Eating in London - The Dickens Inn

If you are visiting London, The Tower of London would certainly be on your ternary. After a few hours (that's the minimum time you will spend here) and as you move out the exit you will notice the magnificent Tower Bridge on the river Thames on the right. Just beyond the Tower Bridge are the Docklands - St Katherine's Docks. On the banks of the harbour and overlooking the Tower Bridge and the harbour is this picturesque restaurant - The Dickens Inn - a place popular with both the locals and tourists.

The Dickens Inn in London

Tracing its origin to the early 17th century when this building was a warehouse, it was moved from its original position to a new spot and converted into a traditional London pub. Whereas the place has 3 specialist restaurants, the most interesting is ' The Tavern Bar ' a traditional English Pub and the Beer Gardens ( which are really a part of the Tavern Bar)  where you can enjoy some traditional English food with beer.

At the Beer Garden with Fish & Chips and Beer.

If you want to enjoy the warm sunny London summer day , choose one of the beer gardens. Collect your beer from the bar and place your food order - the food will be served at your table ( you will need to choose your table first ) . My choice was the traditional fish&chips which is served with a selection of sauces  and beer. The fish was excellent as was the beer.

Pigeons enjoying a bite at the pub.

A walk around the area after a bite at the pub is very pleasant  with some lovely views of the harbour with its boats.

The Harbour with it's Yachts

One of the many interesting boats anchored in the harbour.

My vote is  a definite YES for  visit to this charming English pub and a stroll around the area

The Address :

The Dickens Inn

Marble Quay
St Katharines Way
London
E1W 1UH
Tel 0207 488 2208

Click on the link below for details on getting there

Link to Directions and Official website of Dickens Inn

London Eye

Was in London on vacation last  week and since I was staying near the County Hall, managed numerous visits to one of the most popular landmarks of London – The London Eye.  The County Hall which till 1986 was the seat of the Mayor of London has now been converted into a hotel - The Marriot. And next to the county hall are 2 of most important landmarks of London - Westminster and The London Eye,. The London Eye, . towering at a height of 135 metres, is the tallest cantilevered observation wheel in the world and attracts over 3,5 million visitors a year. Shot of the London Eye from the Westminster Bridge
The London Eye is the most popular paid tourist destination in the UK. Situated on the south bank of the river Thames, it is located between the Westminster bridge and the Hungerford bridge.

The London Eye at Night
In the summer months of July and August, the London Eye is open till 9.30 at night giving one an excellent opportunity to have a birds eye view of London at night. Particularly spectacular are views of  Westminster and Big Ben overlooking the river Thames.

The London Eye has 32 air conditioned capsules which can hold 25 people each and weighs  10 tonnes. The capsules are designed such that one can easily move around to get views from all angles.The capsules move at a speed of around 10 in per second and takes around 30 minutes to make a full revolution. Since the speed is slow, people alight and get on to the capsules while moving.

 A capsule of the London Eye

The capsules are fixed on a rim which is supported by spokes resembling the wheel of a cycle. An interesting fact is that different parts of the wheel were produced in various European countries - steel from UK, cables from Italy, bearings from Germany, the spindle and hub from Czech Republic.

If you are visiting London and haven't visited the London Eye ,do plan a visit and ride on this most interesting landmark. To avoid ques, book tickets online.

Click on the Link Below to go to the :

Official site of the London Eye for ticketing

Shanghai and it's buildings

Shanghai is a city of contradictions. You will see the ultra modern Shanghai with building reaching into the sky , the tops of which disappears into the clouds  on a cloudy day

This office building is located in the commercial section of Shanghai. Building vie with each other in height and the skyline of city is a series of tall skyscrapers.

These modern buildings are hotels overlooking the central square on Nanjing Street.

Spires and Domes are a favourite in this part of Central Shanghai

By Night

Another view at Night

The tallest building in Shanghai, this one houses the Hyatt Hotel from the 85th Floor onwards. Taken on a cloudy night, note that the top of the building disappears into the clouds.

Yiwu Revisited

Visited Yiwu after a gap of two years. The fast paced development in China and places like Yiwu continue to amaze me. Every visit to this buzzing town sees some new additions and change.

The everchanging skyline of Yiwu

Yiwu is probably one sourcing hub that no retailer from anywhere in the world can avoid. With over 75,000 booths offering a wide range of products ranging from household goods to imitation jewellery, this wide range of merchandise on offer at one place is a buyers paradise. The advantage of buying from Yiwu is that you can buy in small lots and fill up a container with as many as a 100 or more SKUs.

The main market in Yiwu called the Futian market is a series of buildings, 4 floors of air conditioned shopping area and over 4 kms in length from end to end. Each block or building is interconnected enabling one to move from point to point with ease.

Entrance to the new Block that has been added in the last 1 year

The system of booking goods is simple. To begin with, the services of an exporter/consolidator/agent is needed who will act as your interpreter as well as handle the consolidation and forwarding of your goods. Keep in mind that prices need to be negotiated and your best negotiating skills will be put to test. A good consolidator is essential to ensure that you get the goods that you ordered. Ensure that the consolidator has the necessary resources for inspection of goods . Normal payment terms are either 30% advance and balance TT on dispatch or through irrevocable LC at sight.

Futian Market

You need to start your day early - the market starts functioning at 8.30 in the morning and shuts at 4.30 . If you do not have conveyance, leave by 4.15 - getting a cab after that is not easy. The market has an interesting restaurant named Picassa serving Western Cuisine (quite good by Chinese standards) that you would need to visit to rest your tired legs after a few hours of walking around and a hot cup of coffee or some chilled beer.

The Picasa Restaurant at the Futian Market

Getting There :

There is no direct international flight to Yiwu. The options are

• Fly to Hong Kong . Take a connecting flight to Hangzhou ( 2 Hrs) and by road to Yiwu (2 hrs and 400 RMB by taxi
• Fly directly to Guangzhou or through Hong Kong and take a connecting flight to Yiwu.
• Fly to Shanghai and take a train ( 3 Hrs) or taxi (4.5hrs)

Places to Stay
Yiwu has a plethora of places to stay starting from 150 RMB ( $25). However if your work is mainly in the Futian Market, the Best Western Hotel is the place to stay. Just next to the market, it is very conveniently located and offers all that a good 4 star hotel should have.

Yiwu by Night

An Evening in Shanghai

Was in China recently on a business visit and spent a few days in Shanghai. Took the daytime Air India flight to Shanghai - a very comfortable 6 hours - arriving at 8 PM. If you are in Shanghai, the place to stay in is around Nanjing Street - the all pedestrian street with great shopping  dining and night life. 

A rain soaked morning at Nanjing Street 

The street is a beehive of activity at all times and even rain is not a deterrent. The action starts early morning when the central square on the street comes to life with live perfomances of aerobics, musical concerts and much more.

 Tourists enjoying a toy train ride

Nanjing Street is probably the most action packed street in Shanghai and comes truly to life in the evenings when hordes descend for a few hours of shopping and entertainment. Being an all pedestrian street, it is a pleasure to move around in this area and if you are shopaholic, this is the place to be in.

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 Nanjing Street is a riot of lights as night sets in. Whereas the place is bustling with activity and people, it can get a bit tiresome with the crowds all around . Shopping , though can be great and you could land up with some fantastic bargains.

If you are visiting Shanghai, I strongly recommend you stay in this area. Amongst hotels, my recommendation - Central Hotel at Jiujiang Road. Fantastic location, great large sized rooms with a seperate living room, well priced - rates from $180 upwards and if you are lucky you could get a room with a view of the central square where action starts early morning.

The Dragon Boat Festival of China

The Dragon Boat Festival is an important holiday in China. These interesting facts were sent by my friend Jack from Cixi, China on this fun festival.

Regarding the “dragon boat festival”, let me introduce it simply. The Duanwu Festival (in Mandarin Chinese pronunciation) or Tuen Ng Festival (in Cantonese Chinese pronunciation) is a Chinese traditional and statutory holiday. It is a public holiday in mainland China and Taiwan, where it is called the "Duanwu Jie" and a public holiday in Hong Kong and Macau, where it is called the "Tuen Ng Jit". In English it is also referred to as "Dragon Boat Festival", after one of the traditional activities for the holiday.

The Duanwu Festival occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar, giving rise to the alternative name of Double Fifth [3]. In 2009, this falls on May 28. The focus of the celebrations includes eating zongzi, which are large rice wraps, drinking realgar wine, and racing dragon boats.

Below is the information about the Origins for the festival and its related person “Qu Yuan”

The “Duanwu Festival” is believed to have originated in ancient China. There are a number of theories about its origins. There are a number folk traditions, beliefs and explanatory myths connected to the observance. Today, the best, most widely known legend relates to the death by suicide of Qu Yuan, a scholar and minister to the King of Chu, in 278 BC an era in Chinese history that is referred to as the Warring States period. Scholars wrote literary

works, including poetry. Qu Yuan is commonly referred to as a "poet" and a "statesperson", however he is more properly considered as a ministerial scholar.

The best-known traditional story holds that the festival commemorates the death of poet Qu Yuan (c. 340 BC - 278 BC) of the ancient state of Chu, in the Warring States Period of the Zhou Dynasty.[4] A descendant of the Chu royal house, Qu served in high offices. However, when the king decided to ally with the increasingly powerful state of Qin, Qu was banished for opposing the alliance. Qu Yuan was accused of treason.[4] During his exile, Qu Yuan wrote a great deal of poetry, for which he is now remembered. Twenty-eight years later, Qin conquered the Chu capital. In despair, Qu Yuan committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth month.

It is said that the local people, who admired him, threw food into the river to feed the fish so that they would not eat Qu Yuan's body.[4] This is said to be the origin of zongzi. The local people were also said to have paddled out on boats, either to scare the fish away or to retrieve his body. This is said to be the origin of dragon boat racing.

Bangalore Eating Places

Bangalore has many eating places and an enjoyable place for any foodie. If you are looking for a quick bite , head for 'The Only Place'  on Museum Road.

The Only Place

This is a nice place for steaks ( no sizzlers though) and very well priced - around $ 5 to $7. Best avoided are the Fish and Chips which are oily and bland. The place also has a variety of Pasta and cheese dishes. Service is fast and if you are hungry you dont have to wait long for your food.

 Waiting for the food

The Only Place

No 13, Museum Road,

Bangalore.