Well hello again and Happy New Year to all! Can you believe it's 2015? Why, it seems that just yesterday we were all stocking our pantries with jugs of water and Costco-sized jars of peanut butter in preparation for Y2K! How quickly the last 15 years have passed.
As for Christmas, Daniel and I opted for a more traditional celebration this year. Not that we haven't loved eating soba noodles and hearing Japanese shamisen music drifting through supermarkets during Christmastime the past two years, but y'know, we were just longing for some familiar yuletide things--like eggnog and ice skating. So we packed our bags and headed to the most Christmasy place we could dream of: that's right, London!
It was the first time in Europe for both of us, and I must say, she left a good impression. We were there for six days, the first three of which were Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day respectively, so most businesses and touristy places were closed. We took it easy those days and enjoyed the scenery and some tasty food. During the second half of our trip, however, we were able to squeeze in a lot of sightseeing, so it was ideal. Here's some of the highlights of our trip!
Day 1: Christmas Eve. Woke up around 4AM thanks to jet lag. Enjoyed a continental breakfast at our hotel, which entailed an assortment of cheeses, croissants, fresh fruit, yogurt, and tiny jars of jam! Walked through central London's Hyde Park (there are a TON of geese and pigeons, guys) and made our way to Winter Wonderland, an outdoor amusement park with vendors, rides, ice skating, and lots of festivities. Sort of felt like walking through Hogwarts at Christmastime. Ate some fresh donuts and sipped mulled wine. Daniel couldn't resist the bumper cars. After that, headed to the Hansom Cab pub for our Chirstmas Eve dinner: roast turkey and vegetables for Daniel and a venison pie for me. We even got to open Christmas crackers! We went back to our hotel in Nevern Square wiped out and ready for bed around 7:30.
Day 2: Christmas Day. Off to Trafalgar Square after breakfast. Public transportation and most businesses closed, but a surprising number of tourists out and about. We happened to meander into St. Martin's in the Fields church just as their 10:30 Christmas morning service was beginning. After a Christmas eucharist, we went back to the Square where we munched on some mulled wine bread (that's right--bread and wine AND wine-flavored bread) and shared a table with the sweetest little British family you ever did see. At 2PM, our "Charles Dickens Walking Tour" began. Led by our zealous guide Mary, we explored some of London's lesser-known back streets for about two hours with a group of probably 50 people or so. It was fascinating! Mary read excerpts from Dickens' writing that pertained to each particular venue on the tour. It was wonderful to enter his world for a few hours.
Day 3: Boxing Day. This was our shopping day...and everyone else's in the whole of London. SO MANY PEOPLE. We started at the world-famous Harrods department store, which as it turns out, is more like a museum of collector's items and gold-infused perfumes and spy gear and multi-thousand-dollar coffee table books. Daniel even found a hover craft for sale. Next we walked through Oxford Street and Piccadilly Circus hoping to find some London souvenirs, but the heavy crowds and high prices deterred us somewhat. We found lunch at the Blue Posts pub, then headed back to the hotel to freshen up for our theater night. Classic American BBQ dinner at the Big Easy, eggnog lattes at Starbucks, and then the Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theater. A spectacular show!
Day 4: Took a morning tour of British Parliament. An absolutely fascinating place.
Then across the street for a tour of Westminster Abbey. Wow. Extravagant architecture, statues, frescoes, dramatic ceilings, pillars, tombs...and these things date back to centuries before America even dreamed of becoming a country. I couldn't believe how OLD England is. There was so much fascinating history in the walls of that church (literally, because people are buried in them) that we couldn't finish looking at everything within the few hours we had allotted ourselves. (Regrettably, photography isn't allowed inside the church, so I don't have pictures to show you.)
My favorite part was stumbling across "Poet's Corner," where renowned writers like Chaucer, Byron, Browning, Hopkins, and several other English greats are buried. I had no idea.
After the Abbey, we made our way to the Strand Palace Hotel for an afternoon tea. It was a feast of desserts! Chocolate eclairs, cream puffs, fruit tarts, chocolate mousse, macarons, and scones with jam and clotted cream. Holy smokes.
With plenty of sugar pumping through our veins, we trotted on to the British Museum and stayed there until closing time at 5:30. The museum is huge, so once again, we found that we didn't have nearly enough time to see everything we wanted. Although perhaps the most famous artifact held there is the Rosetta Stone, my personal favorites were the ones from the ancient Near East. Just looking at everyday objects like earrings and pottery and knowing they date back to Nehemiah's day was mind-blowing. I remembered verses like these ones from the book of Isaiah: "When that day comes, I will take away from those women all the fine jewelry they wear on their ankles, heads, necks, ears, arms, noses, fingers, and on their clothes. I will remove their veils, their belts, their perfume, their magic charms, their royal robes, and all their fancy dresses, hats, and purses." I had often wondered what kind of "fine jewelry" the women wore in those days, or what "magic charms" would have looked like. Welp, there they were, right in front of me. Preserved after some 2500 years. Pretty cool.
We ended our day at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese (I know) where we dined on some British pub classics: fish & chips for Daniel, bangers & mash for me. Again, I was reminded of Harry Potter as we made our way through the seemingly never-ending staircases and cellars of this restaurant. Such a warm ambiance--nearly every table occupied, and ales disappearing faster than the bartender could serve them up. A really fun night.
Day 5: Breakfast at the Ace Cafe per Daniel's dad's request. It was a hearty English breakfast of fried eggs, toast, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, bacon, and sausage. None of that miso soup with rice nonsense that the Japanese are so fond of for breakfast! Quite a contrast.
After breakfast we caught a double-decker bus to our first destination. And in case you wondered, yes, they are just as fun as they look:
We hopped off at the Tower of London, where, after waiting in some pretty substantial lines, we took a tour with a "beefeater" and learned some of the Tower's fascinating (and bloody) history. We saw the infamous Tower ravens, which, as superstition has it, protect the crown jewels and in fact all of England. Supposedly these greedy birds are each fed 8 ounces of raw meat daily, as well as biscuits that have been soaked in blood. Now tell me that isn't creepy. You can read further raven-lore here at the most reliable source, Wikipedia of course.
After the tour we explored the grounds on our own a bit, but once again the heavy crowds were a little impeding (as was the cold), so we opted not to see the crown jewels.
On to the famous next-door neighbor of the Tower of London, the Tower Bridge. Here we could learn a little of the bridge's history and then, most importantly of all, walk across it! The most recent addition is a glass section in the bridge's floor, allowing pedestrians to look down at all the busy Londoners below. Take a look!
Next to the Tower Bridge is the London Bridge, so we headed there afterward for the "London Bridge Experience." It's kind of a theme park-type attraction where actors guide you through rooms that have been made to look historically accurate with the story they're telling. It was a little creepy (Londoners sure were liberal with their beheadings back in the day), but amusing nonetheless.
Next, a quick 311-step climb to the top of the Monument, built in the 17th century to commemorate the Great Fire of London. From here we had incredible views of the city:
The last attraction of the day was Shakespeare's Globe Theater, which we were lucky enough to reach just as the final tour was beginning. Again, I was really impressed by the history and architecture. A well-worth-it tour.
As we headed to get dinner, we crossed the Millennium Bridge, which provided us with the most breathtaking views of night-time London. St. Paul's Cathedral ahead, London Bridge to our right, and Shakespeare's Globe just behind us. Really beautiful.
Our last meal in London was at the Old Cock Tavern, another lively pub with an especially Christmasy and cheerful ambiance inside. We sipped our cider and ale and gave thanks for a wonderful holiday in Great Britain.
Next morning, we were off to Japan once again. Happy Christmas!
As for Christmas, Daniel and I opted for a more traditional celebration this year. Not that we haven't loved eating soba noodles and hearing Japanese shamisen music drifting through supermarkets during Christmastime the past two years, but y'know, we were just longing for some familiar yuletide things--like eggnog and ice skating. So we packed our bags and headed to the most Christmasy place we could dream of: that's right, London!
It was the first time in Europe for both of us, and I must say, she left a good impression. We were there for six days, the first three of which were Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day respectively, so most businesses and touristy places were closed. We took it easy those days and enjoyed the scenery and some tasty food. During the second half of our trip, however, we were able to squeeze in a lot of sightseeing, so it was ideal. Here's some of the highlights of our trip!
Day 1: Christmas Eve. Woke up around 4AM thanks to jet lag. Enjoyed a continental breakfast at our hotel, which entailed an assortment of cheeses, croissants, fresh fruit, yogurt, and tiny jars of jam! Walked through central London's Hyde Park (there are a TON of geese and pigeons, guys) and made our way to Winter Wonderland, an outdoor amusement park with vendors, rides, ice skating, and lots of festivities. Sort of felt like walking through Hogwarts at Christmastime. Ate some fresh donuts and sipped mulled wine. Daniel couldn't resist the bumper cars. After that, headed to the Hansom Cab pub for our Chirstmas Eve dinner: roast turkey and vegetables for Daniel and a venison pie for me. We even got to open Christmas crackers! We went back to our hotel in Nevern Square wiped out and ready for bed around 7:30.
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| Outside our hotel |
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| This is pretty much what all of residential London looked like. |
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| Happy Christmas! |
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| Walked by Buckingham Palace on the way |
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| Typical. |
Day 4: Took a morning tour of British Parliament. An absolutely fascinating place.
Then across the street for a tour of Westminster Abbey. Wow. Extravagant architecture, statues, frescoes, dramatic ceilings, pillars, tombs...and these things date back to centuries before America even dreamed of becoming a country. I couldn't believe how OLD England is. There was so much fascinating history in the walls of that church (literally, because people are buried in them) that we couldn't finish looking at everything within the few hours we had allotted ourselves. (Regrettably, photography isn't allowed inside the church, so I don't have pictures to show you.)
My favorite part was stumbling across "Poet's Corner," where renowned writers like Chaucer, Byron, Browning, Hopkins, and several other English greats are buried. I had no idea.
After the Abbey, we made our way to the Strand Palace Hotel for an afternoon tea. It was a feast of desserts! Chocolate eclairs, cream puffs, fruit tarts, chocolate mousse, macarons, and scones with jam and clotted cream. Holy smokes.
With plenty of sugar pumping through our veins, we trotted on to the British Museum and stayed there until closing time at 5:30. The museum is huge, so once again, we found that we didn't have nearly enough time to see everything we wanted. Although perhaps the most famous artifact held there is the Rosetta Stone, my personal favorites were the ones from the ancient Near East. Just looking at everyday objects like earrings and pottery and knowing they date back to Nehemiah's day was mind-blowing. I remembered verses like these ones from the book of Isaiah: "When that day comes, I will take away from those women all the fine jewelry they wear on their ankles, heads, necks, ears, arms, noses, fingers, and on their clothes. I will remove their veils, their belts, their perfume, their magic charms, their royal robes, and all their fancy dresses, hats, and purses." I had often wondered what kind of "fine jewelry" the women wore in those days, or what "magic charms" would have looked like. Welp, there they were, right in front of me. Preserved after some 2500 years. Pretty cool.
We ended our day at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese (I know) where we dined on some British pub classics: fish & chips for Daniel, bangers & mash for me. Again, I was reminded of Harry Potter as we made our way through the seemingly never-ending staircases and cellars of this restaurant. Such a warm ambiance--nearly every table occupied, and ales disappearing faster than the bartender could serve them up. A really fun night.
Day 5: Breakfast at the Ace Cafe per Daniel's dad's request. It was a hearty English breakfast of fried eggs, toast, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, bacon, and sausage. None of that miso soup with rice nonsense that the Japanese are so fond of for breakfast! Quite a contrast.
After breakfast we caught a double-decker bus to our first destination. And in case you wondered, yes, they are just as fun as they look:
 |
| His explorin' face. |
 |
| oHhHh heEeEeY. |
After the tour we explored the grounds on our own a bit, but once again the heavy crowds were a little impeding (as was the cold), so we opted not to see the crown jewels.
On to the famous next-door neighbor of the Tower of London, the Tower Bridge. Here we could learn a little of the bridge's history and then, most importantly of all, walk across it! The most recent addition is a glass section in the bridge's floor, allowing pedestrians to look down at all the busy Londoners below. Take a look!
Next, a quick 311-step climb to the top of the Monument, built in the 17th century to commemorate the Great Fire of London. From here we had incredible views of the city:
The last attraction of the day was Shakespeare's Globe Theater, which we were lucky enough to reach just as the final tour was beginning. Again, I was really impressed by the history and architecture. A well-worth-it tour.
As we headed to get dinner, we crossed the Millennium Bridge, which provided us with the most breathtaking views of night-time London. St. Paul's Cathedral ahead, London Bridge to our right, and Shakespeare's Globe just behind us. Really beautiful.
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| St. Paul's Cathedral |
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| London Bridge illuminated in blue with Tower Bridge in the background |
Our last meal in London was at the Old Cock Tavern, another lively pub with an especially Christmasy and cheerful ambiance inside. We sipped our cider and ale and gave thanks for a wonderful holiday in Great Britain.
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| There's my boy. |
Next morning, we were off to Japan once again. Happy Christmas!
