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Whiskey Brunch and Clumsy Me!

Our Friday in Dublin started with a Whiskey Brunch at the Irish Whiskey Museum. This was very informative and we got so sample several Irish Whiskeys to compare them to each other. My favorite was the middle one, which I think was called Porters. Apparently it is the favorite of the Irish, so much so that they don’t export it so they can keep it for themselves! The museum is not associated with any one brand, so that made it even more interesting! The leader of our little group was actually from the US. Her name was Shannon and she had just finished her Masters at Trinity College. She was fun and informative! The brunch afterwards was also very good!

Pictures of the Irish Whiskey Museum

Photo of old-fashioned distillery equipment at the Irish Whiskey Museum.
Old-fashioned distilling equipment.
Uisce Beatha means "Water of Life" in Irish.
Uisce Beatha means “Water of Life” in Irish.
The bar in the Irish Whiskey Museum.
The bar!
Our three samples of different Irish Whiskeys.
Our three Irish Whiskey samples.
Cool photo of bottles backlit by bright yellow lighting.
I just thought this made a cool photo!
Our brunch at the Whiskey Brunch--bread, bacon, sausage, and bangers.
Our delicious meal for the Irish Brunch.

Walking Around Dublin

After the Whiskey Brunch, we walked Grafton Street. It was a vibrant area, but not a lot for us since we are not big shoppers. From there we headed to the Temple Bar area and had a drink in the famed Temple Bar itself. It was very crowded even though it was only about noon! There was a gentleman playing traditional Irish music, which I love!

The iconic Grafton Street in Dublin.
The iconic Grafton Street in Dublin.
My son in front of the famous Temple Bar in Dublin.
My son, Seth, in front of the famous Temple Bar.
One of the bars inside The Temple Bar.
One of several bars inside The Temple Bar.

We wanted to get some pictures of the Ha’penny Bridge–the first bridge over the River Liffey. The name comes from the price of the toll back in the day.

The Ha'penny Bridge over the River Liffey in Dublin.
The Ha’penny Bridge.

Dublin Castle

Next on our agenda was the Dublin Castle.  It seemed more like a museum than a castle to me. The self-guided tour was not as thorough as I would have liked, so consider the actual guided tour if you go there and are a history buff like me!

One of the elaborate halls in Dublin Castle with beautiful chandeliers and many works of art.
One of the elaborate halls in Dublin Castle.
Another view of the same hall in Dublin Castle.
The same hall from another angle.
The throne in Dublin Castle, burgundy and gold.
The throne in Dublin Castle.

Lunch and My Clumsiness

We had lunch at O’Neill’s. It was a self-service kind of place, which I’m not a big fan of, but at least we didn’t have to wait for our bill! Most places in Europe are so unlike America–they don’t rush you out the door by bringing your check as soon as you look close to done! This is great when you want to relax, but sometimes you have to hunt someone down when you really need to go! Anyway, I had a celeriac and bacon soup which was lukewarm by the time I got it, but tasted good. Seth had a spicy chicken burger that he really enjoyed.

My celeriac and bacon soup and the delicous dark Irish bread I learned to love.
Celeriac and bacon soup and delicious Irish bread.
My son's lunch--a spicy chicken burger.
Seth’s spicy chicken burger.

On our walk back to the hotel we saw a bar named with the name of my second son, Brogan!! It is an Irish name, but it was so cool to see “Brogan’s Bar”!! Shortly after that, I had a bad fall. I have had problems with my depth perception, and I had fallen twice before on this vacation–once in London and one other time in Dublin. But this fall came with injuries. The most immediately noticeable was my bleeding forehead–my glasses broke and the metal arm cut my forehead. I was bleeding like crazy, though the actual cut was quite small and only needed some steri-strips. Fortunately, we were in front of a youth hostel, and they had a first aid kit. They were so nice! I wish I would have gotten their names, and the name of their place, so I could thank them, but I was a mess–more embarrassed than in pain, but both really! On the way back to the hotel, I realized my left arm really hurt. I suspected a radial head fracture, which was confirmed once I got home to the states. As it was, I texted a friend who works in Orthopedics and asked his opinion. He recommended I get a sling and use it until I got home, which I did. I wasn’t up for going out that night, so we ordered pizza from room service.

Brogan's Bar in Dublin--one of my sons is named Brogan so I couldn't pass up the photo op!
One of my sons is named Brogan, so I had to photograph this bar!
My after falling--glasses broke, forehead cut, and a broken arm!
Clumsy me–glasses broken, forehead cut, arm broken!

You can’t tell from the picture, but my glasses were taped up on the left, and you can see the steri-strips if you look closely.

At this point, we only had one day left on our European adventure. Stay tuned for a synopsis of our last day!

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My Favorite Day in Dublin!

Thursday, May 24, 2018, was my favorite day in Dublin! This is because of one of the places we went–Dublinia! It is a museum dedicated to the Viking and Medieval history of Ireland, and those are my favorite periods of history!!

Breakfast and Trinity College

We started the day with breakfast at The Lombard, on the way to Trinity College. I had the “small” Irish breakfast (it was NOT small) and Seth had Eggs Benedict. Everything was delicious and filled us up for our adventures!

My son's Eggs Benedict at The Lombard in Dublin, Ireland.
Seth’s Eggs Benedict.
My small Irish breakfast at the Lombard. It wasn't small at all! There was toast, eggs, potatoes. sausage AND bacon!
My (not so) “small” Irish breakfast.

After breakfast we continued our walk to Trinity College with hopes of seeing the Book of Kells. We had thought it was included in our Dublin Pass since it is a big attraction there, but it was not. Between having to pay extra and the very long line, we decided to skip this attraction in favor of other things. I am very glad we did, since we would not have had time to do everything that we ended up doing!

Grafton Street and St. Stephen’s Green

Upon leaving Trinity College, we strolled through the Grafton Street area. There were nice shops, a few great pubs and a coffee shop with a lovely downstairs area with couches and tables that would be perfect for studying! Our journey brought us to St. Stephen’s Green, a most delightful park that I could easily spend all day in! I especially loved the ponds and the ducks. We even saw some swans! I love swans! There was a very protective male duck swimming beside his female and quacking all the other ducks away. It was so cute!

The iconic Grafton Street in Dublin, Ireland.
The iconic Grafton Street.
A majestic swan swimming in the pond at St. Stephen's Green in Dublin, Ireland.
A majestic swan at St. Stephen’s Green.
A lovely fountain at St. Stephen's Green with beautiful trees and shrubs in the background.
Lovely fountain with beautiful foilage in the background.
A very protective male duck escorting his female on a pond in St. Stephen's Green.
The protective male duck escorting his female.

Great Driver and Dublinia

We picked up the Hop On Hop Off Bus at the park and were blessed with an awesome driver–Declan was entertaining, informative, and sang beautifully! We were lucky enough to get him again later in the day, too! He was one of the highlights of our day!

Our next stop was the highlight of my stay in Dublin–Dublinia. I am fascinated by Viking and Medieval history, so this interactive museum was right up my alley! I’ve been reading a series of books on this era that are loosely based on fact, so seeing those people come to life and the reality behind the fiction made it even more meaningful for me! I definitely geeked out during our visit to Dublinia. You can learn more about this attraction here.

The museum Dublinia, which is all about Viking and Medieval history in the Dublin area.
Dublinia.
A chart about the Viking Age located at the Dublinia museum in Dublin, Ireland.A
A timeline of The Viking Age.

Lunch at the Copper Alley Bistro

We ate lunch at a pub nearby, Copper Alley Bistro. I had a traditional Bangers and Mash, which was delicious, and Seth had the “House Special Burger” that he thoroughly enjoyed. We split a bottle of Malbec, my favorite type of red wine!

Bangers and Mash, a traditional dish, which I enjoyed at the Copper Alley Bistro.
My Bangers and Mash.
My son's Special House Burger at the Copper Alley Bistro.
Seth’s Special House Burger.

Jameson Distillery

After lunch we hopped on the bus again and went to the Jameson Distillery where Darren taught us all about the history of the brand. He also instructed us in the process of making whiskey, and the difference between various types of whiskeys. The word “whiskey” actually comes from the Gaelic word for water–uisce. We also tasted and compared Jameson with Scotch (Johnnie Walker) and Bourbon (Jack Daniels). The Jameson was definitely MUCH smoother! IF I were to drink whiskey, it would be my preferred type! We each got a free drink (mine was a Jameson and lemonade) , and Seth bought a bottle to go! On the way back, we again had Declan for our driver–what a treat!

Declan teaching us about whiskey at the Jameson Distillery in Dublin. We got to sample different kinds.
Declan teaching us about whiskeys and how they differ.
My Jameson and lemonade at the Jameson Distillery.
Jameson and lemonade.

Dinner at Our Hotel Bar

After a brief trip back to the hotel to recharge ourselves and our devices, we again tried to go the the Ferryman, but it was (again) too crowded! We ended up having dinner at the hotel bar. We had drinks and burgers and enjoyed a relaxed dinner before retiring to the room for a well-earned rest!

Well, my friends, until next time!

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Dublin Adventures

On our first FULL day of Dublin adventures, we first walked to get our Dublin Passes. It was about a mile-long lovely stroll across and along the River Liffey. We then jumped on the Hop-on Hop-off Bus for an overview of the city. I definitely recommend these tours as an introduction to a new city–it gives you an idea of what you want to go back to for further investigation!

Guinness Storehouse

We got off at the Guinness Storehouse and toured the facility. We at lunch there and enjoyed a free pint of Guinness Stout! It was a very informative self-guided tour that taught us about the ingredients and the process of making beer, as well as a lot of the history of Guinness in particular.

For lunch there, I had a traditional Beef and Guinness Stew with a pint of Hop House 13 Lager (a lighter beer made by Guinness). The stew was quite amazing and I recommend you get this at least once if you visit Ireland! Seth opted for a Guinness Stout with a flatbread that was delicious!

After leaving Guinness, we took in many sights from the bus, including the Gaol (prison), several churches, Phoenix Park, Trinity College, and even an apartment (penthouse, of course) owned by Bono of U2! We got off the bus near the Whiskey Museum near Trinity College to check into the “whiskey brunch” they advertised (more about that in a later post), then walked the mile or so back to our hotel.

Our driver, Colin, had recommended the Ferryman Pub, right down the street from our hotel, and we wanted to have dinner there, but it was so crowded, we could not get a table. Instead, we walked to the canal area a block or so away, and we found the H-Bar. I had a mango peach fizz and ate a traditional seafood stew. It was a delectable combination! Seth drank a blackberry mint gin and ate a char-grilled  chicken burger. We were definitely not disappointed in our choice!

After a busy day, we were happy to get back to our lovely hotel to relax and get some rest!

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Dublin Delight

On Tuesday, May 22, 2018, we traveled from Birmingham, UK to Dublin, Republic of Ireland.  The Birmingham airport was a bit confusing, and there was a delay due to some kind of strike in France involving air travel. We did make it to Dublin about an hour late, and thankfully our driver was still there. His name was Colin and he was very nice, as well as informative with recommendations of things to do and places to eat!

Travel days always take the wind out of my sails! Once we settled into our hotel, the Clayton Hotel Cardiff Lane, we had dinner at Stir, the hotel’s restaurant. The hotel is only a block from the River Liffey and across from a theater. They had a pre-theater special menu that was scrumptious and reasonable! I had onion and goat cheese tarts for an appetizer and Seth had a lovely salad. For our entrees I had Salmon with a wine wine sauce and Seth had a pasta dish. We shared a bottle of wine and were soon ready to rest up for our first full day in Dublin!

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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!

!

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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West Midlands Wrap-Up

The purpose of this post is to give you a wrap-up of our West Midlands adventures. I have to apologize for my absence over the past week and a half. On the second to last day of our vacation, I suffered a fall in Dublin. My glasses broke and cut my forehead, and I fractured the radial head of my left arm. Fortunately, I did not have to seek care overseas. I just need to keep it in a sling for a few weeks. It hurts like crazy though, especially with certain movements, so typing is not real comfortable. I’m going to try to post an installment each day until I get caught up on our whole trip.

Further Travels in the West Midlands

This post will cover the rest of our stay in the West Midlands with my family. I previously posted on our visit to Ludlow Castle. On that same day, we visited Croft Castle. Unlike Ludlow, which is in ruins, Croft is still occupied! The first floor and part of the second were open to the public, as well as the little church and the gardens. I greatly enjoyed its beauty and history!

Approaching Croft Castle in the UK with my son Seth in the foreground.
Approaching Croft Castle in the UK.
Beautiful gardens on the grounds of Croft Castle.
The amazing gardens at Croft Castle.

Dinner at the Salway Arms

After the castle we had dinner at a lovely place called the Salway Arms. Seth had roast pork with real life Yorkshire Pudding! The top picture shows  his dish with the Yorkshire Pudding on the upper left. I had pan-seared cod with a lovely white wine sauce. Most important was the wonderful company of Linda and David!

My son's meal at the Salway Arms, roast pork with Yorkshire pudding.
My son’s meal at the Salway Arms, roast pork with Yorkshire pudding.
My meal at the Salway Arms, pan-seared cod in a white wine sauce.
My meal, pan-seared cod with a white wine sauce.

The Black Country Living History Museum

On our last full day with Linda and David we enjoyed the Black Country Living History Museum. It is a lovely area that is like a little period village from the past. They have moved buildings there brick by brick! There have been many things filmed there, the most famous being Peaky Blinders. We also got to watch them make nails and links of chains by hand! The women of the area made nails in sheds behind their homes while many of the men (including some of our ancestors) forged chains. It was so incredibly interesting and educational!

One of the quaint streets at the Black Country Living History Museum in Dudley, UK.
One of the quaint streets at the Black Country History Museum.
An historical plaque describing a Backyard Chain Shop at the Black Country Living History Museum.
An historical plaque at the Black Country Living History Museum.
A man at the Black Country Living History Museum demonstrating how links of chain were forged.
A man demonstrating how links of chain were forged.
An old-fashioned fire truck at the Black Country Living History Museum.
An old-fashioned fire truck.

Canal Boat Tour

We also enjoyed an incredible canal boat tour which is part of the Living History Museum. It meandered through tunnels that used to be part of a limestone mine. It was fascinating!

Seth and I on the canal boat tour at the Black Country Living Hsitory Museum.
Seth and I getting ready to embark on our canal boat tour.
A mine shovel that serves as a memorial to all those who have died in the limestone mines in Dudley, UK.
A memorial to all of the people who have died in these mines.
A beautiful wall covered with vines, a part of the canal boat tour at the Black Country Living History Museum.
A beautiful wall covered with vines that was part of the canal boat tour.

Afterward we enjoyed the most delicious fish and chips I have ever tasted! Even better than those we had in London! The little shop did it all the old-fashioned way!

Fish and chips done the old-fashioned way at the Black Country Living History Museum.
The most delicious fish and chips ever!

West Midlands Wrap-Up

That evening we watched the Royal Wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle–Linda had recorded it for us to watch. I really enjoyed it, and couldn’t help wondering what those royals thought about that sermon! We also did FaceTime with a couple of our cousins from Yorkshire. I look forward to getting to meet them during my next trip!

One of my favorite pictures is this one of Seth with Ben, Linda and David’s black lab. They got on fabulously!

A picture of Seth with Linda and David's dog, Ben. They unfortunately lost Ben in July 2019.
A picture of Seth with Linda and David’s dog, Ben. They unfortunately lost Ben in July 2019.

So that wraps up the Midlands leg of our European trip. Tomorrow I plan to move on to London and Dublin! Arm permitting, I intend to write daily until the full trip is documented!