An American in London: Days 4, 5, 6, & 7

Well I haven't been updating my blog everyday, but that is because I've been too busy off having fun in London! We've been seeing most of the city: old and new things for me, and basically doing it all by walking, so hopefully we've been counteracting all the good food we've been eating with all the walking (and a couple runs).

Tate Modern.

On Thursday, 7/22, we took the day off from exercising, and after Jared headed off to work, I vegged around the hotel for the morning, catching up on emails, etc. (loving the free internet at the hotel! It's sooo fast compared to Dubai!). I wanted to check out the Tate Galleries (The Tate Modern and The Tate Britain), neither of which I had been to before, and which my friend Pauline had smartly advised that I could take a boat-ride between (how lovely!). So when I finally motivated, off I walked to the Tate Modern, which was just across the River from our hotel. Like all of the National Museums in England, the Tates are both free, which is nice because not only does it save money, but it makes you feel as though you can stay and enjoy for as long or as little as you'd like (versus paying for a museum, I sometimes feel like I have to stay and 'see it all' even when I've lost interest). So I wandered through for a couple hours, taking in the Picasso's, Jackson Pollack's, and even some Abstract Expressionism and a late Monet painting. I am not a huge modern art fan as some of it freaks me out, and some, frankly, looks like my little cousins could have painted it, although, it is good to change things up. I do just enjoy the breadth and variety of art and museums in London. In Rome, it's pretty much all Renaissance Art. In Dubai, fashion is the only 'art'. I loving being back in a place with so much culture, and culture of all varieties.

The nice thing about the location of the Tate Modern, is that it's located on the River, almost directly across the River from St. Paul's Cathedral (lovely views), and also basically right next door to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre (replica). More culture!

View Across the River from the Tate Modern to St. Paul's Cathedral (with the Millennium Pedestrian Bridge).

After I tired of modern art (like I said, some of it freaks me out), I headed to the boat for the Tate Britain. The boat, however, was not free, but well worth the £5 for the twenty minute ride down the River Thames. Such beautiful views of the city from the River that I got a bit carried away...

View of the Temple area from the River.

Approaching Big Ben & The Houses of Parliament on my boat ride.

Big Ben & The Houses of Parliament.

More Day 4

View Back up the River.

Tate Britain.

After my lovely, albeit overcast, boat ride, I arrived at the Tate Britain. I didn't have all that much time to spend if I wanted to catch the last boat back to the Tate Modern (and therefore have an easy walk back to the Hotel to meet Jared vs. a very very long walk). But, that's the great thing about the museum being free, is that I could go and spend only 45 minutes and not feel bad. I headed immediately to the JMW Turner Gallery and spent the majority of my time there, admiring his lovely landscapes (some of England and some of Rome, just gorgeous). Then I took the boat back, and once again got a little carried away...

London Eye and the South Bank.

London Eye.

Then, once I got back to the Tate Modern, I rambled around the South Bank and checked out Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, before walking over the Millennium Bridge and heading back to meet Jared. A lovely little afternoon.

Shakespeare's Globe.

Harrods.

A Pretty Street on the South Bank. Oh, how I love London!

Once Jared got home from work, we decided to take the Tube to South Kensington and walk up to Knightsbridge and go to Harrod's. I just love Harrod's and have to go every time I am in London. We have our share of high end shopping and designer department stores in Dubai, so that really doesn't excite me. However, the Food Halls at Harrod's is the real reason for going... I love love love the food halls...

Anywhere with custom Whoopie Pies has a place in my heart..

Yum, nothing like cured ox tongue with jelly.

PORK!!!

Then after we had sufficiently oogled the food halls, we decided to walk back toward Piccadilly for dinner. We headed up Brompton Road toward Hyde Park Corner and continued on along Green Park down Piccadilly. I think Jared's favorite part of London was all the walking we did. We were both just relishing being in an actual walkable city again, and also the beautiful weather (absolutely perfect weather, 75-80 and sunny, for our whole time in London. Who says London has bad weather?). We passed the beautiful Ritz Carlton (our favorite hotel, which, is usually a bit outside our price-range unless we get a free stay as we did in Doha), and then decided to have dinner at Busada Eathai. Busaba Eathai is a delicious (as we found out) Thai restaurant that my Aunt and Uncle used to love it. And we were not disappointed as we split spring rolls, a beef curry, and pad thai for dinner. Yum. Another wonderful day in London.

Day 5

The British Museum Facade.

On Friday morning, 7/23, it occurred to both Jared and I that we were planning to head to Paris in three days and yet, had not made our travel arrangements. After the panic and horror of researching the cost of taking the Chunnel subsided (I had taken it several years ago, but apparently my memory on the price was not very accurate), we decided the best thing to do would be for me to go directly to St. Pancras Station and buy our tickets in person, hoping to get a better deal. So, Jared headed off to work, and I hopped on the Tube to King's Cross. Well, a word to the wise for anyone planning to take the train from London to Paris via Chunnel: book your tickets well in advance (like months, I've been told, or the tickets quadruple in price). Upon arriving at St. Pancras Station I soon discovered that a 1-way train ticket from London to Paris in the middle of the summer, purchased 3 days in advance costs 140 pounds a person (or roughly $218 USD, and this is 1-way, per person, yikes). We could have purchased round-trip plane tickets from Dubai to Istanbul for that. So, I gulped down my shock and horror and got out my AMEX. Happy Anniversary again my dear (my anniversary gift was supposed to be the hotel room in Paris, but, Eurostar tickets got added to the tab). Oh well, it's only money, after all, and there was no way in hell I was taking a 14 hour bus ride from London to Paris for only 20 pounds less a person. Guess some of my planned shopping in Paris and Boston would need to be rethought..

Not one to let an extra $400+ on my credit card statement ruin my day, I decided to take advantage of the geographic proximity of my jaunt to St. Pancras and explore the sites in the area. Directly next door to the Station is the British National Library. I had never been before, and the British Library was not exactly high on my list of sights to see while in London, but it turned out to be a lovely little surprise. The library houses nearly every book ever printed in Britain and is not a traditional lending library, but only allows very specific archival research. Its "Room of Treasures" is open to the public though (for free!) and in it I stumbled on some of the coolest books and documents I've ever seen. They have a copy of the Gutenberg Bible, two different copies of the Magna Carta, Henry VIII's Prayer Scroll, Jane Austen's Writing Desk, and even had a neat exhibit showing various copies of Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventure's In Wonderland" and the historical progression. I went in expecting to spend maybe 15-20 minutes, and I got totally sucked in and spent a couple hours at the library. I think my favorite exhibit in the "Room of Treasures" was on the Beatles where they had an envelope and one of Julian Lennon's 1st Birthday cards, on which early versions of song lyrics had been written. My Uncle Rob got me totally obsessed with the Beatles from the time I was probably 11-13. I literally own every single album and know most every song, so seeing Beatles relics was really fun. Then after I was finally able to pull myself out of the Treasure Room, I came upon another exhibit of old maps called "Magnificent Maps" where I then proceeded to spend another 45 minutes. For someplace that I was thinking I would just pop into to check out briefly, the British Library turned out to be unexpectedly delightful!

By the time I finally left the British Library, I was absolutely starving, so grabbed a yummy prosciutto sandwich from Pret a Manger (they are literally everywhere, and I have to get my fill of pork while I'm out of a Muslim country) and meandered through Russell Square to the British Museum.

Inside the British Museum.

So after my walk and sandwich I popped into the British Museum. I had been before, and it's always fun to see all the Egyptian Mummies and Tombs and the Rosetta Stone. My favorite part though is the giant circular reading room in the middle which basically looks like an old-fashioned library. All the walls are covered with built-in dark wooden shelves full of ancient books. The museum was absolutely mobbed with tourists, so I made a bee-line for the reading room, only to discover that it was housing a special exhibit at the moment that cost 12 pounds (the general museum is free). Well, the exhibit sounded interesting enough (Renaissance Sketching from Fra Angelico to Leonardo Da Vinci), but after blowing my spending budget for basically the whole trip on train tickets only hours before, I decided that despite being disappointed not to visit the reading room, I should probably conserve my pounds and give my AMEX a little break...

So I headed back to our hotel to meet Jared. He got to leave work early since it was Friday and his last day of work in London. Now we were both officially on holiday (him for three whole weeks more!), and we headed out to the enjoy the lovely evening.

Downing Street, Home of the British Prime Minister. We randomly and unexpectedly passed while wandering around, so I had to take a picture. The whole street is gated and highly guarded, so this is as close as I could get.

Self-take with Big Ben and Houses of Parliament.

More Day 5

Better Self-take with Big Ben and Houses of Parliament. We tried about 5 times before Jared cut me off. This was sadly the best of them... I think I'm losing my touch.

Jared and Big Ben.

Master's Super Fish: Hand's down the absolute BEST fish & chips I've ever tasted!

So, although London is not typically known for being a foodie paradise, our obsession with food demanded that we still try to make the best of it and find the best there was to be had. Growing up, I hated fish, and although I love all things fried, even the fried fish dinners we would have for dinner on Fridays during Lent didn't appeal to me. However, in the seven and a half years I have been with Jared, he has certainly widened my food horizons, and I now actually love most seafood (to a point). It wasn't until we moved to Dubai though, that my love of fish & chips really came into existence. Due to the abundance of Brit's living in Dubai, English pub fare can be found almost anywhere (not so much American bar food, but I'll let that one go for now). So, in the last year I have sampled my fair share of fish and chips around Dubai (the best being at Barasti Beach Bar). So in the mentality of "when in Rome," we set out on Friday night to find the best fish & chips that London had to offer. Upon extensive research of "best of" lists, Jared decided Master's Super Fish in Waterloo was our place. So, after our Big Ben photo-ops we got more serious about walking to Waterloo for dinner.

We walked for about half an hour and passed some areas that I might call 'dodgy' before arriving at our destination. And it turned out to be well worth the walk. Master's is certainly not a touristy place at all, but in fact the exact opposite. It was a greasy spoon dive, packed with locals, serving nothing but fried fish (you could choose between 3-4 different kinds including haddock, cod, etc.), chips (I was temporarily embracing the vernacular), and mushy peas. Perfect. Delicious. Amazing. Hand's Down the best fish & chips I've ever eaten. And my love was only more solidified by Master's embrace of condiment excess, as they put, literally, a troth of tarter sauce on the table with our meals. My biggest pet peeve when eating fish & chips is never having enough tarter sauce and always having to ask for more (but getting a waiter's attention to do that is not always easy). We had enough tarter sauce on our table alone to serve the whole restaurant, and I was in fish & chip heaven. So after getting our fill (sadly, my fish was so big I couldn't even finish it), we decided we definitely needed to keep walking to burn off our fried food coma.

So we walked along the South Bank, stopping periodically for more photo-ops. Jared was not at all thrilled with the number of self-takes I made him pose for.

A beautiful view down the river as the sun was setting.

Last Night in "The City"

Yet another self-take with the London Eye in the background. I think Jared's face is starting to show his sentiments of "no more photos Jen."

So, reeking as if we both just got off the line at McDonald's, we continued walking, and decided that, since it was Friday night, getting some drinks was in order. We stopped at the Somerset House, which has a beautiful outdoor terrace overlooking the river, but decided we were a bit under-dressed for that venue. Instead, we headed back to the Wellington Pub, where we had had dinner our first night, and ordered pints of the delicious Aspall Cider we had been introduced to there. After a couple refreshing pints to cleanse our pallets, we thought we'd move on to somewhere else in the neighborhood, since it was our last night staying in London proper (we had booked a hotel in Richmond, the borough in Southwest London where I lived, for the weekend). It was such a lovely night that we just enjoyed a leisurely walk and exploring the area.

At the Somerset House.

We stopped into the Somerset House Courtyard, just because it was so pretty, and hung out for a bit, watching a family of small children playing in the fountains.

Then, Jared decided that watching wasn't enough and that he wanted to play too...

I had Jared take this photo for you Mom... :)

As we were heading back toward our hotel, we were beckoned into another pub called "Daly's" by the sound of a live acoustic guitar player. It was a lively crowd, and good music was playing (covers of American artists like REM and Paul Simon), so we decided to check it out. Another couple pints of cider, and we were singing along, and I was coaxing Jared to dance. During one of the breaks, we were chatting with the singer, whose parent's are actually living in Abu Dhabi (the crazy Brit's seem to just love the UAE), and I asked if we could request "Breakfast At Tiffany's" (one of our college memory songs). We ended up staying until the pub closed, and the singer actually sang our song, giving us a shout out ("I promised some nice people from Boston I'd play this..."). Such a wonderfully perfect night.

The Royal Courts of Justice. We walked by this 3-4 times everyday we were staying in "The City" and it was so pretty that I finally took a photo the last night.

Day 6

Tower Bridge.

So we woke up Saturday, 7/24, and checked out of our hotel (the Crown Plaza, paid for by Jared's work, so can't complain), left our bags with the concierge, and went on an unsuccessful quest for a traditional English breakfast. After coming to the conclusion that nothing is open on a Saturday morning in the Temple area (it is pretty much an exclusively commercial area), we decided we'd walk to the Tower Bridge and Tower of London. I had been to the Tower of London several years ago, but thought Jared might like it and that it might be worth visiting again. Well, after seeing the line of tourists waiting to get in, we decided that seeing it from the outside was going to be enough for us this time..

Outside the Tower of London.

Tower Bridge again.

So, by then we were starving and it was lunchtime, so we crossed the Tower Bridge and headed to Butler's Wharf. Butler's Whalf is a lovely area in the shadows of the Bridge on the South Bank. I had good memories of eating there with my Aunt and Uncle one of the times I visited them in London, so we decided to grab some lunch from the area.

Jared at Butler's Wharf.

We didn't want to go for a big sit-down lunch, so found a little cafe and grabbed some yummy chicken salad sandwiches for take away. We walked down the River a bit and found a little park with a great view of the Tower Bridge.

We found a nice sunny spot and enjoyed our sandwiches with this lovely view.

After we finished eating, we headed back toward the hotel, walking by St. Paul's Cathedral, and the London Fire Monument on the way. We collected our bags from the hotel, and headed to the Tube to go to Richmond. When we arrived we walked the 3 minutes to our hotel, The Richmond Inn, and checked-in. I was so excited to start showing Jared around the town, so we dropped our bags and headed out to explore. I gave him a walking tour, walking by my Aunt and Uncle's old house, The Gap I used to work at, and then took him to the Richmond Green. The Green is a big park in the middle of town where cricket is played on weekends and locals drink pints of beer while picnicking and watching the matches. We ordered pints of cider at "The Cricketer" Pub and walked over to the Green to relax in the sun. It was another beautiful day, so we soaked up the sun and relaxed while enjoying our pints. After we had our fill of cricket, we decided to walk down to the River, so I could show Jared the beautiful Richmond Riverfront. Tired from our day of walking, we decided to head back to the hotel and relax for a bit, before dinner.

A power-nap and change of shoes later (my feet were completely covered with blisters from my week of walking... I brought sandals that are completely comfortable for everyday life, but apparently are not all that comfortable when worn for 6 mile walks) and we were ready for dinner. I took Jared to another one of my favorite Richmond spots, "The White Horse" pub, which has a great outdoor garden area full of flowers and abutting a playground where my little cousin used to play while we drank (I was beginning to see a trend in my favorite pubs in Richmond, that they are all quite 'kid friendly' since I was always going with my Aunt and Uncle who had a two and a half year old at the time). We enjoyed a Pimm's Cup at The White Horse (the ultimate English summer drink), before heading back to the River for dinner. The Richmond Riverfront may be my favorite part of town, and there are lots of little pubs with great views, right on the water. We headed to the "Pitcher and Piano" and stalked a table on their mobbed patio. We had burgers for dinner while enjoying pints and a fantastic view. Jared had not been in love with London all week like I am, but upon arriving in Richmond said, "Now I know why you love it here so much. I could definitely live here." Wouldn't that be nice...

Day 7

On Sunday, 7/25, we woke up for our last day in England, and finally got our traditional English breakfast from our hotel. We decided to head back into the city and go to Harrod's again, so took the Tube to Knightsbridge. We explored the Food Halls again, and went to the Cafe for the traditional Scones with Clotted Cream and Jam and Hot Cocoa (my other favorite thing to do at Harrod's). We found the "old map" room where Jared got absorbed looking at US maps from the 1700's, before I could convince him that there was no justifiable way to spend $2000 on an antique map at this point in our lives... or probably ever.

After we left Harrod's, we walked through Kensington Park where a big triathlon was occurring, and stumbled upon the Princess Diana Fountain, where we stopped for a rest to soak our feet. I wanted to take Jared to Notting Hill, so walked along the edge of Kensington Gardens and stumbled upon a beautiful street that housed all the different country's Embassy's. Jared promptly decided that he now wants to be an Ambassador.

Portobello Road in Notting Hill.

Notting Hill.

When we finally reached Notting Hill, we meandered around Portobello Market for a bit, before Tubing it back to Richmond.

Richmond Park.

When we got back to Richmond, we rested at the hotel for a bit, and then headed up the hill to another of my favorite pubs, "The Marlborough" which has a delightful beer garden out back. We had a drink and then decided we were hungry enough for dinner, so headed to Pizza Express, another of my favorite Richmond spots (which we also have in Dubai, coincidentally). Yummy pizza and Ben & Jerry's for dessert on the River and our last night in England was complete.

View toward the River from Richmond Park.

Another view of the terraced gardens.

Goodbye England.

Another Richmond Park view. I was obsessed.

The Richmond Riverfront.

Richmond Bridge.

The Riverfront as the sun was setting...

It was just wonderful to be back in England, and I loved every moment of it. Hopefully it won't be quite as long next time before I am back. But for now, Paris here we come!

An American in London: Days 2 & 3

Well, the weather has continued to be perfect (75-80 degrees and sunny -- who says it rains all the time in England?), and I have been loving every single relaxing minute of being back in London. I have been trying to make my trip a combination of revisiting all my favorite places, while also trying to have new experiences and go new places and explore. And I think I have been succeeding in my goal the past two days.

Yesterday (Tuesday, 7/20), sore from our long run on Monday, we did a quick gym workout and went for a 10 minute walk before Jared headed to work, and I lounged around the hotel for the morning. Since we have been doing so much walking, I didn't want to get too early of a start, as we end up walking for lots of hours anyway and I didn't want to be too tired. When I finally motivated to go out in the afternoon, I grabbed a sandwich and some chips (or crisps, if you will) for lunch at Pret A Manger (sandwich/salad shop on every street corner -- think Dunkin Donuts frequency in Boston) and then decided to head to the Somerset House and check out the Courtauld Gallery. The Somerset House is conveniently close to our hotel, and the Gallery is known for having one of the best collections of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Art for a small museum. Impressionist art is my favorite, so I figured I should definitely check it out.

Somerset House Courtyard.

The Gallery is housed in the Somerset House, which is a beautiful palace-looking building from the 1770's, with a piazza in the middle with statues and fountains. Just lovely, and somewhere I had never been before. I enjoyed walking around the piazza before heading into the Gallery. And, after the overwhelming size of the National Gallery, I kind of enjoyed going to a smaller more intimate museum. Without so many pieces, it is easier to really appreciate the paintings and sculptures they do have. Tons of Degas', Pissaro's, Manet's, and Monet's... And Van Gogh's famous self-portrait after he cut his ear off... Love love loved it!

Another view inside the Somerset House Courtyard.

So, after spending two hours or so in the museum, I decided to head up to Covent Garden to do some window shopping (while the stores were actually open, unlike our first night), and then headed to Leicester Square for dinner. Jared had a work dinner Tuesday night, so I was on my own, which I was perfectly happy with. I decided that I would head back to the Wagamama in Leicester Square, where I used to go when I lived in London. Going to Wagamama isn't exactly a luxury, since we have them in Boston and Dubai (apparently I only enjoy living in cities that contain Wagamamas), but just for tradition's sake. For the uninformed, Wagamama is a delicious pan-Asian noodle bar that I was first introduced to and became obsessed with when I lived in London. It originated in the UK but has subsequently spread, only coming to the US four or five years ago, and is limited to only Boston and DC. YUM! Yaki Udon.

After dinner, I leisurely headed back to the hotel to relax until Jared got back and we got some more cider to drink while luxuriating in the room.

Today, 7/21, we started the day with another long run, this time running along the river toward Westminster Abby, the Houses of Parliament, and Big Ben. Crossed the bridge underneath Big Ben and than ran by the London Eye, heading back toward Temple on the opposite side of the River, crossed the bridge and were back. I love exploring and sight-seeing in new places by going running. It has to be one of the most fun kinds of multi-tasking possible.

Then, I decided that it was time for me to head back to the neighborhood/borough where my aunt and uncle used to live, and where I lived and worked the summer I lived in London: Richmond, Surrey, in Southwest London. I was so excited to go back and see what had changed and what was the same, and to go back to the Gap that I worked at (yes, as an American college student living in London for a summer, the only place I could get hired was the American clothing store Gap, pretty sad, although it initiated my summer jobs then for the following 3 summers, at various Gaps across Eastern Massachusetts...).

So, I took the Tube to Richmond (the last stop on the District Line) and spent the afternoon wandering around, window shopping, seeing what was new (lots of new restaurants, and some of them chains we have in Dubai as well: Carluccio's, Paul, Gourmet Burger Kitchen), seeing what was still the same (a few of my favorite restaurants, shops and pubs were still there), and walking by my aunt and uncle's old house to see how it looked (not as nice as when they lived there, of course). Just so relaxing and lovely. I am planning on taking Jared to Richmond for a day this weekend too, so he can see where I lived, and so part of my day was spent scoping out where I want to take him and what I want to show him (the beautiful riverside, the Richmond Green). I grabbed lunch at one of my old favorites, Nando's (delicious Portuguese Chicken Place, which coincidentally we also have in Dubai, but I love tradition), and then walked to Richmond Park where I sat and read ("Pride & Prejudice" -- I've never been able to get through it before and figured it would be a fitting read while I am in London), before heading back into the city to meet Jared when he finished work.

There aren't all that many restaurants that I remember and love in London (which is surprising, considering my food obsession), but the only one I have really been wanting to take Jared to is my favorite Moroccan Restaurant called "Momo," where my aunt and uncle took me for my 17th birthday the first time I came to visit them in London (almost 10 years ago, gasp. I'm getting old!). Momo is located off Regent Street near Piccadilly Circus, so we headed out for dinner and what turned out to be another ridiculously long walk.

We found Momo no problem at around 7:30pm and were not sure we'd be able to get in. They had no tables at that moment, but told us we could make a booking and come back at 9:30pm. Sure, why not? So we decided to take a walk and grab a drink to kill the couple hours before dinner. I pulled out our little DK Mini-Map to see what we were near, and decided we would walk to Marble Arch and Hyde Park Corner (which didn't look all that far)... Well, a 35 minute power-walk later and we were there. And Jared was, to say the least, unimpressed. His comment was, "This is just like Hyde Park in Boston! Let's Go!" Hyde Park in Boston is in the ghetto of Dorchester. Just a slight exaggeration, but we headed back down Oxford Street in search of a pub. On the way we found a cookie stand (Ben's Cookies) and split a White Chocolate Cranberry cookie to tide us over, before finding a pub down one of the little alleys called, "The Duke of York." They had cold beer and cider so that was all we needed. So we enjoyed a drink, and then headed back to Momo for dinner.

And Momo definitely did not disappoint. The atmosphere was as authentic as I remember (low tables, embroidered silk pillows, Arabic lantern lighting, and Arabesque music), the food was delicious (Chicken couscous, Lamb Tagine), and the Moroccan Mint Tea was refreshing. All in all a great night out and I was so glad to be able to have Jared experience a restaurant that I have such fond memories of... Now, let's see what's in store for the rest of the week.

An American in London: Day 1

Buckingham Palace.

Well, we arrived in London last night at about 7:15pm, and after waiting for our Emirates chauffeur service from the airport (complementary with Jared's Emirates Business Class seat. I won't even get into the resentment currently present in our relationship over him getting to sit in Emirates Business, while I 'enjoyed' my Economy seat on the same plane...) we arrived at our hotel in Central London at about 9:30pm. Miraculously, we weren't all that tired, so decided to go for a walk and explore/try to find some food. Afterall, I wasn't served a 7-course menu in Economy as Jared was in Business, but I digress.

Our hotel is right near the Blackfriars Bridge and Temple. So, we are extremely close to Fleet Street and only about a 15 minute walk from Covent Garden. We decided to walk down Fleet Street, first to find the law office Jared will be working from, and then to find some food. However, it was so late on a Sunday night that most things were closed. Eager to start showing Jared all the sights, we walked up to Covent Garden and found an Italian restaurant with a great outdoor dining area that was still serving. We enjoyed a margherita pizza and toasted pints of beer to celebrate being able to openly eat pork and drink alcohol, OUTSIDE in the summer (all things that are impossible in Dubai at the moment...).

This morning we woke up early, and since Jared didn't have to be to work until 10am, decided to explore some more by going for a long run. We ran over the Blackfriars Bridge and took a left to head along the River toward Tower Bridge (one of my favorite attractions that I thought Jared just had to see immediately). The weather was perfect for running (with a little morning crisp in the air) and we were just embracing actually being able to run outside, in a place that is actually conducive to running (like, with sidewalks and not construction everywhere). We ran down to Tower Bridge and over it, and then passed Tower of London and headed back on the North side of the river. Caught a glimpse of St. Paul's Cathedral and loved running on the path along the river. We had some breakfast at Starbuck's (Chai Latte! HAM and Emmental Croissant!) before I walked Jared to work and did some window shopping while heading back to the hotel. While at Starbuck's I started to plan out my week and how I wanted to spend my days. Probably one of my favorite parts of traveling that I used to do all the time when I studied abroad in Italy, is just to go to a place with absolutely no pre-planned agenda and then do and see what I feel like at the time.

My favorite museum in the whole world is the National Gallery in London (the best collection of Italian Renaissance Art, along with 17th Century Dutch Art (Vermeer!), and then 3 whole rooms full of Impressionist Art. I'm in heaven). So I felt that revisiting would be the perfect way to spend my first day.

Trafalgar Square (from the National Gallery).

So I walked down to Trafalgar Square from the hotel, and only intended to spend maybe 2 or 2 and a half hours in the National Gallery, before going to the National Portrait Gallery (next door) as well, and then stop in Covent Garden on the way back, with a plan of getting back by 6ish when we thought Jared would be done with work. Well, I got so completely carried away at the National Gallery that I spent 4 whole hours there and stayed until they closed at 6pm, and then high-tailed it back to the hotel (a 20 minute walk) where I found Jared already there for an hour. Oops. This is why I like just planning things on the day depending on what I feel like. I still have another 7 days to go back again and also the Portrait Gallery.

Buckingham Palace Gate.

Well, after making poor Jared wait for me, we left immediately to go for a very long walk to Buckingham Palace. Since it stays light so late in London in the summer (until 9:30pm), we are excited to be able to capitalize on the nights after Jared gets out of work to go do things.

After taking the adequate amount of touristy photos of the palace we decided to head back via St. James Park. Completely lovely, with tons of people lounging about, picnicking and drinking (love the lack of open-container laws in Europe!) well into the evening. While crossing a bridge in the park we caught this pretty view of the London Eye on the right and Horse Guards Parade on the left. Just beautiful! We hit Piccadilly Circus on our way back (where I could not resist buying a Lime Green polka dotted tea pot from Whittard's...) and then walked through Trafalgar Square before finding a pub on Fleet Street to grab dinner. Pimm's, English Ale, Cider, and a Steak Pie, and my first day in London was complete. I can't wait to see what the next 7 days hold!

London & Paris!

I've been a bit silent on the blog because we've been busy getting ready for our summer holiday! Tomorrow, July 18th, we'll be escaping from the horrible desert summer and heading to more temperate summer climates! Our first stop is London for 8 days. Jared has to go for work for a week, and there was absolutely no way he was going to leave me in Dubai in the summer while he headed to one of my favorite cities in the world. So, I will be enjoying all of my favorite London sights and food (I can't wait to go back! I visited often when my favorite Aunt and Uncle [who are now my Wellesley Aunt and Uncle who have my three little cousins that I adore] lived there for four years, and also lived with them during the summer of 2003) while Jared works during the first 6 days. Then, we're staying two extra days so that he can have an opportunity to see more of the city as well.

Then on July 26th, we'll be taking the train to Paris for another four days European holiday. We have been wanting to plan a little trip to celebrate our 7 Year Anniversary (which was in February...), and spending some extra time in Europe seemed like a great idea. We figured it would be a shame to not take advantage of the geographical advantages of being in London 'for work'... So we'll enjoy 4 days of sights, food, wine, and CHEESE in Paris, before heading home to Boston for the remainder of our trip.

I will be home for about 10 days, while Jared will be home for 2.5 weeks (as you may recall the fateful rental car accident debacle that was Christmas '09 has limited the amount of time I can be in the US until the next tax year begins in September...).

Sooo, lots of excitement from us, and now I must finish packing before we head to the airport tomorrow morning! Cannot wait to get out of this heat and into some culture!

Yas Island

This post is incredibly overdue, but since it is such a cool place I think it's still worth posting the photos...

A couple months ago, I tagged along with Jared to an American Chamber of Commerce: Abu Dhabi event at the Yas Hotel on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. Yas Island is a (man-made) island on which the new Formula 1 Yas Marina Circuit racetrack recently opened. It was completed last fall and Abu Dhabi hosted its first Formula 1 race last November. The whole island was built exclusively for that purpose, and the hotel is located, literally, on the racetrack (part of the track goes under part of the hotel). The hotel is completely crazy contemporary architecture, and I thought worth sharing...

Front of the Hotel... Racetrack is to the left and down below.

Crazy Roof-deck Bar... I enjoyed some cashews and white wine here while Jared went to his meeting.. I think I got the better end of the deal...

Another part of the crazy rooftop bar, where the post-meeting cocktail reception was held, which I did attend... As like so many aspects of the UAE, the Yas Hotel was truly unlike anything else I have ever seen. And we got to get a tour of the hotel and see the rooms after the meeting and before the cocktail hour. Probably the most hyper-modern hotel rooms I've ever seen. Everything is controlled by remote, including all the lights (because, you know, rolling over in bed and hitting the light switch on the night stand is such an inconvenience, or flipping on the light when you enter the bathroom.... oh completely unnecessary and over the top technology)... Not sure if we'd ever stay there or come back (Jared's attitude about the Grand Prix is lackluster at best), but definitely worth seeing and visiting once.