London

Nick and I spent a total of four days in London during our European vacation. We arrived at our gorgeous hotel, the Mayfair, late Thursday night, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

Then we had a late dinner downstairs in the lounge and that did us in – we were ready for sleep by the time we were finished! I had sweet dreams of the chicken curry and Peroni I inhaled.

By the next morning, we were on London time. We set out to get lunch and walk around Piccadilly Circus and SoHo (yes, London has one too) and took in the sights.

We were rained on four or five separate times, and during a particularly heavy rainfall, we took shelter in a tea shop.

Scones with cream and jam and assorted pastries – highly recommended!

Someone told us Michael Caine owned a restaurant just a few blocks from our hotel so naturally, we had to investigate, just incase he was hanging out there.

(He wasn’t, but his artwork was.)

Saturday, we met Nick’s friend Stella who works for Roadrunner Records for brunch. I told her I wanted to go somewhere very British and she took us to a pub she frequented for some real English fare.

We all got the vegetarian version of an English breakfast and Stella and I made sure to drink a pint with ours. When in Rome!

Of course after drinking a pint, I couldn’t walk around Islington for long without having to take a pee break. We found ourselves at a quaint spot called The Winchester. (Note: Stella tells me this may very well have been the place Edgar Wright named the pub after in Shaun of the Dead!)

This is what the backs of the chairs look like at the Winchester!

We took a bus back to our hotel from Islington instead of the tube, mostly because I wanted to ride a double decker bus, but also for the opportunity for an above ground tour of the city.

It amazed me how many people were on the street in Piccadilly Circus. It felt just like I was walking down Broadway in Noho/Soho in New York.

Although I found it strangely difficult to find a restaurant with a good beer selection, I did find that Stella Artois tastes better in London, especially when paired with fish & chips.

Next up – Paris!