london 2014

Soooo, some bits about our trip across the pond.  Spent 3 days in London, another 3 in Paris, and the better part of a week visiting with family in Ipswich, NE of London.

London was as bustling as you imagined Trafalgar and Picadilly to be.  The tourist central area proved easy to navigate if you stuck to those ubiquitous black cabs.  We hit a ton of sights, each excursion broken up with a quick stop for a pint.  

As you may have heard, there is a friendly pub on virtually every block, sometimes three within sight at any given moment.  Some were updated, complete with faux historical ambiance.  Others were literally hundreds of  years old, retaining their authenticity (modern) plumbing notwithstanding.  New or old, every single one was unique, and a total gem to visit.  The lambshank pie paired with a cask ale du jour was my favorite way to end a busy day touroning it around.

Notable sights included the London Eye, river tripping on the Thames, Parliament & Big Ben, Tower of London, Westminster & St Paul's cathedrals, Shakespeare's Globe Theater recreation, high tea at the National Gallery, Picadilly & Trafalgar squares, and of course changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace and the Mall.  In between, like 20 different cask ales, yum!