Happy New Year, readers! I know I've ghosted for awhile - the holidays kind of put me out of commission. All the parties, food, drinks and activity has me feeling drained, frankly. I'm ready to get back to routine...BUT FIRST I must tell you all about the fantastic trip Nate and I took for our birthdays!
LONDON, ENGLAND
After a grueling 6 hour flight from Philadelphia, PA to Dublin, Ireland, we endured a 2 hour layover before our flight to Gatwick airport. Luckily, we were able to be schmoozed by the employees of Duty Free and sampled shots of Irish whiskey at 10:00 AM.
Once in the air, I immediately fell asleep and awoke to be on the ground and ready to collect our bags and get on with the touristing! We took a scenic train ride from Gatwick to London Bridge Station and walked to our hotel on the opposite side of the Thames. The weather was a comfortable mid-40s and the streets were thick with people, but I guess that's to be expected at 4:00 PM on a Friday.
We stayed at
The Tower Hotel and it was even more beautiful than the pictures! We had a great view of Tower Bridge and were right on the river. We loved their breakfast buffet that was included in our room cost and the proximity to all the wonderful features of central London. Only downside was we couldn't find the stairs, meaning we were forced to wait for an elevator to go up or down 1 floor.
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| View of the Tower Bridge from our hotel room |
After a quick rest, Nate and I set out in search of food and drink. We discovered The
Hung Drawn and Quartered Ale & Pie pub just a short distance from The Tower of London. The cozy dining room is filled with tufted leather booths, oak tables and marble columns. The wall décor is what I would describe as Georgian. Gilded paneling, damask drapes and brightly colored walls.
The Red Pepper Hummus was flavorful and fresh and was the perfect pairing to the crunchy flatbread chips. The fish Goujons were a tad greasy if I'm being 100% honest, but I felt obligated to buy a "fish and chips" while in London. The Pie was the absolute star! The pastry was flaky and buttery, the mushrooms were meaty and the gravy inside was flavorful and rich.
A few large pints later, Nate and I were craving something sweet so we shared a bowl of salted caramel ice cream before heading back to the hotel for some much needed rest.
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| Salted Caramel Ice Cream |
The next day we went out sightseeing and to the Tate Modern Gallery. I'm typically not one for modern art, typically but I felt compelled to visit the Tate Modern because I have had a print from the Tate hanging in every apartment I have lived in since I was 18 years old. I decided it was finally time to see it in person! The piece is titled "The Snail" and I'm no art critic, but I just don't see it. Do you?
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"The Snail" - Henri Matisse, 1953 |
We met up with a former office mate of Nate's who lives near London and his girlfriend and took a trip to
Borough Market for lunch. This cute outdoor market hosts a variety of food stalls, vendors and a demo kitchen! After a quick walk around, I decided Indian food sounded lovely. I got a mixed box of curries, a few samosa and pakoras. Everything was wonderfully flavorful and warm - which was perfect on this somewhat chilly and drizzly day in London. Nate opted for the classic Scotch Egg.
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| Freshly made Samosas and Pakoras |
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| Big Ol' Box of Curries |
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| Scotch Egg |
After we were all filled up with goodies, we trekked over to the
Tower of London. The London skyline is filled with ultra-modern glass and steel buildings, so it's somewhat odd to see this historic fortress in the center of it all. The Tower of London is definitely a several hour affair. There is so much history to absorb and artifacts ranging from the glamourous to the macabre. There are activities for all ages. It is definitely a must-go in London.
After the Tower of London, we all agreed we needed to whet our whistles. Luckily, by pure chance, before we had left Raleigh I happened to see an advertisement for
ABQ London. As you are all well aware (or at least should be) I am a very proud Burquena and a huge
Breaking Bad fan. ABQ London is a
Breaking Bad themed cocktail bar with such attention to detail, I half expected Jesse Pinkman to walk in and start calling me "bitch". This immersive experience is down an unassuming and frankly poorly lit alley but if you're willing to soldier on, you will be rewarded with an evening of imbibing unlike any other. Beware, reservations are highly recommended.
Upon entering the iconic RV, patrons are given yellow coveralls to wear along with a welcome drink served in a beaker with a syringe. After choosing your cocktails, you are given the necessary ingredients and equipment to start "cooking". We made one cocktail as a group and another cocktail individually. Both were absolutely delicious, unique and an amazing experience. I couldn't help but tell our lovely server that I was from Albuquerque and very impressed with their bar.
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| Welcome Drinks |
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| Add caption |
After our night experimenting, we met up with Ben and his lovely girlfriend for a day outside the city. After a quick train ride, we stopped in the town where Ben works for a quick bite before heading on to Battle Abbey, which was the site of the Battle of Hastings. As someone who knows very little about English history, I was fascinated to see a battlefield that is so ancient. As an American, I often forget how young our country is in the worldwide timeline. We also enjoyed learning the history by listening to the audio guides (especially Nate's which seemed to be the child-friendly version).
After getting our fill of history, we took a drive to the nearby town of Hastings and I saw my very first non-sand beach. We were also rewarded with an absolutely breathtaking sunset.
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| You don't have to believe me, but no filter |
Ben chose our dinner spot that evening and we ended up at
The Bell In Ticehurst. This imaginative pub serves up gourmet food in a laid back and at times whimsical atmosphere. With a rotating menu featuring locally sourced ingredients, it would be hard to not like this place.
I can't even tell you what I ate, but everything was absolutely incredible. Every plate was all but licked clean and if I lived anywhere near this establishment, best believe I'd weigh at least 150 pounds more than I currently do. I'd return to England to go here specifically.
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| Charred Peppers with Aioli from The Bell In Ticehurst |
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| Salmon Cheviche and Mixed Greens from The Bell in Ticehurst |
The next day, Nate and I did some exploring on our own. We saw the outside of Westminster Abbey, we saw where Big Ben would be (had it not been obstructed by construction materials), we saw the London Eye and we saw a Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. I loved every second of exploring the sights with my favorite travel buddy.
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| Post Changing of the Guard |
To celebrate our collective birthdays, I booked an afternoon tea service at the absolutely stunning
Hotel Café Royal. The dining room was all gold, mirrors and elegance. I felt like I was walking into Versailles!
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| Afternoon tea at Hotel Café Royal |
We toasted each other with true champagne, dined on tiny food and yet somehow were still too stuffed to eat everything on our plates. The entire experience was magnificent and I think everyone should do this at least once in their lives.
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| Couldn't leave London without a trip to King's Cross |
Dublin, Ireland
After a quick flight, we were back in Ireland. After dropping off our bags at the hotel (
The Leeson Lodge), we went out in search of some Irish beer. We ended up stumbling upon
Searsons of Baggot St. This historic pub has a wall of rare Irish whiskey and so many pesci and veggie-friendly options my little heart couldn't stop singing!
I went for the soup of the day and a side of mixed green vegetables. I was feeling a little ill at this point so soup sounded like the perfect meal to warm up my belly and my spirits. It was served with homemade Guinness brown bread and creamy and luscious Irish butter. I'm going to just break in right here and say that Irish butter is superior to all other butters and I will never go back.
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| Carrot Ginger Soup with Guinness Brown Bread from Searsons of Baggot St |
Our first day in Dublin was spent drinking Irish whiskeys and wandering around the city. First was
Teeling Distillery. We visited their pristine facility opened in 2015 and got a behind-the-scenes look at how the distillery operates. Unlike Nate, I have never been to a large scale distillery so I was extremely impressed by the size of the equipment and the scale of the production. After our tour, we were brought to the bar and finally, the gift shop. We enjoyed our tastes and purchased ourselves a personalized bottle to commemorate our wonderful trip!
We wandered around the city a little bit more before ending up at our second tour at the
Pearse Lyons Distillery. Apparently January isn't a very popular time to go to Dublin because this was our second exclusive tour of the day. After learning about the history of the distillery and the grounds, I was very interested to learn why Pearse Lyons chose to distill in a former church next to a graveyard (yep, there are still bodies in there too). The stained glass windows tell the story of the brewery and some history of Dublin's people. Again, we enjoyed our tastes and exited through the gift shop.
Nate had a personal challenge for himself, and that was driving a car in Ireland. After a slight meltdown leaving the parking lot of the rental car company, we were off on the left side of the road! Nate drove very well and never once veered into oncoming traffic! Yay!
We headed toward
Glendalough, Ireland. The drive was scenic and I spotted many, many sheep (which I had to announce to Nate every time). We parked our car and walked to the Monastic Site and saw the most complete Round Tower which was constructed in the 6th century!
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| The Round Tower at Glendalough |
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| I hope you can feel my excitement about seeing that sheep |
We walked around the sites and to the waterfall before heading back toward our car (and more sheep). We walked around for about 2 hours and would've walked more had there not been maintenance on a few trails. I guess that's the downside to tourist-ing during the off-season.
We headed to the highly recommended and historic
Wicklow Heather. Fresh and locally sourced ingredients, a wall of whiskey and a host of Irish beer advertisements and antiques.
After perusing the expansive menu, I ordered the Seafood Chowder and Bruschetta of Buffalo Mozzarella. The chowder was overflowing with fresh seafood and the stock was so creamy and savory. The bruschetta was not what I was expecting. It wasn't quite sandwich, not quite bruschetta. The flavors however were superb. The tomatoes were acidic and juicy, the mozzarella ooey-gooey and the peppery rocket (AKA arugula to us Americans) was a great fresh element to the plate. I also ordered the Glendalough Whiskey flight because why not?
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| Seafood Chowder from Wicklow Heather |
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| Bruschetta of Buffalo Mozzarella from Wicklow Heather |
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| Nate's Corned Beef and Mash from Wicklow Heather |
After our lunch, we decided to check out a wool sweater outlet where we each selected some comfy-cozy woolen items before heading on what we think may or may not have been the "Braveheart Highway" and returning to the airport to return our rental car.
That evening we decided we were craving a different cuisine from the typical pub fare and discovered Millers Pizza Kitchen (regrettably they do not have a website). We ordered cheese bread, a salad and a spicy pizza. The pizza crust was light and crisp, the toppings were full of flavor and everything was fantastic! We split a bottle of wine and enjoyed the cozy and slightly kitschy Italian décor.
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| Cheese Bread from Millers Pizza Kitchen |
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| Spicy Pizza with Anchovies from Millers Pizza Kitchen |
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| Salad from Millers Pizza Kitchen |
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| Dublin Castle |
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Outside The Temple Bar
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Trinity College
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| Lunch at the Guinness Storehouse |
I would recommend any of these activities without a doubt. However, was Guinness worth the 25 euro price tag? Eh, debatable. The price does include a complimentary pint. It is true the Storehouse no longer brews the beer at that location but you are able to see some vintage advertising and learn what makes Guinness unique. They also have a machine that has the ability to print a selfie on the head of your beer - if that's not worth it, I don't know what is.
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| Our Stoutie |
The last day of our vacation was spent in Belfast, Northern Ireland. We took a
Paddy Wagon Tours bus from the statue of Molly Malone up to the
Titanic Belfast with a stop along the way at Monasterboice. The ruins of the monastery are home to some of the most beautiful hand-carved Celtic crosses in Ireland and a partially destroyed Round Tower.
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| Outside the Titanic Belfast Museum |
Included in the tour price is admission to the Titanic Experience and 2 hours to explore it. However, I would say for the amount of reading required for this museum, 2 hours is not quite sufficient to see everything. We ended up rushing through the last few rooms to ensure ample time to get back to our bus and on the road to Belfast's city center.
After the 2 hours at Titanic Belfast, there is an option to either spend 2 hours in the City Center or take a 1 hour Black Taxi tour of the political murals and Peace Wall dividing the Protestant and Catholic sides of the city. We opted to do the latter and I will admit that I was slightly hesitant at first but after reflecting on the tour and absorbing what I saw, I would recommend the tour to anyone and everyone. It is relevant. It is heartbreaking. It is surreal and bizarre. But frankly it's important. Promise me if you're ever in Belfast you'll go, ok?
I know this post is a doozy. I applaud your vigor and I hope you enjoyed reading my ramblings that are partially fueled by cold medicine.
Stay tuned for a whopping four recipe posts coming your way!
