enthusiastic tone she could muster as she approached him, her heels clicked on the pavement in rapid succession as she power walked her way over. It indeed caught both people's attention as Sinclair turned and the expression on his feature could be defined as mortified and down right uncomfortable.

She had come right in time it seemed. "I was getting worried when you didn't come back darling," she said doing her best to drum up the concerned girlfriend act, which honestly wasn’t an act, as she went to stroke Sinclair's forearm. She also drove the point home that he was taken by leaning up and pressing her lips against his in a possessive manner.

Had he been shocked by her actions he didn't let on, instead he eagerly followed her lead which promptly caused the mystery woman's hand to fall from him. A triumphant smirk graced [Y/n]'s lips even though no one could see it too caught up kissing the life out of her boyfriend. Her eyes fluttered closed as his cool lips met hers and she had to keep from making a most inappropriate noise as they had a snogging contest in the middle of the sidewalk for all to see.

Pressing her lips that were now warm once more against his and squeezing his arm gently, [Y/n] pulled back and admired the stain she had left on Sinclair's lips along with the dark amber eyes that gazed at her with confused lust.

Excellent. Now on to the problem at hand.

Leaning to the side to get a better look at the woman, she was very much pleased to see the shocked and borderline annoyed expression on her face. Who did this lady think she was grabbing onto Sinclair like she had any business touching him?

"Oh I'm so sorry I didn't see you there! Who is this a new friend of yours?" She asked, looking up at Sinclair while playing with his coat and pretending as if she hadn't overheard them talking or seen the woman at all. "Sinclair you're always making friends with strangers! You know I adore that about you but you but you should be careful ,it's late and there are shifty people around you know."

It was a thinly veiled insult and from the looks of both Sinclair and mystery woman they had caught it.

"Excuse me?"

"Hmm? Oh yes sorry who are you again?" [Y/n] asked not even looking at the woman but up to Sinclair who was eyeing [Y/n] nervously. "Sinclair introduce me to your little friend."

"Erm..em, yes well [Y/n], " he muttered softly not at all like his usual enthusiastic self while he began to play with his fingers before turning to look at the woman who was eyeing them both. "This is Natalie my...ex-wife."

Oh...this cunt.

The wife who broke his heart with a silly affair with her fucking brother of all people. The one who left him absolutely shattered after a divorce that she decided to drag out as to prove a point? And now she had the gall to put her ugly painted nails on him and ask for him back.

Absolutely not. [Y/n] saw red as her face heated up from the fury that was rushing in her veins that not even the cold seemed to affect her at that point. Oh did she want to play coy and dumb well she was about to be in for a nasty surprise. Because unlike some people [Y/n] would never do anything so cruel to someone that she loved.

"Natalie the ex huh?" She pointed out as her eyes widened in faux surprise while a terrible sense of glee grew in her when she saw Natalie wince at the title.

"Oh how nice to meet you," she lied yet her smile never faltered as she spoke to the woman. "Me and Sinclair were just at a dinner party for his job and he said he bring the car around but when he didn't show up I just had to come look for him! And here he is! He's just got news of his promotion at the party to, Director of Financial Planning and Analyst for all of Europe isn't that right love?" [Y/n] bragged shamelessly as she hung onto Sinclair and laid her head on his shoulder.

She wanted the woman to know that her touches, her advances anything she may think of were unwanted and futile and [Y/n] had no problem making her uncomfortable.

"Uhm yes that's right," Sinclair answered looking down at the woman on his arm who only beamed up at him causing him to do the same.

He couldn't help it she was adorable when she smiled. Not that he didn’t find her adorable any other way.

"They wanted me to take the job up for the Americas but then we'd have to move, and you hated that idea didn't you darling?"

"Guilty as charged," she nodded. "I did but you still love me don't you?"

"Of course I do!" He affirmed with a nod of his head and a kiss on her forehead that made her giggle and cuddle closer against him. If her actions were out of character he didn't say anything about it, instead going on about what he would miss most if they left. "Plus I would miss the food here, you can't find a real cucumber sandwich away from England. Some of the places in France do a good one but I truly don't believe anywhere else does it as well as we do."

"Exactly! And plus we already have a French villa in our sights so it would be a shame and a waste to move so far from it!"

They looked at one another and nodded in tandem before laughter peeled from their lips at how silly they must look. They were very comfortable with each other and it showed so much so that they had forgotten that they were putting on a bit that wasn't really a bit.

"Oh wow well congratualtion's lov-." Natalie stop short at using that term of endearment as she felt her hair stand on the back of her neck at the icy glare [Y/n] had cut her at the very first syllable. Letting out a nervous cough, Natalie averted the woman's gaze and looked at Sinclair. "Sinclair um that's wonderful you always were brilliant at you job so I'm not surprised at all. And a villa in France? That's quite lovely...you seem very happy."

He nodded.

"I’m very happy [Y/n]'s the perfect partner for me!" He chirped kissing her forehead once again causing [Y/n] to squeal and hide her face in his coat with a giggly 'stop it!' "She even attends the parties for work that you didn't like. Though I know she secretly hates them."

"Again guilty but what can I say I just want to show you the support and love you show me so a party every once in a while is perfectly fine with me!"

Maybe it was the way that they looked at each other as if no one else was around even though someone was. Maybe it was the playfulness they seemed at ease showing to one another not a care in the world about who saw.

And maybe it was the way [Y/n]'s icy glare in her direction that made her shiver more than the cold make her realize quickly that she was very much person non grata. In that moment, she decided it would be a good idea to make herself scarce if she knew what was good for her.

"I see well, I think I get the message that I should leave you two alone for the night. It is late after all."

"Mhmm it is late," [Y/n] echoed not even looking at Natalie but through her with a bored expression. "And we have a long day tomorrow don't we 'Clair?"

"We do, and we best get you to bed because I know how you get when you're knackered."

She grinned and again leaned up to kiss him gently and she was sure she could hear a soft 'tsk' leave their unwanted guest. But who cared she was the one intruding.

"Ehem," coughing to try and get the snogging couples attention, [Y/n] rolled her eyes as she detached her lips from Sinclair's to listen to the woman talk. "It was nice to see you again Sinclair don't be a stranger you still have my number right?"

Was she serious?

"I'm sure my solicitor has it somewhere in his files."

It was a cutting statement coming from Sinclair as he seemed to be over with her as well. God he could be a snarky man. [Y/n] loved it.

"Right goodnight you two have a lovely evening."

Turning around the she devil went in the direction where she had come from and when she was out of ear shot the only phrase that left [Y/n] in a hiss was a crude and passionate,

"What a twat!"

"Darling language."

"She is."

There was a brief moment of hesitation before,

"She is." Sinclair agreed tiredly, his shoulders slumping as he went to rub his eyes that had begun to burn from the mixture of exhaustion and emotions that had showed up.

The divorce happened over three years ago but the pain did still linger over what she had done. Even if he was happy with [Y/n] and he was ridiculously happy and in love with her. It sill hurt a bit though.

"I'm so so sorry you had to see that darling and deal with her, god what rotten luck to meet her here of all places," he apologized as he swiped at his eyes trying to rid himself of any tears that may have tried to introduce themselves. He wasn’t an emotional person, not really, but with something like this, it was easy to see why he was upset. "Out of all the people I walk into in the middle of the night trying to fetch the car it’s her. What a bloody nightmare I can't even believe this."

"Oh Sinclair stop it don't get so worked up it's not like you," [Y/n] cooed at him as he began rambling about her piss poor timing and the nerve of her to think he want anything to do with her after what she had done.

Trying to distract him from his ramblings she took his hands into hers before she placed his palms on her cheek. It was like he was squishing them and she looked so silly that he couldn't help but let out a weak laugh.

"Honestly I didn't hate it that much. It's been a while since I got to have a go at someone but subtly it was very refreshing! You must try sometimes," she mused as she turned her head to kiss his palm before looking back at him with a grin.

"That's not like me you know that I have a perpetual weakness of letting everyone know what I think, isn't that what you told me before? I should work on it shouldn't I? I hear most people don't particularly like that."

"Who cares though," she said nonchalantly, shrugging at his statement as she went on her tip toes once more to press her lips on the tip of his nose before giving him a brief peck on the lips. “You are perfectly you, and plus where else is someone going to find a human encyclopedia who is as sweet and handsome as you are huh? Nowhere!”

Amber eyes were alight and bright at her words of praise. A grin grew on his thin lips which suited him better than the stormy expression he had worn earlier during the unexpected reunion. He titled his head and his hair flopped to the side and goodness did he look like the adorable puppy she always compared him to.

“Well if you think that I’m doing a well enough job, then I see no reason for change!”

“Exactly you’re doing a brilliant job Sinclair at being you,” she grinned before she was wrapped her arms around her self and rubbed her arms for some warmth. “Now with that being said can we go home it’s freezing out here. Not that the snogging didn’t warm me up but we’re going to have to do a lot more of it to keep me warm and I don’t think it be appropriate for the world to see.”

A boisterous laugh that echoed on the sparsely populated streets left him at what she had said before he took a few steps towards the car and opened the passenger side door with a flourish. Turning to her he announced with his usually cheer and antics,

“Your carriage awaits m'lady!”

A/N: Heheh hopes natialie has learned her lesson huff!

Tags: @deepperplexity

#sinclair x reader #sinclair bryant x reader #rickmas2023 #rickmas #blossom writes

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coffeedrgn87 · 2 years

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December 17th Drarry Drabble: "Christmas Sweater"

Read the first part here (it won't make much sense otherwise).

Tags: Is Malfoy up to something?, Harry is quite possibly having a meltdown over Malfoy, the annoying mistletoe is still there, but Malfoy is full of surprises, and Harry has no words, no angst, and some UST; this is also apparently the part of this December drabble journey where this whole idea of writing unrelated standalone drabbles does right out of the window...

Knightsbridge was the epitome of luxury. It didn’t surprise Harry that Malfoy lived in nearby Belgravia with its terraced stucco townhouses, private garden squares, international embassies, upmarket hotels, antique shops, chic furniture stores, trendy art galleries, and designer fashion and jewellery boutiques. It was home to fine-dining restaurants, posh delis, and sophisticated cafes — a place for the rich and famous to unload their cash. The area was predominantly Muggle, which surprised Harry but not enough to think much of it. After all, London did not have an exclusive wizarding district for the well-to-do.

Number 22 Wilton Place was a six-storey Regency townhouse within walking distance of several tube stations (not that Malfoy seemed to be the type of person who got on the tube), and Hyde Park was only a stone’s throw away. Serpentine’s Stephen Waterfall was the closest public apparition point, and it was heavily glamoured with a potent Repelling Charm that deterred Muggles from going near it.

However, the standard apparition wasn’t an option, given Harry’s current mistletoe predicament. He suspected Malfoy’s London home had private apparition coordinates, but Harry hadn’t bothered to ask. After all, there was such a thing as ‘too intimate’, and in Harry’s book, knowing Malfoy’s private apparition coordinates fell into that category.

He didn’t know whether Malfoy agreed with him on that point, but he’d quietly accepted Malfoy’s floo address which Malfoy had kindly noted for him. And, of course, Malfoy’s penmanship was impeccable because why would it not be? The git appeared to excel at everything Harry didn’t. He wrote swiftly and with an exquisite flourish that nettled Harry terribly.

So, on top of sitting on his hands during Kingsley’s two-hour reprimand (Harry was still surprised he’d managed not to fall asleep), he also ground his teeth together to avoid accidentally making a snarky remark. Everything about Malfoy screamed elegance and perfection and starkly contrasted with Kingsley’s elaborate and overly detailed rebuke.

Apparently, Harry had been well within his rights (Malfoy had boredly confirmed that with a lot of avant-garde legalese) to levitate Cormac into the Fountain of Magical Brethren and defend himself during the duel that had followed. (Naturally, Harry already knew that though he’d resisted telling Kingsley that.) Even the Auror team’s arrest had been by the book.

The only problem was that Cormac was no longer a British citizen, and his parents (with MACUSA’s help) were trying to create an international incident a week before Christmas…blah, blah, blah. By the time Kingsley finally stopped talking about MACUSA’s ridiculous complaint (as though American citizens were suddenly exempt from prosecution under British Wizarding Law when they attempted to commit crimes on British soil) and started to focus on Harry’s ‘inconvenience’ (the mistletoe), Harry’s jaw was positively aching from clenching it so much. Restraining himself had never been Harry’s strong suit, but ten years in the public eye had allowed him to get intimately acquainted with the useless political move of ‘keeping one’s gob shut’.

Still, the worst part of the entire experience was when Malfoy insisted on a home visit to help Harry fix his annoying mistletoe problem. After half an hour of unsuccessfully trying to weasel his way out of visiting Malfoy’s private residence for a curse removal consult, Harry eventually gave up. Partly because he was tired but also because Kingsley looked like he was about to suggest that Harry’s other option was a stint in Azkaban so he could come to his senses.

In Harry’s opinion, the Janus Thickey Ward at St. Mungo’s seemed a far more reasonable option, but Harry wisely refrained from making that observation. He had no desire to spend Christmas in the hospital (lest Kingsley, in his infinite wisdom as Minister for Magic, decided to teach him a lesson). Over the years, there’d been too many instances where Harry’s impulsivity in the field had led to several highly uncomfortable overnight stays at Mungo’s, and he had no interest in baiting Kingsley into adding another one to the list.

But now Harry was here, in Malfoy’s home. It differed vastly from what Harry remembered about Malfoy Manor. There was nothing gloomy about the place. It was bright, open, spacious, and exceptionally welcoming, with no lack of plants (magical and non-magical alike), hand-picked furniture, and a wealth of art.

Upon stepping out of the gigantic fireplace in the reception room, a wisecrack of a house elf (dressed in what appeared to be a tailored butler’s uniform) greeted him with a bow so deep that the elf’s nose touched the carpeted ground. It made Harry terribly uncomfortable, though he forced himself to keep his opinions to himself. The last thing he was interested in was having it out with an elf, a Malfoy elf no less, while a pertinent mistletoe bobbed above his head.

However, since his arrival, things had become exponentially worse for Harry. Malfoy’s elf had led him into what appeared to be Malfoy’s private living room, and Harry felt perfectly out of place. He didn’t think he was supposed to be here, in Malfoy’s inner sanctum (so to speak), but Malfoy’s elf had vanished, and Harry wasn’t about to explore Malfoy’s townhouse in search of a place that made him feel less unpleasant. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder whether Malfoy made a habit of welcoming his guests in his private living room.

Didn’t he have a proper drawing room? A study even, or an office? Recency townhouses had libraries; surely Malfoy’s elf could have accommodated him there? Perhaps it was yet another attempt at trying to make him uncomfortable? After all, Malfoy was a grade-A git. Sure, he’d paid his reparations, uttered his apologies, and worked hard to become an upstanding member of Britain’s Wizarding Society, and while Harry didn’t hold a grudge (he’d testified at Malfoy’s trial), there was something about Malfoy that perpetually rubbed Harry up the wrong way.

He supposed it was only natural. Malfoy and he had spent most of their time at Hogwarts despising each other. The handful of times they’d bumped into each other at functions hadn’t been enough to establish any meaningful connection. And so, they lived in each other’s orbit, Harry acutely aware of Malfoy’s presence, however fleeting (and Malfoy likely scowling at his very existence and cursing him to the centre of hell) without ever trying to create a relationship.

Piqued by his intrusive thoughts and unable to properly distract himself, Harry moved closer to the grand fireplace, where large flames crackled and danced, licking at the thick stone walling. The parquet flooring creaked a little under Harry’s heavy Auror-issues Dragonhide boots. The edge of the broad mantlepiece was beautifully decorated with a real fir garland. Its scent (damp moss, rain, wet tree trunks and needle-covered paths) reminded Harry of a green forest, serenity, peace and quiet. Small twigs of holly and snowberry adorned the many coniferous branches. Harry caught his reflection in one of the tiny silver baubles but groaned when he also noted his companion, the mistletoe.

Turning his attention to several silver photo frames on display on top of the mantlepiece, Harry looked at them curiously. He recognised Blaise Zabini, who shared a photograph with Malfoy. The two were laughing, hugging and toasting the photographer with champagne flutes. Harry was at once interested, though what intrigued him most wasn’t the intimacy of the moment captured but Malfoy’s laugh.

It looked bright and genuine, and the way his silvery-grey eyes sparkled made Harry feel a little dizzy. He glanced at the next photo. It showed Malfoy sprawled all over an armchair with Pansy Parkinson in his lap. She appeared to laugh at something while Malfoy looked at her with an expression akin to admiration. Harry’s stomach flipped unexpectedly, and he moved his gaze to the following photograph and the next.

Many of the captured moments showed Malfoy with his friends. One showed him with Astoria Greengrass, and another was a candid image of Malfoy’s mother surrounded by well-tended rose bushes. Another showed Malfoy with a man Harry didn’t know, but the formal robes indicated that the picture had been taken at a black-tie function or a wedding. A strange sort of sensation, akin to jealousy, took residence in Harry’s chest, and he felt his stomach harden.

Thankfully, Malfoy clearing his throat at precisely that moment gave Harry the perfect excuse to turn his back on the personal photographs. Except, the second he turned around, he did a double take. He blinked several times, just about stopped his jaw from dropping, and with his arms loosely hanging at his sides, Harry furrowed his brows and wondered whether he’d mixed up his dates or arrived at the wrong time. A sense of panic enveloped him, and it took every effort for Harry to stop himself from hyperventilating. His quick and shallow breathing made him feel dizzy, and he briefly squeezed his eyes shut.

Reopening them did not reset the scene. Malfoy was dressed in a pair of black Muggle jeans that hugged his legs perfectly that Harry had to rub at his throat just to remind himself how to swallow. Malfoy wasn’t wearing shoes, only socks, and while those blasted jeans made it hard for Harry to stop his gaze from exploring, the absolute icing on the cake was the sweater Malfoy wore. Dark green in colour and with exquisite silver snowflakes stitched into the wool, it was quite possibly the most elegant Christmas sweater Harry had ever seen in his lifetime. Inexplicably, his fingers itched with the nearly unquenchable desire to touch, and in a desperate attempt to dull the feeling, Harry shoved his hands deep into his chino pockets.

“Er, hi,” he croaked.

Malfoy’s grin was a wild thing that made Harry breathe faster. He felt his skin flush and heat. Opening his mouth, Harry was about to lick his lips, then decided against it and swallowed hard instead. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

“Hello, Potter. Apologies for the wait, unexpected firecall from my mother.”

Harry nodded in silent acknowledgement, and when Malfoy motioned at the sofa, offering him a seat, he shuffled forward, then stopped. Malfoy gave him a dramatic eye roll (it screamed ‘you insufferable, mannerless brat’, but Harry ignored it), shrugged, then sat down and elegantly folded one leg over the other. He clasped his hands together and placed them in his lap.

“So, Potter, before we take care of your shrubby little problem, would you like some tea?”

12 notes · View notes

mourning-again-in-america · 1 year

Text

How do I describe what I like about Chicago? It all comes to me as a mix of scenes, watching the storefronts switch from Guatemalan to Korean to Yemeni walking east to west along Lawrence, seeing the flows of crowds of college students leaving and entering the bars on Lincoln Ave, waiting for the last Metra train of the night in a 24-hour diner right next to the tracks--and these are hardly idiosyncratic experiences in any real city (author's note: I'm not sure if either SF, DC, or Seattle are real cities)

Some of it must be a matter of familiarity -- the streets of cities west of the Rockies are all too damn wide, while all the streets in cities on the East Coast are either too damn tiny or are near-freeways. Some of it comes from the comfort of the building heights -- there's not much for suburban single family housing on the north side, especially as you get near the lake; even the more suburban areas are more likely to be 3-4 story walk-ups. Even though I live a good few miles north of city center, I'm still in a mid-rise apartment building and can see several such buildings out my window.

Some of it is certainly food -- I've not had a proper gyro (where the edges of the meat are crisp and crackly and the inside is thick and wet and spiced) outside of here and it's certainly much easier to find a restaurant that'll serve a half-pound of decent meat here than in Boston, Seattle or SF (also, Chicago's meat foods, like the Polish sausage or Italian beef knock any local meat-between-bread meal out of the park, go suck on your cheesesteaks, Philly). And there feels like there's more options for different cuisines here than anywhere not-NYC -- I really like being able to have a Cuban place and a Serbian place and a Kazakh place and a Nepalese place within a few miles! This isn't even for a lack of good American food -- the burgers here are a significant notch above the Bay, the fried chicken and barbecue are the best you'll get in a Northern city, and I even found a hole-in-the-wall breakfast place that opens at 7am and serves a five egg omelette with bacon and cheese, side of potatoes and rye for under $15!

Some of it has to do with the ease of walking around, people like to make Chicago out to be a dangerous city, and it is dangerous, in the way cities are and suburbs are not, but things feel far more demarcated than they ever were in Boston or the East Bay. I know the local hotspots from just reading reddit (Hermosa, Cragin, Lawndale, largely, for a north-sider, southside is more complicated but I can round it off to "anywhere >1mi from the river and not Hyde Park" and be done with it). In Boston, none of it made any goddamn sense, even just walking up Neponset/Dorchester Ave from Quincy -- things were certainly fine in North Quincy, got sus as I crossed the river, got worse and worse as I went north until I hit the Indochinese district just a bit south of UMass -- and then somehow things get worse again as I approach Andrew, but north of Andrew is completely fine?!! What gives? At least on Chicago I know that outside of the Milwaukee Ave sitch, things generally get worse as you go west and south. Simple as. East Bay, nobody seemed to talk about it, or assumed that if there was ever a problem, the problem was with YOU. So I got some weird signals west of MLK (except for the area near Tamaleria Azteca and Al-Maida, those places are goated), couldn't pick up any new info, there wasn't anything around I was interested in seeing, so I just gave up and learned the areas on Telegraph as well as I could.

A large part of it has to do with the night-scene--there's food-places open after 10pm here, that aren't even bars! What a wild world, coming from Boston and the Bay! More than that, they're often even open after midnight in the hotter areas--what bounty being able to choose if I want pizza, tacos, or a Polish around 1am on a night-walk!

I don't know why I like it here, but I do.

2 notes · View notes

usastuffstates · 2 months

Text

Illinois

Chicago • 300 South Wacker • 360 Chicago Observation Deck • Anderson Shumaker • Balboa Monument • Batcolumn • Big Monster Toys • Big Smile Dental • Billy Goat Tavern • Billy Goat Tavern (at The Mart) • Billy Goat Tavern (Navy ) • Billy Goat Tavern (near United Center) • Billy Goat Tavern (Ohare Airport- Concourse C) • Billy Goat Tavern (The Original) • Billy Goat Tavern (Wrigleyville) • Bob Newhart Statue • Bohemian National Cemetery • Busy Beaver Button Co • Chicago Architecture Center • Chicago Fed Money Museum • Cloud Gate • Creative Circle • Crown Fountain • Daley Plaza • Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy • Douglas Tomb State Historic Site • Field Museum • Former 7th District Police Station • Fountain of Time • Gallagher House • Geographical Center of Chicago • Graceland Cemetery • Grant Park • Historic Begin Route 66 Sign • Hotel Lincoln - JDV by Hyatt • Hubcap Yard House • Humboldt Park • Hyde Park Hair Salon & Barber • International Museum of Surgical Science • Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art • Jack Brickhouse Memorial • John Hancock Center • Klairmont Kollections Automotive Museum • Kocol Mark S • K Three Welding • L. Frank Baum Yellow Brick Road • Los Portales Mexican Restaurant • McDonald's • Merchandise Mart • Midwest Eye Center - Chicago • Monument To The Great Northern Migration • New Colony Building • Nuclear Energy Sculpture • Obama Kissing Rock • Oz Park • Ravenswood ArtWalk • Robin Williams Mural • Rosehill Cemetery • Sanchez Lab • Shit Fountain • Sims Metal Management • Skydeck Chicago • SP+ Parking • Superdawg Drive-In • Swoon • Taco Bell Cantina • Tribune Tower • Twisted Spoke • United Center • University of Chicago • Victory Gardens Theater • Walt Disney Birthplace Home • Weber Grill Restaurant • Winston's Sausages • Wolfy's • Wooly Mammoth • The Wormhole Coffee • Wrigley Field

Fox River Grove • Bettendorf Castle

Freeport • Little Cubs Field • Union Dairy

Fulton • The Dutch Oven • Heritage Canyon • Windmill Cultural Center

Galena • Belvedere Mansion • U.S. Grant Home State Historic Site • West Street Sculpture Park

Galva • Galva City Police Department

Gardner • Streetcar Diner • Two Cell Jail

Gays • Two Story Outhouse

Geneva • Chicago Soccer Academy • Fabyan Windmill • Oak Hill Cemetery • Good Templar Park Association

Glen Ellyn • College of DuPage • College of DuPage, Health and Science Center

Glenview • Abt Electronics

Granite • Chain of Rocks Bridge • Everclean Car Wash • Granite City Park District

Grayslake • Lake County Farm Bureau

Greenville • DeMoulin Museum

Gridley • Telephone Museum of Gridley

Griggsville

Gurnee • El Rancho Motel

Hartford • Lewis & Clark Confluence Tower

Harvard • Five Point Park • RavenStone Castle

Hebron • Basketball Water Tower

Herod • Gap Bar • Garden of the God's • Herod Cave Historic Site • Shawnee Bigfoot Statue

Highland Park • Giant Hawk Head and Nest

Hillsboro • Abraham Lincoln Statue Plaza

Hillside • Mount Carmel Cemetery

Hinsdale • Robert Crown Center For Health Education

Homewood

HoopPole • St. Mary of the Fields Catholic Church

Hopewell • Whispering Giant Park

Hudson • Comlara Park

Hudsonville • Hutson Memorial Park

Inverness • Village of Inverness

Iuka • Quandt's Supply

Jacksonville • Brennan HVAC

Joliet • Blues Brothers Copmobile • Dick's Towing Service Inc • First Dairy Queen Location • Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66 • Liberty Meadow Estates • Old Joliet Prison • Route 66 Food n Fuel

Justice • Resurrection Cemetery

Kankakee • 5th Avenue Community Gardens • Alexander Construction and Innovative Mobile Marketing • American Legion Kankakee Post 85 • Dairy Queen

Kaskaskia • Kaskaskia Bell State Memorial

Kent • Blackhawk Battlefield Park

Kewanee

Lemont • Argonne Welcome Center Northgate

Lerna • Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site • Shiloh Cemetery • Thompson's Welding Service

Lexington • Crazy Presidential Elephant

Liberty

Libertyville • Lambs Farm

Lincoln • Hotel Lincoln Inn • Lincoln City Hall • Lincoln Watermelon Monument • The Mill Museum on Route 66 • Postville Courthouse State Historic Site • Tiny Church • The Tropics Restaurant Neon Sign

Lincolnshire • Par-King Skill Golf

Lincolnwood • Novelty Golf & Games

Livingston • Pink Elephant Antique Mall

Lockport • Lincoln Landing • Lockport Powerhouse

Loda • Loda Park

Lombard • Weber Grill Restaurant & Cooking School

Long Grove • Sock Monkey Museum

Lynnwood • Clarke's Garden Center & Stone Depot

Lyons • Chicago Portage National Historic Site

Macomb • Living Lincoln Topiary Monument

Makanda • Giant City State Park Lodge & Restaurant • Rainmaker Art Studio • Water Tower

Malta • Old School Pizza

Mapleton • Butler Haynes Pavilion • Hollis Park District

Marseilles • Middle East Conflicts Wall Memorial

Marshall • 1918 Brick National Road • World's Largest Gavel

Martinsville • Martinsville Agricultural Fair • Moonshine Store

Matanzas Beach

Mattoon • Burger King (Mattoon)

McCook • Welcome To Fabulous McCook Illinois Sign

Melrose Park • Kiddieland Amusement Park Sign

Metropolis • Big John Super Foods Store • Fort Massac State Park • kryptonite rock • Lois Lane Statue • Masonic Cemetery • Massac County Courthouse Annex • The Super Museum

Midlothian • Bachelor's Grove Cemetery

Milford

Mokena • Creamery

Moline

Monmouth

Morton • Red Barn Tree Shop

Mount Carroll • Raven's Grin Inn

Mount Morris • Illinois Freedom Bell

Mt Olive • Soulsby Shell Station • Union Miners Cemetery

Mt. Pleasant • Grave of King Neptune the Pig • Trail of Tears Welcome Center

Mt. Vernon • Mt.Vernon Overhead Door

Murphysboro • Holiday Inn Express & Suites Murphysboro-Carbondale

Naperville • Central Park • Dick Tracy Statue • Highlands Elementary School • Millennium Carillon • Naperville Public Library - 95th Street Library • Naperville Public Library - Naper Blvd. Library • Naperville Public Library - Nichols Library • Naperville Train • Wrinkle Fairy

Nashville • The Traveler’s Chapel

Nauvoo • Nauvoo-Colusa Elementary/Jr High School

Newton • A-J Welding & Steel • Burl Ives Statue • Mug Tree

Niles • Booby's • Leaning Tower YMCA • Niles Veteran's Memorial Waterfall • President Abraham Lincoln bench • Veterans Memorial Monument Nilwood • Turkey Tracks on Route 66

Normal • Carl's Ice Cream Factory • Sprague's Super Service Station

Norridge • Westlawn Cemetery & Mausoleum

North Aurora • Scott's Vintage & Antiques

North Riverside • Caledonia Senior Living & Memory Care

Norway • Norwegian Settlers State Memorial

Oak Brook • Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center

Oak Forest • King Heating and Air Conditioning

Oak Lawn • Cardinal Liquor Barn Inc

Odell • Standard Oil of Illinois Gas Station

Oglesby • The Rootbeer Stand • Starved Rock State Park

Olney • Olney Chamber of Commerce • Olney City Park • The Repair Shop

Oquawka • Norma Jean, Circus Elephant Monument

Oregon • Lowden State Park • Lowden State Park Campground • Oregon Park East

Ottawa • Ho-Ma-Shjah-Nah-Zhee-Ga Indian Monument • Lincoln-Douglas Park • Ottawa Avenue Cemetery • Remembering the Radium Girls • Shoe Tree • Volvo at Carling Motors Co. Limited

Palatine • Ahlgrim Family Funeral Services

Pana • Giant Hand with Painted Nails

Park Forest • Chinese House @ 428 N. Orchard Drive • Park Forest Rail Fan Park

Pekin • Double D's Soft Serve

Peoria Heights • Heights Tower

Peoria • C.T. Gabbert Remodeling & Construction • Neal Auto Parts • Peoria Plaza Tire • Peoria Riverfront Museum • Richard Pryor statue by Preston Jackson • Wheels O' Time Museum Paris • Sapp Bros. Travel Center

Peru

Petersburg • Oakland Cemetery

Piasa • Southwestern Middle School

Plainfield • Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202

Plano • Smallville Superfest

Pontiac • Burma Shave Signs • Livingston County War Museum • Route 66 Association of Illinois • Route 66 decommissioned Illinois State police headquarter

Port Byron • Will B. Rolling Statue

Princeton • Owen Lovejoy House • Red Covered Bridge

Quincy • St Peters Cemetery

Rantoul • Chanute Air Force Base (Decommissioned) • Hardy's Reindeer Ranch • Rantoul National Aviation Center Airport-Frank Elliott Field

Rend Lake • Rend Lake Golf Course Restaurant & Banquet

River Grove • Hala Kahiki Lounge

Riverdale • Riverdale, IL Water Tower

Roanoke

Rochelle • Vince's Pizza & Family Restaurant

Rock Island • Black Hawk State Historic Site • Chippiannock Cemetery • Rock Island Arsenal

Rockford • Beyer Peaches Stadium • Lockwood Park & Trailside Equestrian Centre • Midway Village Museum • Rock Men

Rolling Meadows • Rolling Meadows Park District Headquarters

Romeoville • White Fence Farm Main Restaurant

Rondout

Roscoe • Historic Auto Attractions

Roselle • Mark Drug Pharmacy and Home Health

Rosemont • Rosemont Water Tower Russell • Russell Military Museum

Salem • Pollard Motors

Sandwich • Bull Moose Bar & Grille • Sandwich City Hall • Sandwich Opera House

Savanna • Savanna Army Depot

Schaumburg • Al Larson Prairie Center For the Arts • Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament • Weber Grill Restaurant & Cooking School

Scott AFB • Scott Field Heritage Air Park

Seneca • LST Memorial Public Boat Launch

Shelbyville • Mobile Wedding Chapel & Wedding Ceremony • Shelby County Courthouse

Silvis • Hero Street Monument Committee

South Barrington • Goebbert's Farm - South Barrington

South Elgin • Fox Valley Trolley Museum

Springfield • 1908 Race Riot Memorial • Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum • Ace Sign Co • Capitol Complex Visitors Center • County Market • Cozy Dog Drive In • Derringer Auto Care • Dumb Records • Illinois State Capitol • Illinois State Fairground • Illinois State Military Museum • Lauterbach Tire & Auto Service • Lincoln Monument Association • Mahan Filling Station • Oak Ridge Cemetery • Pearson Museum • Shea's Gas Station Museum • Southeast High School • Springfield Amtrak Station • Young Lincoln Mural

St. Anne • St. Anne Caboose

St. Charles • Ghoulish Mortals

St. Elmo • Driftstone Pueblo

Staunton • Henrys Rabbit Ranch

Stewardson • Moomaw Truck Alignment INC. Stickney • Mt. Auburn Cemetery

Stockton • Bottle Shed Bar & Pizzaria

Stone Park • Casa Italia

Streamwood • Spirit of America Car Wash

Streator • Canteen Monument • Pluto Coffee and Tea • Schultz Monument Co

Summit • Argo Community High School

Sycamore • Statue of Mr. Pumpkin

Tampico • Ronald Reagan's Birthplace

Taylorville • Christian County Circuit Clerk • Oak Hill Cemetery

Teutopolis • Monastery Museum

Towanda • Dead Man's Curve

Troy Grove • Wild Bill Hickok State Memorial

Union • Illinois Railway Museum

University Park • Governors State University

Urbana • Natural History Building • U of I Pollinatarium • University of Illinois Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering • University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Vandalia • Jay's Inn • Kaskaskia Dragon • Vandalia City Hall • Vandalia Statehouse State Historic Site

Vienna • Big Boys Bar & Grill

Villa Park • Safari Land

Volo • Jurassic Gardens • The Party Barn at Volo Museum • Volo Museum • Volo Museum Auto Sales

Wadsworth • Gold Pyramid

Wapella • Prairie Built Barns Wapella

Washington • Lincoln Statue “Return Visit” Washington Park • Eddie's

Watseka • Smiley Face Water Tower

Waukegan • Club Tiki Bar & Video Slots • Waukegan Public Library • Waukegan Roofing | TPO Commercial Flat Roof Repair & Replacement

Wedron

Wenona • Coal Mine Car Monument

Westport • Lincoln Trail State Memorial

Wheaton • Armerding Center for Music and Arts • Billy Graham Museum • Jack T. Knuepfer County Administration Building • Wheaton College • Wheaton College Marion E Wade Center • Wheaton College Observatory (IL) • Wheaton Windmill Wheeling • Superdawg Drive-In

Whitehall

Willow Hill • Mound Cemetery

Willowbrook • Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket

Wilmette • Bahá'í House of Worship

Wilmington

Winnetka

Woodlawn

Woodridge • Hollywood Blvd Cinema

Woodstock • Royal Victorian Manor • Shoe Tree

Worth • Ball Fore Miniature Golf

0 notes

littletittie · 2 months

Text

Illinois

Fox River Grove • Bettendorf Castle

Freeport • Little Cubs Field • Union Dairy

Fulton • The Dutch Oven • Heritage Canyon • Windmill Cultural Center

Galena • Belvedere Mansion • U.S. Grant Home State Historic Site • West Street Sculpture Park

Galva • Galva City Police Department

Gardner • Streetcar Diner • Two Cell Jail

Gays • Two Story Outhouse

Geneva • Chicago Soccer Academy • Fabyan Windmill • Oak Hill Cemetery • Good Templar Park Association

Glen Ellyn • College of DuPage • College of DuPage, Health and Science Center

Glenview • Abt Electronics

Granite • Chain of Rocks Bridge • Everclean Car Wash • Granite City Park District

Grayslake • Lake County Farm Bureau

Greenville • DeMoulin Museum

Gridley • Telephone Museum of Gridley

Griggsville

Gurnee • El Rancho Motel

Hartford • Lewis & Clark Confluence Tower

Harvard • Five Point Park • RavenStone Castle

Hebron • Basketball Water Tower

Herod • Gap Bar • Garden of the God's • Herod Cave Historic Site • Shawnee Bigfoot Statue

Highland Park • Giant Hawk Head and Nest

Hillsboro • Abraham Lincoln Statue Plaza

Hillside • Mount Carmel Cemetery

Hinsdale • Robert Crown Center For Health Education

Homewood

HoopPole • St. Mary of the Fields Catholic Church

Hopewell • Whispering Giant Park

Hudson • Comlara Park

Hudsonville • Hutson Memorial Park

Inverness • Village of Inverness

Iuka • Quandt's Supply

Jacksonville • Brennan HVAC

Justice • Resurrection Cemetery

Kankakee • 5th Avenue Community Gardens • Alexander Construction and Innovative Mobile Marketing • American Legion Kankakee Post 85 • Dairy Queen

Kaskaskia • Kaskaskia Bell State Memorial

Kent • Blackhawk Battlefield Park

Kewanee

Lemont • Argonne Welcome Center Northgate

Lerna • Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site • Shiloh Cemetery • Thompson's Welding Service

Lexington • Crazy Presidential Elephant

Liberty

Libertyville • Lambs Farm

Lincolnshire • Par-King Skill Golf

Lincolnwood • Novelty Golf & Games

Livingston • Pink Elephant Antique Mall

Lockport • Lincoln Landing • Lockport Powerhouse

Loda • Loda Park

Lombard • Weber Grill Restaurant & Cooking School

Long Grove • Sock Monkey Museum

Lynnwood • Clarke's Garden Center & Stone Depot

Lyons • Chicago Portage National Historic Site

Macomb • Living Lincoln Topiary Monument

Makanda • Giant City State Park Lodge & Restaurant • Rainmaker Art Studio • Water Tower

Malta • Old School Pizza

Mapleton • Butler Haynes Pavilion • Hollis Park District

Marseilles • Middle East Conflicts Wall Memorial

Marshall • 1918 Brick National Road • World's Largest Gavel

Martinsville • Martinsville Agricultural Fair • Moonshine Store

Matanzas Beach

Mattoon • Burger King (Mattoon)

McCook • Welcome To Fabulous McCook Illinois Sign

Melrose Park • Kiddieland Amusement Park Sign

Metropolis • Big John Super Foods Store • Fort Massac State Park • kryptonite rock • Lois Lane Statue • Masonic Cemetery • Massac County Courthouse Annex • The Super Museum

Midlothian • Bachelor's Grove Cemetery

Milford

Mokena • Creamery

Moline

Monmouth

Morton • Red Barn Tree Shop

Mount Carroll • Raven's Grin Inn

Mount Morris • Illinois Freedom Bell

Mt Olive • Soulsby Shell Station • Union Miners Cemetery

Mt. Pleasant • Grave of King Neptune the Pig • Trail of Tears Welcome Center

Mt. Vernon • Mt.Vernon Overhead Door

Murphysboro • Holiday Inn Express & Suites Murphysboro-Carbondale

Nashville • The Traveler’s Chapel

Nauvoo • Nauvoo-Colusa Elementary/Jr High School

Newton • A-J Welding & Steel • Burl Ives Statue • Mug Tree

Niles • Booby's • Leaning Tower YMCA • Niles Veteran's Memorial Waterfall • President Abraham Lincoln bench • Veterans Memorial Monument Nilwood • Turkey Tracks on Route 66

Normal • Carl's Ice Cream Factory • Sprague's Super Service Station

Norridge • Westlawn Cemetery & Mausoleum

North Aurora • Scott's Vintage & Antiques

North Riverside • Caledonia Senior Living & Memory Care

Norway • Norwegian Settlers State Memorial

Oak Brook • Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center

Oak Forest • King Heating and Air Conditioning

Oak Lawn • Cardinal Liquor Barn Inc

Odell • Standard Oil of Illinois Gas Station

Oglesby • The Rootbeer Stand • Starved Rock State Park

Olney • Olney Chamber of Commerce • Olney City Park • The Repair Shop

Oquawka • Norma Jean, Circus Elephant Monument

Oregon • Lowden State Park • Lowden State Park Campground • Oregon Park East

Ottawa • Ho-Ma-Shjah-Nah-Zhee-Ga Indian Monument • Lincoln-Douglas Park • Ottawa Avenue Cemetery • Remembering the Radium Girls • Shoe Tree • Volvo at Carling Motors Co. Limited

Palatine • Ahlgrim Family Funeral Services

Pana • Giant Hand with Painted Nails

Park Forest • Chinese House @ 428 N. Orchard Drive • Park Forest Rail Fan Park

Pekin • Double D's Soft Serve

Peoria Heights • Heights Tower

Peru

Petersburg • Oakland Cemetery

Piasa • Southwestern Middle School

Plainfield • Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202

Plano • Smallville Superfest

Pontiac • Burma Shave Signs • Livingston County War Museum • Route 66 Association of Illinois • Route 66 decommissioned Illinois State police headquarter

Port Byron • Will B. Rolling Statue

Princeton • Owen Lovejoy House • Red Covered Bridge

Quincy • St Peters Cemetery

Rantoul • Chanute Air Force Base (Decommissioned) • Hardy's Reindeer Ranch • Rantoul National Aviation Center Airport-Frank Elliott Field

Rend Lake • Rend Lake Golf Course Restaurant & Banquet

River Grove • Hala Kahiki Lounge

Riverdale • Riverdale, IL Water Tower

Roanoke

Rochelle • Vince's Pizza & Family Restaurant

Rock Island • Black Hawk State Historic Site • Chippiannock Cemetery • Rock Island Arsenal

Rockford • Beyer Peaches Stadium • Lockwood Park & Trailside Equestrian Centre • Midway Village Museum • Rock Men

Rolling Meadows • Rolling Meadows Park District Headquarters

Romeoville • White Fence Farm Main Restaurant

Rondout

Roscoe • Historic Auto Attractions

Roselle • Mark Drug Pharmacy and Home Health

Rosemont • Rosemont Water Tower Russell • Russell Military Museum

Salem • Pollard Motors

Sandwich • Bull Moose Bar & Grille • Sandwich City Hall • Sandwich Opera House

Savanna • Savanna Army Depot

Schaumburg • Al Larson Prairie Center For the Arts • Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament • Weber Grill Restaurant & Cooking School

Scott AFB • Scott Field Heritage Air Park

Seneca • LST Memorial Public Boat Launch

Shelbyville • Mobile Wedding Chapel & Wedding Ceremony • Shelby County Courthouse

Silvis • Hero Street Monument Committee

South Barrington • Goebbert's Farm - South Barrington

South Elgin • Fox Valley Trolley Museum

St. Anne • St. Anne Caboose

St. Charles • Ghoulish Mortals

St. Elmo • Driftstone Pueblo

Staunton • Henrys Rabbit Ranch

Stewardson • Moomaw Truck Alignment INC. Stickney • Mt. Auburn Cemetery

Stockton • Bottle Shed Bar & Pizzaria

Stone Park • Casa Italia

Streamwood • Spirit of America Car Wash

Streator • Canteen Monument • Pluto Coffee and Tea • Schultz Monument Co

Summit • Argo Community High School

Sycamore • Statue of Mr. Pumpkin

Tampico • Ronald Reagan's Birthplace

Taylorville • Christian County Circuit Clerk • Oak Hill Cemetery

Teutopolis • Monastery Museum

Towanda • Dead Man's Curve

Troy Grove • Wild Bill Hickok State Memorial

Union • Illinois Railway Museum

University Park • Governors State University

Urbana • Natural History Building • U of I Pollinatarium • University of Illinois Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering • University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Vandalia • Jay's Inn • Kaskaskia Dragon • Vandalia City Hall • Vandalia Statehouse State Historic Site

Vienna • Big Boys Bar & Grill

Villa Park • Safari Land

Volo • Jurassic Gardens • The Party Barn at Volo Museum • Volo Museum • Volo Museum Auto Sales

Wadsworth • Gold Pyramid

Wapella • Prairie Built Barns Wapella

Washington • Lincoln Statue “Return Visit” Washington Park • Eddie's

Watseka • Smiley Face Water Tower

Waukegan • Club Tiki Bar & Video Slots • Waukegan Public Library • Waukegan Roofing | TPO Commercial Flat Roof Repair & Replacement

Wedron

Wenona • Coal Mine Car Monument

Westport • Lincoln Trail State Memorial

Whitehall

Willow Hill • Mound Cemetery

Willowbrook • Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket

Wilmette • Bahá'í House of Worship

Wilmington

Winnetka

Woodlawn

Woodridge • Hollywood Blvd Cinema

Woodstock • Royal Victorian Manor • Shoe Tree

Worth • Ball Fore Miniature Golf

0 notes

blueorchidhotels · 4 months

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Whatson in London June 2024

Regardless of the weather, London is always the world's top place to be in June. As summer takes hold, its parks, galleries, stages, restaurants and venues become vibrant entertainment hubs, offering a plethora of events.

Art and Culture in London

London Square Open Gardens 8-9 June 2024

Pride in London 2024 29 June 2024

Summer Exhibition 13 June 2024

Princess Diana: Accredited Access Exhibition - June 2024

Sport

UEFA Euro 2024 and UEFA Champions League Final

Get tickets officially @ www.wembleystadium.com.

Food & Drinks

Cento Alla Torre - June 2024

Cocktail Workshop 27 June 2024 Register here.

Taste of London 12 to 16 June 2024

Festivals & Music

Chaka Khan’s Meltdown 14 to 23 June 2024

Raindance film festival 19-28 June 2024

London Indian Film Festival 26 June to 7 July 2024

BST Hyde Park 28 June 2024

Theatre

Mean Girls 5 June 2024 Get tickets here.

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre Visit: www.openairtheatre.com

West End LIVE 22 - 23 June 2024

With so much to see and explore in London, finding the right accommodation is essential. Stay in London longer in Blue Orchid Hotel near Buckingham palace, Tower Bridge & Victoria Station to enjoy everything this summer has to offer. Whether you’re planning a business trip, an extended stay, or even a short visit to the capital, we ensure that your accommodation in London is flawless.

#5 star hotels in central london #london hotels deals #hotels in london uk #conference venues in london #central london hotels #Best Hotels to Stay in Central London

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centralparkcollection · 4 months

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8 Reasons Why Royal Eagle Hotel Should Be Your Next London Stay

Looking for the perfect place to stay in London? There are so many hotels to choose from and it’s hard to find a place that has all the right amenities, a central location, has reasonable rates, and attentive staff.

Well, here is one hotel in Central London that fits the bill. Here are 8 reasons why you should book a stay at the Royal Eagle Hotel London today.

Desirable location in Central London

The Royal Eagle Hotel London is located in a beautiful Victorian building in the peaceful and calm Bayswater neighbourhood. It’s the kind of place where you can get your shuteye and feel removed from the hustle and bustle.

World-class amenities at the Royal Eagle Hotel

All guest rooms at the Royal Eagle Hotel London have private bathrooms and all the amenities essential for a comfortable stay. These include top-notch bed linens, a desk, a television, a hair dryer, and tea/coffee-making facilities. Some rooms have a pleasant view over the leafy terrace. Rooms are available for solo travellers, couples, and families.

Close to public transport and London airport connections

The Royal Eagle Hotel is a two minute walk from Paddington Station. This station has speedy connections to Heathrow Airport via the Heathrow Express and Elizabeth Line. Meanwhile, the London Underground station is served by the Bakerloo, Circle, and District lines.

Welcome drinks and other perks

Those who book directly with the hotel will be greeted with a welcome glass of wine or beer on the house. Or, if you prefer, you can request early check in, late check out, or luggage storage. Book directly on the Royal Eagle Hotel London website to take advantage of these bonuses.

Nutritious breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and this boutique hotel excels with a continental buffet breakfast of pastries, cereals, cold cuts, and seasonal fruits. If you feel like something heavier, you can request a cooked-to-order English breakfast.

Dozens of places to eat locally

The Royal Eagle Hotel is within walking distance of restaurants, cafes, and pubs where you will find a variety of British and international eats.

The immediate Paddington area is known for its independent eateries while the station itself has several trendy restaurants by the iconic platform. There is also Paddington Basin with its buzzing waterfront bistros and bars.

Marylebone High Street has chic European-inspired delis and friendly gastropubs. Notting Hill is where to go for organic food and craft cocktails while Mayfair has you covered for Michelin-starred menus and upscale suppers.

Free Wi-Fi around the clock

It’s important to stay connected while travelling and have access to the internet for booking tours. Not all hotels in Central London offer free Wi-Fi but this boutique hotel near Hyde Park does.

Romantic packages for couples

Planning a romantic weekend in London? The hotel can prepare your suite with rose petals, towel swans, and a chilled bottle of champagne. Just be sure to select the romantic package when booking a night at the Royal Eagle Hotel London.

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lbnhotelsandtours · 6 months

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ABC Hyde Park Hotel in London: A Hidden Gem

Tucked away on a quiet tree-lined street just steps from the hustle and bustle of Marble Arch, you’ll find the ABC Hyde Park Hotel. This charming 4-star boutique hotel is a hidden gem providing luxury accommodations and an intimate atmosphere in the heart of London.

Despite its small size with only 49 rooms, ABC Hyde Park punches above its weight when it comes to amenities, service, and location. This makes it one of the best hotel deals in Marble Arch for travelers looking for a relaxing home away from home during their London holiday.

A Boutique Feel

The ABC Hyde Park Hotel in London is housed in a traditional 19th century townhouse giving it a lovely boutique aesthetic. No two rooms are the same, with each featuring its own unique layout and décor. Expect a cozy living room atmosphere with tasteful furniture, calming color palettes, and high-end finishes throughout.

Many rooms provide scenic views over Hyde Park and others face the quaint neighborhood street. The hotel has a variety of room types suitable for all travelers including classic doubles, family connecting rooms, and spacious suites.

5-Star Amenities

What makes the ABC Hyde Park stand out from other Marble Arch hotels is its wide array of luxurious amenities more commonly found in 5-star hotels. Guests can enjoy 24-hour in-room dining, Molton Brown toiletries, free high-speed Wi-Fi, Nespresso machines, and smart TVs in every room. The hotel also provides conveniences like luggage storage and complimentary newspapers to make you feel at home.

The jewel in the ABC Hyde Park’s crown is its newly built wellness area featuring a 15-meter pool, steam room, sauna, and modern fitness center. This exceptional facility rivals many exclusive health clubs and allows guests to maintain their exercise routine while traveling. The hotel even offers poolside service so you can sip cocktails without leaving the water!

Excellent Service

From the minute you walk through the polished front doors of the ABC Hyde Park hotel the friendly staff give you their undivided attention. The knowledgeable concierge team can offer expert tips for experiencing London like a local. They can secure reservations at popular restaurants, recommend hidden gems and exciting day trips, and arrange any activity you desire, including theater tickets or a personal shopping guide.

The hotel’s exceptional service also shines through in their dining options. The upscale restaurant, The Hyde, provides European cuisine focusing on seasonal British ingredients. Guests love starting their day with the complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast. In-room dining is also available 24 hours per day.

At the bar you’ll find a frequently changing selection of boutique wines and unique cocktails. The hotel also hosts regular wine-tasting events and a daily manager’s reception where guests can mingle over drinks and canapés.

Location

The best part about the ABC Hyde Park Hotel is its phenomenal location. The hotel enjoys a prestigious Marble Arch address on a quiet cul-de-sac adjacent to Hyde Park. It’s a short stroll to Marble Arch Station providing easy access to the London Underground. From here, you can quickly reach top attractions like Oxford Street Shopping, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and more.

Guests staying at the ABC Hyde Park Hotel are also just steps from the green open spaces and famous landmarks of Hyde Park. Walk to the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, Kensington Palace or snap photos in front of the Arch. The hotel provides bicycles, allowing active travelers to ride through the park and explore this iconic part of London.

When you’re not sightseeing, the ABC Hyde Park Hotel’s neighborhood has fantastic high-end shopping, restaurants, bars, and entertainment on your doorstep. Indulge in retail therapy on Oxford Street, catch a show in the West End Theater District or find trendy cafes and eateries in nearby Marylebone.

With its prime location near Paddington Station the ABC Hyde Park hotel is also conveniently situated for accessing London Heathrow Airport or making exciting day trips outside the city. Guests can easily visit Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, Bath and more.

Best Hotel Deals in Marrakech

Marrakech is an exotic imperial city and a major tourist destination in Morocco. The city oozes atmosphere with its ancient architecture, vibrant souks, fragrant gardens and lively Djemaa El Fna Square. Visitors flock here for cultural sights, desert adventures, luxury pampering, and unique accommodations.

You’ll find riads are the most popular lodging choice in Marrakech. These traditional Moroccan mansions with interior courtyards offer an oasis of calm from the city’s hustle. Many riads have been transformed into gorgeous boutique hotels filled with ornate design details, lush greenery and refreshing pools.

Some of the best hotel deals in Marrakech are available at smaller riad-style hotels that provide personalized service at reasonable prices. For example, Riad Dar One offers beautiful, individually decorated rooms starting at around $100 per night.

Larger luxury hotels like La Mamounia and Royal Mansour Marrakech define extravagance with palatial grounds and world-class spas. While rates over $500 per night are common, you can sometimes snag last-minute deals on unused rooms.

Hotel bargains are also available at popular chains like Hilton and Sofitel which cater to business travelers with reliable amenities. Though lacking in Moroccan charm, you’ll often find rooms for under $150 per night.

No matter your budget, visiting Marrakech is the perfect chance to experience unique riad living. Just wander the ancient Medina quarter to the soundtrack of melodic call to prayer and lose yourself in the magic of Morocco’s alluring Red City.

#ABC Hyde Park hotel in London #best hotel deals in marble arch #best hotel deals in Marrakech

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bayswaterinn · 1 year

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A Guide to Experiencing All of London in One Week

When planning a city break, a week can feel like a long time – that is, until you start listing all the attractions that you want to visit and the things you want to see and do. Combining history with experience, and boasting immersive family attractions within walking distance of some of the best accommodation in Bayswater, London is a city where a week can pass in a flash.

That’s why creating an itinerary and coming up with a plan to schedule your time is crucial – with this blog introducing not only the best things to do but also where to eat, sleep, and enjoy morning and evening walks.

Days 1 & 2

Having just arrived at your hotel in London, the first couple of days are about acclimatising yourself to your surroundings – identifying the best cafes and coffee shops, exploring the city on foot, and indulging in some local delicacies from Borough Market and the many street food vans and boutique eateries.

Your first evening in London is one we recommend spending high in the sky, with a booking at the Sky Garden or tickets to the London Eye.

Days 3 & 4

Following a couple of days in the city of London, experiencing all the attractions within walking distance of your discount hotel in London, Days 3 & 4 are largely focussed on the attractions outside of the city. Windsor Castle is one such attraction which is highly worth a visit, not least because it was the favoured residence of the Queen but because as an attraction and town to visit, Windsor offers a lovely blend of culture and outside and natural spaces.

The other thing to add to your list for experiences outside of the city centre is the Harry Potter Studios tour in Watford – perfect for families, and worthy of a full day out which can be accessed via car, train, or coach.

Days 5 & 6

Back to central London for days 5 & 6, and this is when we recommend booking tables at some of the best restaurants near Bayswater and ensuring that you get tickets to at least one West End show.

The Tower of London is located close enough to the West End that you can head straight to your chosen show from an afternoon tour at the tower, or why not keep it light-hearted with a self-guided tour of your choice of museum or gallery.

Day 7

The final day of your London experience is all about soaking up those last few traditional and classic British experiences and viewpoints – with our advice being to find a high end afternoon tea to really send you home with a full belly and great memories of your time in the city.

The Bayswater Inn Hotel Hyde Park is located close to a number of hotels and restaurants which serve aesthetically pleasing and delicious afternoon teas to diners, making this a great way to soften the blow of checkout and leave you with one final treat to enjoy.

#accommodation in Bayswater London #discount hotel in London #restaurants near Bayswater #Bayswater Inn Hotel Hyde Park

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aghotel · 8 months

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London Winter Travel: A 2-Day Itinerary for Business Travellers

London, the vibrant and historic capital of the United Kingdom, is not only a hub for business but also a city rich in culture, history, and winter charm. For business travellers with a tight schedule, maximising your time in this iconic city becomes crucial. In this two-day itinerary, we will guide you through a perfect blend of business and pleasure, ensuring you make the most of your London winter travel.

Day 1: Business Meetings and Cultural Delights

Morning

8:00 AM – Start your day with a hearty breakfast at your hotel or a local café. London boasts a diverse culinary scene, and you find options ranging from traditional English breakfast to international cuisine. 9:00 AM – Head to your first business meeting, making use of London’s efficient public transport system or opting for a taxi service. We recommend booking a budget stay in 4-star The Crown London Hotel to be in a close proximity of Central London as well as other prominent locations 11:30 AM – Take a break and explore the surroundings. If your meeting is in the central business district, you might find yourself near landmarks like the Shard or the Tower of London. Afternoon

1:00 PM – Lunch at a trendy local restaurant or grab a quick bite to eat. London’s diverse food scene means you can choose from a variety of cuisines to suit your taste. 2:30 PM – Continue with your business meetings or use the afternoon for some work at a local co-working space. London offers many flexible workspaces with excellent amenities. Evening

6:00 PM – Wrap up your work for the day and indulge in a bit of leisure. Visit the Covent Garden area for shopping, street performances, and the lively atmosphere. 8:00 PM – Enjoy a delightful dinner at a restaurant in Covent Garden or nearby areas. Many establishments offer seasonal winter menus, allowing you to savor the best of London’s culinary offerings. Day 2: Winter Wonders and Historic Marvels

Morning

8:30 AM – Start your day with a quick breakfast and head to one of London’s iconic parks. Hyde Park or Regents Park offer serene environments for a morning stroll. 10:00 AM – Visit a local coffee shop or bakery for a caffeine boost before exploring the city’s cultural gems. Late Morning

11:00 AM – Immerse yourself in London’s rich history with a visit to the British Museum or the Victoria and Albert Museum. Both are easily accessible and house an impressive collection of art and artifacts. 1:00 PM – Grab a light lunch at a nearby café or indulge in a traditional British pub experience for a hearty meal. Afternoon

2:30 PM – Explore the historic streets of Westminster, taking in iconic landmarks such as Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, and Westminster Abbey. Don’t forget to snap some pictures of these architectural wonders. 4:00 PM – Experience the magic of the winter season by strolling through the London streets and soaking in the aroma of coffee, seasonal treats and a gourmet meal. Evening

6:30 PM – Wrap up your winter day with a dinner at a cosy restaurant with a view of the city lights. Consider options along the River Thames for a picturesque setting. If you are in North West London, we recommend to visit the historic The Crown Pub, a Grade II listed Victorian building on Cricklewood Broadway for delicious bites, drinks and live entertainment. 8:30 PM – Depending on your interests, you can end your evening with a match in Wembley stadium, a West End show, a jazz performance, or simply enjoy the vibrant nightlife that London has to offer. London in winter is a captivating experience that seamlessly blends business and leisure. Depending on your schedule, your can change your London winter travel Itinerary, which allows you to make the most of your limited time. London trip is always a pleasure and the city’s cultural treasures and winter wonders ensure a successful and productive work trip.

Accommodation In London Indulge in the magic of London during the winter season with our 4-star hotel in North West London, The Crown Hotel. The hotel provides an ideal setting for both city breaks and business trips with its spacious rooms, comfy beds, delicious restaurant menu and excellent transport links to Central London. Book your winter stay with Winter Warmer Offer to enjoy one night stay in Executive Room, Full-English breakfast and complimentary parking. Learn more: www.thecrownlondon.co.uk

Looking to explore London? Discover and plan your perfect trip with local insights, travel guides and destination inspiration from AG Hotels Group. Sign up for our newsletters, here.

#luxury hotel #accomodation #hotels and resorts #hotel #hotellife #hotel in london #cheap hotels in north west london

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rataster · 1 year

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07.09.2019 Tuesday

Ok so I know it's been a month and a half since I last wrote in this and I really have no excuse. I've been lazy. End of story. I want to write a lot so I don't forget it later.

For one, I've been playing a lot of awesome games. Life is Strange, Oxenfree & Danganronpa 2 (and other assorted random free indie games on steam). I started watching Jojo's Bizarre Adventure and it is a really great show. Really good. I legit can't pick a favorite part since they're all so good but probably 4?? It's much more lowkey than the others. Most of the villains become friends, plus Josuke & Okuyasu are cuties. Kristin and I have talked a lot because of JJBA, which is great!!

Started listening to Ricky Montgomery & Two Door Cinema Club's new album came out (it slaps :D). Satisfaction Guarenteed is my favorte track (and is also a great name for a stand).

And, most importantly, I'm in Australia! We stayed a week in Sydney at a three story air bnb at the Rocks. It was pretty close to the Sydney Opera House. Sydney is definitely pretty sweet, def a nice city, but you can't beat the outdoors.

Before I forget, here's a schedule of what we did:

Monday: arrived at the airport, walked around to the Opera house and ate at the underground opera restaurant. Went to the I.G.A for groceries.

Tuesday: took the ferry to the Taronga zoo. Had a delicious ham and tomato wrap. Had sandwiches for dinner. Bird show, giraffes, cassowarys, and more.

Wednesday: Bus tour and the Beautiful Bondi Beach. Souvenir.

Thursday: Seal life, pd started :( museum of austrlia (history and natural history). St Mary's tree across from Hyde park. We stopped by a four story high end mall. Very high end stuff, but there was a hobby store at the end of the fourth floor. I found a Trish and Narancia figure which is cool (ok i freaked out alot).

Friday: Museum of Contemporary Art (meh).

Saturday: Me n' youngest sister went to Macca's for another mud muffin. Then we looked around the shops. (near the visitors center) I got a nice bag for Cameron, I hope she likes it! It has a kangaroo on it. We also looked at some outdoor shops, I saw a cute purse with a cat on it. Then we went to see an opera at the opera house. It was Anne Bolyne, which was really really good. They had massive LCD screens with warped mirrors on the opposite sides, which gave nice atmosphere to all the different acts. When Anne was decapitated, she had an out of body experience. When the dancer's sword swung down, the other dancers ripped off her dress, revealing a red dress underneath. Plus all the LCD screens went white. I loved that moment. Unfortunately, I was too busy trying not to fall asleep to remember act 2.

Sunday: Went to church @ St. Patirck's. A beautiful church! I liked the passage printed on the bulletin about how hard it is to be a catholic sometimes. I saw some cool necklaces at the convenience store. I went with dad to the observatory and it was really interesting. We also went to some of the shops. Dad bought me a lovely necklace. It's got a spiral on one side and a bunch of colors on the other. Uncle V came today! Great to see him.

Monday: We left Sydney and took a train to Kotoomba (misspelled). I love travelling by train. I listened to music and started reading Warcross (great book!!!) We got to our new air bnb which is beautiful. I loved the sloped wooden ceilings. I want to live here and hang my posters on the slope, right above my bed.

And that lead to today, Tuesday. We had an amazing hike in the blue mountains. It is so beautiful, I was so happy. We also had a great lunch at the top. I absolutely loved the jewlery at the gift shop. I almost considered getting the two Ying and yang necklaces with dragons on them for Elizabeth and I. We then took the bus into town. It was funny because in a hotel courtyard up some steps, you can tell that's where teh rebel kids hung out, with their cigarettes and piercings. We stopped by a cool rock shop, and a neat purse shop.

During the hike, I was thinking of starting a jojo fic. I know I'm terrible at writing consistently. I still want to finish the JeanMarco fic, but I just don't care for sitting down and writing each day. Maybe I should set some time aside and do some short writing prompts.

I'm grateful I wrote down so much about this trip. To be honest, I had forgotten a lot. It's painful to read the parts about religion. I'm no longer Catholic, and it's just a cruel reminder. In some ways, when I was still religious, it was a simpler time.

I was so fucking naive though. The 'rebels'??? Girl

I don't remember much about Warcross but I do remember giving it 2 starts when I finished and being highly disappointed with the ending.

#diary #diary entry #online diary #digital diary #personal archive #journal entry #journal

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umichenginabroad · 1 year

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Week 7 in Limerick (and London)

Hey, everyone, it’s Katie, for the last time because my time abroad is over. Of course, I’m sad to leave, but so glad I got to participate in research abroad and see Ireland. Here’s what I did during my last few days in Ireland and during my short family visit to London.

Monday: Today was my last HTC experiment of the program. I used the white sludge and ran it in the reactor for 30 minutes at 190 degrees, then added acid and ran for another 30 minutes at 80 degrees. In the evening, I hung out with Grant and Maanav, watching tv and finishing up some of our alcohol.

Tuesday: Today was my last day in the lab, so Nina and I used the elemental analyzer to determine the chemical compositions of each of my samples. It took about three hours to measure and prepare small amounts of hydrochar to put in the machine, but once that was done, we could look at the carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen percentages in each sample. After the machine ran, Nina gave me a formula to determine the HHV, or energy content, of the hydrochar. At the end, we were able to see the slight increase in energy content from adding a mild acid made to the hydrochar product after the first round of HTC. This was interesting data, and was a great way to bring together my work over the past few weeks. After I finished packing and getting ready to leave, Pascale and I hung out for the evening before going to bed.

Views on my morning run

Wednesday: Today was the last morning in Ireland, and the day my family and I flew out to London. I had some issues in the morning with my key card being disabled too soon, and then my parents had trouble finding my apartment complex, but once all that was sorted we drove from Limerick to the Dublin Airport. Our flight left around 6 in the evening and landed around 7:30. Baggage took a while, but we didn’t have to go through customs, which was nice. We took a cab into the city, dropped our luggage off at our AirBnB, then went to a nice Italian restaurant for a late dinner.

Thursday: Our first full day in London started with a quick cafe breakfast, then a trip to Westminster to see the Houses of Parliament. They weren’t offering guided tours, but they let us in to watch the House of Commons and House of Lords in action. We watched each for about fifteen minutes, which gave us a little context on what the Parliament sessions are like, and also got to admire the beautiful architecture and decorations within the building. Then, we walked over to Trafalgar Square, got lunch nearby, and headed back towards Buckingham Palace (which was honestly underwhelming). We walked back towards our apartment through Hyde Park, which was very pretty, and also saw Royal Albert Hall on the way. In the evening, we took a quick trip to the grocery store, then found a place to eat dinner near us.

Top left: Big Ben. Top right: A painting in the Houses of Parliament. Bottom left: Houses of Parliament. Bottom right: Trafalgar Square.

Friday: We had a long day planned today. First, we went to see the Tower of London, which was very exciting because it was a whole complex of buildings, each with their own exhibitions. We went to see the Crown Jewels first, then the weaponry displays in the White Tower. Next, we saw Tower Green, where nobles were executed in more privacy than everyone else. We could also go inside one of the tower prisons and see some of the carvings prisoners made during their stays. We also saw a smaller display of torture devices, such as the infamous rack. I was surprised to learn that torture was rarely used, in spite of how well-known their methods are today. Lastly, we explored some of the battlements, which took us through the medieval palace. After this visit, we went to see Westminster Abbey, right across from the Houses of Parliament. There were several famous scientists and nobles buried there, including Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots, who each had elaborate tombs in their own chambers. The stained glass and architecture were both gorgeous, so this was definitely a highlight for me. Later in the afternoon, we took a trip on the London Eye, from which we could see much of London from above.

Top left: View from the London Eye. Top right: The rack, displayed in the torture exhibit at the Tower of London. Bottom left: Outside the Tower of London. Bottom right: Inside Westminster Abbey.

Saturday: Today, we took a day trip to Oxford to see the campus and town. We couldn’t get inside the buildings because the tours were all full, but it was still really cool to see the buildings from the outside, including the famous Radcliffe’s Camera, a domed building that holds part of the library. A bit farther down campus was a natural history and archaeology museum, which we explored for a little while. The archaeology museum was very impressive with its vast collection of artifacts and interesting explanations of their purposes/origins, and the acknowledgment of colonization and eurocentrism in museum collections. Although the visit itself was short, the campus and town were both gorgeous and well worth the trip.

Top left: Oxford's Divinity School. Top right: Fossils on display at the natural history museum. Bottom left: Street in downtown Oxford. Bottom right: Radcliffe's Camera.

Sunday: Today, we had a more relaxed cafe breakfast, then went to the Globe Theatre to see the Comedy of Errors. The story was about identical twins separated at birth, one of whom unknowingly arrives at the other’s hometown and causes all sorts of mix-ups. Shakespeare can be hard to follow sometimes, but the excellent acting more than makes up for it. For the rest of the afternoon, we explored the city, which is where most of the major corporations are located, but also has some nice older landmarks, including St. Paul’s Cathedral. Next, we visited Harrods, a well-known department store full of extremely expensive stuff. It was still nice to look around the store, unless we got caught in a massive crowd, which could be more annoying. Lastly, we got dinner at a place near our apartment, enjoying one last night in London.

Left: The Globe Theatre. Right: St. Paul's Cathedral

I have to catch an early flight tomorrow. It was super great spending all this time abroad and writing all about it, so thanks for following along.

#umichenginabroad #ipesummer23 #ipeireland #ireland #MaryCahill

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