“I wanna go higher.”

20160310_100526Thurs, 10 March 2016, 10:05 am: There are numerous structures to climb and a giant wheel to ride if you’re seeking marvelous elevated views of the London cityscape, but only one gets you really high and is free of financial cost.

20160310_100546You saw me approach this skyscaper in the video I posted on the actual day, and now I’m sharing some still photos of the base and the exterior of the building.

20160310_10060220160310_10055620160310_100742The modernistic monolith at 20 Fenchurch Street is known to Londoners as the Walkie Talkie. I explain why in the video linked above. And in my next blog post I’ll share some stills from the Sky Garden. It’s maybe the best vantage point in all of London, and it’s free.

20160310_102110Before entering the Walkie Talkie I enjoyed this scene directly across from it. Wherever there’s a living green wall in London, there’s a gardener employed to look after it. 20160310_102037

Matt May 16, 2016 England, London No Comments

Eating and taking notes…
What else do I do?

20160310_083138Thurs, 10 March 2016, 8:31 am:  For two consecutive London visits, the Eggs Benedict at Cafe Pronto has ranked in my top three UK meals. Here it is, fresh from the hands of Alina (my favorite London restaurant employee), next to a page full of my notes.

On this trip I used my digital voice recorder as often as I used pen and paper, so I didn’t bring home QUITE as big a stack of rumpled legal pads and post-its but, as you can see, I still brought my share of trees to their illustrious end.

20160310_083144My trusty black gloves. More than half of my Europe trips have been during cold weather, and this pair of gloves has been at hand for all of those.

My trusty black coffee. Darlings, I’d give up my gloves in Siberian winter before I’d give up my coffee. Cafe Pronto makes a great cup.20160310_083128

Matt May 8, 2016 England, London, restaurants No Comments

So I got into this
club in London…

20160309_203026Wed, 9 March 2016, 8:30 pm: There’s the chicken & bacon club sandwich that was my dinner at the Mad Hatter pub.

How handy is it to be able to return to your hotel after a day of sightseeing, drop your gear off in your room, and then simply take the lift downstairs to have supper at a charming restaurant in the same building? Let me tell you: the Hatter ain’t cheap, but the price includes that convenience.

It also includes the chance to really get to know the servers and managers, since you could have all your meals during your London stay at the same place where you hang your hat. As it turned out, tonight was the only night I ate here on this trip. And the only (partial) lunch hour I spent here was yesterday, when all I had was one beer and there was hardly anyone to chat with.

In my previous six night residence at the Mad Hatter, my travel companion and I ate several meals in house and held court at various times of day, making numerous new friends. This trip, with me solo, was different. Every trip is different.

As I stated in my five bubble review of the Mad Hatter on Trip Advisor, a major perk of staying here is being able to keep the pound notes in your wallet and charge meals and drinks to your room. What got charged to room 206 this evening was 14,30 pounds: chicken & bacon club (7,25) with chips added (2,00) and a Honey Dew (5,05).

20160309_203031Truth be told, this is a sandwich I won’t order again. The flavor was fine, but there wasn’t much chicken and even less bacon. The only thing there was a lot of was mayonnaise.

Matt May 8, 2016 England, London, restaurants No Comments