DEBORAH CROMBIE: You'll never guess where I am!! Check it out!
After THREE years almost to the day, three years of online research and writing with Google Street View, this was a quick shot grabbed from the cab window this morning!
I can hardly believe I'm finally in London again. It's a shock to see all the scenes that are so familiar from movies and TV suddenly right in front of you--the Thames, the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge--but absolutely REAL.
My daughter and I arrived on Tuesday morning and have literally gone non-stop since. Chelsea, Little Venice, Bloomsbury, Soho, Covent Garden, the City of London (ow, my feet!) She goes home on Sunday and I'll be spending the next two weeks here writing and researching the next book.
We've had absolutely gorgeous weather and I've been taking advantage, getting in as much on the ground research as possible. Little Venice was on my list of "places of interest" for the next book and it lived up to expectations--here's a favorite shot of the Grand Union Canal from yesterday's outing.
Today we are seeing the Beatrix Potter exhibition at the V&A (doesn't that look fabulous?), then having afternoon tea at the Shard (!), then dinner at a Chelsea restaurant that has long been on my wish list. It's been a challenge to walk off all the food we've eaten, I can tell you.
Tomorrow, Portobello Market!
Meanwhile, A KILLING OF INNOCENTS is all buttoned up, proofs finished, map finished, cover finalized. Planning for the February 7th launch is underway!
You can pre-order HERE!
(The photo on the cover is of the Bloomsbury Tavern and we walked right past it today! Unfortunately there is construction all around so we couldn't get a current pic.)
REDs and readers, where have you visited that has completely lived up to expectations?
After such a long wait, it does sound as if you are having a wonderful time!
ReplyDeleteWhere have I visited that completely lived up to expectations? Hhhhmmmm . . . John and I went to Hawaii several years ago and I was a bit surprised that it was exactly what I’d expected . . . it was just a wonderful trip . . . .
Glad to know that about Hawaii! Maybe I'll get there one of these days!
DeleteIn 2016, we went to Boston for the World Figure Skating Championships. It was a stupendous trip. Stayed in a hotel on Copley Square for the duration of the skating and then moved to an apartment in Beacon Hill for the rest of our stay. We walked and took the T everywhere. The skating at TD Garden was fabulous. Both our hotel and the apartment were really nice and perfectly located. We toured Fenway Park, the State House, walked the Freedom Trail, compared pastry shops in the North End ( Mike’s was best), strolled Newbury St and all over the Common. Every place we ate was excellent except the very first one. It was just about a perfect trip.
ReplyDeleteFunnily enough we found out this morning that Worlds is returning to Boston in 2025.
That does indeed sound perfect, Jennifer.
DeleteDebs, I am thrilled for you to finally get back to London, and what a bonus having your daughter with you. We will need some more pics. I love the canal picture, and you look gorgeous. I will need you to teach how to make a scarf look good at next year's Bouchercon. And, how wonderful that A Killing of Innocents is all wrapped up.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to go with taking a trip to Luray, Virginia and the Shenandoah Mountains there, taking Skyline Drive up and down the mountains. It was just a lovely little trip, with our stay at a B&B (that was outside of Luray a bit) and eating at a little diner-like restaurant at the foot of Skyline Drive. We also went to a little Mom and Pop movie theater, where there actually was Pop selling the tickets and Mom doing the concessions. A very old little theater. This was while Philip was stationed at the Pentagon, around 2003. I have to say that it was as sweet a trip as I had hoped.
Kathy, we are having so much fun. I have to admit, however, that Kayti "scarfed" me. I am getting better at it, though. I will post lots more pics next week when I have a little bit of down time. The weather forecast says it's going to start raining on Monday and continue next week, so I may be doing some staying in and catching up. We have a picnic tea booked in Cadogan Gardens tomorrow afternoon after Portobello Market, so we are really crossing our fingers that the weather holds out for that!
DeleteFingers crossed for picture perfect weather for your picnic!
DeleteI'll check in later today!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you made it to London. Paris lived up to my expectation. I want to go back, but first I need to travel to Rome which is on my bucket list.
ReplyDeleteThe above comment is from me, Dru Ann
ReplyDeleteOh hope you get to Rome, I love that city Dru Ann!
DeleteI'd so happy you made it back! And what a treat to first land with your daughter.
ReplyDeleteI'll be in northern CA wine country next week doing what you'll be doing - research and writing my first book (plus a novella) set there. The first drafts are done but I want to check all kinds of details like distances and what's growing and how things smell and Sonoma County Sheriff procedures and so much more. Plus wineries... Can't wait!
Sounds great Edith, do you have a sheriff contact to consult with?
DeleteI definitely want a play by play when you visit Northern California! You can tell us about the wineries, too. I'll be checking your Facebook page for updates every day!! Safe travels!!
DeleteRoberta, I don't, but I'll be staying at my uncle's vacation house, which he's had for 50 years. He might know someone. Otherwise, I'll just drop in!
DeleteJudy, I promise!
Maybe I'll see you wandering around my fair city next week, Edith.
DeleteWhere do you live, Deana?
DeleteWhat a great trip! Edinburgh, Scotland lived up to all my expectations- I just dropped my oldest daughter off at University there, and I look forward to going back to explore more. I picked up a few books set in Scotland while I was there ( I could only fit a few in my suitcase!) and I've enjoyed "revisiting" Edinburgh through those books since I came home.
ReplyDeleteHurray Debs, so delighted that you're having the time of your life with Kayti! For me, the Orkneys and Shetland were better even than I had imagined.
ReplyDeleteDebs, your London photos are wonderful and what a fabulous way to spend time with Kayti! I am in awe of how you turn these visits into cherished stories about characters I adore. I pre-ordered A Killing of Innocents several months ago and will pre-order the audio version as well. (Who is reading it?)
ReplyDeleteI rarely am disappointed when I travel. Maine is one of my favorite destinations, so is California, but any national park, Alaska, Hawaii, all have met or surpassed my desires or inspired awe. And, don't forget Scotland or the Galapagos Islands! I traveled a lot before I met Irwin and lived in Israel for two years, traveling throughout. Remember, you bring it with you, happiness I mean.
DEBS: I am so happy that you are enjoying your time in London with Kayti!
ReplyDeleteLike Judy, I am rarely disappointed by the places I have visited. But Hawaii and Iceland surpassed my expectations in terms of natural beauty and great food!
GRACE: So happy that Hawaii met your expectations. Unfortunately, I was disappointed by what we saw in Hawaii. it rained most of the time. The travel agent made many mistakes so that may have cast a pallor on the trip for us. I decided that I would start arranging my own trips instead of depending on a travel agent after that experience. We had several travel agents over the years and they all were the wrong fit.
DeleteDiana
DIANA: Sorry to hear you had bad weather in Hawaii. I have gone 4 times, once to the Big Island for LCC2009 in Kona, and three times to Oahu for LCC2017 and other vacation. We had glorious weather in Oahu but it was mostly cloudy in Kona.
DeleteAll you need to remember is to stay on the sunny, dry side of any island. You can go to Hawaii and never have rain it is definitely about location, Hawaii is my favorite place to travel.
DeleteIt must be so exciting to be back in London finally! What an amazing trip! I would love to see the Beatrix Potter exhibition. I'm also looking forward to the release of A Killing of Innocents. February is getting closer and closer.
ReplyDeleteMy last real vacation, in spring of 2021, was a road trip to the California Redwoods. I had always wanted to go and it just blew me away! We hiked every day and explored the area. I picked up a book called The Wild Trees in one of the park gift shops and was reading it in the evenings (and sometimes aloud in the car to my sister and BIL). It was perfect to read about the redwoods and walk among them, truly an immersive experience.
Did you go to Sequoia or the coastal redwoods? Sequoia National Park is one of my favorite places in the whole world - I grew up camping with my family there every summer.
DeleteEdith, we didn't get that far south and we stayed on the coast. Sequoia sounds wonderful though! Anything with big trees is ok by me. We spent a couple of nights in Crescent City and a couple in Arcata. We hiked in Jedediah Smith State Park and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. We drove into the Redwoods National Park (the state parks and the national park overlap a little) and hiked in Lady Bird Johnson Grove. The interpretive trail there was very moving.
DeleteI'm glad you're having a great time, Debs and I hope the weather stays good for you this weekend.
ReplyDeleteExpectations? I don't know. I haven't traveled enough. Although when I was sent to work in Puerto Rico and the USVI, those areas did meet my expectations of the tropics, even though they were cleaning up after a hurricane.
Don't forget to look for Paddington Bear on Portobello Road! That is one of the best photos of London I've seen! Such a great city!
ReplyDeleteLove Paddington Bear.
DeleteYou are so right about that amazing feeling when faced with far away sights you've seen on TV. There's nothing like it.
ReplyDeleteI have felt that way everywhere I've gone - the travel destination is both familiar in some way and beyond expectations in another. London, Paris, Rome, Scotland, all had that effect on me.
So glad you finally got there. And how terrific to have the exchange rate so favorable. I'm itching to go to the UK or the continent just for that reason. We skipped so many restaurant meals in past trips because of the expense - but now....
Deborah, so happy for you to be back among your favorite haunts and following your adventures with Kayti with delight! Always happy to know there's a new Duncan and Gemma coming our way--I'll be patiently waiting (she said as she crossed her fingers behind her back and pasted a smile on her face).
ReplyDeleteNatural beauty always surpasses my expectations--mountains, the ocean, a lake. Wherever I go, east, west, or right here in the midwest.
Debs, you look like you have landed in your happy place! Between being in your beloved London, and having your beloved Kayti with you, what could be better?
ReplyDeleteI have to say I am never disappointed in travel. So many people talk about how "dirty" Paris was, or fill in the blank complaint about a destination, but I've never had that experience. Am I a cockeyed optimist? Probably. Venice, in particular exceeded my expectations. I'd had a completely different idea from reading and hearing about it, and was so pleasantly surprised. London, too--I'd read so many older descriptions of the dense fog, the lousy air, yada, yada. None of that is true today, and the city is just so vibrant in so many ways. And of course Paris took my breath away every minute I spent in that magnificent city.
Enjoy your stay, Debs. Looking forward to the new Gemma and Duncan!
Karen in Ohio, I had heard stories about dog poop in the streets of Paris. When I was in Paris for two days, all of the streets looked clean to me. No dog poop at all.
DeleteAnd most of the French people I met were friendly. They understood my Sign Language better than my tour group's attempts at speaking French.
Diana
The street cleaners in Paris do a great job. They are out every morning in their bright green uniforms, with their bright green brooms, clearing the sidewalks and gutters of everything, including the dog messes.
DeleteWe ran into lots of dog mess in parts of Brussels. It was a shock. But the more touristy areas like Grand Place were clean. And all of it was so beautiful.
DeleteThis is completely wonderful! I can hear the joy in your voice, and that is my favorite part!
ReplyDeleteReading the comments here, it strikes me that having a sense of wonder helps color our perceptions when we travel. I feel sorry for people who expect to go to other countries and have the exact same daily experiences they have at home. Totally defeats the purpose of travel.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, Karen in Ohio. It is like when you work hard to learn a new language before travelling and once you arrive, people there want to speak English to you, right? That would defeat the purpose of travel for me.
DeleteDiana
Debs, what a great question. I cannot tell how many times I have been disappointed because the travel destination looked different in the brochures! So I stopped expecting anything from my travels since then.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I was pleasantly surprised by my first trip to England and Scotland with my Mom. We visited places that looked exactly like the photos and the tv shows like Inspector Morse. Even though the Mary Poppins disney version was a movie set, I saw streets that really looked like it was straight out of the MP movie. We visited the Kensington Palace Gardens. We saw the Peter Pan statute. We visited Windsor Castle. We visited Oxford and Cambridge. We visited York. We took the train to Edinburgh, Scotland and it looked like the photos. Actually, my real life visits exceeded my expectations. The places were much prettier than I expected. It may also have been the time of the year.
On another note, please, please, please be careful walking around Sloane Square. I almost got hit by a speeding taxicab two blocks from the Peter Jones department store in Sloane Square. I was about to cross the street when something went right by me and it was a taxicab. Something stopped me from crossing the street. I paused before crossing the street.
Love, love, love your photos and stories about visiting with your daughter. I wish I could be there visiting England now. That Beatrix Potter exhibit sounds amazing!
And I look forward to reading your new novel. Wish it was easier to read the title with the letters and the background colors too close.
Diana
Wonderful to be sharing in your London adventures here, Debs. So glad you're back over there. As for my own travels, none on the books for the moment, but I have wonderful memories of a time in Scotland when the sun shone and clifftop walks were magical. Such gorgeous countryside.
ReplyDeleteI am so excited and happy for you! If I can't be there then seeing your pictures and reading all about your stay must be the next best thing. Can't wait for that book to be in my hands!
ReplyDeleteMachu Picchu absolutely lived up to expectations. As did northern New Mexico, a place I always wanted to visit and finally got the chance to explore a few years ago. The winter hiking there was phenomenal. Happy travels! I can't wait to hear more about the Beatrix Potter show.
ReplyDeleteOh. My. Gosh. I am so envious. But I'm so glad that you are finally back in your happy place, researching and taking notes for the next book. And I'm so glad your daughter is with you. One of my happiest memories is visiting London with my mother. Can't wait for A Killing of Innocents -- woohoo!!
ReplyDeleteI’m so glad you made it back! I used to live near Little Venice once. It’s fascinating, isn’t it. And the whole history of canals in Britain. I hope the tea was as good as the view! (Rhys)
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you're finally back in your semi-native habitat, Debs! It's harder for me to think up any travel destinations that didn't live up to expectations. Southern Africa - amazing, once-in-a-lifetime. Various European countries - awesome food, art, architecture. Scotland - romantic. Hawai'i and Cancun - beautiful and relaxing.
ReplyDeleteNext on my list? I'd love to take a Caribbean cruise some January or February. (I know, I know, I'll only use one of the lines that require vaccinations, and I'll sanitize my hands a lot!) The idea of escaping the coldest, darkest part of winter is so appealing. I've never cruised before, though, so we'll see if I wind up loving it or loathing it.
As someone who gets seasick on a calm small lake in a small rowboat, I leave the cruising to you, Julia. But like you, most of my travels have met expectations. Including an unexpected trip to Disney World in Orlando 5 years ago. Saw so much of it through the eyes of two little girls — just turned 5 and a week away from turning 3 — and through their parents joining them in the wonder of hugs from Anna and Elsa.
DeleteAre you considering Russ and Clare cruising? Elisabeth
Congrats on the book, and wonderful pics! In England, King's Chapel Cambridge was transcendent and Stonehenge, because the angle of the paths kept the crowds out of the way. Then there's Georgia O'Keeffe country in New Mexico.
ReplyDeleteYour happiness with London feels infectious, Debs.
ReplyDeleteThe place that was everything I dreamed and more? Venice. I stepped out of the Santa Lucia station and just gazed and gazed at the sight that lay spread out before me. The Grand Canal, the square, the old buildings, the people. It had been waiting for me all my life.
Braga, Portugal lived up to expectations, to the point that my husband and I moved there and we love it! We also had the good fortune to go to Paris and loved all the art. We love the Impressionists. I was struck by the street cleaners in Paris, too. We'd go back in a heartbeat. I still would like to go to Ireland if we ever have the chance.
ReplyDelete(This is deaun.) You sound giddy! That's awesome.
ReplyDeleteFor me it is Western Massachusetts in the fall. I was prepared to be underwhelmed and spent the first autumn there with a dropped jaw. Even now, when I know to expect it, a New England panorama inspires awe.
How glorious! You look fantastic, Debs! I am so jealous but I am also giddy that you are working on the next mystery. Woo hoo!!!
ReplyDeletePlease have an extra helping of clotted cream for me Debs. What lovely weather; so nice. My this is exactly what I expected was New York City. It was like living inside a stage set. Every where I looked I saw places from television shows. Everything was right down to the rats in the alleyways.
ReplyDeleteLittle Venice? I'd never heard of it. I'll have to tell my sister to look for it - she's back to England (and Wales this time) in the spring. So glad you can dig into your favorite city and stoke up on London and the inspiration it gives you. I'm stoked knowing I can pre-order the new book!
ReplyDeleteEverything in London lived up to and exceeded my expectations, partly because I enjoyed it with my daughter. Also Santorini, Venice, Capri, and the Grand Canyon.
ReplyDeleteI am so happy for you! Little Venice as a setting would be lovely. Hubs and I discussed at breakfast throwing caution to the wind and booking a UK trip for next Spring. We haven’t been to my happy place since 2019. For now I’m enjoying it vicariously through you!! Emily Dame
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new release, and these are some wonderful pictures. This sounds interesting, I shall check this out.
ReplyDelete