I had never been to Scotland, and neither had Joe, so we didn’t know what to expect when we hopped on the train and headed north from London. Our four-hour ride took us through verdant rolling hills and fields, past stereotypical, vine and rose-covered stone country cottages and along blustery sea coasts, the waves frothing […]
Category: United Kingdom
The Power of Place at Edinburgh Castle
I don’t think anyone would debate the military advantages of building a stronghold on the highest, least-accessible ground possible. The rulers of Edinburgh, Scotland in the 12th century certainly understood the merits of establishing their castle and keep atop a massive, rocky cliff (called Castle Rock) which sits directly in the middle of the modern city. Sheer […]
No Excuses: Working Out While Traveling
We’ve all been there: we work out and eat well in the months and weeks leading up to a vacation, but once that plane’s wheels are up, most of our well-intentioned plans to exercise on the beach evaporate like steam from a hot tub. And sometimes, that’s just fine – if the goal is really […]
Tasting Our Way Through the Bermondsey Beer Mile
The soft rumbling and clacking of trains passing overhead caused us to look up from our beers at first, but then gradually faded more and more into the background noise. All sorts of people stood and sat shoulder to shoulder, groups spilling out into the sidewalk and roughly-paved street, half-pints in hand, chatting and tasting amiably. […]
Hidden Gems at the Tower of London
Let’s face it – 99% of visitors who come to the Tower of London are there primarily to see the Crown Jewels. And it’s understandable – they’re incredibly impressive, overwhelmingly large and sparkly, and are certainly worth ogling, mouth slightly agape in wonder, for 10-15 minutes. When we visited the Tower we did indeed make […]
