Posts tagged Instagram
The Tipping Point: When Generosity Turns Into Obligation

I recently experienced something that left me utterly gobsmacked and believe me, I've seen a lot in my years of globetrotting. I was checking out of a lovely hotel in Mykonos, Greece—sun, sea, and... sticker shock.

A Shocking Tipping Request in Mykonos

As I handed my credit card over to the front desk, the clerk slipped it into the card reader and handed it back to me. And there it was—like a surprise party you didn't want—an American-style tipping prompt. What percentage of my bill would I like to tip?

I was genuinely flummoxed, staring back at the two tanned, guilt-wielding staff members. "Sorry," I stammered. "Tip for what, exactly?"

"Well, you know, if you were happy with our service," one replied, referencing the dinner reservation they made for me at Scorpios. Hang on, isn’t that the concierge's job?

In utter disbelief, I clarified, "You want a tip on the entire hotel bill? Including the already-inflated high-season room rate, taxes, and the tips I’ve already left?" They did.

Of course, I didn't pay it. The sheer absurdity of it! But it got me wondering—would they ask a local Athenian for a tip? Not a chance, according to my Greek friends.

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Getting Around, ExploreChristina Fordtipping, tipping culture, travel, travel expenses, social media reactions, tipping norms, Instagram, TikTok, Mykonos, Greece Comment
Kate-Gate: Unraveling the Royal Controversy

I wasn’t talking about this at all— But after the kill order, I am all in.

Introduction: March 10th, 2024, marked a turning point in the otherwise mundane landscape of UK Mother’s Day. Little did the public know, a seemingly innocent photo would set off a chain of events, unraveling into what is now known as Kate-Gate. Let's delve into the intricacies of this royal controversy.

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People of London, Life LessonsChristina FordRoyal Family, Princess of Wales, Prince of Wales, Prince WIlliam, Kensington Palace, Buckingham Palace, Scandal, Kate-Gate, kate Middleton, Associated Press, Instagram, Rose Hanbury, Marchioness of Chomondeley, Press, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, conspiracy Comments
The 12 Most Instagrammed Places in Istanbul

Ah, Istanbul. A city where you're just as likely to get run over by a motorcycle on the sidewalk as you are crossing the street. It was my first trip to Turkey, and I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I had visions of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express mixed in with a smattering of Midnight Express. And fortunately for me, it was nothing like the latter. The city's soundtrack is a melody of street vendors barking their wares, a constant "lady, lady, lady", mingled in with the blasting of car horns, all punctuated with the haunting, melodic Call to Prayer five times a day. Istanbul is an exciting mix between ancient and modern. Opulent luxury pushed hard against the hustling assault of markets selling spices, handbags, kababs and rugs.

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Beyond London, Explore, TravelChristina FordIstanbul, Murder on The Orient Express, Midnight Express, Instagram, Most Ingrammed Places in Istanbul, Grand Bazaar, Fodor's Guide, Spice Market, Rugs, hand bag, Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Blue Mosque, Unesco World Heritage, Hagia Sophia, Basillica Cistern, James Bond, Dan Brown, Inferno, Ortakoy Mosque, Bosphorus Strait, Kucuksu Palace, Galata Tower, Umbrella Street, Taksim Square, Istiklai Street, Cats of Istanbul Comment
LONDON’S 12 MOST PHOTOGRAPHED PUBS ~ I CAME, I DRANK, I INSTAGRAMMED

If you have visited London, let’s say in the last six hundred years or so, chances are good you have spent a little time in one of their 3,500 pubs. There is nothing so quintessentially British than raising a pint with your mates. These public houses have been the centre of British activity for centuries, not only serving up ale to the lads, lords and lasses but housing weary travellers, feeding ploughman lunches and Sunday roasts to families and hosting a variety of activities like darts and Quiz Nights.

Britain has pubs, America has bars.

Generally speaking, or should I say, generally drinking, pubs are different than your typical American bar culture. To start with, pubs are kid-friendly, often occupying pubs the same way Americans occupy coffee shops. But it’s more than that. They most usually have some fascinating history and tales to tell.

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Places I Love, Things to DoChristina FordPubs, Churchill Arms, Lamb & Flag, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, Ye Olde Mitre Tavern, Fleet Street, Elizabeth, Black Friar, The George, Tudor, Princess Louise, Mr Fogg's, The Spaniards Inn, Charles Dickens, John Keats, Hampstead Heath, Instagram, Most Instagrammed Pubs, Rose and Crown, pubs, Crown and anchor, Sherlock Holmes, Sir John Betjeman, Old Bank of England Comments
My Favourite Instagrammed Photos Of London. See why it is not just Big Ben that has made London the most photogenic city in the world.

With over 120 million hashtags this year and counting London is the most Instagrammed city in the world . This is not news as I have written about that before. But it is not just Big Ben or Tower Bridge that makes you want to take out your phone and get that selfie. It is far more than that. Around every corner there is something spectacular to look at. So I thought I would show you some of my favourite Instagram hotspots that are not your typical hot tourist attractions but rather the reason why London is the most photogenic city in the world.

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Explore, Places I LoveChristina FordInstagram, Royal Exchange Grand Cafe, Four Seasons Hotel, Churchill Arms, Sketch, Saint Aymes, Peggy Porschen, Princess of Prussia, Creak Shed, Apple Market, Biscuiteers, Rag & Bone, Chelsea, Annabel's, Alice's, Notting Hill, Portobello Market, Shoreditch, Chiswick, Primrose Hill, Hampstead Heath, Borough Market, Greenwich, Kensington, Imperial War Museum, Hyde Park, Richmond Park, Holland Park, St Pancras Hotel, Crystal Palace Comments
LONDON'S MOST LAVISH & OUTRAGEOUS LOOS ~ THE MOST INSTAGRAMMED BATHROOMS IN LONDON

If you are out in some of London’s hippest restaurants, trendiest hotels or funky bars you might have noticed a trend that has exploded…not quite like a weekend in Mexico explosion but rather the incredible detailed lavish bathrooms that in of themselves have been attracting major attention. The bathrooms have become more than a quick essential place to do one’s business they have become an Instagram hotspot, as people have posted millions of photos of London’s fabulous loos. The intense competition for the most incredible place to relieve yourself has even given way to Britain’s Loo Of The Year Award, honest it’s a thing. So you could be actually “Number One” in the number two business… so to speak.. A really good restaurant cannot sit back just on their food reputation anymore. Nope. Every bit important now in the world of social media is buzzy interiors and that must include a fabulous trip to the loo.

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Places I Love, ExploreChristina FordInstagram, Most Instagrammed Loos In London, Loo, The Ned, Annabel's, Park Chinois, Nopi, Ottolenghi, Sketch, Aqua at The Shard, The Hunter S, Jack NicholsonComment