Dad and RJs visit

Over Christmas dad and RJ visited. Had a wonderful time doing all sorts of things. Covent Garden, Hampton Court Palace, Westminster Abbey for a Christmas concert. We went to Stonehenge and Bath. Took in some culture at the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert. Shopping at Harrods and Fortnum and Mason. And Christmas itself was amazing to have family around and all the fantastic eats that Mo made.

Well Dad and RJ were away in Dublin over New Year's, RJ had a medical problem that prevented her from flying. This meant no flying home to Boston, at least for a while. I'm sure it was stressful for them but for us it just meant an extra couple of weeks for visiting.

1- Christmas mimosas
2- on our way into Westminster concert
3- some creepy Druid outside our bus at Stonehenge on the winter solstice
4- The greatest henge
5- nerds outside the British Museum

Muggle Quiddich

Only in London can we stumble across a full on competitive muggle quiddich match while out walking Albert.

Christmas markets in Paris

Before the holidays, we decided to take a weekend trip to Paris to check out all the Christmas markets. After work we hoped the EuroStar from St. Pancras took just two hours to get to Gare du Nord.

We stayed right next to the Sacre Coeur Cathedral, where they had one Christmas market in the morning. The next day we checked out onse at Notre Dame, St. Germain and on the Champs. I like the one at the Eiffel Tower the best.

We walked around Montmartre at night with and looking for French street food.

Left early Monday morning two hours back straight to work. Measy squeezy

Inchcailloch Island, Loch Lomond

So, we were going on a little hike in Loch Lomond, which you'll know is Scotland's big national park. We took this tiny little ferry boat out to an ancient island. Beautiful day, but the fog was rolling in so we were pretty much the only ones on there. It's a bit creepy, and foggy and dark, but we hike the whole thing, couple hours.
We hike up to where a nunnery stood from 734AD, not much left but the foundation of the church covered in moss. The cemetery there is still sort of in use though, the last burial being in1947. or so we read on a information board nearby that told us that Scottish burials are no sober affair. It has been said that one one occasion that the attendants were so drunk from whisky, that they nearly for got to bury the body....
So, we're checking out all the ancient headstones, and mo spots, of all things, a geocache stuck in the foundation wall. Awesome!
As we are digging it out, my knees fell out from under me when I looked over the other side of the foundation wall.

Mmmm

Tell me that's not the best looking HAGGIS BURRITO you've ever seen. Tasty business.

Guy Fox

Remember, remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason, why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, guy, t'was his intent 
To blow up king and parliament. 
Three score barrels were laid below 
To prove old England's overthrow. 

By God's mercy he was catch'd 
With a darkened lantern and burning match. 
So, holler boys, holler boys, Let the bells ring. 
Holler boys, holler boys, God save the king.

 - jgt

Shave?

So, I find myself on Fleet Street. Wonder if I can find a barber?

Guy Fawkes Night

Went out to our friends Steve and Dawns whose house backs up to a park where they set off fireworks in honor of Guy Fawkes night. Possibly the best fireworks display I've seen.

They have been setting off fireworks every night for the past few days. Albert no likey at all.

Harsh and Co

Had good times hanging with our Friends Harsh, Prusty and Divya this week.

Natural History Museum

Went over to the Natural History Museum last weekend
It was outstanding. Again, free. Great exhibits, as long as you can get past all the kids. C'mon, get out my way. Science isn't for kids. Go do your homework. I digress. Even more impressive than the exhibits is the building itself, the Waterhouse Building 1881.

Charles Darwin
Mo with the first dinosaur
Jon on an escalator to the space exhibit
The great hall

Hipster food blogging

I know, it's very hipster to take pictures of food that you've ordered and blog about it. And as we also know, I'm anything but hipster. But, here's the thing. It's Funded Friday, so I'm pretty excited about eating out.

Paycheck come once a month here, last Friday of the month. So, with our new found wealth we painted the town. #1 Full English breakfast, complete with Black Pudding and beans. #2 Octoberfest Sausage and Cider fest at the pub with a sausage sampler and over a dozen kinds of mustard from around the world. Stu woulda loved it.

Jack the Ripper Walking Tour

So, come to find out, my office is only blocks away from where Jack the Ripper did his dirty work.

So today we did the touristy Jack the Ripper Walking Tour on his 125th anniversary.

A lot of the spots were destroyed in the Blitz, but here are a few that remained in tact.

A back alley where he was spotted.
A park where one victim was found.
And a convent where Mary Kelly spent her last night before meeting Mr. The Ripper.

St Albans

Well, we had grand plans today. We signed up for Zipcar so we could take short trips and explore in and outside London. We drove out to the ancient Roman city of St Albans, just north west of the city. Because of traffic we got there much later than we wanted. Just enough time to snap a pic of the 15th century clock tower and the cathedral that stands where the martyr St Albans was beheaded in 324AD.

Hyde park

Got our bicycles up and running, so we took them for a lovely day out riding in the city. Rode over to Hyde Park to picnic in the sun.

Notting Hill Carnival

Morgan, Fiona and I went to Carnival in Notting Hill last weekend.  Wow.  Over a million people turned out, it was crazy!

Check out some of the pics from the parade

Just can not seem to rotate this video properly, but you get the picture.

Borough Market with Fiona

A couple of days ago, Morgans cousin Fiona moved to London, to go to school just down the road here in Islington. She's staying with us while looking for a flat in the neighborhood. This weekend we all went down to Borough Market. A huge, crowded open air market of butchers, bakers, and cheesemongers.

Fairoaks Airport

Had a lovely day out last weekend with a Steve and his partner Dawn. Steve is a pilot with the same club Mo and I belong to in CA, but lives here now. He took us around the Fairoaks Airport, let us check out one of his Pipers, and explained all the differences between flying in the US and UK. Really nice day that ended with a BBQ at the pub nearby.

A little racist walk

I had my nationality cursed 4 times by one drunk on the street one night.

Now bear with me, you'll have to do all of the accents yourself.

I'm walking Albert and a guy comes staggering up. Albert is in mid stream so I can't just walk away. He says in what I think is some vaguely european accent, "May I kiss your dog?"

me - "Excuse me?"

drunk - "May I kiss your dog. First I should say, I have had much alcohol. May I kiss your dog."

me - "Um, no, he's not really that friendly to strangers. So, I don't think it's a good idea."

drunk - "No, you don't understand. I want to kiss your dog. My only son has a dog, and I love him so much that that dog is my grandson. Do you understand??"

me - "I get it. But, I don't think its a good idea."

drunk - "I must kiss your dog." (getting agitated now) "Do you know, I will kill the man for the dog. If you beat that dog, I will kill the man that beats that dog."
drunk - "You are not English are you? I am Mongolian. Where are you from? Australia?"
drunk - "Funking Australians. Think you can come in here..."

me - "I'm not Australian."

drunk - "Fucking South Africans."
drunk - "No, not South African. You're French. Fucking French come in here and plant flowers and call the place France. Fuck France."

me - "Not French either. I'm Canadian."

drunk - "Fucking French Canadian. Fuck you."
drunk - "Still I must kiss your dog."


IT WAS AWESOME. I HAD MY AUSTRALIAN, SOUTH AFRICAN, FRENCH AND CANADIAN HERITAGE CURSED IN ONE MINUTE.

Last bit of touristing

Last bit of touristing before starting work Monday. 

Walking across the Tower Bridge and London Bridge. 

A little paella near the Southwark Cathedral, a place of worship since 606AD.

And hung at one of the great open air markets they have here where they
 sell everything under the sun.  Mmm, that's great cow foot. 

 - jgt

Hampton Court Palace

Went to Hampton Court Palace last weekend. Amazing stuff. It's all about Henry VIII. We were there, again, for three hours and still only saw half the grounds. There are gardens that go for days that we only caught a glimpse of. Including what is claimed to be the oldest grape vine, planted in the mid 1700's and still growing strong.

View of the front on the palace.

The royal wine cellar, the great hall, King Henry and the great vine.