It's Summer In London!

Hello from London!

It's now mid-summer here in London, and I'm discovering London like never before! Every time I've been here, I've just been focused on exploring the city. Seeing shows, eating good food, riding the subway was all my visit really entailed. But since I have so much time here, and I'm living a bit outside the city, this experience is different. I'm seeing sights in London I never really knew existed! For instance...

London Walks

MeetUp is such a wonderful way to meet people and engage in unique experiences. On a recent beautiful Saturday afternoon, I joined about 20 other people for a walk that started at Baker Street, through Regent's Park and Canal, then up to Primrose Hill for a gorgeous view of the city!

Week in Paris

It's now safe to travel between London and Paris without quarantine, so why not take the two-hour Chunnel train over and check it out! There is so much to see in Paris, but in this video you'll see the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Notre-Dame, Galeries Lafayette, Montmartre - and a few other sweet spots I'm sure you'll recognize!

Voice Over Demo

You may have already heard my voiceover demo, but I'm working on my video skills and decided to make a video out of it! Take a listen and a look!

Finally...

One thing I really apprecate about London in the summer is the weather. The temperatures have been so pleasant, with no mosquitos, bugs, or humidity! Not sure if I've ever worn a jacket in July, but I've needed one most every day here. Given that so much of Europe gets really hot in the summer, I'm so happy that the weather has been so nice!

Summer is in full swing, but I'm also beginning to think about the fall and beyond. The month of September is fully booked with a screen acting class I'm taking at Actor's Studio UK at Pinewood Studios. This is a four-week course and it will be educational and super fun.

As soon as that ends, I'll (hopefully) be taking off on a five-hour train ride to Edinburgh, Scotland where I'll be staying for a couple months. Since I've never been there before, I'm very excited! But until then, I'm just going to enjoy the rest of my stay in London and take in as much as I can.

Thanks for following along! Stay safe and healthy everyone!

ACTOR // CREATIVE // VOICE TALENT

TAPP

Bob Tapper

tapp@bobtapper

www.bobtapper.com

Outside US: +01 9494846275

Inside US: (949) 484-6275

June in London

Hello from London!

Life is full of changes, and finally landing in London has been a big change given my experiences during the first half of the year. While Vienna and Croatia were more about getting settled in my new life and exploring - London is about pursuing creative opportunities in a more serious fashion. I'm not expecting it to be all fun and games, because learning new things and challenging myself can be difficult. However, it's all part of the journey!

Saying goodbye to Zagreb was bittersweet, given the lockdown, earthquake, and subsequent re-opening of stores, restaurants, and travel. I was ready to go, but the opportunity below was presented to me before I left:

Zagreb Interview

I spent the last few nights in Zagreb at the Esplanade Hotel. This luxury hotel has a rich history. Built in 1925, it served as a stop-over palace for the wealthy, famous people who traveled from Instanbul, Turkey to Paris, France on the Orient Express. Some of the notables who have stayed here are Charles Lindbergh, Vivien Leigh, Richard Nixon, Nikita Khrushchev, Alfred Hitchcock, Louis Armstrong, and Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones!

When I returned to my room on the first night, I found a note on my bed. The hotel manager wanted to know if I wanted to be interviewed by Goran Milic - a journalist with Croatia Radiotelevision and Al Jazeera. Here is the portion of his show where he interviewed me!

Plitvice Lakes National Park

This is an experience I'll never forget! Plitvice Lakes National Park is one of the most beautiful places in Croatia! Or maybe the world! It is one of the oldest and largest national parks in Croatia - located near the border of Bosnia and Herzegovina. My guide and I visited the park shortly after the coronavirus lockdown was lifted, so there were few tourists and we pretty much had the park to ourselves! Given that over 1 million visitors are recorded each year, it was a rare opportunity to experience the breathtaking lakes and waterfalls with no crowds.

London Bridge

Well, this London bridge (known as the Golden Jubilee Bridge) is not falling down, but it certainly is empty! The coronavirus lockdown was pretty much in full force when I arrived, so the streets were very empty. Walking across this bridge with no people is a rare (and probably once in a lifetime) event.

Work.Life in Camden Town

I loved my co-working space in Vienna (Talent Garden) and Zagreb (BizCoworking), so finding one in London was a must! So here I am at Work.Life in Camden Town. Like the others, there is a cool vibe here - although not quite as full of people as before Covid. But even still, I've met really nice people at each space.

There are a few reasons why being in a co-working space is important to me. First of all, it creates some structure in my life and gives me somewhere to go each day. Second, I work on this newsletter and also my other social media accounts like Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Finally, there are tremendous networking opportunities. Everyone is friendly and wants to network, so meeting others is easy. Given my passion for creativity and fun through acting, voiceover, or any other media forms, this is where I need to be!

Finally...

The summer is now well underway, and we'll have to see how the continued re-opening unfolds. London is known for their pubs and restaurants, so they are finally allowed to re-open on July 4th.

The next event to happen is the re-opening of live theater. I'm not sure I'll be able to see a show in the next few months, but I'm not giving up hope. I didn't think I'd see Split, Croatia either, but things can change and you never know. But what I wouldn't give to see Dear Evan Hanson, and maybe Hamilton - for a second time!

Thanks for following along! Stay safe and healthy everyone!

ACTOR // CREATIVE // VOICE TALENT

TAPP

Bob Tapper

tapp@bobtapper

www.bobtapper.com

Outside US: +01 9494846275

Inside US: (949) 484-6275

On the move in May

Hello from London!

I can't believe it, but I actually made it to London! But first, let me start by letting you know that May turned out to be a great month in Croatia! As I mentioned in my last newsletter, non-essential stores opened up the last week of April. In May, hair salons opened, which was followed by restaurants and bars. By mid-May, they opened travel throughout the country, so I was able to get to see Split - a beautiful seaside community on the Adriatic Sea! I was also able to see Plitvice Lakes, a national park known for its gorgeous waterfalls and lakes. Both visits were such a pleasant surprise, given that I didn't even think I'd be able to leave Zagreb due to the lockdown.

But when I do think back to my time in Zagreb, the one place that will always be in my heart is...

King Tomislav Square

This is city park that I visited pretty much every day during my stay. After I grabbed coffee, I had a walking path that took me right past the park. I'd find a bench, sit down and sip my coffee as I contemplated life and gazed into the super blue skies of Croatia. The park is next to Glavni Kolodvor, the train station that was built in the late 1800's to connect Zagreb to Budapest and Vienna. On the other side of the park is the Art Pavillion of Zagreb. The fountain in the center of the square provided peace and traquility - something very much needed during that crazy time. When I look back to where I was at during COVID-19, I'll always think of King Tomislav Square.

Visiting Split

Split is a beautiful seaside town on the Adriatic Sea in Croatia - about a 50 minute flight from Zagreb. It was pure joy that I was able to spend four magical days there! Split is usually filled with tourists this time of the year, but not now. It was pretty much me and the locals. They provided just enough "buzz" to make the atmosphere enjoyable and fun. This video looks at some of the sites I experienced, including Diocletian's Palace and Marjan Forest Park!

Day Trip to Plitvice Lakes

Plitvice Lakes is a national park about 2 hours away from Zagreb by car. It is one of the oldest and largest national parks in Croatia. This area is rich in history, and many battles took place here. It's hard to believe that an area where there has been so much war (the Croatian War of Independence with the Serbs), can now be so beautiful. I had my own personal tour guide for the day, so it was educational as well! I'll share a video next month, but this picture pretty much sums up the day.

An Unexpect Surprise During My Last days in Zagreb

I decided to spend my last few nights in Zagreb at a hotel. My Plitvice Lakes tour guide recommended The Esplanade Zagreb - a beautifully designed Art Deco hotel full of glamour, style, and tradition. It was built as an accommodation for the Orient Express train, which traveled between Paris and Istanbul. Many famous presidents, politicians, film stars, and musicians have stayed (and partied!) there.

I returned to my room one night and found a note on my bed. The hotel asked me if I wanted to be interviewed by Goran Milic, a Croatian journalist with Al Jezeera, who was recording a documentary for Croatian Radio Television. The documentary is about the history of the hotel (now celebrating its 95th anniversary), but also wanted to talk to out of town guests traveling in Croatia during COVID-19. Not being shy in front of the camera, I of course said "yes!" He was a facinating man to talk to, full of history, and the experience was so much fun! I hope to get a clip of the show once it airs. What a way to end my stay in Croatia!

Finally...

After much concern over whether I'd be able to get to London due to border restrictions, it ended up to be no problem at all. My flight left Zagreb around 9am on Wednesday, June 3rd going first through Frankfurt. After a short layover, it was onward to London Heathrow. Heathrow was very empty, and there were no issues getting through border control. I checked into my Airbnb by 4:30pm. It was an easy day.

I'm very happy to be here in London, but they are still in somewhat of a lockdown mode. It's been interesting to see how differently COVID-19 has been handled here compared to Croatia. In Croatia, I lived through a complete lockdown, only to see it fully re-open. Hopefully, more things will open here as the weeks and months go on.

I'll be in London through the end of September. I haven't really planned October and November yet, but I plan to explore more of the UK. It's way to early to be thinking about that - I'm just glad to be embracing my new chapter here in London. I remain forever thankful and grateful for the way the past five months turned out! 🙏

Thanks for following along! Stay safe and healthy everyone!

ACTOR // CREATIVE // VOICE TALENT

TAPP

Bob Tapper

tapp@bobtapper

www.bobtapper.com

Outside US: +01 9494846275

Inside US: (949) 484-6275