Category: United Kingdom

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Sightseeing in The West Midlands

In March/April 2019, I got to go sightseeing in the West Midlands, UK while visiting my British cousins. My American cousin, Cheryl, came with me and it was her first time meeting them. It is always so rewarding bringing family together! My hobby of genealogy has allowed me to meet and connect many cousins!

Eyam and Bakewell

After a relaxing evening with our cousins, the next day we accomplished quite a lot! First we drove to the plague village of Eyam in the Peak District in Derbyshire. During the Black Death in the mid-1600’s, this village was infected due to a piece of cloth brought up by a trader from London. To protect the surrounding countryside, this village quarantined itself. It was an incredible act of selflessness on the part of these people from the deadly contagion! Between September 1665 and November 1666, around 260 villagers lost their lives to the disease. In the end, just a little over 80 people from Eyam survived. It is a fascinating piece of history and located in a beautiful area of England!

An old sundial mounted on the medieval church in the plague village of Eyam, UK.
An actual sundial on the outside wall of the church in Eyam, U.K.
Mercian style cross from 6th century located in churchyard in Eyam, Derbyshire, U.K.
The Celtic Cross in Mercian style located outside of the church in Eyam , U.K.

While we were driving, a most remarkable thing happened! We were driving through the beautiful countryside, and a HUGE herd of all white deer crossed the road in front of us! There had to be about 40 of them! They were beautiful, but I was so stunned and in-the-moment that I didn’t even THINK to take a picture or video. I really wish I would have because it was STUNNING!

After Eyam, we drove to Bakewell, also in the Peak District. The town is along the River Wye and is famous for its tarts. Bakewell is quaint and lovely. The shops are so cool and there are so many pubs and restaurants! We enjoyed lunch there at The Wheatsheaf. The fish was ENORMOUS, and the Tomato, Basil and Goat Cheese Tart was delicious! A highlight of the visit were the swans–I’ve always loved swans, they are such majestic creatures but can be fiercely protective and territorial.

Swans on River Wye in Bakewell, UK
Swans on the River Wye in Bakewell, U.K.

Moseley Old Hall

The following day we visited Moseley Old Hall, where King Charles II was hidden for part of the English Civil War before he could be smuggled out of the country to France. The history fascinated me! We even got to see the “priest hole” where the king would have to hide if the house was subject to search by Cromwell’s men (it was illegal then to practice Catholicism, ergo why the house had a “priest hole”). In the yard we saw a beautiful peacock–unfortunately, he would not open his tail for us, but he is stunning to look at any way!

Male peacock at Moseley Old Hall.
The peacock on the grounds of Moseley Old Hall.
Front view of Moseley Old Hall.
The front of Moseley Old Hall.
My cousin Cheryl and I outside of Moseley Old Hall.
My cousin Cheryl and I on the grounds of Moseley Old Hall.

The Crooked House

On the way back from Old Moseley Hall, we visited one of the most surprising buildings I’ve ever seen–The Crooked House. This pub, located between Telford and Dudley, became lopsided due to mining subsidence in the 19th century. One side of the building is now approximately 4 feet lower than the other! The structure was condemned in the 1940s and scheduled for demolition, but the owners of Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries purchased it and capitalized on the uniqueness of the building. They made is safe using buttresses and girders but were able to maintain its lopsided appearance. The leaning walls also give rise to some pretty neat optical illusions where glasses slowly slide across “level” tables and a marble will appear to roll UP hill. This pub is not easy to find–it is at the end of a small side road, so you need to know it is there in order to find it!

The Crooked House from the outside.
The Crooked House from the outside.
My cousins and I inside The Crooked House.
Myself, Cheryl, Linda and David inside The Crooked House.

Monkland Cheese Dairy and Ludlow

On our third full day in the West Midlands, we packed in a lot of activity! First we visited David’s 93-year-old mother–she is a delightful woman whose mind is sharp as a tack! After that, we drove westward and visited the Monkland Cheese Dairy. Being a cheese-lover, I was in heaven! On the tour, we learned how cheese is made the old-fashioned way! This was fascinating! Afterward, we enjoyed a bite to eat with Linda’s sister Margaret, her daughter Karen, and Karen’s son Warwick. A new generation of cousins!

Cheese display at the Monkland Cheese Dairy.
Display at the Monkland Cheese Dairy.
Lunch with multiple cousins outside the Monkland Cheese Dairy.
Lunch with cousins new and old outside of the Monkland Cheese Dairy.
An old-fashioned cheese press at Monkland Cheese Dairy
An old-fashioned cheese press.

From the cheese factory we drove further up into the hills to visit the charming town of Ludlow. I had been there last year, but it was Cheryl’s first time. Our visit was brief, so we didn’t go to the ruins of the castle this time, but you can review last year’s visit here. The castle and town played an integral role in defending medieval England from the “savage” Welshmen.

A charming walkway in Ludlow, UK.
Walkway in Ludlow, UK.
View of several old buildings in the town of Ludlow, UK.
View of several buildings in Ludlow.

That evening we spent some time with David’s sister, Susan, and her husband, Neil. They were such an interesting and entertaining couple and their home was beautiful! It was an enjoyable evening filled with fun and engaging conversation!

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Long Haul flying in Business Class!

The luxury of long haul flying in Business Class is an amazing treat that EVERYONE should experience at some point in their lives! Now that I have experienced this mode of travel, it will be very difficult to go back to coach for longer flights. The service and amenities on my British Airways flights were top-notch all the way!

Points Travel

Recently, I traveled from Pittsburgh to London Heathrow primarily using points!! I have accrued Chase Ultimate Reward Points and British Airways Avios for several years and finally had more than enough for this trip. Unfortunately, it was just before the direct flights from Pittsburgh started, so I did have to deal with layovers. Next time I can fly direct!! I am looking forward to that!

The first leg of my journey, from Pittsburgh to JFK in New York City, was on Delta. Using Chase points, plus some cash to upgrade, I flew in First Class. On a trip this short, it was unnecessary, but I wanted to splurge. I made the mistake of picking a seat in the second row–I had to put my carry-on bag BEHIND me. After that experience, I quickly adjusted my seat selection for my return flight. I enjoyed comfort and punctuality on this leg of my journey–always a plus!

After I changed terminals and went through security, I spent a few hours in the British Airways Business Class Lounge at JFK. The food was decent, and there was free wine and Prosecco. I worked on my computer, relaxed, and made it to my gate with plenty of time to spare. JFK is not my favorite airport (by a long shot) but having lounge access helped make a fairly long layover more tolerable. Soon the time came for me to enjoy my flight in Business Class!

Amazing Service, Generous Space

Upon boarding my flight, the very gracious cabin stewards greeted me with a glass of champagne. I settled into my spacious pod, stowed my gear, and enjoyed a cocktail while the remainder of the passengers boarded. Before I knew it, we were in the air on our way to Heathrow! The wonderful steward took my order for our late-night meal as well as breakfast. I enjoyed a light, delicious meal, and was soon ready to settle down in my lay-flat seat. Once I put on my sleep mask and snuggled under my blanket–I was out very quickly–for the first time on a flight I was able to sleep soundly and not just doze!

My business class seat pod on British Airways flight JFK to Heathrow.
My business class seat from JFK to London

After a delicious breakfast, I readied myself for our arrival at Heathrow. I breezed through customs–it was one of the easiest customs experiences I’ve had. Since I still had lounge access, I visited the British Airways arrival lounge for some coffee and to freshen up before boarding the Hotel Hoppa bus. The hotel had allowed me to arrange for early check-in at the Hilton, so my room was ready for me. I considered a side trip to Houndslow to visit an inn I would like to do a story on, but I wasn’t sure time would allow–my cousin Cheryl was flying in from Morocco that afternoon. As it turned out, her flight was delayed, so I would have had time.

Once Cheryl arrived, we enjoyed some food and drinks in the hotel restaurant, then turned in for some well-deserved sleep. The next day we traveled north to visit our Taylor cousins in Dudley. I share more details of that trip here.

Return Trip, Flying in Business Class!

After I enjoyed time with my British cousins and Cheryl, I traveled back to London by train. I stayed at the same Hilton. Since I had to get up quite early the next morning , I turned in early. I enjoyed a very satisfying breakfast in the lounge, then headed to my gate. Unfortunately, my flight was delayed for about 1-1/2 to 2 hours, but the wonderful British Airway staff supplied us with water and snacks as we waited, which helped quite a bit! I was just happy I didn’t have a tight connection in Boston or I would have missed that flight!

The plane from London to Boston was the largest I’ve ever flown in–it had two levels!!! It was also the smoothest take-off I have ever experienced! I didn’t even realize we had left the ground! Again, I enjoyed the amenities in Business Class (Club World). It was probably overkill for the return trip–it was a daytime flight and I didn’t need to sleep. I did enjoy the comfort, delicious food, free drinks, and two movies!

Business Class seat on British Airways
My Club World seat from Heathrow to Boston
Snack and drink in Business Class
My vodka and diet and snack mixture before take-off.

My delicious appetizer on British Airways from London to Boston
My delicious appetizer on my BA flight from London to Boston.

My main course, a grass-fed English beef filet!
The main course–a grass-fed English beef filet! It was delightful!

Stateside Once More

Getting through customs at Boston Logan Airport was NOT easy. I have Global Entry, but the airport only had about 10 kiosks for MANY passengers, then only ONE agent processing all of us! Between the flight delay and the customs fiasco, I was happy that my layover was long! I opted to walk from Terminal E to Terminal A, which was quite a trek. By the time I got there, I was very overheated! Fortunately, I had time to drink some water, relax, and make some new friends before my Delta flight to Pittsburgh. This flight was first class, and a great way to end my trip!

By the time I landed in Pittsburgh, I had spent about 20 hours on trains, in airports or on planes. It was nice to get home and see my kids, my pets, and sleep in my own bed! I love to travel, but getting home is also awesome! Now that I have experienced the luxury of First and Business Class, it will be VERY hard to travel in coach! I look forward to the next time I will be flying in Business Class!

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Planes, Trains and Automobiles–My Trip Home

My trip home from the UK involved planes, trains and automobiles, along with the London Tube! All told, it took about 37 hours. However, I did get to sleep at a hotel for about 6 hours in the midst of it all. It was a long journey, but gave me time to reflect, My visit with my British family was wonderful, and introducing them to my (our) American cousin Cheryl was especially rewarding!

The Journey Begins

My journey began when Linda and David drove me to the Dudley-Sandwell train station at about 2pm their time (8am EST). I rode the train to Euston Station in London. The rail system in Europe is so much better than anything we have here in the US! It is an efficient and comfortable way to get around a country, or between countries. I do enjoy this mode of travel!

Hilton

Again, I had hoped to visit The Ostrich Inn in Slough, near Heathrow, during my overnight at the Hilton Heathrow Airport. However, I decided it was more important to rest up for my journey the following day. Therefore, I had dinner and a drink, then turned in for the night. I have enjoyed every Hilton I’ve ever stayed at, and the one near Terminal 4 at Heathrow didn’t disappoint. Often I do not sleep well away from home, but my room was so comfortable and quiet that I had no problems at all.

Beautifull sunset from my hotel window at the Hilton Hotel Heathrow Airport at Terminal 4. on my trip home.
The sunset from my window at the Hilton Hotel Healthrow Airport T4.

Heathrow

After the delicious breakfast buffet, I checked out and headed for the airport. Since I always try to be early, I had a couple of hours to kill before my flight scheduled departure time. Therefore, I spent some time sipping coffee and catching up on e-mail in the Business Class lounge. I previously wrote a post about my flights home, which you can read here. My trip home was long, but mostly uneventful, a definite plus when you are traveling by planes, trains, and automobiles!

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Our Trip to York, UK

I had the pleasure to take a trip to York, UK during my recent trip to visit family in England. I got to meet new cousins, who live in Yorkshire, on the way! Linda and David were gracious enough to accomodate my love of Viking and British history, and took me up there for a couple of days!

New Cousins!

On the way to York, we stopped in Yorkshire to visit Marian and her family. She had a lovely lunchtime spread for us and it was delightful getting to know everyone. I especially liked her grandson, Seth–he was a remarkable young man!

Myself with 6 of my British cousins while in Yorkshire, UK.
This is me (front left) with a few of my British cousins on our visit to Yorkshire, UK.

Same cousins in Yorkshire, but with young Seth in the picture and no Linda (she was the photographer).
The Yorkshire cousins including young Seth (Marian’s grandson). Linda was taking the picture.

Introduction to York

We drove from Marian’s to the city of York. The ancient city walls greeted us, along with bright flowerbeds planted along the route into the city. The sight is breathtaking! Imagine a structure that has been standing for over a thousand years! The US has only been a nation for a fraction of that time, so it is humbling.

A view of the ancient city wall surrounding York, UK.
A portion of the ancient wall that surrounds the city of York in the UK.
Bright yellow and white flowers just outside the entrance through the wall surrounding York, UK.
The cheerful flowers that greeted us to York.

A Brief History of York

Humans have lived at the site of York since the Neolithic Period (4000-2000 BC). It first became a major center when occupied by the Romans in 71 BC. The Roman name for York was Eburacum. The Romans turned Eburacum into a center of world importance for the next three centuries! During the 7th century the first Minster was built in York for the baptism of King Edwin or Deira. Subsequently, York became a center of enlightenment, wealth and power,

York was one of the first places in Britain conquered by the Vikings, and they occupied the area for about a hundred years. Although many think of the Vikings as plundering, seafaring warriors, their culture at the time was very robust. It is largely due to the archealogical discoveries made in York that we know more about their lives in this time period. They called the city Jorvik, and there were many craftsmen, farmers, traders, engineers and ship builders. Many Vikings actually became Christians during this occupation. Today, you can see what it was like in the city by visiting Jorvik–The Viking Experience. A visit to this attraction is a must during any trip to York, and it was a highlight for me!

A view of daily life at Jorvik, The Viking Experience, in York.
A view of daily life at Jorvik–The Viking Experience.

The Lovely Hazelwood

Linda and I had searched for accomodations, and we were delighted with The Hazelwood. We chose it because it was close to the attractions we wanted to visit, and because it had free parking. The establishment is comprised of 4 or 5 separate old stately townhomes that are adjoined. The rooms were quaint and comfortable, and the staff very friendly. We enjoyed breakfast both days!

My lovely room at The Hazelwood, our accomodation in York.
My quaint room at the Hazelwood.

Lamb & Lion Inn for Dinner

We strolled around York our first night there. It was cold and wet and rainy, so we were anxious to find somewhere tOno eat, warm up, and dry off. Between the cathedral and the Hazelwood, we found a lovely little eatery called Lamb & Lion Inn. It consisted of multiple smaller rooms with 3 or 4 tables each, so it was rather intimate. The food was delicious and presented beautifully, and the drinks were strong enough to warm us from the inside out!

My beautiful and delicious dinner at the Lamb & Lion Inn in York. Beef with rich gravy, greens and mash.
TheMy beautiful and delicious dinner at the Lamb & Lion Inn in York.

Yorkminster Cathedral

We spent the following day discovering the city in all of its historical glory! We started out by visiting Yorkminster Cathedral, a huge magnificent place that has been in existence since Norman times! I need to look up the statistics, but it seems even bigger than Notre Dame to me! The achitecture is awe-inspiring, as are the stained glass windows.

A view of the Yorkminster Cathedral from the outside.
The outside of the Yorkminster Cathedral, an architectural wonder!

The first minster was built in York in the 7th century, as mentioned previously. The Norman invasion in 1066 brought many changes to the area, and was initially trouble for the area, but subseqently ended up being very prosperous for York. Later, during the Middle Ages, stonemasons and stained glass artisans worked together to build one of the greatest cathedrals in the world, Yorkminster!

Since the 7th Century, the Minster in York has been the centre of Christianity in the north of England. Every aspect of the cathedral, from the stained glass to the exquisite handcrafted stone, tells the story of Jesus Christ. It is a masterpiece!

The seat of the bishop in Yorkminster Cathedral.
This is where the bishop sits in Yorkminster Cathedral.
One of the stained glass masterpieces in Yorkminster Cathedral.
One of the magnificent stained glass masterpieces at Yorkminster.

Other Views Around York

It was wonderful to walk around York and take in its beauty and history. We discovered small shops, old churches, and quaint bistros. I completely enjoyed ambling around the old narrow streets and finding new delights around every corner!

One of the old narrow streets in York.
One of the delightful old streets in York.
A church tower in the background, and quaint shops along a street of York.
One of the quaint streets in York, with a lovely church tower in the background.

Yorkshire Museum

Toward the end of the day, we visited the Yorkshire Museum and its grounds, the site of an old monastery in York. It demonstrated the history of the area from the paleolithic era up until modern times. For a history buff like myself, it was fascinating!

A mosaic at the Yorkshire Museum.
A mosaic at the Yorkshire Museum.
A lovely cottage on the grounds of the Yorkshire Museum.
A lovely cottage on the grounds of the Yorkshire Museum.

The Exhibition–A Place I Would Hang Out!

After our visit to the museum, we walked back to The Hazelwood. It was rather cold and breezy that day, and we wanted to find someplace to warm our bones. We fortunately wandered into The Exhibition–a welcoming pub with a warm fireplace and wonderful service! The food and the drinks were rejuvinating, and we enjoyed our time there. It is definitely a place I could hang out on the regular!

The fireplace at the welcoming Exhibition Pub.
The inviting fireplace at the Exhibition Pub in York.

My time in York was so incredibly enjoyable, and I am eternally grateful to my cousins, Linda and David, for indulging me in our little side trip! I definitely recommend York as a destination during any trip to England!

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Wonderful Luck for Our Trip to the West Midlands

In March of this year, I experienced wonderful luck for our trip to the West Midlands from London to visit family. My cousin, Cheryl, and I met up in London after her trip to Morocco. I had, at one time, planned to go there with her, but work circumstances changed and prevented me from being able to take an extended time off. Therefore, I flew in from the US and we met in London. You can read about my journey here.

Many of our cousins live in the West Midlands, near Birmingham. We were staying in Rowley Regis with our cousin Linda and her husband David.The plan was to take a taxi from our hotel near Heathrow to Euston Station to catch a train up to Dudley/Sandwell, the closest station to their home.

We arranged transport to the station via the concierge at the hotel. Our driver arrived promptly and we loaded our bags into the car. As Abid drove us to the station, he asked how much we were going to have to pay for our train tickets. When we told him, he offered to drive us right to our cousin’s door for the same price!! This was amazing!! Apparently, he usually does tours to Windsor, Stonehenge and Bath, but his tour that day was canceled. It was a win-win situation for everyone! Abid was a fascinating man and we enjoyed talking with him. He kept us hydrated with water (a key for me) and entertained us with stories of his life. I DEFINITELY plan to use him again on future trips!

Sadly, I didn’t take any pictures. The whole situation surprised me so much! It was wonderful to be driven, in a nice car, instead of being on a train in coach. Also, being dropped off right at Linda’s house instead of them having to pick us up at the train station was amazing! And it cost us no more than taking the train! Definitely a win-win situation for everyone involved! It was such wonderful luck for all of us!

You can read more about our adventures in the West Midlands here.

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Our Last Full Day in London–Westminster and Kensington

On our last full day in London, we started the day at  Brew Dog again. It was delicious, and the young man who waited on us had Pennsylvania roots–his father was from Wilkes-Barre. We both had avocado toast with egg. Seth had his egg scrambled with chorizo and I had mine sunny-side up with bacon!

After we filled our bellies, we caught the City Cruise boat at Tower Hill and took it up to Westminster for the morning. As we exited the wharf area there was a guy dressed up as Spiderman! Our main objective was to visit the Churchill War Rooms. They did NOT disappoint! Rich in history, I was so intrigued I somehow forgot to take pictures!! I did snap some pictures from around the Westminster area, though. We found an adorable corner pub we wanted to have lunch at, The Red Lion, but it was way too crowded. We also opted out of going INSIDE Westminster Abbey due to the long line. And the famous clock tower (“Big Ben” refers to the bell not the tower) was under scaffolding!

Since The Red Lion was too crowded, we decided to take the Tube to Kensington. Before heading to the palace and its garden, we had lunch at a little place called Noah’s Kitchen. I had wanted lamb, but they were out, so I settled for a pizza with asparagus and ham which was very tasty. Seth opted for the Steak Burger which looked amazing!! We washed it down with a red wine from Sicily which tasted much better after it aerated a bit.

Once we were sated with food and wine, we strolled through Kensington Park and Gardens. Our first stop on the way to the palace was Princess Diana Memorial Playground with its replica of Captain Hook’s pirate ship from Peter Pan.

Kensington Palace was a highlight for me. Victoria has always been my favorite British monarch, and this is where she was born. We were actually in the room where she was born and I got a picture of her cradle! There was also a really neat family tree and memorabilia from other monarchs including William and Mary!

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Other highlights of Kensington were the jewels and the gardens, as well as an exhibit of Princess Diana’s wardrobe. I was in such awe I forgot to take pictures of the dresses!

We had wanted to have our last dinner at the Brew Dog, but it was too crowded (good for them, since they just opened a week before). We ended up having dinner at the hotel restaurant, Natural Kitchen. I had salmon burger and salad while Seth had a lamb burger. Both were delicious! We tried the “Porn Star Martini” which sounded interesting, but it wasn’t very strong. Topping off our last evening, I had an amaretto sour and Seth had an old fashioned. Then it was time to pack for Dudley!

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Adventures South of the Thames

Our third full day in London was spent south of the River Thames. First off, we discovered a brand new restaurant right around the corner from our hotel for breakfast. It had JUST OPENED a week before. The food was delicious and the service was top notch! Sadly, I forgot to take pictures, but Seth had some kind of avocado toast sandwich with chorizo  and I had a more traditional bacon and eggs. We fell in love with the place!

We walked past the Tower of London and over the iconic Tower Bridge on our way to visit the HMS Belfast, a decommissioned warship that had been involved in D-day as well as other assignments. As we walked, I took some great pictures giving another perspective of the Tower, as well as the Tower Bridge!

The HMS Belfast was SO interesting! I love to be on the water, but I can’t imagine living in such close quarters with so many other people! It makes me truly appreciate those who have done so for the sake of our freedom!

After the warship, we walked to the reproduction of Shakespeare’s Globe Theater. Again, the history nerd in me rejoiced! One interesting bit of trivia–this building is the ONLY one in London that is allowed to have a thatch roof. Apparently, after the big fire in the city, these were outlawed.

Our next stop was a great little restaurant/pub called Founders’ Arms. We were both torn between the duck and the tuna, so we ordered one of each and shared! We had a lovely wine that I really liked–it had hints of grapefruit which I loved! It was a Chilean Sauvingon Blanc from Marande! I will have to find it at home!

From there we went to one of the highlights of our London stay–the London Eye! We spent a little extra to skip the line and it was an amazing investment! I would DEFINITELY recommend this as the queue is usually quite long! The trip around the eye provides some of the most incredible views of the city!

Upon exiting the Eye, the wharf for the City Cruise was right next door, so we decided to take it back to the hotel. It makes stops at Westminster, the Eye, Tower Hill (where our hotel was) and all the way to Greenwich. If we had been in London longer, I would have loved to visit Greenwich, as well as Hampton Palace, Stonehenge, Windsor and Bath. Of course, Windsor was not in the stars for us since we were in London over the few days prior to the Royal Wedding of Harry and Meghan. Our tour guide on the City Cruise, Ted, was so funny and engaging, as well as informative! The marker in the first picture delineates the border between the City of London on the right, and Westminster on the left. The white ship is actually a private club for retired naval officers. Apparently, Prince Phillip has been a regular there, although he currently has been battling his hip issues. And, of course, I can never resist a good wildlife photo when I have the chance!!

That night we went to a traditional Bavarian restaurant very close to our hotel. Seth is particularly fond of German beer. We both got a liter of German beer and I got a free T-shirt for drinking 2 pints of Lowenbrau beer! I got a trio of wursts served with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes, and Seth got beef goulash served with braised cabbage and spetzel.  It was quite a hearty meal!

That concludes our Thursday in London. Check back soon for our last full day when we visited Kensington Palace and Gardens!

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Tower of London–AMAZING!

Our second full day in London was reserved for the Tower of London and its rich and diverse history, as well as the hop-on, hop-off bus tour. It was so cold that day we pretty much stayed on the bus, but we did get off at Buckingham Palace. We started the day with a “Full English” Breakfast and it was more food than we could eat! No “continental” breakfast at the Doubletree!

The Tower of London is the oldest fortified castle in Europe! The very first fortress at the site was built by the Romans, and you can still see portions of the original Roman wall. The White Tower dates back to 1078 when King William used it as his castle. King Henry III used it as his castle starting in 1240, making extensive additions and renovations. Over the years, the complex has been used for many different things–palace residence, prison, royal mint, treasury, and zoo!

There were so many amazing pieces of history at the Tower that I could have spent the entire day there and it could fill several blog posts, but I realize not everyone is as much of a history nerd as I am, so I will spare you! I was particularly interested in the ravens–Legend has it that if the Tower’s resident ravens ever leave the Tower, the Kingdom will fall. I was lucky enough to snap a photo of one of the ravens close up!

My favorite pictures from the Tower are the raven and the one in the previous group that shows the Shard in the background–it is an interesting juxtaposition of old and new!

The rest of the day was spent on the bus that went EVERYWHERE, and a short stop at Buckingham Palace. Sadly, the Queen’s Gallery was closed as it prepared for a new exhibition. We were able to decide which places we wanted to return to later in the week! I did take a couple of really cool pictures from the bus, though!

It was a cold day, so the only time we hopped off the bus was to visit Buckingham Palace and have lunch. We didn’t go INTO the palace, but enjoyed the lovely area outside! We found a great little place called B-bar. I had a grilled chicken Cobb salad and Seth had chicken curry. For dessert we shared some delicious honeycomb ice cream!

That night we went to a pub called Cheshire Cheese. I had a “Pie and a Pint” while Seth had a “Three-Way Chicken Sandwich”. It was crowded and boisterous and felt like a true British pub experience!

Well, that was certainly a FULL day!  Stay tuned for highlights from the rest of our London stay!

 

 

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Our Introduction to London

Our first full day in London started with a Tube ride to pick up our London Pass. As we walked to the area we stopped to pick up a quick breakfast at a little take out place between the Tube station and Trafalgar Square. The place we had to pick up our London Passes was about a block away from Trafalgar Square.  The National Gallery was on our list and it borders the square, but we opted out of going there. We overdosed on art in Paris and were much more interested in history and palaces while in London!

After Trafalgar we walked about 10 minutes to Piccadilly Square with its iconic statue of Anteros atop the monument to Lord Shaftesbury, a famous philanthropist during the Victorian era. Most people believe this statue is of Eros, Anteros’ brother and the god of love. It is also referred to as the Angel of Christian Charity. The rest of Piccadilly reminded me of Times Square in NYC.

We found a great souvenir store off of Piccadilly Square where Seth scored a lot of things he was looking for! I saw a great Union Jack beanie that Kendyl would have loved, but I figured I would find something similar later (I never did, sadly).  From there we walked to Covent Garden, an amazing area that has been a marketplace for centuries. It has evolved over the years and now has a multitude of shops, restaurants and craft vendors. We had lunch here at Punch and Judy’s Pub and had our traditional British fish and chips!

Near Covent Garden is the British Transport Museum. It was full of historical vehicles and information. I was surprised to find out that London built an underground railroad before New York did! I thought I had taken pictures there, but I cannot find any. I will check with Seth–sometimes during our travels my phone died and he became the photographer!

After the day of sightseeing, we took the Tube back to the hotel and had dinner at the hotel restaurant, Natural Kitchen, like we did the night before. I had the lamb again (love that mint pesto) and Seth had a rib-eye steak. We again enjoyed cocktails at 2 for 1! Life is good!

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Hello, London!

On Monday, May 14, 2018, we took the Eurostar Train from Paris and said, “Hello, London.” It was such a neat experience. It has been a very long time since I took a real-life train! My only disappointment was not actually getting to SEE the English Channel. The train goes through the Chunnel, but the entrance and exit of the Chunnel are too far from the water to actually get a glimpse of the Channel! Oh well, still pretty cool to think that we went under the English Channel!

Accommodations

By the time we got to our hotel, it was late afternoon. We stayed at the Doubletree by Hilton, Tower of London. Like our hotel in Paris, it was a wonderful location. It had a great little restaurant called Natural Kitchen that we ate at a few times! On that first night, we ate there and they had some specials on cocktails (2 for 1) and steak (10 pounds off). I had a wonderful lamb chop dish with the most delicious mint pesto! I need to make some mint pesto! It was so good! Seth had one of the steak specials. I had 2 Cosmos and Seth had 2 drinks called “Penicillin”. Both were REALLY potent!!

Dinner and Drinks

Seth had the steak which was on special, and it was cooked perfectly!
Seth had a delicious steak at Natural Kitchen.
For dinner at the Natural Kitchen, I had a deliciously tender lamb chop with a fresh sweet mint pesto.
My lamb chop with a delicious mint pesto!
Our drinks after dinner in London--a potent concoction called "Penicillin" and a classic Cosmo. It was 2 for 1 night!
“Penicillin” and my Cosmo–it was 2 for 1 night and we had 2 each!

Getting Familiar

After dinner, we took a walk around our immediate environs. We found a Tesco (a supermarket) which became our go-to for things we needed during our stay!

Tomorrow I will share our experiences from our first full day in London! Click here to read that post!

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