From Harbour Bridge to Golden Gate Bridge: 2–3 Years Living in the US

[CaptainCurtis]

After a shower and a bit of a reset, I started walking towards the West End, stopping for an early dinner at Faros Holborn. The space was cosy, service excellent, and the food delivered. The burrata salad was fresh and simple, and the pappardelle with beef ragù was rich and comforting.







I spent a bit of time wandering around the West End afterwards, which, like the rest of London, was buzzing and very much in the holiday spirit.





The highlight of the evening was a visit to the Gillian Lynne Theatre for My Neighbour Totoro, the stage adaptation of the Studio Ghibli film. For anyone unfamiliar, Totoro is one of Ghibli’s most iconic stories - a gentle, deeply human tale about childhood, imagination, and finding comfort in nature during uncertain times. It’s not driven by conflict or spectacle, but by small moments, wonder, and emotion.

The stage production translates that spirit beautifully. The puppeteering is nothing short of extraordinary, bringing the characters to life in a way that feels both technically impressive and emotionally resonant. The Totoro creatures themselves are enormous, yet move with a surprising softness and warmth, drawing audible gasps from the audience when they first appear. Rather than relying on dialogue-heavy scenes, the show leans into movement, music, and visual storytelling, staying remarkably true to the tone of the original film.

What stood out most was how wholesome and sincere the entire production felt. It managed to be joyful without being childish, nostalgic without being sentimental, and visually spectacular without ever losing its quiet heart. I wasn't actually familiar with the story beforehand, but a colleague at work highly recommended the play and it has easily become one of the most memorable theatre experiences I've had.

 

[jastel]

Unusual tourist attraction found in St. Helena

In the Napa Valley people are gathering to see a very unusual attraction -- Mike Nieman's engine from a B-36 bomber.

abc7news.com

Nice...seems Gas has gone up now to $300 or the missus wants him to pay it off quicker.
Still, be worth doing I think...with a few mates to help.

Im not a wine person so never stopped anywhere around there.

From reading between the lines did the farmers RUN the engines to stop frost on the grapes?
That would certainly annoy the neighbours.

Got a burger and chips in the UK last year and was as surprised as you....mine were still in their Lays packet but! Not a flash establishment.

 

[CaptainCurtis]

Time to catch-up, as I have some upcoming travel, so don't want to fall too far behind.

Over New Years, I headed up to Sonoma for a much needed break. This was a short escape, leaving the office around lunchtime on December 31st and spending four nights in Sonoma. I’ve previously stayed on the Napa side, so this was my first proper experience basing myself in Sonoma instead.

My accommodation for the trip would be The Lodge at Sonoma Resort, Autograph Collection. I booked a Cottage Suite King and received exactly that. Given the timing over New Year’s, the hotel was busy, and it felt it. Despite that, the room itself was excellent: spacious, well laid out, and with a gas fireplace that became the centrepiece of the stay. It rained for much of the trip, which meant I ended up spending quite a bit of time reading by the fire.







As a Marriott Ambassador, I received a $60 per day breakfast credit and one free drink voucher. Breakfast was at Benicia’s Kitchen. I ordered the guacamole on toast with smoked salmon and poached eggs, which at ~$35 was overpriced, though fully covered by the credit. Service was painfully slow on January 1st in particular, and on two of the four mornings the toast arrived cold.




One highlight of the stay was a Himalayan Salt Stone Massage at the spa. It was genuinely fantastic and included access to the outdoor hot tubs and sauna, which were especially welcome given the rainy weather.



Overall, the Lodge worked well as a winter base in Sonoma - the fireplace and spa carrying much of the appeal. It wasn’t flawless, particularly on the breakfast front and a poor experience at dinner (more on that later), but the room itself made for a very comfortable four-night stay.

 

[CaptainCurtis]

New Year’s Eve dinner was at Glen Ellen Star, a neighbourhood favourite in Sonoma Valley that has built a strong reputation for its wood-fired cooking and ingredient-driven menu. It’s one of those restaurants that consistently comes highly recommended, and it felt like the right place to mark the occasion.




For NYE, they moved away from their usual à la carte format and offered a prix fixe menu at $135 per person (plus tax and gratuity), with an optional wine pairing that was too hard to pass up.



Amuse: schmaltz crumpet with whipped chive crème fraîche, osetra caviar, crispy chicken skin.
Sparkling Martin Ray brut rose 2020 to drink.



First: celeriac bisque, granola and green apple bavarois, with house made sourdough focaccia and charred sweet potato butter.
Scribe Estate Sylvaner 2024 to drink - my first time trying a sylvaner, and thorughly enjoyed the peach and herbal flavours.



Main: snake river farms zabuton, mushroom-stuffed yorkshire pudding and demi-glace, served with an oven-baked conchiglie ragu bianco. Upgraded to the Paradigm Estate Cabernet 2016, which was fantastic. First time having zabuton, and it was excellent.





Third: pistachio cake, kataifi, dark chocolate, rose water chantilly. Gandona 'Frago do Arco' Port to round out the evening.



Service throughout was polished and attentive without being stiff. The pacing was excellent, and despite the restaurant being full, it never felt rushed or chaotic. All in, it was a superb way to see in the New Year, and comfortably worth the roughly $300 all-in for the evening.

 

[CaptainCurtis]

After the wine the night before, January 1st began slowly - a welcome sleep-in followed by breakfast at Benicia’s Kitchen at the hotel. With rain lingering outside, I spent most of the morning reading by the fire in the room.

There was eventually a break in the weather, so I took the opportunity to head out for a 7km run into Sonoma Plaza. The Lodge sits roughly a mile outside of town, which makes it close enough to feel connected but far enough to feel removed. The run into town is straightforward, and arriving at the Plaza on foot felt like the right way to approach it.

Sonoma Plaza has a very different feel to Napa - more old-school and authentic, and far less busy. The central square, surrounded by historic buildings, tasting rooms, and small boutiques, has an understated charm that feels distinctly Californian without trying too hard. It’s the sort of place you can circle slowly without much agenda.

 

[CaptainCurtis]

After a quick refresh back at the hotel, I returned to town for a late lunch / early dinner at another highly recommended spot, The Girl & The Fig. I started with the grilled halloumi, served with pear and quince butter, which was excellent, along with some artisan bread. For the main, I had the wild flounder meunière, which was well cooked to perfection.






Service was generally good, though it did feel slightly rushed - the main arrived before I’d finished my entrée - but it didn’t detract too much from the experience overall. Still a very solid meal and easy to see why it’s consistently recommended.