Long-time readers know I was lucky enough to call Cambridge my home for six years. But since moving to London 16 years ago, I haven't been back as often as I should. I decided to make the most of last Saturday's glorious weather by taking a day trip, exploring Cambridge's 'town' and 'gown' sides. Read on to discover my ultimate itinerary for a perfect day in Cambridge: things to do and places to eat, drink and shop.

As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, this month marked a big birthday for me. And where better to celebrate it than my favourite of cities, New York City? My parents and brother joined me for an action-packed five-day trip to the Big Apple, my 33rd visit to the city since my first in 1995. Each of us was allocated a randomly assigned time slot in which to plan a group activity but there were plenty more celebrations, experiences and wonderful new memories throughout the trip. Read on for a selection of some of my favourites.

Welcome to my guide to spending a perfect caffeinated weekend in Birmingham. My family is from the West Midlands but I didn't spend a lot of time in Brum growing up. I've been remedying this in recent years — often when en route to Wolverhampton Wanders matches. On these stops, I prioritise specialty coffee and food (in that order) but a long weekend in Brum a few months ago inspired me to create this itinerary. Read on for industrial heritage, quirky museums and plenty of great places for food and coffee — and there's a map and downloadable one-page cheatsheet at the end!

I was last in New York in February 2020, a work trip that also took me to Seattle for a conference. It was a strange time to be there, as COVID cases began to climb, and no one really knew how to act as we didn't know what was to come. I did what I usually did and tried to go to as many of my favourite NYC places as possible, saving the rest for the trip with my parents I had booked in for May 2020. Of course, it turned out that it was my last foreign trip for 18 months, and the two-year gap until my return earlier this month was my longest absence from my favourite city in more than 15 years.

Earlier this month, I spent four days in Edinburgh with my parents, and although we only scratched the surface, we had a grand time and packed a lot in. We even had reasonable weather in that it didn't rain much and was occasionally sunny. A return was long overdue since my last visit on a rainy family road trip through Scotland, almost three decades ago. All I remember from the trip is the Scottish National Gallery, Greyfriars Kirkyard and an overexuberant walking tour guide shouting, "Gardyloo!" I had a lot of ground to make up! 

With the glorious British summer in full force — oh, wait, that was two weeks ago — it was the perfect time for a staycation. I joined my parents in Pall Mall for a couple of nights last weekend, and although it wasn't as sunny as we had hoped, nor was it as rainy as forecast, and we made the best of it, dining at three different restaurants and spending a very enjoyable day exploring Notting Hill.

We're now inching closer to the end of an exceptionally challenging year. Despite everything, I know I'm very lucky to have remained healthy and in work (busier than ever, in fact, as I work for a science journal) throughout, but it's been such a difficult year for the hospitality industry, as coffee shops and eateries have had to adapt and then adapt some more in the face of constant change. 

Things could be much worse, but I've had a tough few months, with work busier than ever — I work for a scientific journal so it's been non-stop COVID-19 research. And unfortunately, all of the six holidays that I had booked this year happened to fall during times when London and its UK were under more restrictive COVID-19 measures. My last hope of getting a proper break was the two weeks I had booked in November, initially to go to Thailand, then I thought I might manage Italy, before eventually booking  a last-minute trip to Athens, with a family trip to Devon as a back-up. My 'plan C' was to use my annual leave to visit lots of coffee shops and restaurants in London — I really feel for everyone working in the hospitality industry at the moment, and want to continue to show my support. And then, of course, the 'not-a-lockdown' second lockdown put paid even to that.

Ahead of a week in Seattle for a conference, I got to spend a few days in New York. I was staying in the Financial District, close to my company's office, where I was working for most of my trip (happily, I'll be back again in May). I did, however, have a free day-and-a-half in the city at the weekend. I was very lucky with the weather too: although it was cold, it was beautifully sunny on Saturday and Sunday, the rain coming out in time for my return to the office. As well as visiting a few speciality coffee shops, old and new, here's what else I got up to.

If you've been following my Instagram, you'll know that I spent a week in New York last month. I was there to work in my company's Financial District office but did get three weekend days and a public holiday free to explore in the city, and was blessed with crisp but sunny weather for most of the week. I'm lucky enough to visited New York about once or twice a year for the past quarter-century, which takes off the pressure and means coffee shops, restaurants and things to do can sometimes remain on my to-do list for a couple of years. I've already written about my most recent speciality coffee experiences here, but here's how I spent the rest of my trip.

For my 40th country, I decided to pay a long-overdue visit to Slovenia, spending three nights in the capital, Ljubljana. With a population of just under 300,000, Ljubljana is the largest city in Slovenia, but its compact, mainly pedestrianised city centre makes it an ideal long-weekend destination. It's also very pretty, with pastel-coloured buildings located alongside a vibrant green river, and a plethora of parks. 

It's taken me too long to visit Chicago — the Midwestern city, on the shores of Lake Michigan, has been in my sights for some time. I missed out on a work trip a few years ago, but as it would have been during a particularly cold and snowy February, that may have been for the best.

After a 19-year absence, 2018 was the year I finally returned to Amsterdam. As accommodation in the city is expensive, even when booking well in advance, I opted to take a morning flight from London City Airport that got me into central Amsterdam soon after 10 am on Saturday, flying back to London late on Sunday night. I saw quite a bit of the city in two full days, including six of its speciality coffee shops. Here's what else I got up to in my weekend in the Dutch capital.

From secret speakeasies and SoHo shops, to magnificent museums and Brooklyn Bridge, New York City is as good at alliteration as bucket-list items. Since I fell in love with the city during the sweltering summer of 1995, I’ve returned once or twice a year. These trips tend to be about four or five days including travel time, but it’s possible to pack a lot in even on short visits. You might not make it to all the major sights and museums, but you’ve got to save something for next time, right?


Following on from the long weekend in London guide I compiled last summer, I’ve put together an itinerary for a four-day weekend in New York. This assumes arrival on a Thursday afternoon and departure on Sunday evening but you can mix things up to suit your own plans. On the agenda are some of my favourite things to do and see, and places to eat, drink, shop and drink coffee. Scroll to the end for even more recommendations, some practical information and a Google Map of each featured place. I hope you find this guide useful — please let me know in the comments if you have any questions or suggestions. You can find all of my NYC-related blog posts here.


THURSDAY

In the eight years since I started working in King's Cross, the neighbourhood has changed considerably, with new shops and eateries opening almost every month. I'm particularly looking forward to the long-awaited opening of Coal Drops Yard, along the canal near Granary Square, in the autumn. Sadly, the rate of new openings has been inversely proportional with my ability to take a lunch break anywhere further away than the adjacent Pret. When I can get away from my desk, I usually prioritise a lunchtime run, and it was on one of these workouts that I came across Temple of Seitan — lured in my the smell of fried chicken.


The eatery, which has a sister location in Hackney, is as close to King's Cross as Camden, a mere ten-minute stroll along the canal from the former, past the ongoing Coal Drops Yard construction site. Temple of Seitan is, you see, serves vegan fast food. After enjoying a really good vegan 'bacon cheeseburger' in Austin recently, I was keen to sample some more tasty meat-free fast food. I was a vegetarian for a decade and although I rarely eat meat at home, I am rather partial to a good steak or burger when I eat out. But I like to explore the alternatives too.



I finally got the chance to eat at Temple of Seitan on Friday, a windy but very sunny day. The restaurant was packed and although there were no free tables inside, there are a few seats in the courtyard, just off the canal towpath. I didn't have to wait long to order and then it was only another 10 minutes or so before my food arrived — the staff clearly had a very efficient process down.



At Temple of Seitan, they serve both fried 'chik'n' and 'hamburgers', all made from seitan. Figuring the chicken burger would probably be more 'meaty', I ordered the Temple Burger — a chicken fillet with rancho mayo, bacon, cheese, lettuce and pickle (£7). I also went for a small portion of fries (£2) with chicken salt (presumably chik'n salt!).


I took my food out to eat in the sunshine, although the strong wind did mean I had to hold on to my chips. The chicken burger was flavoursome and juicy — a worthy substitute for its meaty equivalent — and although the cheese might have been better if it had been melted, it was still good. When I was a vegetarian, bacon was the food I missed most because the substitutes fell so short — and I think they still have a long way to go, unfortunately, but the bac'n here was tasty. The fries were perfectly crisp and the chicken salt was a nice addition.




In the mornings, they serve bagels and there is coffee available all day from Hackney-based Dark Arts Coffee. I had a cortado (£2.20) and it was only afterwards that I realised I had, of course, inadvertently sampled my first Oatly-based espresso drink. The coffee was very well made and the fact that I couldn't tell that it was dairy-free speaks volumes. They have Bonsoy available too.



I'm sure I'll back to Temple of Seitan before long — either with colleagues, or perhaps as a treat on the way back from a run. It's so close to King's Cross and yet the quiet canal-side location feels like it's a world away. And if you haven't tried vegetarian fast food before, or for a while, I'd suggest paying Temple of Seitan a visit — it might surprise you.

Temple of Seitan. 103a Camley Street, London, N1C 4PF (Tube: King's Cross, Mornington Crescent or Camden Town). Website. Twitter. Instagram.