Frankie's Sports Bar & Diner

Facebook was very interesting last weekend.  The American contingency was all about the Super Bowl.  I didn't really pay attention.  Not because I wasn't interested, but because it made me kind of homesick.  As much as I love London I still often crave a little taste of home.  Some Americana to relax into.  We had the chance to do just that recently at Frankie's Sports Bar & Diner on Fulham Road. 

I love a cozy British pub, but this place really felt familiar with mirrors, 12 big screen TVs and Coors Light on tap.  When I saw pulled pork on the menu, I knew it was going to be a great night. 

Football, football and more football.  They had a Super Bowl party last weekend but unfortunately it was sold out. 

The brightly lit Jukebox held a place of honor right by the door. 

We ordered a beer and a wine and were mildly perplexed when two of each were set before us, until the bartender pointed to the happy hour sign.  Sweet.

Then is was time to get our grub on.  It happened to be Thanksgiving, so Matt ordered the Thanksgiving dinner burger.  Everything that you can squeeze into Turkey day squeezed into a burger.  He cleaned his plate and was craving a nap afterwards. 

I absolutely love pulled pork but I'm often reluctant to order it because it's never quite like it should be.  This was proper pulled pork on a soft warm bun and was perfect.  I also cleaned my plate. 

You can't eat at a diner without onion rings, now can you?

It felt good to get a little taste of home in London.  It's not a Sports Bar without a lot of mirrors. That's so you can see a TV screen no matter where you are sitting. 

Frankie's has all of the key sports channels and will show anything that is shown live. Just make a request and the staff will be happy to help.  

If you're tired of the pub and craving a bit of America just remember that Tuesday night is all you can eat BBQ.  Just sayin'.  

Where's your favorite American joint in London?

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 *We received a complimentary meal from Frankie's Sports Bar & Diner for the purposes of review.
All photos, writing and opinions are my own.
As always, I promise to be open, honest and transparent with my readers.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.


You can find this review and many others in my
London Attraction Guide.

Venice's Grand Canal & Rialto Bridge

When we were planning our trip to Venice, we knew what we wanted to be the focal point of our stay.  We wanted a hotel that was close to the Grand Canal and the Rialto Bridge, two Venetian treasures. 

The grand canal is the major waterway that snakes its way through Venice, one end at the lagoon and the other at St. Mark's Basin. 

The canal is about 2.5 miles long, 100-300 feet wide and 16 feet deep. The architecture, palaces and churches along the way are built straight out of the water.  Many with no pavement surrounding them, islands of their own. 

Most of the traffic has always been along the waterway, so until pretty recently, there was only one bridge that crossed the canal, the Rialto Bridge. 

Over 1,000 years ago, at the narrowest point along the canal there was a floating bridge and later a wooden bridge.  After numerous collapses, the city leaders decided to take commissions for a more permanent solution.  The Rialto is now one of three bridges that span the canal but certainly the most beautiful.

The commission was awarded to a Swiss-born Venetian engineer and three years later a marble bridge connected the San Marco and San Polo districts of the city.  The two ramps lead up to a center point to allow taller boats to pass.  

The bridge has a wide center walkway with shops on either side.  There are two smaller walkways on the outside along the marble railings. The spectacular views of the canal and the bridge were the highlight of our hotel room.

This was one of the wackiest hotel rooms we've ever stayed in.  In fact, we actually contemplated a last minute change.  We booked our weekend as a flights & hotel package and the location of the Hotel Locanda Ovidius was perfect. 

We arrived pretty late and were led to our room by a friendly receptionist.  But you should have seen the concerned looks Matt and I were giving each other as we were led to our room.  We were sent up an elevator the size of a phone booth and met with a thin wooden cupboard door. After inserting the ancient key we dragged our suitcases straight up a narrow, steep staircase to a landing (with a nice bathroom) and then up a very rickety spiral staircase into our attic room.

You'll notice the duct tape and the railing certainly didn't fill us with confidence as it gave quite a bit if you opted to use it.  A pretty precarious entrance and exit to our room.  I made a mental note to watch the wine intake each night. 

Matt couldn't even stand upright in half of the room because of the slanted roof.  There was a skylight, when opened he could stand up straight with his head poking out above the tile roof.  After wondering what we'd gotten ourselves into, we decided what the hell.  With views like this, who cares.   I was afraid that every time I forced open this ancient window it was going to tumble down the roof and into the water below.  But I had to keep it open.

The bed was hard and the pillows were as flat as pancakes, but the place had character and it certainly felt Venetian.  The breakfast room was heavenly and the perfect way to start each day.  I'm glad we decided to stay and as Matt said "We'll always have the story." 

And we'll always have the memories of glorious Venice.

Okay.  So that's my last post on Venice.  I'm actually a little sad.

Guess we'll have to plan a return trip.  Although I think Florence will be next.

 

Where's the wackiest hotel room you've stayed in?

 

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A Magical Gondola Ride in Venice

At the impressionable age of 16 I visited Venice on a family trip.  I immediately fell in love with the city and dreamed of coming back.  We didn't take a gondola ride at the time, but I remember watching all of the couples snuggled up and drifting up and down the canals.  It seemed like the most romantic thing in the world.  I knew that someday I would return with my love and take a gondola ride. 

As Matt and I planned our trip to Venice I told him of this dream that I'd been carrying around in that teenage corner of my heart.  He started to say something about the expense, but quickly realized that this was one of those things he just needed to go along with.  And he did.  Without a moment of protest he walked us up to a gondola stand to request a ride.  We even upgraded a bit for the 45 minute ride for 80 euros.   You could not wipe the smile off of my face.  It was everything that I dreamed it would be.

We settled back into the seat with his arm around me and escorted by our trusty stead, we glided through the canals of Venice.  Magic I tell you. 

Gondola's have been around for about a thousand years.  Shallow vessels were needed to navigate canals of Venice.  In their heyday, thousands of gondolas crowded the waterways of Venice. 

Today there are about 400 gondolas that mostly cater to tourists.  All of the boats are handmade to a very specific plan and painted black.  There was a time when the nobles tried to outdo each other with more and more garish decorations.  So they nipped that in the bud a few hundred years ago. 

Now they are all black and only allowed three flourishes, the ferro or comb on the front, a curly tail in the back and two metal seahorses.  Ours was particularly beautiful and the seahorses were very photogenic, don't you think?

The boat is a little lopsided to accommodate the gondolier standing on the back that always rows on the right side of the boat. 

The gondoliers are all licensed after an extensive training program and an exam.  They only give out a few new licenses each year.  It's considered a very noble and historical profession.  They're quite a personable lot especially when flashing an Italian smile.  They know their city and are happy to share it. 

One thing that would strike us often was how different the city sounded.  No cars!  You can hear people talking and laughing.  The sound of utensils and wine glasses clinking.  The sound of the oars stroking through the water. 

The city looks completely different from the red cushioned seat of a gondola.  I didn't want it to end.  It was so beautiful and relaxing. 

Our journey ended on the Grand Canal as the sun started to set.  Often when you've had thirty years to build something up in your head like I did, you can be disappointed.  But this was not the case at all.

My long-awaited gondola ride with my love was exactly what I dreamed it would be and more.  When I'm old and gray I'll dream about that shiny seahorse that guided me through the magic of Venice. 

I'm completely unapologetic about the gushing.  These are the moments that I travel live for.  I'll take any of them that come my way.  I'm so grateful.  

Have you had a long dreamed of experience that lived up to the hype?

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