Wandering down to London

wandering around London 3
a guard at Buckingham Palace

One of the nice things about living in Edinburgh is how easy it is to get to London from here. The train takes just over four hours, departing from the middle of Edinburgh and depositing you at King’s Cross. There are plenty of flights, as well, but once you deal with getting yourself to and from airports, it’s taken you just as long door-to-door (and you’ve had to surrender your liquids).

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London notes: food

With the exception of, well, pretty much anyplace in Italy, London is my favorite food city in Europe. Long gone are the days of tittering about the blandness of English cuisine; London restaurants are creative, varied, and plentiful. Here are some of the notable eateries from my last visit.

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the Olympics countdown clock in Trafalgar Square

London notes (with porn)

the Olympics countdown clock in Trafalgar Square

I was all set to settle in to my summer travel hiatus when an invitation arrived for an interesting-sounding press event in London. I did a quick check of ticket prices (totally affordable, thanks to EasyJet), sent out a couple emails to see if friends would be in town (they would!), and decided to go. I think I’d jump on almost any excuse to go to London these days. I have a huge crush on this city.

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London keeps calling

Let’s see, where was I? From Italy I’ll skip ahead a few months to March, when I went back to London for another week of BritFun. This was the trip where a charming old chap tried to pick up my friend Em and I. Naturally, there are other trip highlights to report, too, so let … Read more

How not to chat up an American

Last week my friend Em and I were wandering around London looking for somewhere to quench our thirst. Walking past one particular pub, something caught our eye. A leathery man standing outside with a pint and a cigarette thought it was he. Actually it was the sign next to him declaring all drinks half-price today. … Read more

Squeezing the fun out of London

I have had the good fortune to go to London twice this year, with more trips planned soon. Such an infinitely entertaining city, with friendly people and charming accents. I could spend years there and not get bored. This time I was hosted by the lovely and talented Em and her husband Jeremy. You might … Read more

Hey G-20, fix everything now!

In London over the weekend, we came across a large demonstration snaking through the city. Unlike the protests expected this week during the G-20 meetings, the one we saw was quite peaceful and orderly, and was even followed up by a crew of street sweepers to erase any mess that might have been made by … Read more