We roamed around Soho branch for quiet some time. It looks cosy from outside and feels almost like an old classroom inside: desk like tables, splintered chairs and stools, black boards on the walls and receipts in biscuit tins. The burger was good, possibly even the best so far. It was spot on for us for that evening: the juicy meat, soft bun, the right amount of greens and pickles, hand cut chips on the side... It lacked noting, but nothing fancy about it either - it was just a burger. Pork cheek scratchings with hot sauce that we've ordered beforehand, came out more interesting due to it's unexpected texture and that home made dip. Overall, it was an ordinary weekday meal in a good way and we will go there again.

Casse Croute - tiny place that to us appeared to be doing comfort food (as long as you can read French on the board). Nothing too sophisticated, all known ingredients and a dish for everyone: fish, poultry or red meet. The vine list by the glass is French-restaurant long and a place right at the bar came as handy as ever. The barman was happy to wine match all our dishes and their champagne flutes were uber-retro-sexy. It really is a bonus since not only what, but how&where matters too. We left with a full stomach, slightly tipsy and happy. Bermondsey Street is increasingly becoming very crowded with good places to eat or just hang out. There was a time (not long ago) when one would get a headache from just one mention of a night out in Bermondsey and now you pretty much get your head spinning with the names and places you must visit there. Viva souffle fromage! (for those that do not appreciated warm cheese, at least it looks good)

Now:

Then:

The tour marks Bolshoi's 50th season and although it's been with a shadow of quiet recent acid attach on it's creative director, the dancers proved yet again they are the best ballet company despite anything.

My personal favourite were lake scenes, where full set of 24 ballerinas are gracefully dancing in white gowns. The lighting on them was so sharp, that it almost hurt your eyes to watch these swans. They were glowing with unearthly whiteness. Quantity does also matter here. The view is so much more rewarding, when big stage is filled with adequate number of great performers. Russia is huge and there is plenty of choice of any kind, but to select the dancers so well and to train them to such precision, must require exceptional skills too. Every single one of them was perfect in its own right, but at the same time they all were part of magical picture. The magical picture that full Opera House came to see. OMG!!! This is the largest Opera Theatre I've been to so far. I am sure Milan's Scala can match it, but I am yet to see it full of people. It felt like the inside of huge hive: hot and busy and with almost everyone fanning themselves, it radiated waves of eternal movement.

Prior to event, as it now became a habit, we went to yet another amazing place, London has to offer for dinner - Opera Tavern. It is very nearby the ROH and, perhaps therefore, we allowed ourselves to stay there longer, than we should have had. The last meters to our box were completed in running pace with usher leading the way. We were almost (god forbid) unfashionably late, but to our defence we had full stomachs of delicious food (and felt rather heavy by just looking at those divinely floaty swans. We do not stand the chance on the stage, ballerinas do not get even to dream of such dinners. Anything more then a salad leave would probably drive them out of business, right? :)). The food was delicious indeed: everything from scotch egg (not my usual choice) and goat's cheese stuffed courgette flowers to mackerel with rhubarb purée and Iberico pork lions, not to mention turrón parfait with yoghurt & orange blossom mousse and apricot sorbet (they really can do it !!! with baked milk desert being something of a stranger options ) was extremely good. We only regret, we had to choose some dishes from the menu with others being left for another time, what effectively means we'll have to return, but with so many good places in town yet to try, who knows when it is to happen.

So we stumbled across Celine and Jesse trilogy(1,2 & 3). Seriously?!?!  EVERYONE (apart from us) knew it, but it was the discovery of at least a decade in it's field for us. Not much is happening in this movie, but it's witty, it's funny, it's soooo down to earth.  Immediate classics and will be re-watched many times.

On we went to Noel Coward's Private Lives - the most recent production at Gielgud Theatre with Toby Stephens and Anna Chancellor as Elliot and Amanda. It's jolly funny, minus of course those few odd lines like 'Some women should be struck regularly, like gongs' and scenes of domestic violence, but it's in the script and since the script is from 1930s you might let it carry on with some extra booing, that audience happily did each time characters were too of present day track.

These days in London you would be spoiled for choice of area, venue, film and/or food, however they all aimed at one - to bring back old school movie watching experience, to show what was there before big cinemas took over.

I am tempted to roll my eyes at the hostess when she unlocks(!) the door for us. All that persistent reminding she'll need a table by 7.30 and we are the only peeps in the restaurant. It feels a little bit awkward - 'are we disturbing' awkward - but when it fills to the roof by 6pm you start to see the point. As it recently became a habit - I go for pre- meal cocktail. SEH has a good choice and at least few of them are being served not in a usual glassware. It's meant to create a certain mood and it does (we are not even past the bread & butter yet). All dishes arrive quick and with spot on service. What stands out the  most for me is duck wrapped in ham served with egg that's (possibly) been boiled, rolled in bread crumbs and then fried but not too much so you can dunk fries in it's liquid yolk.

Desserts are irresistible! Although, we might have weakness for slightly awkward matches: honey jelly (???), sour cream sorbet with fennel, all sorts of crumbles and, haven knows, what else. We didn't linger over it for too long, we had to rush to the evening of laugh at gay crew of Mexico bound air plane. Hilarious movie it was!

We got over the fact neither shorts nor shades will be of any use by the first morning and once we've swallowed that, the weather no longer mattered. We drove convertable, we enjoyed meals and coffees on the enclosed terraces, we embarked on long evening walks and managed to survive without umbrella and without being drenched. London training, perhaps? :)

Mallorca is quick forget-it-all getaway for us and we are developing a pattern: the same area, the same hotel, the same car rental company... I doubt it will cease to be favourite as it already feels like coming back to somewhere we know very well... No planning involved, no thinking required. We know, what we like best and head straight there - the mountains in the west. Any place/port/village between Estellencs and Sa Calobra can put anyone off holidaying anywhere else (at least) in Europe. The life there doesn't change that much. It's determined by the season and subsequently by the lack or excess of holidaymakers. The less is more to us here. We love deserted resorts. We love to have promenades to ourselves. We love half empty restaurants. We love going anywhere off-season even if it means the weather might be not as expected. We can (and do) adjust our expectations accordingly.

It's a shame all courteous and good looking guys from Marina Luz's staff were gone (that can serve as the only consolation to you, Gitana!), not that the (less appealing :D) girls were doing any worse. On all other levels the hotel remains as good as it was last time and I would happily return here once again (even though oldish German tourists will not turn into humming and blooming beautiful crowd ). This time hotel came as a bargain at £300 for HB in pool view room for 3 nights. We also happened to notice another possible choice for place to stay further along the shore towards Palma.

The Best Coffee prize this time must be given to Cappuccino in the town of Valldemossa. We were put off by it's location (on the main drag) during previous times, but had to thank the inclement weather and allow our jaws to drop on Sunday. Place to return, perhaps even for a meal, once passing.

Something-Fishy award goes to-ooo... Es Port in Port of Valldemossa. It's a must to feast on fish if you are by the sea, but God help should you find yourself in this tiny village with this sole restaurant in the middle of summer. Though it will be worthwhile the waiting, providing you are not too hungry and can wait, as your reward would be fresh out of the sea. Go for it but be warned, their card machine rarely has a signal. Good old cash will save the hustle going to the nearest cashpoint and it is a LONG (although beautiful) drive to it!

The Dessert of the Weekend must be the Orange Soller in The Village Café of Deia. Yummy, not too sweet and, although ice cream based, not too cold even for a rainy afternoon.

Ryanair delivered us there and back for £200; we've spent 10eur on a return bus no 21 journey airport-Can Pastilla; 2 days in convertable Peugeot 307 60eur + 30eur for petrol.

Lithuanian cuisine turned French (although not entirely) on Mon. L'Eto in Belgravia is our new favourite place for lunch,  their custom teas and HONEY CAKE!!!  THE CAKE  (it is really 'the cake' and not just any) was as good as home-made in LT! Another nice memory relived :)