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Take A Tour Inside The Filming Locations Of The Latest Bond Film, 'Skyfall'

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james bond skyfallThe only item more impressive than 007's stunts in the James Bond films are the locations in which they're filmed.

We went through Sony's production notes for "Skyfall" due out November 9 to take a look at exactly where the film takes place.

Originally, six countries in total were supposed to be featured in the film; however, due to reported budget cuts in January, shooting was to stay primarily in the UK.

Production used 31 different sets on eight sound stages at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire alone for filming.

Despite the cutbacks, the film was able to shoot on location in Scotland, China, and Turkey as well. 

There are no real spoilers; however, if you want to spare yourself of any Bond related news prior to the "Skyfall" release next month, we suggest you turn away.

The pre-title sequence for "Skyfall" is shot in Turkey's cities of Istanbul and Adana. Below is home to Istanbul's Eminonu Square ...

It's the third film to be shot in Istanbul after "From Russia with Love" and "The World Is Not Enough."



... which Bond races in a high-pursuit chase. An area consisting of more than 250 market stalls was created by the art and props department this scene.



Filming at Istanbul's Grand Bazaar was only allowed on Sundays when it was closed due to the harm that could come to its 400,000 daily visitors.



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The Improved Mujjo Touchscreen Gloves

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These are the new and improved Touchscreen Gloves by Mujjo.

Why We Love It: The Dutch company Mujjo is the go-to brand in touchscreen gloves, but the new A/W 12-13 collection is a definite improvement on the original. Not only do they come in a thicker fabric, improving insulation, but the yarn they used doesn't pill, guaranteeing these gloves will last.

Plus, while most competitor gloves only offer touchscreen capabilities with one or two fingertips, Mujjo's gloves are all-around conductive. The company knitted high-quality silver-coated nylon fibers into the fabric, so every part of your hand is touchscreen-compatible.

And now the gloves that once only came in black are now also available in gray, sandstone, lavender, and coral pink.

Mujjo Touchscreen Gloves

Mujjo Touchscreen Gloves

Where To Buy: Available through Mujjo's website.

Cost: €24.95 or around $33, not including shipping.

Want to nominate a cool product for Stuff We Love? Send an email to Megan Willett at mwillett@businessinsider.com with "Stuff We Love" in the subject line.

See Also:  The Libero Ferrero iPad Money Bag

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A Record Number Of Luxury Apartments Sold In New York City Last Week

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950 fifth avenue nyc

Records were shattered this week in the luxury real estate market in New York City as 33 contracts on properties listed for $4 million or more were signed, according to a report from Olshan Realty Inc.

That stat is an all-time record since the company started keeping track of luxury sales in 2007.

The week's volume of sales totaled a hefty $333.975 million.

Of the properties sold, 14 were purchased at their asking price of more than $10 million and three were sold at $20 million and above.

The most expensive property sold this week was Apartment 5/6 at 950 Fifth Avenue, asking $27.5 million. The duplex co-op has four bedrooms, 5.5 baths, two wood burning fireplaces, and a maid’s room.

Oct. 15 real estate states chart

DON'T MISS: Take A Tour Of The New Most Expensive Zip Code In America

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The 28 Fastest-Shrinking Cities In The World

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Palazzo Lombardia, Milan

Despite the global wave of urbanization, some cities are shrinking.

Among nearly 600 major cities listed in a UN report, 28 cities are on track to shrink between 1990 and 2025.

Russia dominates the list, along with many cities in former Soviet states. There are some surprises on there too, like Rome, Milan, and Turin in Italy.

We also published a list of the fastest-growing cities, which was dominated by China.

28. Havana, Cuba

1990 Population: 2,108,000

2010 Population: 2,130,000

2025 Population: 2,094,000

Growth from 1990 to 2025: -0.66%

Source: State of the World's Cities 2012/2013



27. Rome, Italy

1990 Population: 3,450,000

2010 Population: 3,362,000

2025 Population: 3,376,000

Growth from 1990 to 2025: -2.14%

Source: State of the World's Cities 2012/2013



26. Novosibirsk, Russia

1990 Population: 1,430,000

2010 Population: 1,397,000

2025 Population: 1,398,000

Growth from 1990 to 2025: -2.24%

Source: State of the World's Cities 2012/2013



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Here's The Spaceship That Will Let Rich People Fly From NYC To Tokyo In 90 Minutes

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xcor aerorspace lynx

Since the last flight of the Concorde in 2003, supersonic travel has been the province of jet fighter pilots and Felix Baumgartner.

XCOR Aerospace wants to change that. Out of a group of outfits looking to bring back travel faster than the speed of sound, it has an especially intriguing idea: flying from one airport to another, via outer space.

It's no pipe dream: XCOR is busy building the Lynx, its suborbital commercial spacecraft, which will take off and land like a conventional plane, but offer a cruising speed of Mach 3.5, 62 miles above the ground.

As it moves toward its first test flights in early 2013, XCOR has built a full-scale mockup of the Lynx, which it brought to last week's International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight, in New Mexico.

The Lynx seats only two, and is a stepping stone to a future vehicle that will make point to point space travel a reality.

The design is not final yet, COO Andrew Nelson says. But it's the best look yet at the craft that could make point to point travel in space a reality, and send passengers from New York to Tokyo in an hour and a half.

This is the rendering XCOR created of the Lynx.



XCOR is already booking 'up and down' flights, for $95,000 a pop.



Last week, it successfully fired the Lynx's engine.



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Coach Is Slipping Fast, And It Can All Be Traced To One Major Mistake

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Coach Shopping Retail Handbags Bags

Coach used to be the top aspirational brand. Its signature handbags flew off the shelves and inspired knock-offs. 

But now, Coach is slipping fast. Sales are down, and Wall Street is pessimistic about the brand. 

Coach's troubles can be traced to one problem, according to Pam Danziger, a luxury retail expert and president of Unity Marketing. 

Coach overestimated how much its customers would spend, and priced its items too high

The retailer also neglected its outlet stores, the biggest source of revenue. 

Danziger explains in a client note:

"Coach tried to eliminate coupon promotions tied directly to its discount outlets, which are the company's biggest source of revenue, and which attracts customers looking to stretch their dollars.  This mistep led to Coach reporting weak same store sales growth in the quarter ending June 30, which then caused its stock to have its worst day on Wall Street since the 9/11 attacks."

Because customers weren't buying their stuff, Coach had to overcompensate by offering heavy discounts.

To appeal to consumers, Coach is going to have to appeal to lower price points, according to Danziger.

"The number of people willing and able to pay a premium for luxury brands, like Coach, is getting smaller as this weak economy continues," Danziger said.

DON'T MISS: Mickey Drexler Says The World Has Become Homogenized >

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I Can't Believe How Little Luggage I Can Bring On My 10-Day Trip To Tanzania

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under armour duffel bag

I'm leaving tonight for a 10-day trip to Tanzania to visit "the best hotel in the world" and some lesser-known game reserves in the southern part of the country.

Normally for a trip that long, I'd pack a giant suitcase filled with two weeks worth of clothing, accessories, and toiletries.

But since I'll be flying around the country on small charter flights, I've been told to pack lightly. Very lightly.

Coastal Aviation, the airline company I'm flying, has a maximum luggage size of 10 x 12 x 24 about the size of a soccer duffel and a maximum luggage weight of 33 pounds, including camera equipment and a carry-on. And there's not much wiggle room, since "the pilot has a pocket scale to check," according to literature I was sent before the trip.

Of course, the strict limits are all about keeping passengers safe. The charter planes, which can seat 15 to 30 people, take off from and land on bush airstrips, and pilots must take weight into account when planning their flights.

Alison Nolting, co-founder of The Africa Adventure Company, said that many people felt actually "liberated" by packing so lightly.

But for those who can't bear the thought of leaving home without a few extra pairs of shoes, there's another option: buy an extra seat on the charter flight. Spare seats usually cost around $150 per leg, although prices vary depending on flight time, Nolting said.

Packing lightly turned out to be easier than I expected it to be, once I found the right gear. For one thing, safari camps and lodges are casual places, even when they're ultra-luxury retreats. For another, the camps I'm staying at all offer daily laundry service for guests.

safari stuff

There are, of course, a few non-negotiables on the packing list for a safari in Tanzania:

  • For game drives, khaki and light-colored clothing is recommended. Dark blue and black attract the tse tse flies, so I'm leaving my jeans at home. I've also been told to avoid camouflage, since it's usually only worn by military and government officials in Tanzania.

  • A wide-brimmed hat is absolutely essential for protection from the sun, as is a high-SPF sunscreen. I'm not much of a hat person, but I picked up a Columbia hat with sun protection and fabric that promises "advanced cooling."

  • Binoculars are suggested for every traveler in order to see game on game drives. And sharing isn't recommended, since no one wants to travel to Tanzania only to miss a fleeting glimpse of an elephant cub or crocodile. The best binoculars can cost $200 or more, but I picked up a waterproof pair with 10x magnification at REI for $27.

  • Malaria pills are strongly recommended for travelers, since the mosquito-borne disease exists in all parts of Tanzania, according to the CDC.

  • A Yellow Fever vaccine isn't required for people who are only visiting Tanzania, but it is required for travelers coming from another country with a risk of Yellow Fever transmission, according to the CDC. If you get the vaccine (I did), don't forget to bring your vaccination certificate with you.

  • For U.S. travelers, a passport and visa are required to visit Tanzania. A tourist visa costs $100 and is good for one year, and can be obtained at Tanzania's processing centers in New York City and Washington D.C.

You'll be able to find all my stories about the trip here.

Disclosure: Our trip to Tanzania, including travel and lodging expenses, was paid for by the Tanzania Tourist Board, The Africa Adventure Company and Singita Grumeti Group, and Coastal Aviation.

SEE ALSO: 10 Things NOT To Do While Traveling On Safari

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Almost All Of One57's Full-Floor Units Are Gone

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one57 rendering night

If you want your own sprawling, full-floor apartment inside of glitzy One57, you better buy now or they may all be gone soon.

Of the 11 full-floor units inside the still-under-construction building, there are just a few left, Dan Tubb, the director of sales for One57, told The New York Post. The building did more than $300 million in sales alone this summer and has reportedly netted sales of $1 billion in total.

To purchase a full-floor unit, you'll have to lay out a minimum of $53 million, the base price.

The four-bedroom units start at $16.75 million, if you're looking to make a more conservative purchase.

DON'T MISS: A Sneak Peek Inside One57, The Super Expensive Apartment Building That's Being Built Near Central Park

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The Fancy New Building On Gramercy Park Is Already Half Sold

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Contracts were signed on six apartments at under-construction 18 Gramercy Park last week, all above $14.5 million, according to The Olshan Luxury Market Report.

The 16-unit luxury condominium is being developed by Zeckendorf Realty, which is the same company behind 15 Central Park West and 515 Park Avenue.

The building also made news earlier this month when the penthouse sold for $42 million to Houston Rockets owner Leslie Alexander. The duplex penthouse spans 6,300 square feet, with 2,000 square feet of outdoor space, and is the most expensive sale ever recorded south of 59th Street, appraiser Jonathan Miller recently told The Wall Street Journal.

Eight apartments in the building are under contract, all to American buyers, the WSJ reported.

What makes 18 Gramercy Park so great? The building has a famous Gramercy address, boasts large units, a spa and fitness center, and has doormen and concierge services. Buyers also get a highly coveted key to the private park it overlooks.

Each residence in the building takes up a full floor and measures around 4,200 square feet, except for the penthouse apartment, which spans two floors.

18 gramercy park

 

18 gramercy park

 

18 gramercy park

 

18 gramercy park

 

18 gramercy park

 

DON'T MISS: 16 Things You Never Knew About The Most Exclusive Park In Manhattan

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Peek Inside The Stunning Italian Resort Where Jessica Biel And Justin Timberlake Got Married

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Borgo EgnaziaAs we reported on Friday, Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel said "I do" at an Italian resort with friends and family on October 19.

The wedding supposedly took place at Borgo Egnazia, a five-star hotel with stunning views of Roman ruins and the Mediterranean sea.

E! Online first reported that the wedding potentially set the couple back $6.5 million. The cost factors in if Timberlake and Biel rented out the entire hotel, paid for their guests' flights, and hired security staff, not to mention helicopter tours for their guests to take in the surroundings.

Welcome to the gorgeous Italian resort, Borgo Egnazia. It's located close to the town of Puglia as well as the Mediterranean Sea.



The resort sits on roughly 50 acres of land, and includes a golf course, beach club, and spa.



Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake reportedly booked the entire resort, including the 63 rooms and 28 villas.

Source: Business Insider



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How Miami's Upscale Bal Harbour Shops Became The Most Lucrative Shopping Mall In The World

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bal harbour shopping mall

Bal Harbour Shops, an open-air luxury shopping center in an upscale part of Miami, is the most lucrative shopping mall in the world based on sales-per-square-foot.

The mall currently sees sales of $2,555 per square foot, and is likely to approach $3,000 per square foot by year-end, an annual survey by the International Council of Shopping Centres showed. 

That stat puts Bal Harbour's sales at nearly seven times the ICSC-estimated $451-per-square-foot industry average.

Sales per square foot in Bal Harbour have increased every year since its opening in 1965, with the exception of 2001, because of the 9/11 terror attacks, and 2009, because of the economic downturn.

Some of the malls keys to success include:

  • A large collection of luxury shops, including Bottega Veneta, Chanel, Gucci, Lanvin, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Valentino.

  • Bal Harbour is family owned, giving its business more room to adapt quickly when the market changes.

  • The mall's location in the Miami area gives it a steady flow of tourists as shoppers.

  • The inside of the mall is rich with fountains, tropical plants, and other aesthetically pleasing fixtures to help make the shopping experience even more enjoyable. 

Bal Harbour beat Simon Property Group’s Forum Shops at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and the Westfield Groups' Westfield Stratford in London, the second and third most lucrative malls in the world. They earned $1,750-per-square-foot and $1,600-per-square-foot, respectively.

DON'T MISS: Inside The 10 Coolest Shopping Malls On The Planet

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HOUSE OF THE DAY: A 100-Year-Old Estate In Santa Barbara Is On Sale For $57.5 Million

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The Peabody Estate "Solana" santa barbara $57.5 million

A classically beautiful mansion called Solana in Santa Barbara, is on sale for $57.5 million.

The home spans 20,000 square feet and sits on 11 acres of land, with 360-degree views of mountains and the ocean.

The land was bought in 1912 by Forrest Peabody of Arrow Shirt, and is considered a "historic" estate, according to the listing.

Welcome to "Solana." The property is gated in for privacy.



The listing calls this "one of the most significant private homes in California."



The current owners are asking $2,530 per square foot.



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Tory Burch Totally Downplays Her Ex-Husband's Role In Her Success

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tory burch red carpet

Tory Burch created a $2 billion brand in less than a decade, an amazing accomplishment that shows her talent and drive.

But in a recent interview, Burch downplayed a major factor in her success: help from her ex-husband, retail legend J. Christopher Burch.

In her Rock Center With Brian Williams interview, Tory says of her ex:

"He said, you know, 'Work on a concept and let's look at it.' He had started a company in college and so he had a bit of experience in the industry. He was supportive, but had some trepidations. He was a little worried, but he thought, Let's see what you come up with."

Christopher Burch's "company in college" was apparel brand Eagle's Eye. After launching the successful business and building it up for more than a decade, he sold it for an estimated $60 million.

His retail experience doesn't end there. Within the industry, Christopher Burch is considered a guru. He's funded and advised more than 50 companies, mostly retail.

He was also the first investor in his ex-wife's company, Tory Burch.

Tory's public distance from her ex is understandable: the two are currently embroiled in a legal battle over Christopher's Burch's new fashion brand. Tory says the designs are too similar to her own.

But its undeniable that her ex-husband's experience, retail connections and money played a huge role in her success. To say that he has "a bit" of experience is ridiculous.

And after all, Tory didn't have any experience as a designer or businesswoman before launching her company, so she probably got help from somewhere.

Tory Burch is successful because of her talent and drive. But that doesn't mean she shouldn't give credit where it's due.

DON'T MISS: How Tory Burch Created A $2 Billion Empire In Less Than A Decade >

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SPOTTED: A Modern Sports Car With Old-School Style

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The 2001 Morgan Aero 8 was the first car England's Morgan Motor Company had produced in half a century, and it did not do a whole lot to update the vehicle's look.

The two-door convertible may have an old-school vibe, but it's powered by a modern V8 engine that makes it a formidable sports car.

The license plate looks like it means to say "n'oubliez," French for "don't forget."

This photo was posted on ExoticSpotter.com, which shared it with us.

Have you spotted a rare or unusual way of getting around in your travels? Did you take a photo? Do you like sharing? Let me know via e-mail: adavies@businessinsider.com or on Twitter: @adavies47.

morgan aero 8

SEE MORE: The 21 Coolest Cars And Concepts At The Paris Motor Show

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The Best Seafood Restaurants In The US

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le bernardin nyc best seafood restaurants

Summer's over in Maine, but you’d hardly know it from the queue of vacationers and regulars at the Clam Shack.

A teenager shouts out orders of clam strips, chowder, and fried shrimp. But it's the whole, handpicked lobster piled onto a buttered roll that earns this eatery a place among the seafood greats. 

Today’s culinary landscape is all about über-local ingredients and farm-to-table cooking. But before there were menus crediting farmers for their kale or acorn-fed pork, there were dockside establishments serving just-caught crab and lobster or oysters farmed a few miles up the shore. America’s seafood restaurants were sourcing fish from their backyard long before it was popular.

These iconic, unfussy joints, for many of us, define seafood at its best. After all, what could be better than plump, juicy bivalves paired with a cold beer and views of bobbing boats? Or picking crabs on brown paper–covered communal tables, your hands a mess of clarified butter and Old Bay?

Our top picks include as many (if not more) down-and-dirty restaurants—where no-frills décor meets the freshest grouper, blackened, simply dressed with mayo and lettuce, and served on a toasted bun—as high-end ones helmed by toques who marry French techniques and worldly ingredients with pristine bluefin, cobia, and escolar.

You’ll find America’s best seafood at a shanty overlooking Florida’s Sarasota Bay, and on Maui’s northern shore in a kitschy, yet romantic South Seas setting where the catch changes so often that menus are printed twice daily, but also in Atlanta, where seafood meets southern society over oysters and putt-putt at the Optimist. 

Whether high or low, one thing is consistent: Each of these local favorites, in big cities and small towns, is a catch.

More From Travel + Leisure:

Best Italian Restaurants In The US

World's Top Food Markets

World's Strangest Vending Machines

GT Fish & Oyster: Chicago

This River North restaurant in Chicago wows with its nautical good looks: Dutch Master–style oil paintings of stormy seas, fishermen’s-netting chandeliers, and a massive chalkboard drawing of a swordfish skeleton are cool rather than kitschy when paired with cane-backed chairs, gold-trimmed black tables, and plush banquettes.

But the real reason to come is Giuseppe Tentori’s cooking: tuna poke with mangoes and cucumbers; taro chips with smoked haddock dip; and clam bake in a cauldron with corn, sausage and spicy seaweed in a white wine broth.



Mama's Fish House: Maui

There’s nothing understated or outdated about this Maui classic, est. 1973. The setting—palm trees, tide pools, white sand beach—is beyond romantic, and the fish is as fresh as it gets.

Menus, printed twice daily, credit fishermen by name, and may include local catches like opah, onaga, and ono, baked in a macadamia-nut crust, served up-country style with caramelized onions, avocado, and baby bok choy, or marinated in lime and coconut milk.

Mama's Fish House



Hogfish Bar & Grill: Stock Island, FL

On Stock Island, Key West’s less rowdy neighbor, this low-key spot, tucked between a trailer park and the shrimp docks, is known for its pinks—Key West shrimp, distinguished by a pink dot in the center of its shell—and for its hogfish.

The former come fried and barbecued, stuffed in tacos, or battered with coconut. But there’s really only one way to order hogfish. Ask for the Killer, which pairs fried, just-caught hogfish with melted Swiss cheese and mushrooms on Cuban bread.

Hogfish Bar & Grill



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The Hottest Tour Guides In London Are Homeless People

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unseen tours

Like many other Londoners who make a living showing tourists around the city, Viv is telling a group of visitors how Waterloo Bridge was largely rebuilt by women after World War II.

But Viv, 56, is no ordinary tour guide. She is homeless -- and the stairs under the bridge, which boasts majestic views of the Houses of Parliament and St Paul's Cathedral, were once her home.

"I lived there for two months," she tells the sightseers. "I had a patch made of wooden pallets, newspapers and cartons."

With a gaunt face and several missing teeth, and wearing a neat beige mackintosh that she found in the street, Norwegian-born Viv shows tourists the British capital as seen through the eyes of one of its homeless residents.

She is among half a dozen homeless guides working with Unseen Tours -- a scheme launched by the volunteer network Sock Mob -- weaving tales of their own lives on the streets into their walking tours.

Viv -- her past means she only wants to be known by her first name -- starts her tour in the Victoria Embankment Gardens on the edge of the River Thames.

An imposing statue of the 19th century industrialist William Edward Forster looks over the manicured gardens, which were Viv's home for four summers.

"That used to be my bench," she says, pointing at a family eating sandwiches nearby.

"You're very safe in a park, because they close the park at night. You don't get attacked by the public."

Homeless Londoners hear about "spare" benches through word of mouth, she adds. She speaks quickly, the sweat on her brow revealing her nerves.

Viv guides the group from the bath where Charles Dickens once took a dip to a tea hut frequented by taxi drivers for over a century, before stopping at the Savoy Hotel to tell the story of the wooden cat that sits in its lobby.

The handsome three-foot (0.9-metre) cat, named Kaspar, is brought out to join unlucky parties of 13 diners at the opulent hotel to make up their numbers to 14, Viv explains.

Without pausing, she adds that up to 200 people used to sleep in the archway next to the Savoy until the authorities began fencing it off at night.

"One night we had an elderly lady. At around two or three in the morning, some kids tried to set her alight," Viv calmly tells the tourists.

"They poured fuel on her sleeping bag and tried to set her alight. Luckily some of us heard the commotion, woke up, and chased them away."

The tour group, who have so far seemed dazed by Viv's stark account of life on the streets, finally pluck up the courage to ask some questions.

"What about the hotel?" one visitor asks. "I imagine they had a lot of leftover food?"

"It's a hotel for the rich," Viv says, without bitterness.

Paul van Beusekom, a 32-year-old bicycle designer from the Netherlands, eventually dares to ask a more personal question: how did Viv become homeless?

"My marriage broke up. I left my kids at home and moved out," she says simply, clearly unwilling to dwell on the subject. The tourists' questions dry up.

Viv has been homeless since 1997, drifting between parks and bridges when she cannot sleep on the sofas of friends and relatives.

She earns around £30 ($48, 37 euros) a week from her work as a guide. Unseen Tours pays her 60 percent of the earnings from each tour -- which costs £10 a ticket -- plus £40 a month for transport and £20 for her telephone bill.

"It's very little, but it's still worth it," she says.

Above all, the tours give Viv a task to occupy her days and take her mind off things.

"I have something other to do than selling the Big Issue," she said of the weekly British magazine distributed by homeless people.

For visitors, the tours show that homeless people are not always "dossers and give-ups", said 56-year-old tourist Angie Hester, a firefighter.

"They've got a story to tell," Hester said.

Van Beusekom added that Viv's anecdotes about her own life had been even more interesting than her stories about the sights.

"It's sometimes embarrassing for homeless people to say why they're homeless," he said.

"But during the tour, I was more comfortable asking questions. It sounds so easy to become homeless. It could happen to anybody. It's scary."

His friend slipped a few coins into Viv's hand at the end of the tour.

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The 7 Hottest Housing Markets In America

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los angeles

National home prices are expected to rise 1.7 percent from Q3 2012 - Q3 2013, according to Zillow's latest report.

In fact, the report finds that 183 of the 252 markets surveyed have hit a bottom, but the recovery has been different in different parts of the country.

We drew on the report to rank seven cities where home prices are projected to rise the most in the next year.

We also included an estimate of when home prices bottomed, and the actual value of a home.

Los Angeles, California

Change in home prices 2012-2013:
3.5 percent

Projected bottom in home value:
Q1 2012

Price in Q3 2012:
$397,000

Source: Zillow



Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Change in home prices 2012-2013:
3.8 percent

Projected bottom in home value:
Q4 2011

Price in Q3 2012:
$149,700

Source: Zillow



San Francisco, California

Change in home prices 2012-2013:
3.8 percent

Projected bottom in home value:
Q1 2012

Price in Q3 2012:
$497,600

Source: Zillow



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Fast Food Chains Can't Figure Out Chinese Breakfast

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egg mcmuffin mcdonalds

LIKE everyone else, Chinese people love fast food. Western purveyors of salty, fatty delectables such as McDonald’s and KFC serve up vast quantities of lunch and dinner to the world’s most populous nation. But not breakfast. Chinese consumers have yet to be won over by the Egg McMuffin or even the breakfast platter (a mix of sausage, scrambled eggs and hash browns). No Western fast-food chain has figured out how to please hungry Chinese mouths in the morning.

Paul French of Mintel, a research firm, reckons that the Chinese foreign fast-food market, valued at RMB 87.8 ($13.9) billion, is “underpenetrated” at breakfast time. Only 21% of Chinese eat fast food in the morning, compared to over 75% at lunch time. Why is this? “People want congee [a sort of porridge with goodies in it] for breakfast, not a sausage sandwich,” says Mr French.

Domestic restaurants see a gap in the market, and are rising early to fill it. They are copying the foreigners’ chief selling points—fashionable decor and clean tables—but keeping the menu strictly Chinese. Local fast-food chains such as Manfadu and 82 degrees are building new stores with plastic menus and western-style layouts. They serve congee with pickled vegetables and youtiao (deep-fried dough). Hungry locals flock in. Mr French reckons that 82 degrees is opening two stores a week to meet growing demand. He also reckons Manfadu now holds 10% of the Shanghai breakfast market, up from 2% in 2008.

McDonald’s, which has got away with peddling the same breakfast products everywhere with a few minor tweaks (an Egg McMuffin with chicken is an option in China), may have to think harder. Though breakfast accounts for around a quarter of the firm’s American sales, in China this number is less than 10%. McDonald’s says it is playing the long game. “We know breakfast isn’t going to be an overnight sensation,” says Jessica Lee, a senior director in McDonald’s Asia, “it wasn’t in the US either”.

McDonald’s are making inroads into the breakfast market with new combinations, “the egg McMuffin with chicken is selling well” says Miss Lee. But the company’s commitment to their current model of minor tweaking rather than truly new products may hold them back. They should heed the Chinese proverb, “do not fear going forward slowly, fear standing still.”

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These Original Ads For The Titanic Ran Right Before The Ship's Voyage To The Bottom Of The Ocean

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Titanic

More than 100 years after the Titanic's demise, it is still eerie to look at the advertisements for the luxury steamer's maiden voyage.

Copy boasting squash courts and "Turkish and electric baths" accompanied beautiful — imaginary — pictures of the ship cutting through a welcoming, iceberg-free sea.

Less than half of the 2,224 passengers and crew on board the ship survived. Here's why they signed on.

Here is an original ad for the Titanic's first (and last) voyage from Southampton, U.K., to New York City.



Its maiden voyage was on April 10, 1912. Tickets could be had for £6 and 10 shillings. Five days later, the ship was at the bottom of the ocean.



According to this ad, had the Titanic avoided the iceberg, the boat would have taken its second journey from New York back to Europe on April 20.

titanic adThis ad was geared towards less elite travelers.

It lists third class prices and shows photographs of less luxurious accommodations.

To prevent mingling between the upper and lower class passengers, the Titanic was fit with gates to keep the groups separated. Many of these gates weren't opened after accident, leaving some of the poorer passengers to go down with the ship.



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Eating 7-8 Fruits And Vegetables Per Day Will Make You Happier [STUDY]

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fruit

Eating fruits and vegetables is strongly associated with peak mental well-being, according to a new study from the National Bureau of Economic Research.

David G. Blanchflower, Andrew J. Oswald and Sarah Stewart-Brown have written one of the first studies on the potential influence of the different kinds of food people eat on feelings of happiness.

Using data covering 80,000 randomly selected British individuals along with seven accepted measures of well-being, they found that happiness and mental health rise in proportion to the number of daily servings of fruit and vegetables, peaking at 7-8 servings of 2.8 ounces each. 

The pattern remains "remarkably robust" when adjusted for a large number of other demographic, social and economic variables, the study found. 

Even after isolating confounding variables, it was found that individuals consuming at least 7 servings a day were 2.7 percent happier than those who eat almost no fruit and vegetables.

The authors note that the rise in life satisfaction is larger than "being a non-smoker [1.9 percent], is only a little less than that from being married [3.6 percent], and in absolute size is more than half the coefficient of having a longstanding illness [negative 4.3 percent]. Being unemployed, which is known from well-being research to have routinely one of the largest effects in happiness equations, is associated with approximately [negative 9 percent]."

The scientists conclude that thinking about the types of foods we consume may be valuable for governments concerned with the ultimate happiness of their citizens.  

SEE ALSO: The US Government Is Subsidizing America's Obesity Problem >

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