London

"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life", so said Samuel Johnson; but he's dead—time to move on. London has a sense of consistency and continuity. By this I mean, leave the city and come back a year later, and find the same people in the same places, with the same expressions doing the same things. Take a walk through Hyde Park, navigate your way around the Serpentine, and position yourself at Speaker's corner. You could find a religious zealot, a political nutcase, or a sexual pervert, preaching to whoever would listen. If you're more prone to art, The National Gallery, The Tate Gallery (old), Tate Modern or the Victoria and Albert, will keep you occupied for days. It's free, go for it. Prefer three-dimensional objects—no problem, check out the British Museum or the Museum of Natural History.

Of course any visit to London without attending a West End Theater production, would be incomplete. Not only is the selection of shows large, but the prices are affordable. Despite the downturn in the economy, London still ranks high in finance, real estate, insurance and tourism. What do Londoners do to get away? On a weekend, try Portobello Road Market or Camden Road Market. For a fantastic view of the city, go to Hampstead Heath. Just make sure it's a clear day and wear walking shoes or boots. Some even venture into Barnes, where I live. This is a leafy suburb in the South West of London. Barnes has the advantage of never changing. The residents and Richmond Council alike, would never allow change in the village of Barnes.

Barnes Pond London
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Fu8bDQA1UxA

Richmond Green London
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N07yyaGerFY

Not too far from Barnes, is Richmond Park with 2,500 magnificent acres. Central Park New York only has 834 acres—sorry NYC. Walk though a small section of Richmond Park, and you'll likely run into some deer. These deer belong to the Queen, so don't try to feed or pet them. Richmond town centre is also worth visiting. Go to the top of Richmond Hill Street and admire the view. Mick Jagger maintains a home, on the hill, with his ex wife (Jerry Hall) living next door. When they were talking to each other, they knocked a hole in the wall, so their children could go back and forth. Now, the hole has been filled in — so, so sad;(

Vuelva a Miami

Miami used to be where I lived. After a year in Asia and the South Pacific, I decided to return and sample the Miami life again.
Grab a front seat at an Ocean Drive restaurant on Miami Beach, and get ready for the show. You'll find rich people trying to look like middle class; poor people trying to look like they're rich; tourists, well, just looking like tourists. And then there are the celebrities with their entourages and ubiquitous limousines. It all makes for an interesting mix of people.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RuPYKX8RMqw

Miami as well as Miami Beach, is a place essentially to show off. Look at my fancy car, have you seen my Presidential Rolex? "Travel economy? Oh no, we always go First Class to Europe". Anyway, where was I? Not doing any of the above. Throwing steaks on the BBQ at my friends house in South Miami and downing coladas of Cuban coffee, was more my style. When you leave a city for four years, the extensive construction in the Brickell downtown area really hits you in the face. All those vacant condominiums waiting to be occupied by a diminishing financial labor force. As more of them go into foreclosure, the ripple is felt throughout the area. Knocking back a Corona, I was smug in the fact that I felt none of this ripple.
Watch Plato the dancing dog. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=VWVamTSWvcg

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=IecMvUjbIO4