The Tube wasn't running at our station, so a replacement bus was necessary.

March 24, 2012 – Saturday morning we headed downstairs to breakfast.  While they don’t cook to order, all the full breakfast staples were present (and fresh, since the dishes were frequently refilled).  Toast and tea were also served fresh, and there were several pitchers of juice.  Breakfast was still quite good (and the sausages were great, as usual) and we were quite ready for the few blocks walk to the train station.  They were doing rail service this weekend so we got a replacement bus to a station a few stops down the line, and then were able to take a train into the city.

Our first stop of the day was St. Paul's Cathedral.

We got the three day London Pass, so we had a good idea of what we wanted to see.  First on today’s list was St. Paul’s Cathedral.  We knew both St. Paul’s and Westminster Abbey were closed Sunday (the last day our pass was valid), so we were going to both today (note: photography is now allowed inside either building).  St. Paul’s dome might seem familiar to those who have seen the US Capitol building – both were designed by Sir Christopher Wren.

The column work at the cathedral is amazing.

We got to St. Paul’s before 10am, and had virtually no wait to get inside.  All the upper galleries except the whispering gallery were closed for renovations, though the whispering gallery was quiet enough that we could hear people testing it’s name (it really works).  Words can’t really do the inside of St. Paul’s justice.  It’s large and surprisingly bright and airy, particularly considering how large the stone support pillars are.  Hundreds of shiny tiles, many painted with gold leaf, create mosaics on the curved ceilings.  Statues are scattered around the building.  A visitor could sit for hours and just soak up the atmosphere.  (We were on a time budget so didn’t take that opportunity.)

Be sure to check out the statues around the cathedral during your visit.

St. Paul’s was also a rallying point during the Blitz, particularly after it survived a night of heavy bombing on the 114th night (Dec. 29, 1940).  A very determined photographer captured the “St. Paul’s Survives” photo that night, adding to the cathedrals place in history.  St. Paul’s also contains an American memorial chapel, located behind the main altar.  The roll of honor includes over 28,000 Americans who died defending the United Kingdom during WWII.  (And yes, it is striking and moving sthat there is a roll of honor for U.S. troops in the middle of one of the iconic houses of worship in the UK.)

Big Ben is actually the bell housed at the Palace of Westminster's clock tower.

Next up was Westminster Abbey.  Along the way we passed Westminster Palace and the clock tower, home of the bell known as Big Ben.  This area of the city always seems to be very crowded, and is also a known pick-pocket/con artist area.  Beware of overly-aggressive people trying to sell plastic flowers.  By overly-aggressive, I mean the ones who tuck the flowers into your husband’s camera strap while your using the other camera to take pictures.  Bad move, flower lady, bad move.

Westminster Abbey was quite crowded.

We got to the abbey around 11am, and there was quite a line – we heard some people saying the line usually goes down around noon, so that might be something to keep in mind if you’re on a tight time budget.  Overall the wait was less than 30 minutes to get inside.  We opted to explore on our own, rather than listen to the audio guide.  The self-guided tour is set up so there’s a one-way path through the abbey. Westminster Abbey has a completely different feel from St. Paul’s Cathedral.  A little more formal, more solemn, weightier.  Perhaps this comes from the dark wood and beautiful stained glass, ornamental everything – from the floors to the chairs to the ceiling, or hundreds of years of history – Westminster Abbey is where monarchs are crowned, and where they lay in state.

We walked past the Eye on the way to Waterloo Station.

About halfway through the tour we took a side detour to the crypt, where they have a small cafeteria.  We got a big bowl of potato and leek soup, some crisps (chips for us Americans), a big piece of chocolate cake with ganache, and a large tea.  The meal was enjoyed while sitting on one of the stone benches lining the arches looking out into the center courtyard.

Hampton Court was too big to fit into the frame... even from across the river.

After the abbey we walked to the London Waterloo station and got a series of trains to Henry VIII’s palace, Hampton Court.  The train station is about a quarter mile from the palace.  Of course we got distracted by the river (canal?) and the ducks swimming around.  The distraction didn’t last long because Hampton Court is huge.  Not tall, but massive nonetheless, particularly once you get into the courtyard.  Speaking of massive, make sure you save time for the garden.  Elizabeth I grew up here, Henry VIII lived here, and  was executed here.  Needless to say, the palace has seen some history.

The gardens at Hampton Court are as impressive as the palace.

And all that history requires fortification.  Tea and a chocolate chip cookie, enjoyed in the dining room, fit the bill.  That fortified us for exploring the rest of the castle – which seems even bigger inside than it does outside.  From the wine cellar – lit with candles – to the beautiful chapel, to the seemingly-endless royal apartments, the castle is massive.  We were taking our time, meandering through the castle, when we looked outside and realized the royal apartments (our current location) kept going… and going… and going.  So we sped up since we still wanted to explore the gardens.  The gardens behind the palace are beautiful open expanses of lawn with paths, fountains, and funny little manicured trees.  A canal runs through the gardens; a few birds were happily swimming around.  And a few grey herons (they look almost identical to great blue herons) were causing a raucous in one of the tall pine trees.  If the gardens at the back of the palace are wide open, the side gardens are small, finely landscaped and full of color.

Watch the battle for the gardens... THIS SUNDAY ONLY!

Dinner was fish and chips (and salad for Louisa), and a couple decent but unremarkable pints, at Hole in the Wall.  Hole in the Wall is literally a hole in the wall, er, bridge, as it’s built underneath a train bridge.  It does fill up, particularly when football’s on, but if you get there before the game you shouldn’t have a problem finding a seat.  The fish and chips are fantastic, and the beer is decent but not necessarily as good as drafts we’ve had elsewhere.

Modern art or staircase? You decide.

Next up was a stroll through London.  We found a fun little group of about two dozen food vendors.  Free samples were plentiful, and we enjoyed trying some well-aged Parmesan cheese.  Many of the people were selling dinner options, but we really wanted dessert and settled on a fabulous caramel apple cheesecake.  The treat was enjoyed overlooking the Thames, underneath trees lit with tanzanite lights.

Night strolls along the Thames are a requirement when visiting London.

Up next was the Tate Modern; tonight was it’s night to be open late. Along the way we found some older ruins, and a few nice views of the sunset.  The museum looks like a converted warehouse, perfect setting for a modern art museum.  Admittedly, I don’t “get” most modern art, I find it thoroughly miserable and nihilistic.  There was one piece that looked like a blue tortilla chip, that was Tony’s favorite.  Louisa was pleasantly surprised to find Monet’s Sea-Roses (part of his Water Lillies series) in the collection; the work is very large (maybe 6′x10′).  The work is incredibly peaceful and soothing, a stark contrast to many of the works we saw.

We ended our night walk at St. Paul's Cathedral.

The Millenium Bridge is right next to the museum, so of course we had to walk across it on our way over to the Tower Bridge.  Our aim for the evening’s stroll was to get some night photos of the city.  We didn’t have a tripod but did a decent job of using the bridges as a substitute.  Although we originally wanted to walk back up the Thames, it was getting chilly and we made do with a quick stroll around the Tower of London, pausing to admire the ruins near the outer wall, and on to the Tube.

The lit dome of St. Paul's Cathedral is visible from many spots along the Thames.

We stayed downtown until about 8:30 and then made our way back to the train station, and back to the B&B.  Of course, we couldn’t resist the Thai & Co. restaurant at the end of the street, so we stopped in to get lamb Massaman curry and rice.  This was seriously good curry, and a perfect night time snack.

Both of the entree selections were good.  The combo platter included fried fish, fried shrimp, deviled clam, a small cup of clam chowder and fries.  All the food was well prepared and fresh.  The fried shrimp entree came with a plate full of (good, seasoned) fries, topped with a ton of very fresh shrimp.  The coleslaw was basic but crisp (that’s a good thing), and perfect with a little bit of salt and pepper.

Overall, we’d go back if we wanted fried seafood.

Anyway, we made it to NC, got some rest, and were on the road again.  Highlights included driving through the pretty southern VA countryside and snagging lunch at McDonald’s in Thornburg, VA; passing by DC and spotting the Washington Monument, Capitol dome, and Jefferson Memorial; not getting hit by Maryland drivers (unlike the two multi-car wrecks we saw); getting stuck in traffic for 3 hours in the Baltimore Washington Parkway; enjoying the openness of the NJ turnpike; Popeye’s chicken (go with the fries, skip the mac ‘n cheese) on the turnpike; seeing the NYC skyline; driving through Queens at 9pm on a Friday night; going through Delaware and Connecticut; and finally reaching our hotel in MA.

Now to unpack, do a bit of exploring, and wait for the movers!

Tony was feeling like some drinks, and they did provide an interesting martini menu.  Louisa opted for a plain raspberry, while Tony’s first choice (a root beer martini) was out of stock; instead he went for the old standby, the lemon drop.  The lemon drop was quite good (though would have been better with a sugared rim, just my preference) but the raspberry was quite strong (and not in a good way).

We started with the Buffalo shrimp tacos and the shrimp bisque.  The tacos, a special for that evening, were fantastic – fresh shrimp, still-crunchy slaw, blue cheese, and the house Buffalo sauce was authentic.  This might have been the best dish of the night.  The shrimp bisque was thick, spicy… and creamy.  Very creamy… as in, all the shrimp had been blended.  The flavor was good, though.

For entrees we went with the appetizer lobster mac ‘n cheese and the black pepper and lime sea scallops.  The mac ‘n cheese was quite good, and the portion is generous.  The pasta was thicker, small half circles (quite good) and the cheese sauce was smoky;  lobster was a bit chewy, but that will happen.  Overall we really liked this dish.  Scallops were large and cooked perfectly, though we were split on what we thought of the chorizo and sweet pea risotto.  Tony, not a fan of smoked sausage, did not like the chorizo; there were also quite a few peas.  Louisa loved the chorizo, but questioned the inclusion of cheese (cheddar?) in the risotto; it was tasty, but might have been better paired with a Southern fried chicken dish than the scallops.

Overall we would go back, but maybe try some different things on the menu.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology currently has four bird cams – barn owl, great blue herons, red-tailed hawks and the great horned owl.  The hawk and heron cams seem to be particularly active, since the parents repeatedly bring food back to the nests for the hungry baby birds.

Xcel Energy also has quite a few bird cams – we particularly enjoyed the bald eagles.  One caught a few fish while we were watching, and another of the babies keeps practicing “flying”, really just hopping while trying to flap its wings in the nest.

You can take the pedestrian bridge by the railroad tracks to get back to York's train station.

March 23, 2012 – The B&B in York was great; unfortunately the walls are very thin and our neighbors were talking the majority of the night.  Once again we were the first ones down to breakfast, and happily began munching on home-made bread (one of our hosts makes multiple loaves every morning; when Louisa mentioned how good the bread was we were given a little to-go bag with several slices for eating on the train).  We each went with the hot breakfast, and enjoyed the eggs, sausages, bacon (for Tony) and mushrooms.  With a pot of Yorkshire tea, of course.

There is always time for tea.

We caught a train around 10:30 and were on our way to London!  Timing was perfect, since we were able to get tea and bacon sandwiches on the train.  Apparently people really like the bacon sandwiches; we even had people walking by to get off the train, notice the sandwich and comment to their traveling companion “Look at that bacon sandwich!”

After much walking, we made it to the Tube.

The small station we got off at was only about a mile from our B&B.  As we were walking up the hill Tony nonchalantly commented “I may have missed a 0.8… it’s actually 1.8, not 1.0, until the B&B.”  Good thing we had those bacon sandwiches!

The Tower of London was our first stop once we arrived in the city.

Needless to say, the B&B in North London was a welcome sight.   While the other places we stayed at were individual homes or individual row houses, this B&B was a combination of several row houses.  Interior walls had been removed to allow for corridors, though this did create something of a maze-like effect.  Our room was on the top floor, and had two skylights rather than regular windows.  We actually liked this since we could leave those open, allowing the smells from a nearby Thai restaurant to filter into the room.

You can't take photos of the crown jewels, but just about everything else in the tower is fair game.

As usual, we dropped off our gear and then headed to a (different and much closer) tube station.  Since this was the whirlwind portion of our whirlwind trip, we had a few things to see this afternoon.  We reached the city around 2:45ish, and made our way over to the Tower of London.  Perhaps because of the name, but we were expecting the tower to be, well, a tower.  Instead it’s a walled fortress built over older Roman ruins.  The central tower, called the White Tower, houses England’s crown jewels.  The Tower of London could easily be an all-morning stop, but we had other things to see and daylight was in short supply, so we limited our tour to seeing the crown jewels and taking a quick walk around the interior courtyard, pausing to admire a decorated cannon, before heading over to Tower Bridge.

Next stop: Tower Bridge

Pedestrian traffic was fairly heavy, but we made it up to the bridge.  Walked halfway across it, and realized the entrance we needed was on the other side.  So we continued on, crossed the road, and then backtracked.  At least we got “walk across Tower Bridge” crossed off our to-do list. 

Be sure to admire the view from the elevated walkways at the Tower Bridge.

After getting or tickets we headed up in the elevator to the first pedestrian bridge.  There are a total of two pedestrian bridges, each with a fantastic view down the Thames.  We also enjoyed the pictorial exhibits on famous bridges throughout the world, as well as, that were displayed inside the pedestrian walkways.  The tour ended in the engine room, where we could see the coal-driven engines which used to raise the tower bridge.  (The lift mechanism has since been modernized).  Once you exit the engine room, make sure to walk over to City Hall and look for the ice cream vendors; the vanilla tastes liked whipped (and iced) cream.

There are walkways along the Thames throughout London.

By this time we were feeling ready for some dinner.  So were the many people who had just gotten out from work, so things were a little bit crowded.  As in, people were drinking their beer while waiting in a queue for a table.  We found ourselves by Trafalgar Square, a great spot for people watching, not such a great spot to get dinner without a reservation.  Until Tony noticed the sign for Saint Martin’s-in-the-Fields.  More specifically, the restaurant in the crypt.  This restaurant is a gem.  The food is excellent (we each got the fish and chips, while Louisa also had the mushy peas), there is plenty of seating and the atmosphere is pretty neat.  They also offer adult beverages, several entrees, and large pitchers of ice water.  (Plus the bathrooms are large and clean – and free.)

We had a great dinner at the crypt.

After dinner we walked across the square to the National Gallery.  There were a few street performers outside doing some pretty funky break dancing, and the square was beautifully lit up on the warm night.  The National Gallery was open late tonight (until 9) so we had a few hours to wander around and look at the beautiful masterpieces.  Some of our favorites were the da Vinci, almost any landscape, and one of Jesus and the high priest by G van Honthorst (Louisa was intrigued by the light and realism).  The museum itself is quite beautiful, with lovely mosaics along the entry hallway and high-ceilings in the exhibit halls.

Reviews:

Expect to see many cobblestone streets in Edinburgh.

March 22, 2012 - Our original plans were to get up, get breakfast, and head to York.  Well, two out of three isn’t bad.   We got our gear packed and headed upstairs for breakfast.  Although the breakfast room quickly filled up we were the first ones there and helped ourselves to fresh fruit and bread.  Tony selected the hot cooked breakfast, while Louisa went with the “Mama bear” serving of porridge. The cooked breakfast was great, and the porridge was alright (though given the chance she’d order something different).  Regardless we were ready to get out and about.  The weather was perfect – sunny, slightly breezy and not a cloud in the sky.

Admiring the view from Arthur's Seat is a great way to start the day.

We stashed our gear at the B&B and headed out on foot towards Arthur’s Seat (the weather was too nice to pass up a morning hike!).  We wandered through town and eventually came to the park.  Even though the paths aren’t marked, it’s rather difficult to miss the large hill, and there’s a nice map to check before you begin your hike.  The walking is easy, and the views from the top (particularly on a clear, only slightly hazy, day) are wonderful.

We weren't the only ones checking out the view.

On the way back we passed a small ruined church, and cut across the park by Holyroodhouse and walked back to the B&B.  By this point we were tired of walking up the hill to the train station so we counted our coins and hopped on the bus.  This was a much simpler way to get to the train station, even if the on-going construction made finding the entrance a trifle challenging.  We got a large steak/potato/onion Cornish pasty to split (not a problem, since it was about the size of a pie plate) and waited for the train.

You won't have any trouble getting past the town walls today.

The trip to York was a pleasant several hour ride through the countryside, where the rugged terrain flatten into rolling hills and the grass became a brighter shade of green.  York was just as sunny as Edinburgh, and much flatter.  The walk to the B&B went fairly quickly, even though we paused along the way to snap a few pictures of the stone buildings.  After getting our room key and dropping off our bags we headed out to the York Minster.  Fortunately we were able to get in on the last tour to the tower, which gave us some great (if slightly hazy) views of the town and old town walls, surrounding countryside, and the expansive moors.

The tower climb at the York Minster provides great views of the structure and surrounding areas.

The inside of the church is beautiful, and we were fortunate that the light cooperated for some cool photos.  The church has beautiful stained glass windows; some are quite old, and others had to be replaced after WWII.  They also have a roll of honour, displayed and preserved in a glass case.  So different from how we do things over here.  There’s also a large statue of Constantine outside in the courtyard, near the spot where he was proclaimed Roman Emperor in 306.

Tip: If you don't have a tripod, a camera with good ISO sensitivity and VR will let you capture photos in low light situations.

Rustique was our choice for dinner.  We didn’t have reservations, but they did have a table available – as long as we were out in an hour.  The food looked excellent, so we were willing to do a quick dinner in order to sample the menu.  Each of us decided to order the three course prix fixe menu.  We started with the Basque egg and the crab cake.  The egg was placed over chorizo, potatoes and peas.  The crab cake was good, and the egg dish was an interesting, spicy combination.  Dinner selections were gratin de poissons (fish pie) and bouf bourguignon.  Tony loved the beef, while Louisa actually preferred the fish stew at World’s End Pub (it was thicker than the Rustique version).  For dessert Tony went with the banana crepe, while Louisa couldn’t resist the cheesecake.  Both desserts were excellent.

Sunset is an ideal time to visit for great lighting inside the York Minster.

Reviews:

As for the mac n cheese, it’s cheesy and buttery and topped with a nice layer of more cheese… and we were immediately split on what we thought.  One of us loved it from the get go, the other wasn’t sure (but kept eating it anyway – and by the end of the dish was a fan).  It’s got a bit of a tangy taste to it, different but good.  If you’re not sure if you like it, just keep eating, it will win you over.

We highly recommend the food truck, and if the food truck is this good we imagine the brick and mortar store would be good too!