Welcome Back to London

Off to the UK. Jenn and I caught the red eye and got into Birmingham early (so early that we had to wait for security to arrive). We didn’t get much sleep, but the adrenaline (and some caffeine) helped get us going. I drove down to Stonehenge (wrong side of the rode and everything) and was doing well until I missed a turn. Garmin took us on a huge loop, through one-way country lanes and tank crossings. Stonehenge was beautiful, but I was disappointed that we couldn’t get up close due to security.

We were both getting sleepy, so it was off to our hotel in London. Garmin took us straight there (right by Buckingham Palace and Big Ben, but make sure that you pay the Congestion Charge). Our hotel was on the Thames (Tems?), so we grabbed some classic English fare nearby (ploughman’s lunch and fish and chips) and then grabbed a nap. We got up that evening, so we walked the river walk past the London Eye (think Ferris wheel for giants) and went to Doggett’s Pie House for dinner. I had the Steak and Timothy Landlord Ale pie with a commemorative ale, Morrissey Fox Pride of Pubs. Jenn and I have been working on our communication, so we found an English pub on the water to meet both of our needs.

It was getting dark, but that was fine with us since we were “sans children” and London is beautiful at night. We saw St. Paul’s Cathedral and then stepped into the Olde Cheshire Cheese. They didn’t have any cheese (or any food for that matter), but they have Samuel Smith on cask. I had their oak-aged Brewery Bitter, and Jenn tried the organic cider. The place was a classic English pub; quiet, friendly, historic, and serving great beer. We then walked back to the hotel, admiring the Temple, Big Ben, and Parliament in the process. We were both tired, but agreed that we had a great start to our adventure. - 5175

"A quart of ale is a dish for a king." - William Shakespeare