London

London (Oct 15-17)

So we started our honeymoon in London.  We stayed at the Shaftesbury Hyde Park International Hotel.  It was very clean and nice and close to two different tube stations, so we were able to get around quite easily.

Andy was good enough to ensure a plentiful supply of Easy Cheese for the trip (thanks for that, Andy).

We got into town around noon and dropped off our bags at the hotel. We were both hungry and a little tired, since it was hard to sleep on our flights, so we did what all responsible people do in the early afternoon and went to the pub for a drink.  We ended up at the Mall Tavern (west of Hyde Park) which had excellent food (and, surprisingly enough, beer).

We got a pork pie and a liver pate for lunch.  Katie thought the pate was good enough to eat with a spoon.  Katie also drank a beer (Stiff Upper Lip, which she tells me was quite good).  Then we walked east toward downtown.  And we kept walking.  Eventually, we came to the Marble Arch on the north side of the park, where some pleasant stranger was willing to take a picture of the two of us.

Near the arch, Katie had a life-altering experience as she had to wade through a sea of hostile pigeons!  Every single one of them eyed her with suspicion while cooing softly, obviously coordinating its impending attack with the other pigeons.  Katie advanced confidently…

OK, maybe not so much confidently, but she progressed nonetheless.

The pigeons attempted to flank!

But they were no match for her superior cunning and arms!

Eventually, we came to a gas station.  Did you know that our British friends across the pond pay only $1.39/gallon for gas?!?!  At those prices, I’m surprised there aren’t more SUVs here…

Then we walked for another 87 hours and ended up on the Embankment by the River Thames.  There were a couple of things that the guidebooks said we were supposed to take pictures of, so we obliged.

Big Ben and Parliament!

Then we were hungry (from walking for 87 hours in a single afternoon) so we stopped off at a pub (shocking, I know) for dinner.  Katie drank a lot.

This place was called Clehan’s Pub.  We ate shepherd’s pie and fish and chips (because we’re walking stereotypes).  Regardless, it was delicious.

The next day we went to the British Museum!  Fun for all!

At the British Museum, we saw the statues from the pediment of the Parthenon (in Greece, not the Pantheon in Rome).  I’m told that the museum is still working on completing the set, but someone keeps outbidding them whenever Poseidon comes up at auction.  Oh yeah, and the Greeks are apparently kind of pissed that these are in the UK and not, well, Greece.

We also saw Papa Moai!

Though he was far less talkative than I expected.

Eventually we wandered by Westminster Abbey with an eye to go in, but the prices were far higher than we wanted to pay, so we just loitered on their lawn for awhile.  That’ll show ‘em!

After a quick bite to eat at what Katie and I have decided is the English pub version of Applebee’s, we found ourselves at a rather large abode.

Their doormen sure do dress funny!

There was also a great statue of Katie and me out front.  It’s like they knew we were coming!

Finally we headed over to the one thing we had come all this way to see in the first place, the Royal Society!  Unfortunately they didn’t have a lecture or tour until the day we were leaving, so we had to take a picture outside of what is, essentially, an office.  I’m sure it was one of at least 3 pictures that will be taken outside of that door this year.

Afterwards we took the tube to the south side of the river (the seedy side where all the vice is.  Gambling, prostitution, plays…) to see the Globe Theater!  Unfortunately, it had burned to the ground a few hundred years ago, so we couldn’t see it.  Katie thought it was hilarious.

But the second Globe Theater… !  Also burned to the ground a few hundred years ago.  So this isn’t really the Globe, but it is, but it’s the third Globe, but also possibly the second or fourth, depending on how you count it.  It’s kind of confusing.  But this is what it looked like!  We think.  Based on a second-hand account and a sketch from someone who had seen it once.

We had an excellent tour guide who informed us that in Shakespeare’s day, I would have paid a penny to watch a show from here.

Also, there would have been roughly 2,000 people in front of the stage and no way to really leave during a 3 hour performance, so I also would have probably peed right there.  I would have smelled great.

Finally, we headed up to Brick Lane for some Indian food, which we didn’t get.  We did, however, try Bangladeshi food.  It was delicious but very boney.  I’m guessing our “bone-in” fish entrée had about 74 bones in it, each just small enough to swallow without noticing and just large enough to do some a good amount of damage.  Hooray!

Katie still thought it was good, though.

Afterward we went to the Jerusalem Tavern, which is a bar that basically exists to serve St. Peter’s beer (they’re owned by the brewery). (http://www.stpetersbrewery.co.uk/)  When I say they exist solely to server this beer, I mean that a guy next to me at the bar ordered a pour of the only whiskey they stock and the bartender didn't know how much it cost.  She had to call the owner.  If you like beer and are ever in London, I cannot recommend this place highly enough.  The quality of the beer is excellent, the handful of snacks they serve are great, the atmosphere is superb.  Here’s a shot of the bar from our table.

The important thing is, for the first time on this trip, Katie let Aaron have a beer.  Hooray beer!

And Katie had one, too.

 Also, we had Sausage and Mustard-flavored chips.  That’s a real thing.  And they’re actually pretty good.

Anyway, that’s pretty much all of London.  There is nothing else in London that is of import.  Also, there were no aliens and Dr. Who didn’t show up, so kind of a disappointment there.  But apparently you can buy a sonic screwdriver TV remote, so there’s that.  Also, I think we've done a pretty good job of blending in with the locals, as so far everyone has assumed we speak English.

Finally, a joke for Andy and Ashley.

Next stop, Munich!